Evenflo Porte Bebe Premier Soft Baby Carrier

While selecting products for my baby registry, I went to the local R'us store and tried on all of the front carriers. I narrowed the selection down to this carrier or the Baby Bjorn, which I had heard was the best. The Baby Bjorn was VERY expensive (nearly $80), and I was trying to be frugal, especially since babies outgrow these things so fast. The Porte Bebe was close to $50, but I wasn't going to necessarily select a product just because it was cheaper. The true test was to try both of them on.

The Baby Bjorn was very nice, good quality, and just about the same in its features as the Porte Bebe. The buckle on the Porte Bebe seemed to me to be a bit more secure than the slip in buckle of the Baby Bjorn. Therefore, with both of them, you could take baby out of the side without having to take the entire carrier off. The deciding factor was how comfortable I thought the baby would be. The Baby Bjorn has a buckle which sits right below the baby's crotch. I don't know if this allowed another way to get baby out, but it seemed like it could be very uncomfortable to be sitting on after awhile. The Porte Bebe has just material through the crotch and seemed like it would be a heck of a lot more comfortable. That said, I selected the Porte Bebe for my registry.

After I had my baby, I carried him around all the time in the carrier. It was great while he was facing in - I could get a lot done around the house while he slept or looked around. When his neck was strong enough to face him out, I carried him around for a few months more. The outward facing position did not seem to me to be as secure as the inward facing because of where the carrier was positioned at his chest. I wished the material could snap a little higher on his chest so I didn't feel like he was going to slip out. I often kept on hand on the carrier while he was outward facing.

One other thing about the Baby Bjorn: the leg openings are a little big. This is good if you had a big baby like mine, but it might be a little worrisome is you have a smaller baby.

Overall, the Porte Bebe worked well for me. I used it around the house, walking outside, and walking on the beach. I would warn those with bad backs to not use it or any other front carrier for any great length of time because it can kill your back. I was in pretty good shape after my pregnancy but I made a big mistake of going for a long walk with my baby. Like the other reviewer indicated, it is tough to get your baby out of the carrier. If the baby falls asleep in it, you mind as well leave him there until he wakes up. Getting it off yourself is sometimes tough too. Unlike the other reviewer, I was able to get my carrier in dark blue, the same color as the Bjorn.

Although I've since thrown the box away, the material on the carrier appears to be a cotton polyester blend. There is about a half inch of foam inside the material which goes around the baby. There is a little less foam inside the material for the straps. I found them very comfortable. It is machine washable and can be put in the dryer. You can use the carrier for a child weighing from 6 pounds to 26 pounds. I stopped using it when my baby was about 18 pounds as that was all my back could take. The seat height is adjustable - three snaps, or adjustments are available. By adjusting the seat height, you also adjust the size of the leg openings.