Soft Structured Carriers or SSCs are a very popular choice in the baby carrier range. In fact, if you go anywhere to buy a carrier there are big chances that you will only find SSC's. Stores rarely have wraps, slings or mei tais.
Soft structure carriers typically consist of a buckled, padded waistband, buckled padded shoulder straps and a back panel with a sleep hood. They can be made from cotton materials, linen, they can be wrap conversions and even made of artificial materials. They are super quick to pop on, they are very supportive and they do not require any learning or technique in the way a woven wrap or a sling does. This style of carrier is very popular with parents looking for a carrier that's quick and easy to put on, take off and adjust. Even though wraps, slings and other types of carriers are ever more popular SSC's remain the most popular type of carriers in our western culture.
One of my favorite BW photos ever. Backcarry with LocoLobo on a farm.
When looking to buy an SSC one should be quite careful. Brands you can buy in Croatia, and cannot go wrong with, are brands like Ergobaby, Beco, Boba, Love&Carry, Tula and more. It is very important that you buy a carrier that offers optimal support for your babies back and that puts the legs in the M position.
More on the optimal postion of a baby in a carrier, with great photos:
http://www.bebologija.net/idealan-polozaj-djeteta-u-nosiljci/
http://www.bebologija.net/idealan-polozaj-djeteta-u-klokanici/
Soft Structured carriers can be used for front or back carrying and from newborn stages (though with some, like the very popular Ergo Original, you’ll need a separate insert). Some styles can be used for hip carrying too, though they are a little fiddlier to set up this way than a Ring Sling. Unless specified, carriers are only used with baby facing inwards towards the adult or back carry like a piggyback position. While some new models of SSC have an adjustable position for facing outwards, like Ergo 360, with older babies, the recommended position for babies is facing towards the adult. The forward facing position is problematic, in my opinion, and experience, for a few reasons. Firstly, it does not support the babies body optimally, it moves the gravity center of the adult forwards and thus becomes quite uncomfortable for the carrier after a while and thirdly, and that's my personal biggest no-no, the babies can get easily overstimulated with nowhere to hide. It may be ok while walking through the woods or somewhere else that's familiar and relaxing but in situations like traffic, city rushes and malls or shops where there is lots of noise, unfamiliar people and bright lights your baby may have too much stimulation too soon and start to cry or show other signs of over stimulation. When the baby is facing forward it kind of has a place to hide. Like a baby Kangaroo. When the world is too much, hide in mommies or daddies chest.
A try on of Tula Free to grow my friend @cutwitviky and I bought for our man @dumar022 and his family as a baby shower gift. Read more on how he liked the carrier here:
https://steemit.com/whysoserious/@dumar022/daddy-in-action-do-i-look-funny-with-this-baby-carrier-be-honest
Soft structured carriers are fabulous for going hiking and provided fantastic support for long-term wearing. They are the most recommended option for a comfortable way to carry children for longer periods of time even though some experienced parents would argue that nothing can beat the comfort of a woven wrap.
My brother @saimoboi just going to the bakery with his nephew in a Lenny Lamb toddler carrier. We rented this carrier through this great carrier rental service: https://www.facebook.com/tipiti.najam/
In the link here you can see great comparison charts that can help you with deciding which carrier is the one that suits you and your families needs best: https://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/content/faq/soft-structured-carriers
Ergo Original limited edition we bought on a charity auction for a very special friend of ours. We just took it for one walk.
I personally had a chance to try out five SSC carriers: Ergobaby original, LocoLobo, the first Croatian SSC, Fidella Fusion, Lanny Lamb Toddler and Tula Free to Grow. SSCs are generally not my cup of tea but I appreciate that they are practical and easy to put on and off which was great when I was alone with kids a few hundred miles from home. I plan to borrow another SSC for our trip that we plan to take in a few weeks. It's a bummer when you have three kids and only two hands.
Geting shit done with the Fidella Fusion I borrowed shortly from a friend.