Lugging a pram around everywhere can get old pretty quickly, and as a family we often find that Max (our little boy) wants to be carried in the end anyway. When I’m on my own trying to shop or go for a walk it gets tricky. So when I got contacted about trying the Connecta baby carrier it seemed like a no brainer.
1. First impressions and instructions
I have tried carriers before but to be honest they are usually a bit mumsy (no offence to most of the population). What instantly attracted me was the brilliant patterns from Dinosaurs to something more plain, there is something for everyone.
The fabric material isn’t the plushest yet it is incredibly durable and super strong. It is made from a perfectly nice fabric that feels a little utilitarian. There are a lot of exposed straps with no padding on with plastic buckles rounding off the carrier. As a nice bonus, the carrier came with a handy booklet that showed all the various positions. Anything I couldn’t figure out was obviously just a Youtube video away!
2. Getting the Connecta on and carry positions
I have to say the Connecta is so simple. Popping on is just a few clickable buckles and tightening or loosening as needed. Unlike other carriers I didn’t struggle with Max on my front solo whilst on the back is was tricky, only because I wasn’t able to do the motion needed to move him (bad back). I think that people would find it easier than most other carriers on the market.
The Connecta has front and back carries. It works really well from newborn (7lb) for front carries, and from 6 months for back carries. It's one of the few carriers available that can be used to carry very young babies without needing fiddly inserts
Some other carriers allow you to face the child outwards whilst carrying them on your front however the Connecta doesn’t recommend this. Both positions are easy to achieve and can be more or less handled by yourself. I didn’t go for the back carry solo although I think it could be achieved easily.
3. Key features
Max bit, slobbered, chewed and who knows what else, throughout this review and I was super impressed with the durability of the carrier throughout. There is no tearing, no scratches or any marks to really talk about. Maybe they can make it waterproof next time, specifically for Max’s teething…
There's a couple of smaller feature details that are worth calling out.
A note on the padding - by the end of my test runs I often felt like I had been babywearing. This might seem an odd thing to say but it would have been lovely to have extra padding to the straps to lessen the load on my shoulders and waist.
4. Pros and Cons
5. Overall thoughts
The Connecta does exactly what it says on the tin (to coin a phrase), it carries your baby. It isn’t the Ferrari of the carrier world, and it isn’t marketed that way. It is super easy to get on and off, making your life so much easier. But because it doesn’t have the fancy padding, and the luxury fabric it does start to dig in after a while. It also started to feel less like a backpack (when on my back) and more like a harness with someone pulling me down.
Don’t get me wrong if you are looking for a super durable, brilliantly easy baby carrier that is simple to use and will last you a good few years then this is your bag. The Connecta definitely has an audience and it does have a warm spot in my heart, but it just isn’t padded enough for me. I wouldn't necessarily use this as my everyday carrier, but if I was looking for something to take with me in an emergency, that wouldn’t take up any room, I would pick this up and definitely bring it along.
You can find out more about The Connecta at http://connectacarrier.co.uk or at Koala Slings.
