Baby Bjorn We carrier review

Baby Bjorn developed its first carrier in 1973 after new research findings showed the importance of eye contact and physical closeness between parents and baby in the first six months of a child’s life and the rest, as they say is history.

I had never used a baby carrier before, although I was, of course, familiar with the Baby Bjorn name, range and reputation. But with a 21-month-old and a baby on the way, I was very keen to try it out.

I felt having the option to carry a newborn and push my toddler would be an easier alternative than schlepping around a double buggy or buggy board and I was very excited to be a Baby Bjorn mama!

The We transporter has a carrying capacity from around eight pounds to 33 pounds, making it ideal to use from birth to around three-years-old. There are three inward or back carrying positions and it has a wide padded waist belt as well as padded shoulder straps.

The carrier is constructed from non-toxic cotton fabric, can be wiped clean and is also machine washable in warm water (40 degrees).

So those are the basics, now down to the nitty gritty!

What’s in the box?

Baby Bjorn We carrier

Any additional extras?

None needed what so ever.

First impressions?

When I first opened the box, I was a bit apprehensive, as I was always under the impression that a baby carrier comes with a million different straps and buckles, and would be a complete strappy nightmare to a buggy mum like me!

I was therefore very pleasantly surprised when I pulled out a neat black carrier, with minimal straps and buckles and just a couple of bright red buttons.

But, on the downside, where looks are concerned, it’s a bit dull. There isn’t really a “design” as such. It looks functional and sleek and I suppose black is a good colour for everyone, but I would love to have had options for different designs and colours. Just a suggestion and the least of the important factors when looking for a good baby carrier I suppose!

How do you put the We carrier on?

Now, I have never even tried on a baby carrier before, so I felt a bit strange trying on the We for the first time.

Well, it was easy peasy! I just slipped the carrier over my head (like putting on a top) and did up the buckle at the back (which you can easily do without having to look at it) and hey presto! I was rocking my very first bit of Baby Bjorn.

The buckle is a unique hook/latch design, which can be easily operated behind your back, but once snapped in place it is quite secure.

I transferred it to my husband, who has a very different build to me (especially as I am currently 25 weeks pregnant with number two) and again, he found it simple to slip on and easy to adjust the hip and shoulders.

Is it comfortable for you?

Yes, it felt not only comfortable, but very sturdy too. All of the straps and the carrier itself are very well padded, in a robust, yet soft and smooth fabric. The empty carrier weighs 1 lb., 12 oz, which is a great indicator of its sturdiness.

The straps are extremely easy to adjust to fit your shape; it really is as simple as adjusting the length of a strap on a backpack – a few pulls and it fit me perfectly around the shoulders and snuggly on the hips.

How about your little one?

I have a 22-month-old, very active little boy, so I knew it would be a struggle to test the carrier out on him, especially as he has never been in a carrier before.

But I still wanted to see how it would hold him, and how he would react to it. Elijah did not enjoy being carried in the front position. He protested madly, but then we swung the carrier around (more on that later) and let him ride piggyback.

With a couple more adjustments on the side straps to lower the carrier, he was riding comfortably and happily! But as you would expect, after a while he wanted to get down and walk instead.

I wasn’t really surprised. As he has never been in a carrier before and starting him off at 22 months was a lot to expect.

But I predict we will have far more luck with our newborn once he or she comes along.

What is it like carrying a small baby in the We carrier?

I wanted to try the carrier out on a very young baby, to see how easy it was to take them in and out and for a bit of practice when our newest member comes along.

Enter my friend’s adorable 10-week-old bundle of joy. There are four buckles on the body of the carrier – two on each side.

You unbuckle one side of these with a snap of a button and you have plenty of room to slip baby in. There are leg straps for the smallest babies so that they can't slide out of the leg opening.

I popped my friend’s daughter in the sling, and she seemed very comfortable. There is a handy safety “snap” which you will hear when the buckle has been done up correctly.

I like how the carrier can be adjusted to sit quite high up on the body – it really allows you to have close contact with your little one, especially with a very young baby.

This higher up position can be adjusted easily as your baby grows, to make it lower – you just have to pull on the side straps to lower securely.

And the seat of the Baby Bjorn We is actually that – a seat – which means the baby ‘sits’ in an ergonomically correct position as opposed to just dangling their legs.

You can adjust the size of the seat too; it has a zipper, which expands the seat depth, making it perfect to transition from newborn to older baby.

The easy front latch opening at the shoulders makes it so easy to take baby in and out. You simply unbuckle, which can be done with one hand, and you can lift the baby out without disturbing them – especially important if your little one has decided to have a snooze at this point!

When we tried it with my little helper it didn’t even wake her up! Bonus points to Baby Bjorn.

Tell us about the different seating options.

As well as being able to carry baby on your front, you can also move the carrier to wear on your back. This has been a big benefit to us, as, our son (and in my mind most toddlers) much prefers being able to ride piggyback.

The one major con I noted at this point was that there was no option for baby to face forward when wearing the carrier on your front. There is only an inward position. This may be fine up until baby is around six-months-old.

But then they might start to get a bit ratty and want to see the world around them, instead of just mummy or daddy’s chest! But at least you have the option to wear the carrier on your back, so baby can get a front facing view from the back seat.

Tell us about the ‘easy motion’ feature.

Now, one thing I couldn’t quite get the grasp of was the ‘easy motion,’ which allows you to transfer the carrier from your front to your back, with baby still inside.

The instructions made it sound very easy – simply unhook your arm from one of the shoulder straps and pull the carrier around from front to back and then replace the strap over your shoulder. You can then adjust the waist strap accordingly to fit in the new position.

I tried. I really did. I slipped it off, I wriggled it but I couldn’t get the hang of it. My husband on the other hand managed it with just a little bit of fiddling.

At least beginners luck worked for one of us! I have a feeling though that the more I try it, the easier it will be, so I won’t hold it against the We just yet!

MadeForMums verdict?

All in all, I think, as a carrier for a first time parent, this model is perfect! It is easy to put on, easy to adjust and is comfortable for both the wearer and the baby and I would definitely recommend it to fellow parents looking to buy a reliable all-rounder baby carrier.