BabyBaby Hip Seat Carrier - Guide to the 10 Best

Baby Hip Seat Carrier – Guide to the 10 Best

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If you’ve tried traditional baby carriers but suffered with backache or shoulder aches then follow me as I moved to a baby hip seat carrier as my babies grew out of their baby wrap and I’ll describe what you need to know about choosing the best baby hip seat carrier for your little one.

I personally wore my children in wraps and carriers from the moment they were born. There’s something that I loved about having my little ones closed to me and the practicality of being able to go out with them sleeping on my chest.

What is a Baby Hip Seat Carrier?

While traditional baby wraps and baby carriers are great for when babies are little and sleep in them for a long time, it comes a time when your baby becomes a toddler and all they want to do is move around and explore the world. They constantly want to be put down and then picked up again and, let’s be honest, they start being really heavy!!

That’s when I found my baby carriers where not really useful anymore. My babies didn’t like spending too much time in them and, when they did, my shoulders and back were really starting to hurt. And the same was happening when I was carrying them on my hip without any carrier.

The first time I tried a hip seat carrier with my first born I was quite skeptical to be honest. I thought having that baby belt carrier around my waist was going to annoy me more than anything, but I was amazed by how much it relieved my shoulders and back pains! I loved it so much I invested on another one for my second baby and used it since she was around 4 months old.

Choosing the Best Hip Seat Carrier

In this article I am going to take you through everything that you need to know about waist carriers or hip seat carriers: what they are and what the different types on the market are, what their pros and cons are and what I think are the best products out there. By the end of it, you’ll be able to understand exactly whether a hip seat carrier is the right choice for your family or not and, if it is, which type will suit your lifestyle best.

best baby hip sear carriers for babies and toddlers

The Different Types of Baby Hip Seat Carriers

First thing first, I’d like you to understand exactly what a baby carrier with a hip seat is. In fact, there are two main different designs of hip seat carriers: one that includes just a hip seat, and one that looks more like an actual carrier, with shoulder straps and an enclosed seat.

Baby Waist Carrier

Tushbaby

A waist carrier, like the one from Tushbaby, is the simplest of the two designs, with just a hip seat for baby to sit in, and a waist belt that goes around your hips to hold it in place.

These type of carry belt for baby is usually cheaper than the other design (perfect if you are on a budget) and obviously smaller. However, the main disadvantage is that you are never completely hands free, and always need to make sure you are holding baby with at least one hand.

You can usually use this type of baby seat carrier in 4 different carrying positions:

  • Feeding / Breastfeeding: with your baby in a cradle hole position and the waist carrier either supporting your arm holding baby’s head, or supporting baby’s bottom.
  • Side Carrying: with baby sitting on your side
  • Front Facing: with baby sitting in front of you, but facing away from you
  • Face-To-Face: with baby sitting in front of your and facing you

Some designs, like the Honch Hip Seat Carrier, have an extra shoulder strap that help keep the baby waist carrier in place.

Related: Baby on a Budget – Top Tips on How to Save Money with a New Baby

Hip Seat Baby Carrier with Shoulder Straps

MiaMily Hipster Baby Carrier

This type of hip seat carrier, like the MiaMily Hipster Plus Baby Carrier, is way more similar to the traditional baby carriers you are used to seeing around. However, they are made up of a baby seat at your waist’s height that makes the carrier chunkier around your hip.

A lot of the products listed below actually have removable shoulder straps and baby enclosure, so that you can transform your baby hip seat carrier into a waist carrier or vice versa at any moment in time.

This is a particularly nice feature to have if you want to use the full carrier for when baby is still little and not really able to support their neck and head first, and then transition to just the hip baby belt carrier when they get older. Or you might enjoy the carrier when going for a walk, but prefer just the baby waist carrier when at home and constantly picking your baby up and putting them down.

This type of hip carrier for baby can also usually be used in multiple carrying positions:

  • With baby in front: either front facing or face-to-face, with or without the enclosure
  • With baby on your back: only with the enclosure
  • With baby on your side: with only the waist carrier and no enclosure
best baby carriers with hip seat

Hip Seat Carrier Disadvantages: Is a Baby Carrier with a Hip Seat Good for Baby (or Mom and Dad)?

Many parents are worried that some carriers can be bad for babies hips. This is because there is ample evidence that carrying a baby in a position that keeps little baby’s legs together for long periods of time can cause hip dysplasia or even lead to hip dislocations.

However, the hip seat carrier allows the baby to sit in the position recommended by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, so it’s perfectly safe for baby. This is called the M-position, where baby’s thighs go around the parent’s torso and the hips bend so that the knees are slightly higher than the buttocks with the thighs supported.

Hip seat carriers are actually better for babies than ‘normal’ carriers, as they allow the baby to maintain this healthy position no matter whether they are facing inward or outwards. With traditional carriers, the M-position is usually lots when turning baby to look away from the parent and, for this reason, the International Hip Dysplasia Institute discourages an outward-facing position until 6 months of age.

But hip seat carriers are not good just for babies: they make wonders for parents too!

Pros and Cons of Hip Seat Carriers for Parents

The Advantages

The main advantage of a baby waist carrier for parents is the reduced back pain or shoulder pain that they would otherwise experience with traditional carriers. This is because your hips and legs are supporting baby’s weight instead of your back and shoulders.

Also, your baby’s weight won’t pull you forward or backwards like a normal front or back carrier. Instead, a hip seat carrier will help you stand upright, which will only help with the back pains.

Another advantage is that, when you are using just the hip seat, you can easily swap between the left and right side, which helps even things up and avoid hip or lower back pains. I personally always really struggled to wear my baby on the left side without a waist carrier!

Other pros to consider are:

  • The ability to carry your baby in many different positions and the fact that the carrier can grow with your from a newborn to a toddler age
  • The amount of storage, either on the side of the waist belt or under the hip seat, that is usually non-existing in traditional carriers

The Disadvantages of a Hip Seat Carrier

That said, baby carriers with a heap seat are not perfect and they do come with some disadvantages.

First and foremost, they are not completely hands free when using just the hip seat: you always need to make sure that you are holding them with one hand! For this reason, I like the idea of a hip seat carrier with the shoulder straps, so that you can place baby in an enclosed carrier when you are in need of both hands.

Further to that, they can be a bit more uncomfortable compared to traditional carriers for the first 12 weeks or so postpartum if you had a c-section. This is because the seat can put more pressure on the incision.

Finally, because their weight and strain is directed to your hip and legs instead of the back and shoulder, they are not the best solution if you have hip injuries or problems.

best hip seat baby carriers

At what age can I carry my baby in a hip seat carrier?

Baby hip seat carriers are not really designed for newborns. Even though the hip seat can be used in the breastfeeding position and most hip seat carriers will say that they are suitable from birth, they can’t really be used to actually carry newborns.

This can only happen when your child is able to support their neck and head independently, which usually happens when babies reach the 4 or 6 months of age. However, it really depends on your child’s development! When your child is ready to seat by themselves without the help of an adult, then they can sit in a hip seat carrier or any other baby chairs for sitting up.

You can then keep using the product until about 2-3 years of age. Most products have a weight limit of over 40 lbs (18 Kgs). However, to be honest, I found that when baby was getting too big (way before 18 kgs), not even the waist stool could help much and I stopped picking my kids up so much! I would say using one until the age of 2.5 (depending on baby’s weight) is more realistic.

Related:

10 of the Best Baby Hip Seat Carriers

Without further ado, here’s the list of the best baby carriers with a hip seat that you can choose from, with their features, pros and cons. I’ve also compared some of the market leaders such as Tushbaby vs Babymust to help you make the right decision when buying. Scroll further down to read more details about the products.

1) Tushbaby Belt Carrier

Tushbaby hip seat

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The Tushbaby hip seat carrieris a classical waist carrier with just the hip seat and the belt that goes around your waist, as well the 4 different carrying positions. The reason why it’s at the top of my list is because of its superior quality.

It is made in the US with high quality materials and is safety certified, containing no cancer causing chemicals. It has a whole lot of storage, with a big pocket under the seat, a side pocket, a bottle holder and loops to attach things like baby toys or your pacifier clip.

The belt going around your waist is also very thick compared to other baby carriers with hip seat, making it more comfortable to wear when baby’s weight pushes down. And, while the standard waistband goes up to 44 inches (1.1 meters) in length, you can buy an extension that goes up to 71 inches (1.8 meters).

Note: if you are a tiny mom (or other caregiver), another mom who weighs just under 100 lbs (45 Kgs) has found that the belt is a little bit too large for her. She can still wear it and raves about how good this hip seat carrier is. But just something extra to keep in mind.

ProsCons
✅Lots of storage
✅Very good quality
✅Waistband extender for waists over 44 inches (1.1 meter)
✅Choice of 4 different colors
❌Not as versatile as other products that turn into actual baby carriers
❌Too large for tiny people (under 100 lbs)

2) Chicco Sidekick Waist Carrier

Chicco Sidekick belt carrier

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The is quite similar to the Tushbaby one above (but about $30 cheaper): they are both waist carriers made of good quality materials and the Chicco brand is always a guarantee with regards to good quality and durability.

 There is a good size pocket on the size and the reviews for this product are all very good. The main disadvantage is the fact that it is not machine washable: it needs to be washed by hand. Which can be quite annoying considering how much babies spit and dribble, etc.

The belt fits 23”-46” waists (0.6-1.2 m), and there isn’t an extender option like for the Tushbaby hip seat carrier.

Note: Chicco also sells the , which consists of the version with the shoulder straps as well. This is double the price as the , but way more versatile!

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ProsCons
✅Storage on the side
✅Good quality
✅Relatively cheap
❌Not as versatile as other products that turn into actual baby carriers
❌Not machine washable

3) ErgoBaby Hip Seat Carrier

Ergobaby hip seat carrier

The ErgoBaby Hip Seat Carrier is the first actual carrier with shoulder straps in this list. Again, it’s quite a well known brand, and the quality is very good.

Overall, it’s a very comfortable carrier for both mom and baby, with the option of different carrying positions as the enclosure can come off to be just a baby waist carrier, so it’s very versatile. You can either carry your baby on the front (with of without the enclosure), on the side (with just the baby seat), or on the back (with the enclosure), as well as in the breastfeeding position.

The enclosure also comes with a flap on top that goes over baby’s head for sun and wind protection.

The main cons are the very small storage pocket on the side compared to other brands and the belt buckle that can be a bit hard to reach at the back. It’s also one of the most expensive carriers in this list.

You can buy this carrier from the ErgoBaby website.

ProsCons
✅Very versatile with multiple carrying positions
✅Good quality
❌Little storage
❌Strap buckle hard to reach at the back
❌Expensive

4) MiaMily Hipster Plus Hip Seat Carrier

MiaMily Hipster Baby carrier

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The MiaMily Hipster Plus Baby Carrier was designed in Switzerland and is very similar to the Ergobaby above, including the very similar price. This is also a good quality and comfortable hip carrier with shoulder straps and the enclosure comes off from the seat if needed so you can use the carrier in all the same different positions.

One thing I love about this brand / carrier is that it can come in many different combinations. While theMiaMily Hipster Plus is my favorite, you also have these choices:

  • MiaMily Hip Seat this includes just the waist carrier
  • No products found. this is an enclosure with a single shoulder strap that you can attach to the Hipster Plus instead of the double strap. This makes carrying baby on your side so much easier!
  • No products found. this is such a nice one to have on top of your carrier, particularly for when baby is teething, and a feature that is missing in most of the other hip baby carriers.
  • MiaMily Hipster Infant Insert this extra accessory provides proper support to baby’s head, neck, and spine when still very little.

The only cons are the price (one of the most expensive baby carriers with hip seat) and the buckle of the hip belt, which is hard to reach at the back, so the carrier is quite hard to put on by yourself.

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ProsCons
✅Very versatile with multiple carrying positions
✅Good quality
✅Lots of storage
✅4 different colors
✅Lots of extra accessories
❌Expensive
❌Strap buckle hard to reach at the back

Here’s a good video showing how you can carry baby in the different positions, including while breastfeeding.

5) Sunnors Hip Seat Carrier

No products found.

No products found.

This No products found. is one of the cheapest toddler hip carriers on this list and, while it’s a good product, the quality is not as good as some other of the products listed above. Many reviews mention that the product can get uncomfortable after a prolonged used, and it is definitely not designed for left-handed people, as when the baby is on the right, the storage pocket ends up being at the back with the zip being too hard to reach!

The main advantage is the price, as for its price it’s a very good buy. Also, the belt is one of the longest, going up to 49.2 inches (1.25 meters), so good for plus sizes.

ProsCons
✅Very cheap
✅Long belt
✅Good size storage pocket
❌Not as versatile as other products that turn into actual baby carriers
❌Very hard to use if you are left-handed
❌Can be uncomfortable after prolonged use

6) Bebamour Baby Carrier

No products found.

No products found.

The No products found. is an awesome choice if you are looking for something good at an even better price. The carrier has go lots of storage, with a side pocket and one under the seat, and you can use it in multiple different positions like with the ones above.

I also like the fact that it comes in multiple colors: it’s one of the few hip baby carriers that comes in 8 different colors. Plus it comes with a head hood to protect baby’s head from the sun and wind, and 2 removable baby bibs.

One important thing to keep in mind though is the length of the belt: the product description says it goes up to 46.5 inches (1.18 meters), however multiple women that wear a size 12 or up have complained that it’s too small for them.

ProsCons
✅Very cheap
✅Lots of storage
✅Lots of different colors available
✅Very versatile with multiple carrying positions
✅2 removable baby bibs
❌Too small for a size 12 up

7) Angelbaby Waist Carrier

Angelbaby Waist Carrier

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The Angelbaby Carrier is a good baby belt carrier if you are looking for just the hip seat. It’s very affordable and comfortable to wear, with a nice side pocket for storage.

The length of the belt that goes around the waist can be adjusted up to 49.2 inches (1.25 m), so it’s a good size for dad too. The main disadvantage is the pocket being on the right side so, if you are left-handed, it becomes very hard to use when baby is on your right side. Plus, from a style view, AngelBaby has quite a few different colors available.

ProsCons
✅Belt long for bigger sizes as well
✅Different color options
✅Affordable
❌Very hard to use if you are left-handed
❌Not as versatile as other products that turn into actual baby carriers

8) Talenbeen

Talenbeen

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I really like the design and colors of the Talenbeen Hip Seat Carrier, not to mention the price. Its best feature that sets it apart is the fact that you can use the carrier (enclosure) even without the stool. So you can either use it as a hip seat carrier, as a normal carrier (for an infant), or just a waist carrier (for a toddler).

It comes in many different colors like a Bedamour, which is always a bonus, and the waist belt is nice and wide with a storage pocket on each side. Pity there is no storage under the seat.

The biggest con is the fact that it only fits more petite women (or men): it is only suitable for waist circumferences 24.8 to 41.73 inches (63 to 106 cm). The belt is actually longer than the Velcro, so many women still wear it without the belt closing off at the front with the Velcro, but it can get a bit uncomfortable.

ProsCons
✅Very cheap
✅Lots of different colors available
✅Very versatile with multiple carrying positions, including using it as a normal carrier with no hip seat
✅Good storage
❌Only for waist circumference up to 1.06 meters

9) Glisoo Waist Carrier

Glisoo Waist Carrier

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Here’s another belt to carry baby! The Glisoo Baby Waist Carrier comes with either just the hip seat, or with the enclosure to become a carrier as well (for an extra $10).

This is the cheapest of the baby carriers with hip seat listed here but also one of the most popular on Amazon, and that’s the main reason why I added it to the list. You can still get something decent for little money . However, the quality is not as good as the other carriers: there are lots of review or parents complaining that it’s not that comfortable or the zips don’t work properly after a while.

As per other waist carriers with just one storage pocket on the right side, it’s not really designed for left-handed people.

ProsCons
✅Very cheap
✅Option to buy just the waist carrier or the one with the enclosure
❌Very hard to use if you are left-handed
❌Not the best quality

10) Sunveno Hip Seat Carrier

Sunveno Hip Seat Carrier

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Last but not least, there’s the Sunveno Hip Seat Carrier. This baby carrier with seat is definitely the one with the most amount of storage: probably perfect if you like to carry a lot of things around with you! One of the main cons though, is that it can get a little too bulky for some people.

The quality is very good, with one of the longest belt, going up to 51 inches (1.3 meters), and the carrier also includes 2 drool pads, which is always a plus.

This is another of those hip baby carriers where you can hold baby in lots of different positions. Plus, you have an extra option to use the waist seat with just the straps (not the enclosure). While using the straps with just the hip seat seems to help lots of people, others find that the straps actually end up straining the shoulders too much.

A main drawback is the design on the sides of the enclosure, with no straps to prevent baby from falling off the sides. While this carrier would be perfect for an older baby or a toddler, I find it to be quite unsafe for a newborn.

ProsCons
✅Lots of storage
✅Good quality
✅Very versatile with multiple carrying positions
✅Very long belt around the waist
✅2 drool pads included
✅4 different color options
❌Quite expensive
❌Unsafe for newborns

Summing up – Choosing a Baby Carrier with a Hip Seat

Here it is mama, all the information I have about hip seat carriers or waist carriers, including a list of the best products for you to choose from! I really hope it’s all clear to you now with regards to what the different types are and if there’s one product that would fit your family’s needs.

Just to summarize though, unless you have hip problems, these kind of carriers are actually very good for both you (reducing back and shoulders pain) and your baby (for their hip development). There’s two different types: one with shoulder straps and an enclosure, and one with just the hip seat. Though all hip seat carriers here can be converted to just a waist carrier.

While all carriers say that they can be used from birth, this information can be quite misleading! The hip seat by itself can help you with breastfeeding, but you can’t hold a baby in it until they are a bit older (4-6 months) and able to support their head and neck by themselves. The same goes for the hip seat carriers with the shoulder straps: they are not really designed for newborns either!

I personally bought a waist carrier with just the hip seat for my first born once she was almost 2, because I didn’t know about these type of carriers before and, by then, I only needed the hip seat. However, for my second one I bought the one with the enclosure, as it’s much more versatile and I could use it even when she was younger.

So, depending on how big and old your baby is, you might want to go for one type instead of the other. Have fun shopping 🙂

For more baby tips and information on how to prepare for or survive life with a newborn:

For baby feeding tips:


Are you a mom or other parent looking at buying a hip seat carriers and have some questions that haven’t been answered above? Or have you used one and would like to share some feedback? Is there any other product that you’d recommend? Then please let me know in the comments below – I’d love to hear from you!

best hip seat baby carriers and waist carriers

Written by

Monica Greco
Monica Grecohttps://conqueringmotherhood.com
Monica is the founder of Conquering Motherhood and a proud mom of two beautiful kids. As she says, giving birth to my second daughter was one of the most wonderful and empowering events of my life. That’s what’s inspired me to start this journey and share my story with you. Also, being a mother of a baby and a toddler, I know mom’s life is not always easy. Finding comfort in knowing you are not alone has always helped me. So, I’d like to pay it forward and share with other moms what I have learnt along the way providing tips, suggestions and recommendations on how to tackle motherhood.

4 COMMENTS

  1. I found these reviews to be incredibly helpful! As a US size 14 mama, I would have struggled to use the hip carrier that I was initially most drawn to, and I am very thankful that you had measurements available!

    With gratitude,
    Mom to three little ones

  2. Thanks so much. Found this very useful especially the waist length information. I came out knowing what kind of carrier I need so thanks mama for making it easier .

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