As Baby V grew beyond 8kg, it became strenuous to carry him in a sling, which places his entire weight on one shoulder. Another carrier that we owned also did not work because it strained the back. I read about soft baby carriers that provide an ergonomic sitting position (as opposed to baby’s legs dangling by the crotch) and became very interested in getting one.
A good friend recommended Beco Butterfly 2 to us and we pounced on the opportunity to try it out at Cozy Babies (a distributor) while in Singapore. We compared it with another well-known soft baby carrier and Beco won hands down. Since both the designer (HUES) and organic (DUO) fabric collections are listed at S$250, we chose the latter. We learnt from the owner of Cozy Babies, Ashley, that it is not possible for a front-facing baby to being carried ergonomically in a carrier (due to the way our spine is structured), therefore the Beco carrier cannot be used to carry a front-facing baby.
The straps fit narrower Asian shoulders well without the tendency to slip down; it is possible to back-carry the baby at an earlier age; and also possible to transfer the baby easily from one adult to another whilst in the carrier.
The wide padded waist belt effectively supports the lumbar spine and distributes weight away from the shoulders. The clips at the shoulder straps have safety features (need to be pressed at the front and sides) so that the baby cannot undo them, which is especially important during back-carry.
After a couple of practices, it became easy to adjust the straps for the perfect fit or transit from front to back-carry or vice versa.
For the past 1.5 months, we have been using the Beco carrier for our outdoor trips since Baby V prefers to be carried over sitting in the stroller. On a few occasions, the fussy-sleeper could even fall asleep in it easily, which are when the sleeping hood would come in useful.
Every morning, Baby V is also carried on my back as I prepare the ingredients for his meals. It is a breeze to do some light housework while he is on my back, even though he weighs about 10kg now.
I have recommended the carrier to my sister-in-law, who bought it from Baby Slings and Carriers when there was a promotion. She is very pleased with her Beco too!
What we like about it:
- Ergonomic design — baby sits instead of dangles by the crotch
- Even weight distribution — makes carrying baby a breeze
- Safe to carry baby at the back
- Long usage span — can be used to carry child up to 20kg (many carriers have a relatively lower limit)
- Organic fabric option available at the same price as regular fabric
- Easy to wash — machine washable
- Many attractive prints to choose from
What can be improved:
- I wish the price were low enough to get two so that it can be washed more regularly
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Get Your Own
In Singapore, Beco carriers are available in at Cozy Babies (distributor) and Baby Slings and Carriers (retailer). Both stores deliver to Malaysia too.
You may also check the price at Amazon.com here: Beco Butterfly II Baby Carrier
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Hi there,
Thanks for the review, I have a question, is the body panel of this ssc thick or do you think it suits our hot climate, cos I am looking for a ssc also, still thinking to get APLX or BBII.
Hi Cassandra, I believe my boy thinks the body panel is fine. He gets warm very easily and we know it if his head is perspiring. No such issues when he is in BBII.
Of course, we dress him lightly in cotton clothes when using the carrier. (i.e. avoid combinations such as Polo T-shirts with pants unless going to an air-conditioned place)
It’s best if you are able to try both carriers at a store and check your child’s reactions. There is a promo code for BabySlingsandCarriers.com at https://mummysreviews.com/2009/12/28/special-treat-baby-slings-and-carriers-discount/
Hope you’ll find your ideal SSC! 🙂
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Hi MieVie,
Can I check with you if the hood on the BECO works for you? Esp if baby felt asleep on your back? I read some reviews that the hood is quite useless and baby’s head is still unsupported. I am thinking of getting a BECO as a second carrier to wash and exchange with my Ergo (the ergo’s hood works great)
thanks
Hi MieVie,
Have you had a chance to look at Beco Gemini? Can BBII be used for a newborn? I have a ring sling but I’m getting backaches and would like to get a SSC for my 9 weeks old. We have an Ergo but he is not fitting well in it (legs cant spread so wide) and he doesn’t like the froggy style, or maybe I’m not doing it right enough.
Hi Eunice, not tried Beco Gemini before. BBII can be used for newborn with infant insert (provided with the carrier). After baby is 7kg, don’t need the infant insert anymore. Hubby started carrying Baby Jae in BBII when he was about 2 months old, for 1 hour stroll per week while Vee & I had Shichida class. You may view the videos on how to do this at its website / youtube.
Ergo can be used to carry infants too, need to buy the infant insert.
Hi..i have beco butterfly 2 for sale, only used once. Selling very cheap. Colour metro black. Let me know if u r interested. Thx
Hi Elina, is it still available?
Hi MieVee,
I’m planning to look for a SSC for my girl who is 22 months old I guess she is more then 11kg. Need this for our coming trip. Please advise which is better Boba, Ergo or Beco. I’m confused. I really hope this SSC will not give me backache and spin pain as we will do a lot of walking
Hi Michelle, when my boys are about 20 months old (~11kg), hubby was the one who carried them, instead of me. He finds Beco more supportive than Boba for toddlers. (I haven’t tried Ergo before, but I’ve friends who used it for toddlers from 1.5 to 3 years old.)
For a toddler, I’d suggest babywearing only when absolutely necessary and not for long hours. Perhaps rest after an hour or so. This is because the weight will certainly put stress on the caregiver.
My hubby recently has backache from slipped discs (discovered after a Perth trip) and we suspect it could be due to regular babywearing over the past 5 years. From a search online, this doesn’t seem a common issue. Perhaps it was his posture or his tendency to get slipped discs, we aren’t sure. But carrying heavy toddlers for long periods is logically going to cause some stress, even with an ergonomic carrier.
Would your girl be happy to sit / nap in the stroller or do some walking as well? Or will she let others who are travelling together carry her sometimes too? This would reduce the amount of time that each person has to carry her.