Sasa, I've not used a HAB itself, but am familiar with stretchy (knit fabric) wraps in general. Whilst many people find that a stretchy wrap is fantastic for newborns and smaller bubs (and certainly has a greater longevity in both the amount of time it can be comfortably worn for and the weight it can carry compared to the Bjorn), they are often found to be not as supportive for older babies because of the stretch factor (resulting in a very saggy baby).
I'm not saying this to discount what you are saying about HABs being more suitable for a wider weight range than Bjorn, because this is true, but to inform people who enjoy wrapping their babies and don't really find soft structured carriers like an Ergo appealing, but are finding their HAB's less supportive that there are more supportive wrap options available - woven wraps. Brands like Vatanai, Girasol, Storchenwiege, Didymos make wraps from cloth specifically woven for baby wearing.
They are a little harder to get in Aus (you won't find them in stores), but can be ordered directly from the manufacturer, second hand - thebabywearer and baby carriers downunder both have for-sale-or-trade boards (as well as a wealth of information), or baby carriers downunder have instocks in some brands and do occasional co-ops in others.
i personally love my ring sling. have been using it since DD was a week old and still going strong and she is almost 21 months. she loves it too!
we got the ergo as DH felt more comfortable with a bit more structure. and we use this for hiking. DD now sits on his back with it and can sleep very peacefully. we certainly wouldnt have managed without it while trekking around tasmania that's for sure! i also like that the ergo has a sun hood attached.
we borrowed a BB carrier when DD was 3 months at a BBQ. and i *guess* because she was so used to the free form of the sling, she absolutely screamed blue murder. she would arch her back relentlessly trying to move around and sit comfortably. after 5 minutes at the most we had to give it back. what i do like about the BB carrier is that young bubs can face outwards i *think* a bit earlier than in the ring sling...not sure if this is correct though as i have forgotten when we started using leila in the outward position on the sling...
as for the baby store staff, yeah, always with a grain of salt i reckon. nothing beats doing your own research either way. and it's true that the big brands like BB do in-house demonstrations for the baby stores ALL the time, while slings like the ellaroo just dont have the marketing budget to compete.
Suse, I agree with your point about HAB and other soft knit carriers being a little stretchy for older/heavier kids. I just meant to say it's possible. But that's one of the reasons why I bought the Ergo when DD was older. But my main reason for the ergo was that DH didn't really want to use the HAB as he felt too much like a "tree hugging hippie" while I have embraced my hppie-ness. I thought he would take the pressure off of me a little more if he had a carrier he would like. Unfortunately, this strategy didn't work out. I still ended up being the one carrying DD everywhere I haven't used my Ergo in a couple of months as my belly is getting in the way now. But until then it was fantastic.
Most of us who are really into baby wearing seem to find it hard to find 1 sling/carrier for absolutely EVERY situation. That's why most of us seem to have a couple of different ones. Or maybe we're just obsessive... Then again, I know of people who have 3 different prams... while I could have gone without a pram.
Was looking at buying an Ergo carrier anyway but have bought one tonight after reading through this thread. Must say that I've had the ABA sling (they use and sell them at the hospital where I had DS) and the Baby Bjorn sling (recommended by Choice) and liked both. DS is 8 and a half months old now though and at nearly 10kg, I've been finding it difficult to carry him. I did buy a frame back carrier but I must be too short because it really was uncomfortable.
LOL at embracing your inner hippyness Sasa. I know where you are coming from - I wasn't meaning to contradict you hon, because there are people who successfully use stretchy wraps with babies at a much heavier weight than other people find comfortable. I just wanted to put it out there, because I've seen a few comments from time to time that some people aren't finding their HABs (or equivalent) comfy any more. But there's no such thing in the babywearing world as one size fits all, so to speak, what doesn't work for one person may work fantastically for others.
My DP didn't wear DS until I got a Scootababy (a dedicated hip carrier, with a SSC style waist and a Windpro shoulder - it's really quick and easy to use and really supportive for toddlers) - because he couldn't be bothered with straps and wraps - he found it easier to just carry DS in arms. But now he carries him from time to time, which I love. I've got a new SSC on order and I think that he might enjoy wearing that too, especially for back carries. It surprises me that more guys aren't into wraps, I thought they would enjoy the 'boy scout' ethos of knots and twists LOL.
My carrier selection is constantly evolving, what worked for me when DS was little isn't working for me now, but because I want to keep wearing him I update my carriers to ones that work better for toddlers. But I agree that having different carriers for different circumstances can be of huge benefit, and yes, it becomes a bit of an obsession - I only use my pram for DS' day sleeps at home, apart from that it's only been used as a 'pram' (that is, as a mode of transport) less than ten times.
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I haven't used my Ergo in a couple of months as my belly is getting in the way now. But until then it was fantastic.
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