Often marketed as the 'easy-to-use' sling option, buckle carriers come in lots of different styles and designs. Are buckle carriers easy to use? That depends - for some people they work a treat, and they are exactly what they'e looking for. For others, they turn out to be the 'not-so-easy' option; they find the buckles are too hard to reach for example, or that's there's just too much carrier to get along with (in terms of padding and buckles etc.).
When I purchased my first buckle carrier over 10 years ago, I couldn't figure what went where - clips in here, reach round to there, arm over shoulder to do up the strap, an so on.
So to help, let's start with a very basic infographic of the anatomy of a buckle carrier. The beginning is usually a good place to start!
One of the most often talked-about sling topics is buckle carriers for newborns. Whether you like to use buckles with a newborn or not, it's fair to say that they do (quite rightly of course) hold an appeal for many parents, and in the last few years there have been several new carriers produced which are really rather excellent. They are supportive, relatively easy to use, people find the padding comfortable, and some are adjustable from newborn to toddler. They tend to be a particular favourite amongst dads too, as they are more rucksack-style in appearance and use.
Given the huge choice of newborn buckle carriers, we've come up with this helpful infographic to let you see the relevant features of each to help you make an informed choice.
Hope you find this helpful, and of course if you have any questions or comments feel free to get in touch any time.
Much love and happy newborn-carrying!