A good quality baby carrier is an essential piece of gear for families travelling with babies or toddlers. They complement perfectly a great travel stroller and are invaluable for city trips, when museums, public transport rides and sightseeing opportunities create accessibility challenges.
Over the course of the years, we have tested several types of baby carriers and experienced first hand how, when it comes to baby wearing, there is no one size fits all solution.
Different styles work for different ages and even siblings may have specific preferences for one style of carrier over the other.
However, all good baby carriers share some characteristics and have elements in common. In this guide to the best baby carriers for city travel, we share why we believe a baby carrier is a family travel essential worth getting, what to look for when choosing a baby carrier for city trips and some of our favourite brands.
Please note: this guide has been put together on the basis of our experience as traveling parents. If you have any doubts baby wearing is suitable for you and your baby, we do recommend you check with your practitioner and also learn about baby wearing to make an informed decision.
Please note: This page contains affiliate links and, should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Do you need a baby carrier for city travel?
There are several advantages to having your baby carrier on your travels.
Before you even arrive at your destination, baby carriers are exceptionally handy in airports and on the plane, when you may find yourself pacing the aisle to settle your baby.
Wearing your baby allows you to have free hands (so having your coffee, holding your older child hand or handing over an entrance ticket is easier).
You don’t need to worry about site accessibility while sightseeing in historical cities.
Catching public transport is easier if you don’t have to lug around a stroller.
You baby might find it easier to nap (especially if they are used to being carried at home).
If visiting a historical town center with charming cobbled streets, a baby carrier will save your child and your back from a very bumpy ride!
What to look for when choosing a baby carrier for city travel
If you have been looking at buying baby carriers for travel you have probably noticed they come in a huge variety of shapes and materials.
The choice out there is indeed overwhelming and even just figuring out what to look for can be a challenge.
Based on our experience, these are the main things to look for when choosing a baby carrier for urban travel
You can hear the Little City Trips team discussing the benefits of babywearing while travelling and the brands that have worked best for them on our City Travel with Kids Podcast products episode here.
Age / weight of your child
Age of your child: different baby carriers cater for different ages. Some are excellent for babies, some cater specifically for toddlers and some have the versatility to adapt to your baby’s changing needs.
When picking the best baby carrier for your child, take into account how long you are hoping to use it for and how big your child is.
While a versatile baby carrier might seem the best solution, I found switching between a baby one and a more structured one worked best for my children, who were a little small and ‘got lost’ in some of the bigger carriers.
Carrying position
Depending on your personal preference and that of your child, you may opt for a front carrier, a back carrier or one that allows your child to sit over your hip.
Within the front carrying option, you also want to consider if you want your child to face you, face outside or have a choice of both.
These decisions are personal to you and depend on how your back feels when carrying a weight. A hip carrier works wonders for many but can pose an issue if you have a slight postural imbalance left over from pregnancy, for instance.
If you never owned a carrier before, you can gauge what may work or not for you even just paying attention at how you usually carry your child: that will quickly tell you what position is likely to be most suitable when baby wearing.
Structured vs Unstructured baby carriers
One of the biggest decision when it comes to picking a great baby carrier for city travel is whether you go for a structured or unstructured carrier.
An unstructured carrier, or a wrap carrier, is the simplest type of carrier and is effectively a purpose made piece of good quality material that you wrap around you and your baby in whatever position you prefer.
They are excellent for infants and very young babies although they can grow with your child, if you choose one that is make of good material and of long enough strength. The advantage of a wrap carrier is takes very little space and can easily be put in the wash.
A structured carrier, as the name suggest, is a carrier that has a shape of its own: this can simply mean several parts are sawn together or may involve an actual metal structure framing your child seat.
Structured carrier usually are more long lasting when it comes to age suitability and have a great advantage: many dads are willing to share the carrying duty with them, something that doesn’t always happen with a wrap, often considered more feminine item.
For city travel, both types of carrier car work although if you opt for a very structured carrier with a frame, you may find some museums and attraction challenging as the metal of the frame might trigger additional security screenings and the extra bulk of the carrier may exceed attractions rules on allowed bags and backpacks.
The best baby carriers for city travel: comparison chart
| Name of carrier | Type | Age / weight |
| Boba Baby | Wrap | Newborn to 35 lbs / 15.8 Kg |
| Baby Bjorn One | Soft structured | Newborn to approx age 3 |
| Ergo Baby | Soft structured | Newborn (w insert) – 45 lbs/20.4 K |
| Phil & Teds Parade | Backpack | Up to 39.6 lbs / 18 Kg |
| Lillebaby | Soft structured | 7 -45 lbs / 3.1 -20.5 Kg (no insert) |
The best baby carriers for city travel: top picks 2022
Boba Baby Wrap carriers
The Boba wrap is an excellent choice if you are looking for a wrap carrier thanks to its slight stretchy good quality material.
The wrap is made of 95% French Terry cotton with a touch of that makes it adapt nicely to your body and it comes in several colours, so you can pick one that suits your individual style
This is an excellent baby carrier for city travel as it allows you to move comfortably with your baby while sightseeing or on public transport and can even help you when breastfeeding on the go, since it allows your baby to latch on while still in the carriers
Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier One Air
The Baby Bjorn was the first carrier I used for my son and we both loved it. This is a soft structured carrier with 3 different position and it is very easy to put on and off thanks to the easy-to-use buckles.
This carrier is the best seller in the Baby Bjorn series and it is easy to see why: it is ergonomic, soft and of adjustable size which means it grows with your baby and can last you for the toddler years too.
What we loved about this carrier is that is has nice padded shoulder straps and a sturdy hip strap that helps relieve the pressure on your back and helps keeping your posture safe.
Ergobaby Original
The Ergo Baby organic is another excellent baby carrier for city travel. The carrier has 3 different positions (front, back and hip) and can be used from birth to toddler years: for new-borns, we highly recommend you get the infant insert too.
While not strictly necessary (many parents find rolling a towel at the bottom of the carrier provides sufficient extra height), we find it is essential to keep your baby high enough tin the carrier and in correct hip position.
The carrier has a large front pocket with is really handy for you city essentials and is fully machine washable too.
Phil & Teds Parade Carrier
Another great choice for city travellers is the Phil & Teds parade carrier, a backpack carrier made for ‘everyday adventure’ according to the manufacturer which includes city living.
This carrier is different from the ones above as it has a full frame and this means that it is bulkier but also very sturdy. It wears like a good quality backpack and it is built with backpack specs in mind, including breathable material for your back and adjustable harnesses.
The Phil and Teds backpack carrier is free standing and is suitable especially for toddlers, who can get in easily themselves while the carrier is standing. The carrier also comes with a detachable toddler backpack which is handy for everyday essentials your children want to easy access to.
This is one of the best carriers for city travel and work great also for walks in nature and day trips.
Lillebaby The Complete Airflow 360
If you are looking for even more position options for carrying your baby, then you will love the Lillebaby complete airflow carrier that offers no less than 6 of them!
These include several positions for front, back and hip carrying and also front facing carrying options, with your baby facing forwards rather than you.
These several positions make this one of the best carriers for city travel as it is comfortable for you and your baby even when wore for long hours.
They also mean the carrier adapts to your growing baby, so you don’t need to worry about having yo get a new one your baby gets bigger.
We hope you found this buying guide useful and it helped you pick the best baby carrier for city travel to come with you on your next adventure!
Please note: This page contains affiliate links and, should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Disclaimer: Little City Trips is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.
