Beco Gemini Baby Carrier from Newborn to Toddler - Certified Ergonomic Newborn Baby Carrier for Infants and Children of 7-35 lbs - M Shape, Adjustable Seat, 100% Cotton (Grey)

Absolutely love this carrier. My baby hates the stroller and has to be carried every time we leave the house. I have a soft wrap and this “harder” wrap. This harder one is my go to for walks, going to the grocery store, and any type of shopping. It is sturdy, so easy to put on (even on my own), and she feels secure and safe in it. My husband is also able to wear it if I’m tired and it’s such an easy process adjusting the size. Baby loves it and after observing her surroundings when we are out and about she is always so comfortable that she falls asleep. There is a little pocket in the bottom that is perfect for putting car keys but won’t fit a phone. This harder wrap is my preference over the soft one and I use it a lot more often. I also love how it’s made of clean materials because my baby loves chewing on it. I’ve been able to use it since she was only a few weeks old. The only time I prefer the soft one is when we travel on an airplane because the hard one can get uncomfortable to sit in for me. This harder one is also hard to wear when doing things around the house because it is more constricting and doesn’t allow me to move around as freely. I would highly recommend to have a hard one and a soft one for different occasions, and the hard one should be this beco one!

I already have a babybjorn and a classic ergo carrier for my 3 months old. while the babybjorn worked great for the first months it is now killing my back, so i used the ergo with a waist belt, but my daughter just isn't comfy in there. as I also have an almost 2 year old I needed a good, no great, carrier for my youngest. She loves to be facing outwards for about 30- 45 min (then she needs a break from the world and wants to face inwards and usually take a nap). so doing some research I was torn between the ergo 360 and the lillebaby as they both allow the facing out position and have waist belts. luckily I finally found the beco gemini combining the best out of these two carriers! So here is why I decided for the beco (and have no regrets)- allows facing outward position in a good ergonomic way (ergo 360, lillebaby and babybjorn do too, but the babybjorn is less ergonomic. ergo classic does not)- allows to change the babys position from inward to outward or the other way without taking of the carrier, therefore without putting the baby down. This matters for me as I go for example to the zoo with both kids and have nothing but the carrier for the youngest. So obviously I can't ask my 2 year old to give me a hand to change the babys position ( ergo 360 and babybjorn allow that too, no way with the Lillebaby)- back friendly waist belt with a pocket on it (no waist belt on the babybjorn, very loud velcro waist belt on the ergo 360. Lillebaby has a nice waistbelt too and offers a pocket on the back of the baby)- relatively easy to put on and take off by myself (again think of the zoo situation) (ergos are a pain to put on and I would usually need help to close the back strap, babybjorns are the easiest to put on and take off, Lillebaby seems just as painful as the ergo) It took me about 5 attempts to figure out how to use the beco by myself, so it's not too bad- fits very small to very large people . The only carrier so far that my husband (6ft 8in) can use as well.If I wear it (5ft 7in) the leftover straps are kind of long hanging around, but I there is an elastic band on each fastener where you can hide the leftover straps once you rolled them up- I can breastfeed in the carrier (takes some practice though)- it looks good (so does the ergo 360, the lillebaby is kind of baggy looking)- the head support which can be folded down for the outfacing position is very high when folded up, giving my baby a great, adjustable head support and shade when she falls asleep on my chest (looking inward)- breathable and sunblocking 3d-mashes are perfect for the texas weather

This was my primary carrier for the first year of my baby's life. And I generally loved it! (*although for the first 3 months, the Baby K'tan was my EVERYTHING- I only used the Beco outside of the house, like in the grocery store- and the K'tan for around the house.) It (the Gemini) was a life-saver for travel- we flew 7 times in his first year, and never needed a stroller- all you need is your Beco! I was able to breastfeed in it, and I never had issues with the safety buckles- they're not that hard to use! But after a full year of using it almost daily, there are a few things about it that I don't like, and for that reason I would probably recommend purchasing the Beco Soleil instead- for these reasons:Gemini Cons:-No pocket (this was a pain! Sometimes you just want to bring your phone/credit card/tissues/etc. & I missed having a pocket many times)-No sleep hood (I really disliked the fold up headrest on the Gemini- it never seemed very effective to me & I only used it a couple times)-Snaps at legs would detach all the time. (if I bent over at all, one of the snaps on the bottom would come undone, taking away the support from one of the baby's legs)-And mostly- the lower weight limit/smaller dimensions. By the time my baby hit a year old (& only 20 pounds/31 inches), I felt like he was outgrowing the Gemini already, which was disappointing. When I wore him on my back, the carrier only went about 2/3 up his back, and he didn't seem very comfortable, and would lean way over to the side- like he could wriggle out. The narrowness of the Gemini is what appealed to me in the beginning (I'm 5'2" & 115 lbs), but I wasn't thinking ahead- and babies grow so fast. When I put him in the Soleil the 1st time at 13 months old, his happiness was apparent. It was much more comfortable for him- more leg support (knee-to-knee), more back support (& more support for me as a result). I think the Gemini's 35-pound weight limit is a tad misleading (not just for this carrier, but for many I would guess)- while technically the carrier can support that much weight, your baby is more likely to outgrow it height-wise rather than weight-wise, especially if on the taller side. (A short baby will be fine for longer- but I feel like once they hit 32" tall it's going to become noticeably less comfortable).Gemini Pros (over the Soleil): baby can face out; no newborn insert requiredThe Soleil really seems like the perfect carrier to me! (well, for me) It has a pocket big enough for an iphone/credit cards/keys; it has an awesome detachable sleep hood; it's wide & tall enough for toddlers, but still works for young infants, and it comes in the same great prints as the Gemini (I have 'Twilight', which is gorgeous). If you decide to use it in the newborn days, you can purchase the insert, but really, it's a brief period of time & a cheaper stretchy carrier or mei tei will do you just fine until baby is 3 months old. Also, like the Gemini, it's awesome for traveling - wear your baby right through security, and everywhere else too!I'm not sure why the Gemini has so many reviews compared to the Soleil (500+ vs 65)- I'm guessing (in addition to the Soleil being a few years newer) it's that the ability to have the baby face-out is a major draw for parents. As far as the facing-out position goes, I have heard some babies dislike being worn facing in at certain ages. However, mine seemed to enjoy facing in (& he still could look around behind me & on either side). So I only wore him facing out a few times. Why? Because it just isn't as comfortable/ergonomic to wear that way! It felt 10 times more natural/comfortable to wear him facing in (or on my back, when he was about 6 months old). Plus, of course the recommendations are to only wear facing-out for short durations of time. So for me personally, that capability isn't something that I found very important/useful.Whether you go with the Gemini or Soleil, you'll probably be satisfied. I just thought I'd chime in about why I made the switch! If you have the $$$, the most ideal thing would be to buy both :) But most people don't want to spend $300 on carriers, so be sure you get the best one for you up-front. (Although they have decent re-sale value, so worst-case you can sell it & get a new one if it's not working out).