12 best baby carriers and slings to keep them close, tested by parents and experts

Score: 99/100

Suitable for use from birth, this top-rated carrier ensures your baby sits in the optimum position to adhere to TICKS guidelines (see above). The structured, yet simple design was easy to put on and remove and a doddle to switch between carers – just lengthen or tighten the straps accordingly.

The front attaches to the straps using three methods of closure: the base has slide-in sections that pop into holes, the sides have a colour-coded slot, and the top has a push-button fastening that can be easily undone by the parent (but not the child!).

The top panel can be raised to support their heads while they’re sleeping or flapped down when they’re alert.

Baby can be worn facing in and out (from around the age of five months), but the product is only designed to be used for the first 12 months. That said, BabyBjorn does offer a reassuring 10-year guarantee, which is ideal if you plan to use it with future babies.

Pleasingly, it’s available in 20 colours and a choice of four machine-washable fabrics, with no colour fade or staining reported in our lab tests.

Score: 99/100

On first appearances, Ergobaby’s carrier is super soft and snuggly, and feels very nice to the touch. It’s suitable for use from day one with your baby (or from when they hit 7lbs) and will also adjust as they grow.

The carrier adapts well for different-sized wearers and our testers found it comfortable to use, with a wide, padded belt and shoulder straps. As well as front and inward facing functionality, there’s an additional configuration for the first two months, to take into account baby’s size, and further ensure their hips, spine and head are all in the correct position for growth and comfort.

It's machine washable so it’s easy to keep it looking its best, and you can even breastfeed while wearing it.

Score: 98/100

If you like the sound of the Babybjorn model above but are keen to baby-wear past their first birthday, the Harmony carrier might be the answer.

One of the most comfortable carriers on the market, it’s made from OEKO-Tex fabric, which means it’s free from harmful substances (for when baby inevitably sucks on it), and it comes in 11 pretty shades.

It’s a doddle to use, adjusting easily to both the adult and the baby as they grow, with the option for both parent and world-facing, as well as back-wearing once they get heavier. There are three head positions for your baby, and lots of lovely padding around the leg holes for comfort.

As a bonus, the instructions are on the product itself, so you’ll never lose them, and it can be machine washed too. There are also various accessories you can add on to tailor it to you – including a pouch to stash your phone, a bib cover for the inevitable dribble, and a winter cover for extra warmth.

Score: 98/100

The aptly named Nuna CUDL has one of the simplest adjustable waistbands of all the carriers we tested. There's a wide piece of Velcro that hugs your waist and helps to spread your baby's weight across your body – and it's super easy to put on and remove.

However, our tester found the shoulder straps took a little more practice to get just right. It's possible to put the carrier on over your head if you have trouble doing up the clip behind your shoulders (in fact, Nuna's own video shows this), and then you can tighten both shoulder straps. When taking it off, it's quite hard to loosen that strap, so you do need to undo the shoulder clip. Once you have the harness on and baby in position, the buckles simply snap into place, thanks to strong magnets – just squeeze the sides to undo them.

For very small babies, there's a zip inside the seat that makes the carrier smaller and it tucks away into a neat little pocket when it's not being used.

The carrier comes with a built-in customisable hood for shade and soft, washable bibs to keep it protected from dribble. It's made from a mesh fabric to prevent overheating, and it washes fairly well, although the bib was still a little stained.

Score: 94/100

Post-baby, it’s often tricky to make time for exercise (or anything else for that matter!), but this carrier is designed to help.

An upgrade to its original carrier, the Carifit Core allows you to baby-wear while working out and includes access to the Carifit app where you’ll find personalised fitness plans and tutorials.

It's made from super comfortable, stretchy performance fabric with a wide belt and back panel that feels really supportive, even with a heavier child in it. Some people said they used it until their baby was two or older. You can carry a newborn facing inwards and then swap to front-facing once they can hold their head up. The base adjusts, with easy-to-use sliders that widen the seating area.

It's easy to put on – simply secure the waist belt, hold baby to you, and slip each side over your head like a T-shirt. The head support can be raised for a sleeping inward-facing baby, or flapped down and neatly connected with little loops for a forward-facing baby. The buckles are magnetic, so they snap together reassuringly when they're in position.

Score: 94/100

Loved by many for its adaptability, this carrier will hold your little one for up to three years (if you're strong enough to do so!). However, it does need a newborn insert for the first four months.

It has good padding on the waist and shoulder straps and it's easy to adjust to fit you properly, plus you can adjust the Velcro panels on the seat for your baby, according to their size and weight. However, the back strap is a little fiddly and can catch your hair.

There are some things you should do to have your baby in the best ergonomic position – most importantly, put your hands inside the carrier when they're strapped in and tuck their bottom under, allowing the knees to rise so that they have a C-shaped spine and M-shaped bottom and legs.

The carrier has sliders that adjust the bottom-seating area for baby, and they can be undone when your little one is facing out to allow room for their legs. It washes very well with no sign of stains and will look good for a long time. This carrier does feel quite large and bulky but as that's down to the padding, so it's not a bad thing at all!

Score: 91/100

Part of LittleLife’s range of rucksack-style carriers, this model is designed to take your little one anywhere, up to the age of three.

Fully adjustable for the wearer, the back panel can be lengthened or shortened – it was even comfortable for our 5'2 expert. There's a Velcro panel behind the waist belt that must be undone before you can adjust it, so it's best to do this when you're at home. This also makes it slightly trickier to swap between parents, but with practice this should get easier.

The child's area, seat and harness is also fully adjustable, but again, it’s best to set this up at home (make sure you adjust as your baby grows). There are even stirrups for your child's feet, so they're not left dangling. Our expert found the carrier quite heavy to get onto their back; however, the straps are well-padded, and the chunky waist belt ensures your child's weight is well distributed, with a chest strap to stop the shoulder straps sliding off.

One surprisingly useful feature is the ample storage, including two big pockets on the back, slip-in stretch panels on the sides (that are great for water bottles), plus two zip pockets on the waist belt for storing your keys and phone. Overall, it's a sturdy carrier that will help you explore places you can't go with a pram and there are accessories to increase its usefulness such as a rain cover and sunshade.

Score: 91/100

This carrier combines the best of a wrap with an upright carrier and can be used for baby's first year.

It comes in two parts; one is an X-shape piece of fabric with straps that adjust at the back, where your baby sits in different positions. The other is a stretchy band that secures over this to make baby even more secure. When you have a newborn, put on the criss-cross fabric portions, then tuck them into one side in a foetal, curled position, bringing the other side up and across your baby, tucking it under their feet – make sure their head is to one side and the airway clear. You then add the extra band and tie it around your body, covering them from bottom to neck, spreading the shoulder sections out across your shoulders and slightly down the arms, which spreads your baby's weight.

Other positions can be used too, such as facing you but more upright, or with your baby facing the front. The hip-wearing position only uses the crossed piece of fabric (and not the additional band), which felt less secure, but good as a short-term position.

The sling tucks neatly away into a section inside the additional band, so you can stow it in a bag or under the pram and this section also doubles as a strengthened centre section to keep your baby secure. It shows slight water stains when you spot clean it, but it washes well in the machines and keeps its colour well too.

Score: 91/100

Created in partnership with physiotherapists, parents and an outdoor equipment design agency, this carrier is a stellar hiking backpack.

The back section is height adjustable and simple to change – simply open the Velcro panel on the back and insert a hook into the appropriate slot for you (there are six to choose from).

In addition, the baby seat has a good, ergonomic spine position and there's a soft face pad and machine-washable head cushion, while the rest can be spot cleaned.

The carrier has plenty of storage pockets, including a 10-litre nappy bag, space for a water pouch and other areas on the belt for keys and phone. The carrier comes with a sunshade (SPF50+), a dummy clip, plus your baby's feet are supported with footrests at two adjustable heights.

The back section, waistband and straps are all made from a breathable material that keeps the parent cool and the kick-out stand allows you to put your child in safely – it can also be folded back in with a pull cord, though this was a little tricky to work out at first.

Score: 89/100

Cybex’s stylish carrier looks the part and has a practical mesh panel on the front that helps prevent your baby from overheating.

Our experts found the initial set-up a little tricky – though once you've got it just right for your size, it's then easier to get on and off. The baby’s leg straps are difficult to get them into (and even harder to get them out of!) but the straps and waist band have good amounts of padding, with the baby's weight spread evenly across your whole torso.

You can wear it with the straps straight down behind, or crossed over, or you can bring them around to the sides and fasten them next to baby's waist – whichever you find most comfortable.

You can wear your baby facing you and though there's a head support section, it's not as high as other carriers, so you may feel you need to hold baby's head up. This can also be used as a hood when your baby's awake and to protect the chin when your little one is front-facing. You can wear your baby on your back too but turning it front to back is tricky and we'd suggest you have help when doing this the first few times.

Score: 88/100

We think Joie’s carrier is well-priced, offering three positions for baby, up to 14kg (around three years old). Adjusting and wearing the carrier is simple – there's a cross behind your head, which you put on over your head like a T-shirt.

Comfort is good, with well-padded shoulder straps, good lumbar support and breathable material. The fabric feels nice where it touches baby and there are two interchangeable and removable bibs to keep it clean, though these still showed some stains after cleaning.

The straps can be neatly fastened away once you have it correctly sized, though this is tricky to do while wearing it. The side buckles are a combination of simple plastic ones, and easy to do up magnetic. It offers your baby the M-shaped legs and pelvis and the C-shaped spine that keeps them correctly positioned.

Score: 87/100

Despite its budget-friendly price tag, this well-priced carrier offers four positions for baby. And while it might not feel quite as premium as others on test, it’s great for occasional use.

Once you've set up and adjusted the carrier for your body (we found it easier to put it on like a T-shirt), it's easy to use and fairly simple to get baby in and out. Its four positions include: inward-facing with a narrow seat section, suitable for very small babies; a wider seated, inward-facing option for larger babies; an outward-facing option for babies who can hold their heads up; and finally a position where you put your baby on your back, with their arms over the top.

It offers good spine support for baby when your little one is facing in, though it's not quite as ergonomic when your baby is facing outwards.