Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Who is this carrier for?	You need extra help getting baby on your back, or you want an easy & secure back carry method for a small/young baby. You want a really stylish, slim-fitting carrier. You want a carrier that can easily accommodate a newborn, but can be used with toddlers too. You don't mind spending a bit more time getting your baby in and out of the carrier insert, you love the security that it provides. You are petite and have a hard time finding a carrier that adjusts down small enough to fit you properly.	You are looking to do it all with one carrier: front, back, hip, and front-facing carries, from little babies to toddlers. You want to be able to customize your carrier as your baby grows. Shorter, narrower carrier for a little baby. Taller, wider carrier with a padded waistbelt for bigger babies. You want to cross the shoulder straps for front carries. You don't mind a slight learning curve for back carries, you feel confident when handling your baby. Speed and ease of getting baby in and out of the carrier are very important to you. You are petite and have a hard time finding a carrier that adjusts down small enough.	You have a heavy toddler or pre-schooler and need extra-thick support and padding in the shoulder straps and waistband. You have a leaner and want to be able to pull your child closer without having to tighten up your shoulder straps. You are looking for an economical carrier under $100. You don't need all the bells and whistles found on the Beco and Pikkolo. You have a larger frame. (This is not a good carrier for petite babywearers.)	You have a child that does not tolerate any sort of upper-body constraint. The carrier body is very short. You have a larger frame and wide shoulders. (This is not a good fit for petite or narrow-shouldered babywearers.)	No one, unless you love to waste money and love shoulder pain. It is fairly easy to use, but so are the other carriers, especially in front carries, and all the carriers are also dad-friendly (unlike many wraps, pouches, ring slings, etc.)
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Unique/Cool Features	Back carries become super-easy, even for small babies. Baby gets buckled into internal Y-shaped insert. Baby is held securely, baby and carrier can be easily handled as a single unit. Smaller infant-sized insert (included with carrier) can be used for babies 6-15 pounds. Little babies ride higher in the carrier and with extra support. Tall carrier body provides great support for baby's upper body, prevents leaning back and thrashing around, promotes napping, reduces strain on wearer's back.	Carrier is totally customizable! Shoulder straps can be worn crossed OR backpack style. Carrier body can be cinched to narrow it for smaller babies or forward-facing babies. The base remains wide enough to allow for a semi-seated positon, baby doesn't "dangle" when facing out. The Pikkolo allows you to wear an apron-style unpadded waistband (good for front carries with little babies) OR add the padded Babywearing Belt for bigger babies, esp. in back carries. Carrier can be made shorter (worn without Babywearing Belt), or several inches taller (with Belt). Great for accommodating baby's growth over time.	Extra-thick padding in waistband and shoulder straps, for supporting heavy toddlers and spreading out their weight. An extra set of adjustable middle straps that allow you to specifically adjust how close your child is held to your body. Bigger kids tend to lean back much more, so this is a real bonus. You can pull your child in nice and close to your body without having to overtighten your shoulder straps. Compare to Ergo, where short carrier body makes bigger kids feel like they are falling backwards away from you, and there is no way to alleviate that. Least expensive of all the baby carriers listed here.	Body of carrier is padded throughout, good for very cold climates. Zipper pocket on outside of carrier can carry a diaper change or small wallet (but is not accessible in back carry) Matching front pouch and daypack are available for most colors.	Totally unlike the other carriers listed here. The Beco, Pikkolo, Patapum and Ergo are all soft-structured carriers (SSCs) and use backpacking technology to distribute the weight of the baby to rest on the wearer's hips, instead of being supported by the shoulders.
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Potential Negatives	No hip or front-facing carry. Buckling baby into insert takes a bit longer than a non-insert carrier, and can seem a bit convoluted at first. Buckling older kids into the insert can be a hassle, long legs get caught on straps.	All the potential configurations might seem overwhelming at first. Cross the straps? Attach the Babywearing Belt? Some carrier assembly is required before use. Compared to the Beco Butterfly, a back carry with a baby under 12 months does have a learning curve and will take some practice with a happy baby, in front of a mirror, with couch or bed behind you. Totally worth it though! Don't be intimidated!	No hip or front-facing carry, but those are not good carries for a toddler anyway, they will kill your back. Carrier is pretty basic, not a lot of frills. Does what it promises to do (comfortably carry a heavy toddler) and that's about it. Elastic safety loops on all straps are a PAIN, make adjustment very difficult. I cut mine off, in my opinion they are simply not necessary. Buckles are very secure, and if one does pop open your baby will still be held in place by the *other* straps.	Too bulky for little babies. Padded and wide Ergo carrier body + thick pillow-like Infant Insert + baby....it's like you're 10 months pregnant all over again! Too short in the body for older babies. Upper body is not supported, which means lots of leaning back and flailing around, which means shoulder, neck and back pain for you as you try to compensate for all the wild motion going on. Ergo management team is nasty. They compete with their own retailers, file patents on commonly used components (like the chest strap...used for decades in backpacking technology), threaten and intimidate other baby carrier manufacturers in an attempt to monopolize the SSC market (there is plenty of room for everyone to grow and profit, more carrier choices are GOOD for consumers!), and more. You don't want to give these people your money, trust me.	No back carry. No hip carry. No sleeping hood or head support. Causes severe shoulder pain in most wearers once baby is over 15 pounds. Baby's weight is not distributed to rest on wearer's hips, instead it is borne entirely by the wearer's shoulders. Narrow carrier body forces baby to hang suspended by the crotch, concentrates pressure at the base of baby's spine. Narrow carrier body does not allow baby to rest in an ergonomically appropriate seated position with knees at hip height. Expensive, considering its use is so limited.
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Sleeping Hood Characteristics	Hood-shaped to hold baby's head. Elasticized sides. Detachable with snaps. Height adjustable to 2 levels.	Hood-shaped to hold baby's head. Elasticized sides. Detachable with Velcro. Height not adjustable.	Flat hood made of cotton netting. Very breathable and cool, but does not shade a sleeping baby. Detachable with snaps. Height not adjustable.	Hood-shaped to hold baby's head. Elasticized sides. Detachable with snaps. Height adjustable.	No sleeping hood, baby's head dangles.
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Carrier Body Height	16" from top of waistband	15" when worn folded at the bottom with apron-style waistband. 17" from top of waistband when Babywearing Belt is attached.	16" from top of waistband	13" from top of waistband
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Carrier Body Width at Seat	13"	8" when cinched to narrowest setting 13" at widest setting.	12"	14"
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Shoulder Strap Adjustment	Single-direction pull to adjust strap (pull towards baby)	Dual-adjustable straps can be tightened from either direction, and buckle can be relocated forward or back for customized comfort.	Single-direction pull to adjust strap (pull towards baby)	Single-direction pull to adjust strap (pull towards baby)
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Waistbelt Fit Range	24"-57"	16"-54"	28"-55"	25" to 43" A waist extension accessory extends the circumference of the waist belt of the carrier to 51", and costs $8.00.
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Maximum recommended weight of baby (for your comfort)	45 pounds	45 pounds	65 pounds	45 pounds	15 pounds
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Recommended Height Range	4'9"-6'2"	4'9"-6'4"	5'4"-6'8"	5'2"-6'4"
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Good for petite types? (5'2" and under)	Yes	Yes	No	No
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Front Carry - Facing in?	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Front Carry - Facing out?	No	Yes, and baby is in a semi-seated position that does not place as much pressure on the baby's crotch and the base of the spine.	No	No	Yes, but legs dangle and pressure of baby's weight is focused at baby's crotch. Imagine being suspended by a thong underwear harness! OK, maybe not that bad, but not good either. ;-)
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Back Carry?	Yes, easier for beginners than other carriers due to insert.	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Hip Carry (which I do not recommend except for short periods, as it encourages an unbalanced posture and creates a great deal of strain on one side of your body)	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Ability to specifically adjust closeness of child to wearer, to prevent a "leaning back" feeling?	Yes, by means of buckles connecting the Butterfly's Y-shaped insert to the shoulder straps.	Sort of. Tightening the dually-adjustable shoulder straps towards the outside of the carrier also helps pull the baby higher and closer, due to the way the straps attach to the carrier body.	Yes. The Patapum Toddler Carrier has a set of middle straps that specifically serve to pull the child in closer without having to tighten the main shoulder straps.	No. Wearers often find the Ergo frustrating because the short carrier body often gives the feeling that the baby is falling backwards. The user then tightens up the shoulder straps to bring the baby closer, but this only places more strain on the shoulders from the too-tight straps.
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
How does it fit newborns and smaller babies?	Works great. The removable newborn/infant insert (included with purchase) supports floppy little babies, holds them snugly at the top of the carrier body and keeps them from sinking down too deep into the carrier. Newborn insert allows little babies to be held vertically in the carrier with minimal leg spread (Leg spread is not harmful, but newborns and smaller babies generally don't like it at first). Back carry is really easy with small babies. As soon as your baby has good head control, you can safely wear him/her on your back.	Works great for front carry. The Pikkolo adjusts down to fit even newborns. You can shorten the carrier body by wearing it without the Babywearing Belt, and you can cinch it and make it narrower to accommodate a smaller leg spread. Back carry is a bit more challenging with smaller babies than the Butterfly, but with a little practice it works fine.	Not well, the Patapum Toddler Carrier is...you guessed it, designed for toddlers! The minimum age at which I would use it would be about 10 months.	Optional Infant Insert accessory is used to fill up the extra space in the Ergo carrier and helps support little babies. Price is $25 - $38. It works, but is awkward to use and very bulky.
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Can I nurse in this carrier?	Yes, by loosening the shoulder straps and lowering the baby down to latch onto a lifted breast. Insert fabric might be in the way for some wearers. Loosening the insert straps would be better, but they are not easy to tighten/loosen. The high carrier body and sleeping hood (if attached) provide good privacy.	Yes, no problem. Loosen the shoulder straps (easy due to placement and dual-adjustment strap), lower the baby down a bit, open your shirt, then lift your breast to latch on. Tighten the shoulder straps after you are done, to get your baby back to proper bottom-of-bum-at-navel-height carrying position. Sleeping hood provides good privacy coverage if attached.	Yes, but awkward due to close fit and strap configuration. Hard to lower baby enough.	Yes. Loosen the shoulder straps, lower the baby down a bit, open your shirt, then lift your breast to latch on. Tighten the shoulder straps after you are done, to get your baby back to proper bottom-of-bum-at-navel-height carrying position. Sleeping hood provides decent privacy coverage. Short carrier body can expose you more than you might like, so get your sleeping hood out and ready!	Yes, but awkward, not really secure, not private, and not really hands-free.
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Price	$139	$129	$88	$110	$80-$145
	Beco Butterfly	Pikkolo	Patapum Toddler	ErgoBaby	BabyBjorn
Where is it manufactured?	California, USA	Illinois, USA and Estonia	China	China

A Few Notes
I do not sell or recommend ANY carrier that is one-shouldered. That means no pouches, Hotslings, New Natives, hip carriers, ring slings, or the like. I know, lots of people use them and enjoy them, and I have used and enjoyed them too. But bearing weight primarily on one side of your body stresses your neck, back, shoulders and hips. Much better to be able to stand up straight with good posture and have your baby's weight be balanced evenly. Be gentle to your body and it will thank you.

There are many examples of the Mei Tei, also known as the Asian Baby Carrier. They are similar to the SSC, but they have fabric straps that wrap around your body and tie, instead of buckle attachments. They can be great for many people, but they have a few disadvantages:
1) Lack of a padded waistband means that weight is not distributed as effectively to the hips, and shoulders bear more of the baby's weight.
2) Lack of an adjustable chest or sternum strap means that the shoulder straps often lie too far out on the shoulder caps, or if crossed, lie too far in and press on the collarbones.
3) Long fabric straps dangle and drag on the ground when putting carrier on and taking it off, a real pain for those in wet, dirty or muddy environments.
Some mei teis do have chest straps, and some even have padded waistbands. There are many variations available. You can put your Pikkolo Babywearing Belt on any mei tei and give it a padded waistband. But overall, I think that the better weight distribution of the SSC and the ease and simplicity of buckles make it a better option for most people.

Comments or questions about the Comparison Chart?