When I first wrote a post on baby-wearing, I did not yet own a Beco carrier, but I thought at some point I would like to have one for travel, so my mei tai ties would not be dragging on the ground while I was roaming the streets of Europe. The day finally came— a family trip to Italy— where I could justify the purchase, so I ordered the Beco Butterfly 2.0 from Baby Snazz in the organic Joey pattern ($119).
The Butterfly can hold babies and toddlers from newborns to forty-five pounds. There is a special insert (included) for infants that is removable, and the shoulder straps and waist strap are well padded. The hood/headrest is removable, and the carrier is very lightweight.
When the carrier came, I opened the box immediately to give it a try. I first put my son in the front carry, which he loved. Then we switched easily to the back carry. You can take the entire waistband off without dropping your child (not recommended), but it is a nice safety feature. At this point, The Boy did not want to get out of the carrier!
I first used the carrier on a shorter trip to Minnesota to get used to it, and I wore The Boy for several hours while out shopping. That evening, I could not figure out why my legs were sore, but then I remembered I wore him for a long time. My back did not hurt at all! In Italy, I experienced the same situation. I would wear him for several hours at a time without any back, hip, neck or shoulder pain.
The “hood” came in handy when The Boy was sleeping through the sites, but I can tell from looking at the pictures that I should have pulled it up a bit further. It held his head close, so it was not bobbing around and blocked some of the sunlight. On younger/smaller children, it would provide even more cover.
As you can see, I am not a very tall woman, and while the fitted body piece on the inside was a bit long for me, I did not find any discomfort from the small amount of extra fabric.
Overall, the carrier was sturdy, appears durable, and is quite comfortable— even for a small woman and a larger (30 pound) toddler. I have no problems recommending this carrier to other women, and I am very happy with my purchase.
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I’m so very tempted, but my husband would kill me I think! We need a trip so I can justify it
Hmm… time to plan a trip! LOL!
aaaaaaaahhh! i might have to have one!
Hi there. This looks interesting. I have a 20 month old. Not sure how much he weighs maybe 25-30 lbs. Anyway here’s my situation. I live with my husband and two kids in Berlin (hometown is St. Paul, MN) and I just get sick and tired of using the stroller on the U & S-Bahn trains. Sometimes there is an elevator but most of the time they don’t work or are under repair. It’s such a pain to lift the stroller by myself or go a stair at a time. Some stops have multiple stairs. UG!!!
I’d love to find a solution and the Butterfly seems like it might be a good deal. My husband is 6′4” do you think he could wear it also? We both have tired backs so this is the one thing I worry about. Both my kids loved the Baby Bjorn but after awhile my back would begin to hurt. Do you foresee a problem there? Any insight you can give would be appreciated.
Thanks.
JH
I don’t know. It might be too short for your husband. It was VERY Comfortable for me though– much more so than the Bjorn.
Hey, Jennifer! The Beco Butterfly II was designed to be comfortable for parents of all sizes, even tall daddies! (The padding on the shoulder straps is longer than on the older versions!) I think you will both find the Beco much more comfortable for you to use, and also for your 20 month old than the Bjorn since the integrated seat supports your child’s whole body and doesn’t just dangle the child from their crotch… The waist band of the Beco is on your hips and supports the weight of your baby so that his hefty 25-30 pounds is transferred to your hips not your back! The shoulder straps sit out farther out on your shoulders, avoiding the ’soft spot’ near the neck where carrying weight can cause neck and back pain! Also, most people wear the Bjorn with the baby facing out.. This is hard on everyone! Turning the baby to face you and having a larger seat so the baby can sit with their knees up and wrapped around you will pull their body weight around yours, keeping your center of gravity centered. Can you tell that I LOVE my Beco Butterfly??? HTH
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