Beco Butterfly pics of a 16 month old in a front carry position.

Photos are taken to see the adult’s back. One with both straps bucked, one with the waist undone.

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Today I made a page with photos of the Beco Butterfly Parts . I think they will be very helpful to people considering a switch from their 4th generation Beco to the new Butterfly design. The differences can be hard to tell from the outside but if you look from inside, you can really see it…

This baby boy is 16 months old and weighs 26 pounds.

photos by bricks = right
photos by fence = wrong

All images enlarge in a new window if you click them.

RIGHT

The pictures of a front carry in front of the bricks demonstrate proper front carry positioning and everybody feels comfortable.

WRONG

The photos of a front carry in front of the fence demonstrate improper positioning. You see in the first photo, it looks mostly the same. but when we unbuckle the Mia fabric, it reveals that the baby is actually riding under the Y of fabric that belongs against the adult. this is safe and “did the job” but was not so comfortable. the baby is too “pinned” in there, and the straps extending around him meant there was less available for the adult to adjust, and that their curves and padding simply hit the wrong spots. If you’ve been doing this and thought it was working, don’t worry, but do look at the official Beco DVD and learn to put your child is the seat they are meant to ride in. You’ll both be happier.

WRONG back carry

This baby is pressed under the Y instead of in his seat. His chest touches directly to mom’s back and his back touches the carrier body. This would be the normal way to use en Ergo or an older Beco or a Pikkolo or one of the asian-style tie-on carriers, like a mei tai. It is NOT right for the Butterfly! The new Beco Butterfly was designed and safety tested with a baby riding in the carrier’s built-in seat. There is a seat area for a tiny baby and a seat area for a larger baby or toddler. Always use the seat!

RIGHT

A proper back carry position for the Beco butterfly

RIGHT

A good look at the baby correctly buckled into the carrier harness. This allows a look at the inside. In this case, we were switching him from the wearer’s front to back without taking him out.

I just snapped these shots of the Beco laid down, just to show the colors and shape better. The prints are Mia and Addison. They’re both blue but the style isn’t masculine so they’re a good cross-over choice for baby boys or girls, being carried by moms or dads.

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Click images to enlarge. This child is 2 years, 10 months old.

This is a larger, older child being carried in the new Beco Butterfly in backpack style. The chest and waist are both unbuckled. The child is secure because of the innovative design inside the carrier. Even with all her weight being worn on the shoulders, the ergonomic design made her feel lightweight. It didn’t strain the shoulders and it didn’t threaten to slip off or feel unstable in any way.

The child is 2 years and 10 months old. When we were done, I took her off the same way I used to take off my high school backpack. Once her feet reached the floor, she figured out how to step out and easily walked away.

(Click to enlarge the photos )

These are the very first amateur Beco Butterfly photos to share! Click images to enlarge, you can get a really good look at the fabric texture and construction that way.

The color is Pony Express, it is being worn in front carrying position. The built-in infant insert inside is laying against the outer wall of the carrier, the side with the “pony” print. If you want a good look at the infant panel of fabric, enlarge the last photo, looking down into the carrier body.

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This is what would happen if you didn’t buckle the top.

These do NOT show proper wearing position!

This are only to to help you understand what is going on with the inside seat of the carrier and to demonstrate that the child is held in place even if both top buckles came completely undone.

Sakura Bloom blogged a photo of a sweet little girl carrying her doll in a sling and a trick to hiding the sling tail for a tighter look, especially useful for men. Like this photo of a dad and his toddler.

And remember, their $1200 sling giveaway is running until the new year!

Zolowear blogged today about their commitment to producing their slings in the US.

All Zolowear products are made in Texas, even though so many companies are manufacturing abroad now, and the blog post explains how they answer questions about their decision not to do the same.

This photo shows a 5 month old baby in a Zolo silk sling. The color is Java, and they call it “lite” because it is one layer of fabric and they used to be made in two layers.