Photos of a mom and a dad with 18 month old toddler in a back carry. Next time we do this, we’ll show the hip carry and front positions too. All photos are with the 1st version Pikkolo carrier in color Appletini green with black straps. The mom is not wearing the optional chest strap, but the dad chose to. For her, the memory foam kept the straps in position just fine, and she didn’t want the extra step of a chest strap. But the dad tried it both ways and found he preferred using it. It probably depends some on your body type.

Both are wearing it too “low” in the outdoor shots- at the top of their hips instead of at the natural waist as suggested.

Click the images to enlarge them in a new window

more, with better positioning, higher up so baby can see. The straps are worn backpack style, but for a front carry you would cross them, making an X on your back.

We have carried the Pikkolo baby carriers in store for 3 full years now and love showing mamas how it works – especially the adjustable base to control the spread of the baby leg openings. The photos below are an older model , so the color is discontinued and the style of the adjuster has changed, but hopefully this post still does the trick!
Pikkolos have this great drawstring inside the base so you can make baby’s seat nice and wide when they’re bigger, but you scrunch it down narrower so a small baby can let their legs hang down. A young baby can even ride on your front facing outward, which is a very rare option to find in a carrier that is able to carry older babies, toddlers , and do a backpack position. That requires a really wide base under baby’s bottom, and most frontpack carriers that allow baby to face outward lack a way to expand baby’s seat to support the weight of a 1 or 2 year old child, so the useful life of those frontpacks is much shorter.

Another note- with the Pikkolo when you choose how high on your waist to wear it, you’re choosing how tall to make the carrier body.  Want to make it easier for baby to see out? Want to hide them inside for sleep or weather protection? It’s all in your control! And of course, there’s the actual sleeping hood you can attach if you’re serious about that nap or keeping the wind away.

We have a new batch of photos showing the positions for using a Pikkolo baby carrier with small babies and older babies. The Pikkolo is suitable for babies sized 8lbs to 40 pounds and is $129 at this link. Until spring colors come out, we will only have these in solid black, cafe au lait (dark brown) and prints Georgia and Avalon. We do have the optional support belt and weather covers.

The Pikkolo baby carrier’s maker has a blog with several shots of position tips.

good bottom position

getting deeply seated

checking the pikkolo sides

demonstration of baby’s bottom not well-seated

Four of our most popular brands have authorized a very rare sale!

BumGenius!  3.0 diapers have a special 4-pack for $59.95  $71.80

Babylegs are $5 off $20 

Beco Butterfly 2.0 Carriers are $112 and the older version Becos are $99

both retail $139

Pikkolo Baby Carriers are $110 $129

Black Friday 2008 prices only apply to orders placed Nov 28, 29, 30 and are limited to the stock on hand.

All other discounted items are listed here  and the Holiday Gift Guide is here.

Free domestic shipping is automatic throughout the store on orders over $100.

Check out the store Pikkolo page, we have 8 hot new colors in stock! 6 cool prints plus two nice new solids.  Sand is pictured here, the khaki tan with brown piping, where the toddler is showing off some sleeping hood action. There is also a dark brown solid, Cafe au Lait.

Compared to last year’s Pikkolos, these have a softer brushed canvas, which is especially apreciated on the head covering, which you see here has nice gathered edges and attached to slips on the shoulder straps. It is very useful for cuddling a child’s head if they fall asleep on the go, and also for sheilding them from exposure to sun, wind, or light rain. Of course, it is totally detachable, so if you don’t want to use it, you can just leave it home.

The new Pikkolo prints are Cloud, Jewel, Mocca Rouge, Pardise, Orbit. And then the solids, Sand and Cafe au Lait.  Also in stock are some of the summer colors, Flame, Jet, stone, and solid black, and these do have the new softer brushed canvas.  The Spa print is sold out but we’re leaving it visible because it has some detailed customer reviews and we don’t want those to disappear!

A new view of the redesigned Pikkolo soft baby carrier packaging here on our shelves.

We have Spa blue circles and solid khaki color back in stock today, as well as a new choice, Flame red.

Another shipment is coming right away with more Somerset, Jet, and solid black.

Also, they come in improved new packaging.

Here you can see Baby Couture magazine picked a Beco Butterfly to feature this month.

You can also see the possible – but not officially recommended – front carry position with the child facing outward! Beco did not design the carrier for forward-facing, and so it is no wonder if some babies or parents  dislike the position, but, if it works for you, and your child is comfortable like in this photo, well, here’s how it does work.

PS- regarding colors, here is our everlasting blog thread about Beco carrier availability

PPS – the one carrier that IS designed for outward-facing while still offering proper ergonomics and materials for comfortable use lasting years afterward as a back carrier would be the Pikkolo

Dads and Daughters .org

NY Times on equally shared parenting 6/15/08

G rated movies give Boys a D

men in slings photo and interview #1

adoptive dad baby sling photo and interview #2

sakura bloom sling dad and baby photo and top 10 list

my favorite baby products and design blog – Daddy Types .com

10 ways to be a better dad and 5 myths of fatherhood by Babycenter