The ERGO has long been at the top of the heap of structured baby carriers–you know, the kind Daddy will carry? It’s a mighty schlep-partner, to be sure, but learning how to navigate its straps and whirligigs to move baby from front to back to hip is complicated, particularly for the sleep deprived. The sleek new FreeHand Baby Carrier by TogetherBe appears to have (almost) all of the advantages of the ERGO, without the drawbacks.
The FreeHand is styled much like the ERGO, with a big pouch for the baby and then padded straps that wind around the shoulders and hips. There’s a sweet little crossover support structure at the front that keeps baby’s butt secure and snuggles the weight close to the body, and some ingeniously designed leg openings at the front, so that babies can be worn front- or outward-facing. Wearing baby on the back is a simple matter of turning the carrier around so the pouch is on your back and the carrier buckles in the front.
Unlike the ERGO, which requires a special insert, the FreeHand works for newborns. But one downside: unlike the ERGO, the FreeHand doesn’t convert to a hip carrier. Still, with its simplicity and sleek styling, it’s one to consider.