Hip Hammock

[anna lisa]

This looks like a great product for after the baby outgrows the Baby Bjorn. Can someone who has it explain it more in detail. Is it heavy? Can it be folded into a diaperbag? Is it easy to get into with a baby?

Any thing you can share about it would be helpful.

[gravymommy3]

I like my HH. I used it to lug my 16 month old around Disney. It has a fleece lining and the one I have has the parachute-type nylon material on the outside. It rolls up and ties so you can still wear it when the child is not in it. I guess it would fit in a diaper bag - I never take a diaper bag, just throw diaps and wipes in the buggy and go. Hope that helps.

[cdlamis]

My daughter never liked the Bjorn- I think she felt constricted. She loves the HH though! Its just like I were carrying her and she doesn't know the difference. it feels more natural. She is 9 months olds and 23 lbs and its not that uncomfortable. I have to adjust her occasionally but other than that its great!
Daniella

[candybomiller]

We've had the HH for several months now and love it. I was never able to use a front carrier with DS (bad back) but never had trouble with the HH. Basically there's a strap that goes around your waist, then another that goes up over your shoulder crossing your back. Does that make any sense? It takes quite a bit of practice to get baby in and out... in fact, strangers had to help me when we were in the airport. What a mess that was... As far as being folded into the diaper bag, I guess it would depend on how big your diaper bag is. We're currently using the Baby Gap Ultimate Diaper Bag and I've never been able to fit it in there with everything else I have jammed in there.

HTH,
Candy
-SAHM to Matthew Nicholas
5/22/02

[hardysmom]

I just got one off ebay for our trip to Florida. I was a bit skeptical since DS is 16 mo (old dogs, new tricks) and weighs 28 lbs. Plus, Hardy is an explorer and doesn't like to be carried for very long. He liked his Bjorn, but out grew it by 6 mo.

It was wonderful!! My son would stay in it much longer than he will allow me to carry him. I still find it a bit awkward to put on/off (probably due to DS size) but that is a small complaint.

I use a Vera Bradley Villager bag (one of the older ones which is slightly wider than the new ones) I pack pretty light, but had no problem rolling the HH up and smushing it in my bag.

Stephanie

[sparkeze]

I have a Walking Rock Farm Hip carrier and I really like it a lot. It's very similar to the HH but IMO it's much easier to put on and get baby in and out, and has a much more padded shoulder strap. A friend of mine tried mine out and decided to get a hip carrier for herself and she ended up getting the HH because it's about 20 dollars cheaper, but after she got it she said she preferred mine a lot more. I watched her use her HH and it seemed really awkward to get it on with the clip and loop in the back.

Mine can fit into a diaper bag and it's very light. About the size of a maya wrap folded up if that means anything to you.

[Momof3Labs]

I have a HH and a Walking Rock Farms hip carrier, both bought off of eBay. The HH is fine, but the WRF carrier has much, much nicer features. I haven't used the WRF carrier yet, but it is definitely worth checking out!

[Kate888]

Hi Lori and Sparkeze, could you tell us more about the differences between the HH and the WRF hip carrier? I just checked their website (http://www.walkingrockfarm.com), but it's a little confusing.

The instructions on how to put it on are almost identical to what I do with my HH. Is it really easier than HH? Have you tried it using the back carry position? I'm considering the KK fleece pouch, because DD likes to ride on my back (my arms are still hurting). The fabric selections are confusing, too. Do you know the difference between them (nylon, free-style nylon, summer-weight nylon)? How does the lining feel to you? Is it thinner than the fleece on the HH? Is the fold more compact, too? I wish there were more descriptions and pictures on their site.

I love my HH, the only drawback is that it doesn't fit in my diaper bag and you can only use it in one position.

Sorry about the mile-long questions :P Thank you soooo much!!

Kate
Mama to Maya 2-17-02

[gravymommy3]

Kate,

Can't help you on the diaper bag problem, but I use my HH on both shoulders. When one shoulder can't take it anymore, I just put it on the other.

[sparkeze]

Well the way you put on the WRF is you put the waist belt on, then you put the baby in place and pull the shoulder strap over both you and the baby's head and pull it tight. From what I saw of the HH, you have to pull the shoulder strap around from the back to clip it in the front. What my friend said is that you have to have it at the right size before you put it on because you can't adjust it much once it's on. With the WRF, you have an adjustment in the back, but it doesn't have to be readjusted in the back everytime you put it on, just if different sized people were using it. Otherwise you can adjust it in the front while it's on. Does that make any sense?

Have you ever used a sling like an OTSBH or maya? The adjustment is similar where you get it on and then tighten by pulling down on the strap.

As far as having baby on the back, I have a different carrier (Ergo) for that. But I can easily shift DS to my back in the WRF if I need to use both my hands or have him out of the way, but it's not the most comfortable position to carry him in. I usually only do it momentarily (5 minutes or so) as needed.

Mine has khaki colored fabric on the outside and purple on the inside. I'm not sure what they're called though. It may be called nylon but it's incredibly soft. Not like the ripstop nylon HH come in. It's squishy soft...hmmm...how can I describe it? Bascially you could squish up the carrier and the biggest part would be the shoulder padding. IMO it seems like it would be cooler than the material used for the HH and fold up more compactly too.

To be quite honest, if you already have a HH and are planning to keep it the WRF would be a duplicate. If you were deciding between the two I would recommend the WRF. If you're looking for something compact to use on your back I would suggest the Ergo at www.ergobabycarrier.com or another recommendation I got but haven't tried that looks good is the Packababy at www.packababy.com.

HTH!

[Kate888]

Thanks a lot for the review and suggestions!! I have no idea there are so many baby carriers out there. So, after strollers, CDs, I found another thing to research :)

Actually, the way I put on the HH is almost exactly the same as the WRF. The only thing you need to adjust beforehand is the waist belt, the shoulder strap is kept buckled at all times (but longer than the lengh you really need). First you put the waist belt on, then position baby in the center of the seat and pull the shoulderstrap over both of you onto the right shoulder (wearing baby on left hip). Then you pull down the extra shoulder strap that's hanging from the buckle to tighten it and keep baby close to you. That's it. When you want to take the baby out, just tilt the buck upward, the shoulderstrap will release and lenghten (but it's still buckled), then you pull the shoulder strap over both of you (while using the other hand to keep the baby stable at all times) and voila! If you need to adjust the tightness while wearing it, just tilt the shoulder buckle upward a little, it will loosen a bit, if you want it to be tighter, just pull the extra strap down. It's pretty easy to use. Hope this helps your friend a little bit.

Thanks a lot, Sparkeze!!

Kate
Mama to Maya 2-17-02

[Kate888]

Wow, I didn't realize you can wear HH on both shoulders! Must give it a try. Thanks!!

Kate
Mom to Maya 2-17-02