We’ve traveled with the Egobaby 360 in hot, sticky summer in Japan and freezing cold winter conditions in Europe.
After extensive testing across multiple continents, we named it our best baby carrier for travel.
The Ergobaby 360 checks all the boxes for comfort, design, convenience, and durability.
It offers a nice level of comfort for your baby, with lumbar support and padded straps.
Most importantly, it allows you to carry your baby in four different positions and has been approved by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as being hip-friendly for your baby.
Ergobaby 360 at a Glance
Ergobaby 360 is created to make your life easy as you have the option to place your baby in four different positions to make it more convenient for you and comfortable for your baby.
This baby carrier is versatile and simple to use even for carrying around a toddler.
You can keep it clean by washing it in a machine.
The different carying positions do take some getting used to, so I would suggest spending some time and watching the various instruction videos available on the Ergobaby website.
This product is suitable for newborn babies to toddlers aged 36 months or for babies weighing between 7 lb and 33 lb.
Just be aware you will need to purchase the infant insert separately.
Things we like:
- Even weight distribution which prevents too much pressure on a specific part of your body.
- The velcro waist strap is wide and padded and provides a lot of support without digging into your back.
- It includes an attachable hood, which is made from UPF 50-rated fabric that enhances your baby’s protection.
- This product is labeled by The International Hip Dysplasia Institute as hip-healthy, ensuring your baby doesn’t experience any developmental issues.
- This is a versatile product, offering four different positions to carry your baby and lots of ways to adjust it to fit your body shape.
Things we don’t like:
- Need to purchase an infant insert separately.
- The velcro strap is great for comfort, but it’s quite loud and a little bit annoying to adjust while you are wearing baby.
- Might be a little difficult to figure out how to use it the right way so watch a few videos.
Some people have complained about using this carrier in hot weather. It’s definitely not comfortable, but wearing a baby is hot work and I found the carrier had plenty of ventilation.
After traveling for several months and wearing our son all-day we are happy to recommend the Ergobaby 360.
Ergobaby 360 Features & Benefits
In this section, we’ll drill down into a few key features of the Ergobaby 360 in a bit more detail
Safety
The most common concern when it comes to baby carriers is hip dysplasia, which is a condition that affects the baby’s hip joint formation. This typically occurs when the baby sits incorrectly in a carrier for a prolonged duration.
Ergobaby 360 has catered to this issue by creating an ergonomic design, aimed at preventing hip dysplasia.
As this product has been labeled by The International Hip Dysplasia Institute as hip-healthy, it indicates your baby will be safe in this baby carrier.
Ergobaby 360 also features a hood made with UPF 50-rated fabric that can protect the sensitive skin of your baby from harmful sun rays or keep them dry from light showers.
Comfort
This product fits your baby comfortably without being too limiting or tight.
Your baby can easily move their legs and arms around in all positions. The hood offers sufficient neck support and was fine for sleep.
While this carrier is pretty versatile, it can get a bit uncomfortable during warm weather. This model utilizes a cool air mesh, which is a ventilated fabric that assists in regulating the body temperature, but it still gets rather warm for the baby if the weather is hot.
I don’t think this is any worse than comparable baby carriers though.
The buckles, straps, and fabrics are made with high-quality materials.
Ergobaby also takes care of a parent’s comfort. The waist strap is balanced and secure around the hip, while the weight of the baby is evenly distributed to avoid putting pressure on one side of the body. The waist belt is padded, which alleviates any pinching or pressure.
The velcro on the waistband is quite loud when you need to adjust it though, so it’s always best to get it set up correctly when you first put it on to avoid needing to adjust while your baby is sleeping.
It has a wide-girth design that doesn’t dig into the belly and offers enhanced lumbar support. The shoulder straps are also cushioned to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the shoulders.
This product also includes ventilated waistband and mesh-lined panel. The company updated the model by adding a sturdy buckle with an elastic loop to replace the Velcro waistband, which is another great upgrade in this product since the Velcro band created a lot of noise, waking up your sleeping baby.
Convenience
We found we still had decent mobility and it was relatively easy to perform tasks while wearing our baby in the Ergobaby 360.
This is one of the best things about the product.
Whether you are traveling through busy streets, boarding a plane or just need to do your laundry, wash the dishes, or do some gardening, you can perform all the tasks without having to keep checking on your baby.
Cleaning
Another great feature of this product is that it is machine-washable. This makes it easy to clean, but it has to be air dried, which typically takes a while to dry off completely.
It is recommended to machine wash the carrier occasionally by utilizing a mild detergent and cold water. For us, spot cleaning the carrier was better.
Design
This product gets its name from the fact that it can be worn in four carrying positions – on the back, on the hip, forward-facing, and parent-facing. This feature makes the product ideal for your newborn or even your toddler who prefers to be carried around.
We found we always used the front carry position. We switched between forward-facing and chest to chest depending on if our son needed a sleep or wanted to see what was going on.
Another popular feature of this product is the attachable hood.
It can be placed in the front pocket of the carrier for easy storage, and can also be attached to the shoulder straps.
As mentioned before, this hood is created with a fabric that has an ultraviolet protection factor, enhancing the safety of your baby by sheltering them from the sun’s harsh rays.
Ease of Use
This carrier takes a bit of getting used to in order to be properly used.
You have to first place the carrier around your waist and fasten the strap securely. Next, place your baby in the carrier, then lifting the shoulder straps up.
This is easier said than done. Since this carrier offers four different positions, it might take a while to get used to it. You may struggle with each position the first few times and require a bit of help from your partner.
Fortunately, Ergobaby offers instructional videos for all their products that can guide you to set up the carrier the right way and place your baby in securely.
These videos are highly useful in learning how to use this carrier in all the positions.
While it might take a few tries to get used to, once you have it figured out, your life will become easy.
When you carry your baby, your hands are totally free to perform all the chores, pick up grocery bags, walk the dog, or do other activities.
Unfortunately, this carrier doesn’t include a carry bag, which means you have to place it in your backpack or diaper bag when not in use.
All of these features and benefits can be a major deciding factor in selecting the right baby carrier for you.
Alternatives baby carriers to consider
When looking for the right baby carrier, it is always a good idea to check out a few alternatives before you make the purchase.
Your baby’s comfort and safety is crucial, which is why we are highlighting two other baby carrier options to help you make the decision:
BabyBjorn One vs Ergobaby 360
The BabyBjorn One was a very close runner up in our guide to the top baby carriers.
It includes form-fitted and padded shoulder straps, as well as a strong waist belt so you can easily carry your baby around.
It is suitable for newborn babies to toddlers up to three years of age and doesn’t require the use of an infant insert.
- The waist belt helps to evenly distribute the weight of your baby to prevent your shoulders and back from aching.
- Like the other two products, BabyBjorn One also allows you to carry your baby in different positions.
- It is also machine-washable, lightweight and airy.
- The seating area is wide enough to provide maximum comfort for your baby.
- Like Ergobaby 360, BabyBjorn One has also been labeled as a hip-friendly baby carrier by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.
Check out our BabyBjorn One Review before you make your purchase.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Ergobaby Omni vs 360
Ergobaby also sells the newer Omni 360 which shares a lot of features with the 360, as well as a few enhancements.
- The velcro waist strap has been replaced with buckles which are quieter to use but a little bit more tricky to adjust.
- Doesn’t require the use of an infant insert.
- This product also offers different carrying positions like Ergobaby 360.
- It also includes a storage pouch, which is not available with Ergobaby 360.
- This product also includes a hood made with UPF 50+ material, which offers wind and sun protection. It also offers privacy to the mother to breastfeed her baby.
- It is made with high-quality materials and is machine-washable.
- Just like Ergobaby 360, Omni 320 has also been labeled as a hip-friendly baby carrier by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.
Ergobaby Omni is another great baby carrier that you can consider as it provides comfort and safety just like Ergobaby 360.
It’s currently only a tiny bit more expensive than the 360 and offers a few different color choices.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Should you buy the Ergobaby 360?
The Ergobaby 360 is one of the best baby carriers available on the market today.
While the price is higher as compared to some other baby carriers, it’s money well spent if you plan on wearing your baby for any significant amount of time.
The lumbar support is especially a significant factor in this carrier as it ensures that the weight of your baby is evenly distributed and you don’t end up with shoulder or back pain.
Another major benefit is being labeled by The International Hip Dysplasia Institute as hip-friendly.
