How To Choose A Baby Carrier:
The Babywearing 101 Quiz

This quick and dirty guide may help you determine what features and style you would enjoy most in a baby carrier. It’s a fun place to start, at the very least!

1) How will you be using your carrier?
a) Quick jaunts (easy on and off)
b) Mainly for nursing or carrying baby on my hip
c) Trying to clean my messy house
d) Going on long walks or hikes

2) Will anyone else be using your baby carrier?
a) No, just me (and the baby, of course)
b) Yes, with someone who is of similar size and shape
c) Yes, with someone who is a vastly different size or shape than me
d) Maybe, it depends on who else I can talk into using it

3) How much time will you spend learning how to use it?
a) Not much
b) I don’t mind fiddling a bit
c) I love a mind-bending challenge
d) I would prefer to just snap and go rather than tie myself up in knots

4) With what ages do you plan on using your baby carrier the most?
a) Newborn to six months
b) Newborn to one year
c) Newborn to toddler
d) Newborn until my child refuses to let me

5) Which style most appeals to you?
a) Simple, well-tailored casual clothes and a pair of loafers
b) Long flowing skirts and sandals or better yet, barefoot
c) Ethnic tunics with comfy Birkenstocks
d) Sporty athletic wear with hi-tech, Gore-Tex hiking boots

6) How much shoulder support do you want in a baby carrier?
a) One shoulder, for ease-of-use, no padding please
b) One shoulder, for ease-of-use, some light padding might be nice
c) Two shoulders with little or no padding, for the greatest versatility and decent comfort
d) Two shoulders, waist support, and high density foam padding please (I’m going to be wearing this kid for hours at a time, and I want to be as comfortable as possible)
e) Does it have to touch my shoulders at all?

Fast Scoring Method:

Add up the number of times you chose answer A:

Add up the number of times you chose answer B:

Add up the number of times you chose answer C:

Add up the number of times you chose answer D:

Add up the number of times you chose answer E:

Secret Decoder Ring
(That’s the Answer Key, if you’re not a Geek like me!):

If your highest score was A, you might enjoy a pouch.

If your highest score was B, you might enjoy a ring sling.

If your highest score was C, you might enjoy a long wrap sling (Didymos, EllaRoo, Moby Wrap, etc.) or anasian-style baby carrier (a.k.a ABC or mei tai).

If your highest score was D, you might enjoy a hip carrier (Mei Hip, HipDaddy, Sara’s Ride, etc.) or atechnical carrier. (Sutemi, Ergo, Patapum, etc.)

If you chose E for #6, you might enjoy a chest carrier like the Podeagi or The Baby Wrap.

In the event of a tie:

Pick which features are the most important to you and give double weight to those answers
Try a few of your favorite carriers before you decide on buying one (see
The Frugal Tips Chapter in the Thriving Babies Manual)