The Best Travel Baby Carrier – Review of the Best Options
*This post features all the information you need to choose the best travel baby carrier. It may contain affiliate links, meaning we may receive commissions for purchases made through those links, at no cost to you.
Looking for the best travel baby carrier for your next trip? I’ve got you! Keep reading to discover the best options on the market and the key features you should consider!
In my opinion, a baby carrier is THE most essential item to add to your carry-on when flying with a baby. It will come in handy at every stage of the journey – at the airport when you have your hands full, when boarding, during the flight to put the baby to sleep and even at your destination. The baby carrier allows you to move around easily with your baby, while leaving your hands free for hand luggage, plane tickets and company.
This guide compares the baby carriers available on the market to help you choose the best travel baby carrier – the one that best suits your needs. In many cases, the best travel baby carrier is actually the baby carrier you use every day at home.
When it comes to choosing a good travel baby carrier, there are a range of criteria to consider depending on the type of trip you’re planning (whether it’s an outdoor, ski or traditional touristic trip) and your ergonomic needs. These considerations are even more important if more than one person will be wearing the baby carrier during the trip. We’ll cover all these important aspects in this guide.
Since every parent’s needs and criteria differ, it’s obvious that there isn’t just ONE best travel baby carrier on the market. However, with this guide, we’ll help you decide which one best suits your needs and would be the most appropriate for you.
Travel baby carrier vs. travel stroller for travelling with a baby?
Before delving into the criteria and models of travel baby carriers, I’ll start by answering this frequently asked question: what’s the best option between a travel baby carrier and a travel stroller when travelling with a baby?
In all honesty, we usually travel with both. The travel stroller and the travel baby carrier each have their advantages and disadvantages and are useful at different times of the journey.
You are the one who knows your baby’s habits and preferences best. Think about the different aspects of the journey and your baby’s possible reactions, and how each would be useful. For example, would a baby carrier make it easier for your baby to sleep when travelling and on the plane? A stroller can be extremely useful once you’ve arrived at your destination for sightseeing and walks. For sporting activities and steep destinations (hello Lisbon and Porto), a baby carrier is definitely the ideal option.
In short, there is no perfect answer to this question. Your needs, your baby’s behaviour and habits, and the type and destination of the family trip you’re planning will influence and guide your decision.
➡️ Read Next: TOP 10 BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING WITH A BABY
The many uses of a travel baby carrier
As I’ve already mentioned, the travel baby carrier is, in my opinion, at the top of the list of baby travel essentials. They are extremely useful in many circumstances.
Here are just a few examples of situations in which a good travel sling could come in handy:
Using a travel baby carrier at the airport:
When walking around the airport, a baby carrier is extremely useful for freeing up your hands. It allows you to move around easily with your baby while carrying your carry-on and travel documents.
The baby carrier is also extremely useful when boarding your flight. It’s easier to present your travel documents and cross the aisle with your hand luggage when your baby is snug in a baby carrier.
Is it possible to go through airport security with a baby carrier?
It is sometimes possible to go through airport security with a baby carrier, but not always. In all honesty, every time I’ve travelled with my children when they were babies, I’ve had to detach the baby carrier and put it in a bin with my other personal belongings so that it could be checked.
Even so, I prefer to take the chance every time – I’d rather detach the baby carrier gently and keep my baby (calm or asleep) against me than take him out of his stroller and run the risk of waking him up or agitating him.
Using a baby carrier on the plane:
When it comes to flying with a baby, sleep is usually one of the biggest concerns for parents.
While there’s no magic bullet to ensure your baby sleeps peacefully during air travel, I consider the travel baby carrier to be an essential tool that can help. In an environment that can be noisy and/or intimidating for babies, their parent is their ultimate source of comfort and reassurance. This is especially true when the baby is particularly tired after a few hours’ travel.
For long flights, a baby carrier can help babies fall asleep more easily – or at least calm them down. In my case, I’ve always used my travel baby carrier to put my young children to sleep on planes. On long overnight flights, I’ve walked countless times up and down the aisle of the plane to get my youngest to sleep. When he was unable to calm down, over-stimulated by this new environment, I would stick him against me in the baby carrier and rock him in a quieter corner of the plane (often at the back – near the flight attendant station), away from the noise and commotion.
Using a travel baby carrier at your destination:
Depending on the nature of your journey, a travel baby carrier may be more useful for certain activities, while a travel stroller could be more advantageous for others.
For example, if you’re hiking or doing any other outdoor activities, a baby carrier is essential. Some attractions also ban strollers (or advise against their use). This is particularly true of certain museums and festivals.
** Family travel tip: When planning activities for your family trip, take the time to do a little quick research before you go. Are strollers allowed? Is it easy to use a stroller there? The results of this research will help you decide whether you should opt for a travel baby carrier for your outing.
For some particularly steep destinations with lots of stairs (Lisbon and Porto spring to mind!), the traveller’s baby carrier will be your saviour! For these cities, a travel baby carrier is highly recommended, as it will allow you to get around easily without any logistical obstacles. In many of these destinations, there are few lifts that allow you to move easily from one part of the city to another with a stroller. So a baby carrier makes getting around much easier.
The same applies to public transport. In some cities, it’s quite difficult to access the public transport network with a stroller- whether it’s the metro, train or bus. This is especially true if the parent is alone – it becomes very difficult to fold the pushchair quickly to board the bus while holding the baby in your arms. Finally, not all towns and not all stations have lifts to the underground metro network. I’m thinking in particular of Paris, where I’ve had a lot of trouble getting around with my daughter in her stroller. In these cases, a baby carrier is essential!
➡️ Read Next: Travel Stroller for Toddler: 5 Strollers worth Buying Now
Things to consider when choosing the best travel baby carrier
There are several things to consider when choosing the best travel baby carrier for travel. Here are some of the most important:
- Comfort
- How easy it is to adjust and fasten the baby carrier without help
- Comfort for the other parent who might be using it
- The different positions possible: front/back and on the back
- A baby carrier that can be used at different stages of your child’s development (newborn, baby, toddler)
- Compact: can it fit easily into a piece of luggage?
- Maximum weight
- Price range
- Built-in accessories: depending on the activities you use the baby carrier for, certain accessories may be of interest (small canopy to protect the baby from the sun and bad weather, insert for newborns, etc.).
Best travel baby carrier: the very best options on the market
The Travel baby carry i personally use
Before I present the different options available on the market, I’m going to present the baby carrier I used for my two children (and still use when travelling for my two-year-old son). Since my daughter was born, I’ve always used the Tula Standard Ergonomic baby carrier. It’s easy to adjust and ultra comfortable. I’ve explored dozens of destinations and walked hundreds of miles with my children in this baby carrier – I’ve never felt any discomfort. My partner also used it really often to carry our kids while travelling – our Tula baby carrier was easy to adjust, even if he’s way taller and broader than me. We both never felt any discomfort or pain from carrying our babies in this travel baby carrier.
It’s also lightweight and ultra-compact – it folds easily to fit in a piece of luggage.
The only disadvantage of this baby carrier is that it only allows two positions:
- front carry: facing parent
- back carry
We used it from the moment our children were born, using a newborn insert. With this insert, the Tula baby carrier can be used from 7 pounds. This is a good option for parents who want to continue carrying their child as they grow – the maximum weight is 45 pounds.
Ergobaby Omni 360: the best travel baby carrier in general
The Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position baby carrier is another option that is extremely popular with parents. They particularly appreciate its level of comfort and flexibility. The straps are easy to adjust for a maximum of comfort. For example, for smaller mums (or dads), the straps can be crossed at the back to distribute baby’s weight more evenly and ensure greater comfort.
A major advantage of this baby carrier is that it allows you to place your baby in any position:
- front carry: facing parent
- front carry: facing out
- back carry
- hip carry
This model also has plenty of padding for baby’s comfort.
The Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Carrier is also a good option for parents who plan to use it as their baby grows: it can be used for children weighing from 7 to 45 pounds.
Ergobaby Embrace: the best full-buckle travel baby carrier for newborns
The Ergobaby Embrace is often identified as one of the best choices of baby carrier for a newborn. It is suitable for babies weighing between 7 and 25 pounds.
It’s comfortable for both baby and parent. To make it even more comfortable for the parent, the straps cross over at the back to distribute the baby’s weight more evenly.
For baby, it’s a comfortable and safe option. It provides good neck support.
Two models of the Ergobaby Embrace baby carrier are available: knit and mesh.
It’s easy to use and ultra-compact.
As this travel baby carrier is designed for newborns, the positions in which you can carry your child are limited:
– front carry: facing parent
– front carry: facing out
Boba Baby Wrap: the best sling travel baby carrier for newborns
The Boba Baby Wrap is another model designed for newborns. Unlike the Ergobaby Embrace, this baby carrier has no straps or fastenings. The parent places the baby in the carrier and ties the material in a way that is comfortable for them (and their baby).
One of the great advantages of this type of baby carrier is that it allows the baby to adopt a more natural position against the parent – there is no cushioning or rigidity.
It is very popular with parents who want to travel with a baby. The Boba Baby Wrap is extremely lightweight and ultra-compact – it folds like a piece of clothing and fits easily into hand luggage or even a travel diaper bag.
It’s easy to use at any time – on the plane or at your destination.
For some parents who are less familiar with this type of baby carrier, it can be a little more complicated to get the baby into it and to tie it quickly. In fact, tying this baby carrier quickly and effectively can take a bit of practice – there are online tutorials to help you learn the knotting technique. In short, if you’re planning to leave on a trip very soon and haven’t used this type of baby carrier in the past, this may not be the best travel baby carrier for you. If you’ve got time to practise before the day of departure, the Boba Baby Wrap is still an excellent option
For this type of travel baby carrier, the only possible position is:
– front carry: facing parent
LÍllébaby Complete All Seasons 6-in-1: the best budget travel baby carrier
The LÍllébaby Complete All Seasons 6-in-1 is an excellent option for families looking for a good affordable travel baby carrier.
It’s comfortable and renowned for its quality lumbar support. In fact, the attachment belt is particularly wide and well-cushioned. It helps prevent lower back pain.
One of the main disadvantages of the LÍllébaby Complete All Seasons 6-in-1 is that it is harder to wash. Its thicker fabric takes longer to air dry and is less easy to clean when a small mess occurs. The material of this baby carrier is also a little stiffer than that of the other travel baby carriers listed in this article.
However, it offers excellent value for money. The overall quality of the baby carrier is slightly lower than that of its more expensive competitors. However, it perfectly meets the criteria of comfort, safety and versatility that we look for in a good travel baby carrier.
Finally, another advantage of this baby carrier is that you can put your baby in any position:
– front carry: facing parent
– front carry: facing out
– back carry
– hip carry
Deuter Kid Comfort: the best travel baby carrier for hiking trips
The Deuter Kid Comfort lives up to its name… it’s renowned for the very high level of comfort it offers both parent and child. The cushioned backrest provides excellent support for the child’s back.
The metal base of the Deuter Kid Comfort is very solid and can support a child weighing up to almost 40 pounds.
The material used for this travel baby carrier is high quality and easy to wash. Around the child, the material is plush – soft and comfortable.
It also comes well equipped – including a sun shade to protect the child from the sun’s rays or bad weather.
For all these reasons, it’s often chosen as the best travel baby carrier for active families. It’s ideal for outdoor outings, hikes with children and family camping trips.
Please note that as this is a more structured travel baby carrier, it is not suitable for newborns. It must be used for babies who are able to sit up on their own, from around 9 months of age.
Osprey Poco Plus: the 2nd best travel baby carrier for hiking
The Osprey Poco Plus is another excellent choice of travel baby carrier. It’s more expensive and less comfortable overall than the Deuter Kid Comfort, but it offers greater storage capacity than its competitor – 26 litres. It’s this feature that sets it apart from other hiking baby carriers.
The base is solid and the material used is of good quality.
With its large compartments and good storage capacity, this travel baby carrier is an excellent option for families planning long hikes or full days out in the great outdoors.
Conclusion – the Best Travel Baby Carriers
Choosing the right baby carrier can make all the difference when traveling with a little one. Whether you’re navigating airports, exploring new cities, or heading out on a nature hike, the right carrier will keep your baby comfortable while giving you the freedom to move with ease.
From soft-structured carriers perfect for all-day comfort to lightweight wraps that are easy to pack, these options are designed with both parents and babies in mind. With the right travel baby carrier, you can focus less on the logistics and more on enjoying your trip together.
So, whether you’re planning a short getaway or a big adventure, these carriers are must-haves for making travel with your baby as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Planning a family trip with a baby? Read these posts next:
– Travel Stroller for Toddler: 5 Strollers worth Buying Now
– TOP 10 BENEFITS OF TRAVELLING WITH A BABY
– FLYING WITH KIDS: HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR CHILD’S FIRST FLIGHT
