Today I thought I would do a product review. I have been trying to get things fairly ready for our trip to get Belane. We most likely will not be going until mid November, (63 days) but we found out that there is a decent possibility that we could go as early as mid to late October, so the crazed “organizer and planner” in me is having a hay day.

One of the things I’ve decided that we really need for this trip is a carrier…meaning a hip carrier that would work for a toddler.

I have used different baby carriers, slings and backpacks for our other children and really have found them to not only be handy when “out and about”, but wonderful for the bonding process. Your child is able to be nice and close to you, and you are still able to have your hands free.

I was remembering what it was like getting through the Addis Ababa airport at 10 p.m on our last trip…the forever long lines, swarms of people, large airport, hours of waiting…I imagined trying to do that with a toddler, and quickly decided we needed something. Plus, we know from when we were there in February, and we have heard from everyone that has visited AHOPE, that Belane loves to be held. A lot. I figured a hip carrier would be just perfect.

So I started researching carriers. I narrowed it down to the highly acclaimed Ergo baby carrier and the lesser known Ellaroo Mei Hip carrier.

I actually ended up ordering both, as both are fully refundable. I decided this would let me try them out and really decide which one I liked best. We’ve been having a lot of fun the last few days trying them out. I’ve used both carriers with my 5 year old daughters (who only weight about 37lbs) and my 2 year old, who weights 35lbs.

Both carriers are extremely well-made and come highly recommended. Here are some particulars and my thoughts and experiences with these two carriers.

To be continued…