If you’re looking for a child carrier that has both versatility and comfort, the Cybex 2.GO Carrier is a great option.
As a family who lives in a very walkable neighborhood with a lot of hills, we’ve been on the hunt for a good carrier since before our daughter was born. The Bjorn lets you face your baby either towards you or outward; the Ergo is more comfortable. Given the options, it seemed that we had to choose between our baby’s ability to look around and the health of our backs. When we heard about the 2.GO, we were thrilled that we didn’t have to compromise one way or the other. A great carrier for both short and long trips, the 2.GO has a lot going for it.
Pros:
– The 2.GO distributes your child’s weight on your hips with a cushioned waist belt. The carrier is so comfortable that we’ve been able to carry our 18.5-pound daughter on an impromptu 4-mile hike without a hint of discomfort.
– Our daughter loves being in the carrier. When she sees us pull it out, she scrambles over and can’t wait to get in. Once in, she’s very content, even during longer trips.
– The five different carrying positions let you switch up how you use the 2.GO so that it’s like several carriers in one. A newborn or sleepy child can be held close to your body with her face against your chest for a very snug feel. When old enough to sit up unassisted, your child can sit facing forward (a must for our highly curious daughter who constantly squirms to turn around if made to face inward). In addition, this carrier also allows you to wear your child on your hip or on your back and can be folded down for “Mobility Position,” which basically frees up your child’s upper body and gives them more freedom of movement. Mobility Position is great for those moments when you don’t necessarily need both hands free but need a little extra support in holding your child (really helpful at summer BBQs!).
– With this carrier, your baby’s legs are a little more spread apart. This is very helpful when walking uphill, which is a chore with the Bjorn since raising your legs very much causes them to run into your baby’s legs and leads to your needing to take very small steps. – You can feed your baby while wearing the 2.GO! We found this out when we were out longer than expected and couldn’t easily stop to feed our daughter. Luckily, we realized that she was at the perfect height to nurse and could easily do so while in the carrier.
– The 2.GO comes with a detachable dribble bib so there’s no need to buy one separately. This bib comes in handy since our daughter is teething and loves to gnaw and drool on the front of the carrier. Instead of washing the entire carrier, we only need to wash the bib, which is so much easier. – This carrier has zippers in the head support and seat areas, allowing them to be expanded. Expanding the head area gives your child more freedom to look around. Zipping it back up keeps her head close to you, which is good for very young or sleepy babies. For the seat, the zipper allows you to increase the seat area when the child is facing you so that baby has more room to sit deeper in the carrier in a squat position that is recommended by orthopedists.
– The carrier feels very secure. I have no worries that my child is safe once all the buckles are fastened.
Cons:
– As with all carriers I’ve tried, the 2.GO is awkward to put on and take off, though it does seem more straightforward than the Bjorn. The instructions recommend putting on the shoulder straps first and then putting your child in, but I found it to be much easier to put her in first and then put the shoulder straps on since wrestling her legs into the proper places proved challenging. Also, you may need help connecting the shoulder straps as the clasp is at your back.
– Because you need to adjust a number of straps to make sure the fit is right for both your child and you, this carrier is best used by one person. I’ve tried switching off with my husband, and it is a pain to have to readjust all the straps during the tradeoff.
– There doesn’t appear to be a lot of flexibility in the height of the carrier. When facing forward, the bib cuts a little high into my daughter’s chin. I’ve been able to unzip the head area and pull the bib down to give her more room, but I do wonder if this would have been enough a couple months ago when she was an inch or two shorter.
All things considered, this is a wonderful carrier. I’ve fully switched over from my Bjorn and love that I can use the 2.GO for longer trips without worrying about how sore I’ll be the next day. While you do still have to do some wrestling with all the straps, both baby and mom are comfortable, which makes the 2.GO a clear winner!