So it's official, my father chucked my $60 Moby Wrap.

I had it between the front seats of my minivan to pull out whenever I wanted to carry her, kept clean in a plastic bag. As soon as we moved here Dad went nuts like Dads always do - and frankly I should have seen this coming - he cleaned out my van from top to bottom: vaccuumed, Windexed, sorted, rearranged, shampooed, Windexed some more, replaced floor mats, etc. All sorts of fatherly things. Including scooping up the plastic bag on the floor between the front seats.

Last week I wanted to carry Ebay around the Farmer's Market, which was the first time it's come up since we moved here. Couldn't find it in my van. Looked around the garage. Looked around the basement. Looked in closets. Looked in every nook in the house. Went to storage and looked in the boxes that have gone from the house to there. No plastic bag with a wrap anywhere. Dad admits it.

So now we need to replace the carrier for those times when a stroller isn't appropriate. We don't need another wrap so much, because she wants to face out all the time. She's 16 pounds 4 ounces as of yesterday, so I'm thinking some sort of larger front pack or a backpack.

Any suggestions based on your own personal use or that of friends? Nothing over $150, and we don't need super-hiker gear. Think occassional use.

Okay, I looked at our baby carrier and it says "Sport Carrier by Theodore Bean". It was a hand me down. I looked on Amazon and found an option without a picture. I used it for Reid until she was too big to carry...closer to 20 lbs.

Hope that helps. It is a kangaroo style carrier. Always worked better than a sling.

We loved the ergo pack - it's comfortable and around $90. You can carry her in the front, the back, or your hip. We started my son in it at around 15 lbs.

I would say Ergos or Becos are the way to go. I've found both used (not for myself) on Craigs list or through friends for not too much money. Sadly Smudge HATED the Moby wrap. Sigh.

Actually, that Ergo thing looks good.

the ergo is great, except that you said she likes facing out, which you can't do in the ergo. she can go just about anywhere but facing out, though, and we have the ergo and love it right to death.

i like how my post put "the ergo" three times in a straight vertical line. i'm not trying to exercise mind control or anything, i swear.

Another one to consider is the babyhawk.

http://www.babyhawk.com/

Kommish, it's like you've gone subliminal!

I could shift her to the hip if she wants to look forward. When I hold her on my hip she puts out her arms like an airplane.

Leighbie, I saw a woman on an airplane recently who had the top middle one in those photos. I complimented her on it as we deplaned, but I didn't get to ask her where she got it. I was too busy staring at her adorable baby and missing my own.

Kommish - You will buy the Ergo. You will love it. One of us. One of us!

I had a great back pack that I loved - Sears Catalogue. Nothing fancy but I used that sucker all the time. I liked that it meant I had two free hands - did the grocery shopping with it a lot - and that the baby was up high and could see everything. My kids hated strollers and I'm a short ass so slings weren't really comfortable.

I'm kind of surprised that more people don't use backpacks like that - it was really handy and you could take the kid off your back and stand them up while you got the groceries into the car. I wish I could still corral them like that.

it's just so great for your back.....it's just so great for your back.....it's just so great for your back.....it's just so great for your back.....

I've got to plug the Ergo too. E loved facing out as well, but we've found that riding on my back seems to give her the same sort of stimulation, plus she can put her head down and sleep/rest when she needs to. It's tricky to learn how to get them on your back though, at least it was for me. E loves it now, and when we get out the carrier she'll say either "front" or "back". A lot of places that sell good carriers will let you try them on in the store and have knowledgeable salespeople to help demonstrate and teach you how to get your kiddo in and out. Best of luck!

I have made my own carriers for Zoe.
I personally use a ring sling since it can be used from infant to toddler.

However- if you haven't checked out the Mai Tai carriers, I have seen and heard wonderful things about them from my Koala Mommies group (babywearing moms that meet once a month)
I have considered crafting one for myself recently. However I've been sewing like a fiend on the custom orders I've had for slings...

But I made all my own- including a moby wrap, ring sling, rebozo, and german wrap.
I figured it was the best way for me to get what I wanted in prints and colors (Zoe's current carrier is Zebra print with a hot pink liner) and in quality construction that was appropriately fitted to my body. Since I'm tall and *ahem* portly.

But honestly, look into the mai tais. They are what the Ergo is based on.
You can make your own if you know how to sew. If you want a pattern, email me and I'll get you the link to one.
I would offer to sew you a custom one, but I'm just overwhelmed with my sewing right now.

Mei Tais are extremely easy to construct. They are as comfortable as Ergos in my opinion. They are more difficult to get in and out of, however, because they use long ties instead of plastic snaps (or whatever you call those things). We used a mei tai until Smudge was no longer interested in being carried. I can offer a pattern for one as well. It took me a few hours, all together, to make one for my best friend (and her's was version II with more padding and better construction. Much prettier than my version I).

For the boys we had a ring sling and a baby bjorn passed down to us from this lovely German woman.

Baby Bjorns are great for getting in and out, the kid easily faces forward and they are 75 at Target. I've since passed it on to another new mommy but it's in the cards to get a new one once this baby shows up.