Beco Baby Carrier Review and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Some of you may remember that not too long ago, I did a review on the Beco child sized carrier. It was a huuuuuge hit in our house, and I'm a big fan of the Beco company. Lucky for me, they asked if I would like to partner up again, to review a Beco Baby Carrier!!

Beco is one of the biggest names on the market when it comes to baby carriers. Good baby carriers, that is! The other is Ergo. Many, many parents find themselves looking for an excellent carrier, and try to choose between the two. While both are great options, I'd like to touch on some of the features that makes the Beco really stand out.

Beco carriers are made in the USA, which is important to me. I know that the workers are getting a fair wage and working in good conditions, not to mention that Beco is supporting the US economy. I think that's great, and something to be really proud of. I love to buy American made products, and I feel this is am important fact to know, as many other carriers are NOT made in the US.

If you are not brand new to the baby wearing scene (or cloth diapering, even natural parenting), you know that something you hear a lot is "You can make your money back by selling it". Well, yes. You can make some money back. But the fact is, as proper babywearing becomes more main stream (YAY!!), the market is becoming more saturated with carriers. If you've ever checked out any babywearing swaps, or even Craigslist, Ergo carriers are one of the easiest or cheapest to buy. This isn't bad if you are looking for a deal, but if you know you want to resell your carrier later, Beco carriers seem to hold their value much more.

Ergos are also touted as being more affordable as a new purchase. This is true, if you are just referring to the carrier. If you want additional features, such as an organic carrier, or an infant insert (so you can use the carrier from birth), then things start to add up, and it is not necessarily the cheapest purchase any longer. Beco definitely has the leg up here, and all their carriers are organic, and they all come with the infant insert! The price is $140 for all carriers, which really is a great price if you consider you can use it from birth up without any additional purchases.

Let's face it, we all want to be cute, even while we are wearing our little ones. That is something I love about Beco. They have really fun prints, and seem to have something to appeal to any style. In fact, some are so cute, it makes me want to have multiples! I would die of happiness to get my hands on an orange scooter print Beco! The cute factor is definitely not a necessity, but most Mom's and Dad's enjoy it. It's a way to express your style, while keeping your baby close. I will say that some Dad's aren't a huge fan of prints, which is why I often hear the Ergo referred to as "Daddy friendly". Keep in mind though, that Beco does have solid colored carriers. Check out these fun prints!

                            

The biggest and most unique feature that Beco offers is the inner panel. This is a panel inside that carrier that goes between your body, and baby. The purpose is to boost infants up, so they aren't buried in the carrier. Awesome feature, right? The great part is that when you no longer need it, you can remove it from the Beco butterfly! It's included in the cost of the carrier, but when not needed, it easily comes out. Something super unique that the panel offers is the ability to remove the carrier and leave the child in it, and pass it to another person to wear. Most baby carriers are designed so that the carrier holds the baby against your body, so once it comes off, the baby comes out. With the insert in it (and in use) the baby is still securely inside the carrier! It's awesome for when you have a napping baby, and don't want to worry about taking them out and waking them up. This is also a great feature for new parents and new babywearers. You can put the babe in the carrier, then pick it up and put it on. Many people get very nervous trying to get a baby on their back, and wrangle a carrier around them. While it gets much easier with practice, this can offer a lot of security and confidence to a new baby wearer! I don't have a newborn, or small infant so this baby doll will have to suffice!

You can easily place baby in the carrier and then put the carrier on! 

Super simple, and secure!

Here are two pics showing how easy it would be to transfer baby in the carrier to another adult. (please note: NEVER hook an actual child to any object while in the carrier. Sort of "duh", but you never know. This is just an example so you can see how it works!)

Baby is happy and secure!

Something you won't necessarily find on either website is how the two carriers compare while in use! I have used several Ergos (regular, organic and performance) and a Beco. I do think both are good carriers, to be clear. However, if I was faced with a choice between the two, I would choos a Beco. While the Ergo does offer more options for types of carries (you can do a front, back or hip carry), I'm not a fan of hip carries in SSCs, so that would be out for me. I also feel that the Ergo back carry is very low. I much prefer a high back carry, and I'm not able to get a comfortable high back carry in an ergo, though I can with a Beco. Because of this, the Beco feels more supportive for me. The Beco is also more comfortable for me. While both offer chest clips (a great feature!), I could wear the Beco comfortably without it. However, the Ergo straps would not stay up on my shoulders without it. The last thing I'd like to touch on is that I feel the Ergo has a short body. This is not an issue for some, but we have a very long torso-ed son. He's also in the 98% (or more, depending on the month) for height. The Ergo is still supportive, but the shorter body panel does make it easy for him to lean back, away from my body. I have never felt that he was in danger of falling out, but it does make wearing him more uncomfortable.

There is no doubt that both are great options for safe babywearing. When faced with the the plethora of crap carriers on the market (Snuggli, Bjorn, Infantino), I would much rather see a parent choose a safe and supportive carrier. And I know there are plenty of people that the Ergo does work for. However, if you are trying to decide between the two, there are definitely some great things to review that will help make your decision. I really love the beauty of the Beco, I'm not going to lie! I'm a sucker for anything cute. The Aiden print is one of my absolute favorite prints, and Beco was awesome enough to let me choose a print that I love. I can't wait to have a new squish to snuggle in it! But I also love knowing that I'm supporting a US made product and one that I don't have to pay extra for to get in organic, or to get an infant insert. It's everything all in one!!!

Hopefully you found the pics helpful! I had some great ones of me using the Beco, but my camera ate an entire batch of pics! I will be taking some more to add, but I don't want to hold up the review, so I'll just add them in later!

I also have some GREAT news for my pretty little stalkers! Beco has generously offered up a carrier to one of you!! How great is that?! Beco giveaways are hard to come by, and I am very excited to be partnered with Beco to offer it to you! The first entry will be mandatory, and all others are for extra entries! Please note, you MUST be a subscribed blog follower to participate! If you aren't, just click the google friends connect button on the left, and become a follower! Make sure to leave a separate comment for each way you enter! 

1. Go to the Beco Facebook page. Become a fan (or just note if you already are) and be sure to leave a comment saying I sent you! This entry is mandatory!!
2. Go to the Beco website and look around. Tell me which Beco is your favorite!
3. Follow Beco on Twitter! Be sure to tweet them some love!
4. Go to the Newly Wed, Newly Bred Facebook page. Become a fan, and leave a comment!
5. Subscribe to my blog! Link on the left, don't forget to activate your subscription, or the entry doesn't count. 
6. Follow me on Twitter! Link is to the left! 
7. Blog about this giveaway. You must include a link to this giveaway, and leave me the link to your post! 
8. Tweet this giveaway! 2x daily, at least 3 hours apart. Be sure to include a link to the giveaway. You can use this if you want:  @Mom2ChunkyMonky & @BecoBaby are having a giveaway! Enter here: http://bit.ly/tJkmiM

Fine Print: This review is sponsored by Beco. I was supplied with a Beco Butterfly II carrier in exchange for my review. This review is honest and truthful, and all are my own thoughts. Giveaway ends 11/18/11. Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to claim prize. All winning entries will be verified. If entries are falsified, another winner will be selected. Open to US and Canada.