Good baby carriers are pricey. Why? A lot of them started out and still are a work at home mom operation. It also takes the right kind of fabric to make a quality baby carrier, not to mention the time put in to design, sew and test the product to make sure it is safe before selling it. In the case of woven wraps, many of the brands are still woven by hand on a loom, although some have gone to machine looming, but it still takes time and know how. So what is a person to do if they want a good quality baby carrier, but do not have a large budget?
Baby Carriers as gifts:
If you are still pregnant, consider asking for a baby carrier as a baby shower gift. A few people could pitch in together and get you something. To make it easy for them, know what you would like, within a few choices, or colors so it will be a surprise which one they picked. You could also ask for a baby carrier as a gift for your birthday or other gift giving time that you celebrate.
Buying Used:
There are many options for buying used, or even like new carriers, wraps and slings for babies. For local deals try the craigslist for your area or consignment shops and sales. You have to know what you are looking at, so you don’t get something that seems like a good brand, but turns out it falls apart after you get it home. I got 2 of my carriers at a consignment sale for less than I would have paid for 1 of them. I have also seen good quality baby carriers at consignment stores and on my local craigslist. For online deals check out the For Sale or Trade forums at TheBabywearer.com or DiaperSwappers.com. Many of the carriers listed are in good condition, sometimes even new!
Do It Yourself:
If you are a good sewer, there are many tutorials and pattern for making your own carrier. A good place to start is with the creator of Sleeping Baby Productions. Her page has many DIY carriers, such as ring sling, pouch slings and mei tai carriers. You can also make your own stretchy wrap (Moby, or Boba wrap style) without any sewing with cotton jersey material.
Sales:
Many online stores have a clearance section. Check them out, they may have just what you want! I got my Boba 2G this way. When the new version of the Boba Carrier came out many stores put the older version on sale or clearance.
Babywearing Giveaways:
This choice is kind of a long shot, but there are quite a few blogs giving away baby carriers. There are usually thousands of entries to these giveaways, but they do not take much time to enter and you never know when you might win! I have a list of babywearing giveaways that I have found on other blogs. Check them out!
All of these options work best when you know what it is you want to use. Find a babywearing group in your area and try out some different carriers, find what works best for you and your baby, then go find a deal!
Have you found a great baby carrier deal? Tell us about it!
