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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

ERGO Sport vs. Beco Gemini

As the weather warms up here in the sunshine state I am starting to regret the purchase of my black ERGO carrier. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Ergo, it is a back saver, especially when we hit the amusement parks, which is most weekends. But I needed something a little lighter in color.

I told Jodi I was thinking of looking into a lighter carrier and Jodi, being an avid online shopper like myself, went to work and sent me a link to a video Heather at HomeMadeMom made comparing her Beco Butterfly and Ergo

That made me look into the Beco brand a little more and I found myself drawn to the Gemini style, and the pattern Lucas. It is light and I loved that I could place Liam front facing every once in a while.


First, let me recap my ERGO Sport. It is different from a Baby Bjorn because of the waist belt that helps distribute the baby's weight onto your hips, not just your upper back. It also supports the baby's hips and back by positioning them in a sitting posture, legs supported. The hood on the ERGO is great for naptime on the go, a favorite pastime of Liam when he is in the carrier. Both the ERGO and the Beco Gemini can be worn front(facing chest), back and on the hip, although I prefer wearing Liam on my front since he is too little for back and the hip carry seems complicated on both carriers and not good for your posture. There is a 'vent' on the carrier that is supposed to keep the baby cool, I use it to hook my sunglasses into when I am not wearing them! The fabric is thinner than other carriers I have tried, including the Beco but the black color heats up quickly. The Sport version of the ERGO does not come in organic fabric, but ERGO does offer organic options.
On to the Beco. To me, once I had the carrier adjusted properly I felt like the weight was distributed the same as the ERGO and it seemed like Liam was even better supported because his bottom was not sagging a low as in the ERGO. I did notice right away that the part of the carrier that is on Liam's back is padded, thickly. This seems to be where the extra support for Liam is coming from. You can see in the ERGO pictures that there is a strap across his back that makes him arch his back out and this does not happen in the Beco Gemini. The shoulder straps as padded just as thickly as the ERGO although the padded waist support does not extend as far as the ERGO. I thought this would make the carrier dig into my own extra padding(aka stubborn baby weight) but it felt fine even though you could see the extra bulge. The fabric on the Gemini is organic, which means I don't feel that bad when he starts to chew on it.
The Gemini has a snap system that allows you to narrow the seat base and face your child out to see the world. Although it clearly states that it is better to have your baby facing in so they do not get overwhelmed and lose contact with mom or dad. I used this feature while in a long line. He napped for 30 minutes and when he woke up I let him face out to get a different view and cool off(he is a space heater when sleeping on my chest). It was nice but I was happy to turn him back around after 20 minutes. Because you can face the baby out, you have a neck support flap that  you can raise or lower, depending on how your baby is facing. This is great but I really miss the hood that is on the ERGO and also comes on the Beco Butterfly II.  Although Jodi and I figured out a quick fix and I plan on sewing up a little sleeping hood of my own to attach to the hooks for the neck support flap.
Here you can see two carriers on top of each other. The Beco has a curve to the waist strap but I can't feel the difference when it is on. The body of the carrier on the ERGO is wider but the Beco is more substantial.The ERGO holds up to 45 pounds and the Beco states 35 pounds. I'm not as concerned about the weight difference since I have a 40 pound 3 year old and there is no way I would consider carrying him on my back in this carrier.

I still cant decide on which one I like more, they both have great features. I will hang on to both for a little while comparing them in real life and let you know which one works best for us!




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8 comments:

  1. Vary interesting. I must know which one you do LOVE in the end. I was always happy with the Bjorn and with its price. I found a good one (with foot straps!!) that works when they're over 15 lbs. AND the company is right next door in Boulder. Check it out. http://www.bobababycarrier.com/

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  2. That is so funny Suzanne because this all started when I told Jodi there was a sale on Boba's. We started researching other carriers and found Beco! I do think I will like the Beco more. Especially once I make a little hood so Liam can nap without the sun in his eyes.

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  3. I really appreciated this post...the Ergo and the Beco were my top two choices when I was picking a carrier. I ended up with an Ergo, but if I ever have a second child would consider getting a Beco. I'll be looking forward to more posts on what you think down the road!

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  4. I will just throw in my two cents on my favorite carrier. I have worn my daughter in a beco, ergo, and various mai tais, but hands down my most favorite carrier is my Olives and Applesauce. It is amazing! My daughter is 16 months and weighs 19 pounds (she's itty bitty) and she is just as comfortable to wear as my friends 3 year old who weighs 30+ pounds. If you haven't already checked them out you should!

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  5. Sarah those carriers are ADORABLE!!!! I already have a stroller obsession, I'm afraid I'm getting a carrier obsession too!!!!
    Brie

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  6. Hi! Did you find the Lucas any cooler than the black Ergo? I got a Gemini Paige but found it really hot today -and can't figure out whether it's the padding or the colour that's making it so hot. Was the Lucas less hot than the black Ergo?

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  7. Bonnie- I think the beco is cooler! The nice thing is I can flip the back down to give a little more air circulation. I still have not made the sleeping hood add on but I think if I do that in a light color linen I will be super thrilled with it. So far I haven't noticed the padding heating us up. Hope that helps!

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  8. Thanks for this post!!! I've been looking for a direct comparisson of these two carriers from someone who actually uses both (and isn't a crazy ergo cultist!). I have an ergo and a bjorn and like the combo of the two (ergo for an older baby and bjorn for a younger one), I just wish the ergo faced out!!! I know they say it's not the best but my baby loves to face out and see the world!!! If the beco had the hood I think it would be the ultimate! Great idea about sewing one on- that really wouldn't be too hard :)

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