We have a new baby! Hooray! Ergobaby has a new baby carrier. And it’s something a little bit different. A hip seat baby carrier. Or rather, two. The Ergobaby Alta and Ergobaby Lift. Alta is a hip carrier with a removable back panel that looks similar to its siblings the Omni and Adapt, but is quite different. Lift is a pure hip seat baby carrier - without a back panel or shoulder straps.
Why a hip seat? These are two essential everyday helpers that fit perfectly into our existing collection and are a great addition to a "normal" baby carrier. Especially as a secondary carrier when your child starts crawling, walking and wants to come up then down then up then down. In those situations, a hip seat is easy to put on, also for other caregivers, and it evenly carries the weight of your baby which relieves your arms, hips, and back.
And now... do you know what a hip seat is? How to use it, when and why? No? Then this blog has come at exactly the right time. Because today we're going to explain what these two hip seats are all about. We'll also give you ten good reasons why a hip seat baby carrier is a must have.
What is a hip seat?
From a certain age, your little love asks to be picked up, only to want to go down again the next moment. The quickest thing to do is to sit your child on your hip (usually on the same side) and carry on with your day. But this is much to the detriment of your spine, your pelvic floor and your entire back, because to carry your child on your hips, you push your hips out and stand at an angle. And although you are probably aware of this, you continue to do it because it is simply so practical and quick. Especially when the alternative would be to put on a baby carrier - but that's not worth it for exactly 3 minutes each time, is it? And with your child on your hip, you still have one hand free to finish what you were doing. If there’s one thing we’re experts at, it’s doing things one-handed! This is exactly where a hip seat baby carrier comes into play. While you perfectly juggle your child and daily to-dos, a hip seat carries the weight of your baby and relieves your arms, hips and back. It makes babywearing, especially an older child, as back-friendly as possible, while keeping things easy for those quick ups and downs.
How do you use a hip seat?
Our Ergobaby hip seats are a wide, padded, ergonomic and pre-shaped seat that you attach round your hips using a wide belt. You can comfortably carry your child in this seat from the age of around six months (with good head control) up to the approximate age of four years without straining your back or pelvic floor. You stand up straight and the weight is taken off you / distributed comfortably.
How does it work? It's simple: the seat is attached to you with a hip belt at a certain angle (the Keep Baby CloseTM angle). This allows you to hold baby securely and effortlessly against your body with just one hand. To prevent your baby from slipping, the surface of the seat is also covered with a non-slip material for that extra dose of safety. The seat also has inner padding that contours to your body for even greater comfort.
The hip seat is not only suitable for hip carrying, but also supports you in carrying your little one in front of your tummy - both facing inward and outward. Your arms, shoulders and back will thank you for it.
Ten good reasons to try a hip seat
Do I really need another carrier? If you are still asking yourself this question, you should take a closer look at the following arguments in favour of a hip seat baby carrier:
- Convenience for everyday activities: Whether you're running errands, moving around the house, or traveling, a hip seat makes it easy to keep your baby close without sacrificing your productivity. Its ease of use allows you to transition smoothly from babywearing to other activities without the need for adjustments. And it gives you one free hand at any time.
- Quick, flexible and easy to pick up, put down and carry your baby or toddler. The hip seat is particularly practical if you have an active baby/toddler who wants to switch from your arms to crawling or walking a lot.
- Safe, quick and easy to put on and take off - thanks to the easy-to-use buckle. Ergobaby is committed to keeping you and your baby safe. Our hip seats both fasten with a secure buckle that ensures your baby stays in place comfortably and safely.
- Ergonomic and easy on the back and pelvic floor for parents as your spine remains straight (in contrast to carrying without a carrier). Your pelvis is not needed to support your baby, so you do not have to adopt a compensatory posture. Its design ensures that the baby’s weight is evenly distributed across your hips and lower back, reducing the strain on your shoulders and spine. This thoughtful weight distribution helps prevent the common aches and pains associated with carrying children, making it comfortable for long-term use.
- Physical relief in everyday life. You can avoid tension in your arms, shoulders and neck with the baby hip carrier. Especially in situations where you would normally carry your little one a lot without a "normal" baby carrier.
- Easy handling. This means that those who don't regularly put on and take off a baby carrier (e.g. grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends or simply inexperienced wearers) won't feel overwhelmed so quickly.
- More freedom of movement for growing babies and toddlers for whom “normal” baby carriers are too restrictive in certain phases or situations. A hip seat offers the perfect combination of bonding through carrying, and freedom of movement. This also makes it the perfect alternative for children with a disability or little ones that do not seem to like to be carried in a “normal” baby carrier.
- Airy and breathable – making it a great choice in warmer temperatures.
- Promotes Parent-Child Bonding: Carrying your baby close in the hip seat facilitates bonding by increasing the physical closeness that stimulates an emotional connection. This physical closeness releases oxytocin in both you and baby which enhances the mutual feeling of attachment.
- Versatile and Long-Lasting: a hip seat is designed to grow with your child. It can be used from the time your baby can sit up independently until they reach 20 kg. The adaptability of the hip seat makes it a worthwhile investment, providing benefits for several years as your child grows. And if you buy it before birth, it even can offer support while you’re holding or feeding your newborn.
Our two new hip seats
A hip seat is the perfect complement to a "normal" baby carrier such as our Omni or Adapt. Even though these two baby carriers also offer a ‘hip carry’ position, a hip seat baby carrier has a different area of use - for lifting baby up and down quickly. And that is precisely why we have expanded our Ergobaby baby carrier collection with these two new hip seat models: the Alta hip seat carrier and the Lift hip seat. So, which one is right for you?
Ergobaby Lift hip seat
The Ergobaby Lift is a simple baby hip seat that is perfect for easy ups and downs for your active baby from six months and up. You can use it to carry your baby or toddler safely from around 5.5 kg to 20.4 kg, and when they show good head control. The contoured and cushioned seat offers ergonomic comfort to your baby while the Keep-Baby-Close Angle and the anti-slip grip of the seat keep your baby comfortably and safely in place. When carrying with the Lift hip seat you can choose between three carry positions: inward facing, outward facing, and hip carrying. Changing between positions is easy: simply loosen the hip belt a little and move it as you need it...and you're done!
The Lift can also provide wonderful relief for your arms, shoulders, and hips. The wide waistband distributes the weight of your baby evenly and the inner padding of the waistbelt contours to your body. It is quick and easy to put on with only one click of the waist buckle.
The Lift hip seat is made of robust poly twill and has a non-slip surface so that your little one can sit securely on it. It has two practical pockets, a small one directly on the seat and a second, larger one on the hip belt for the most important items you need when out and about. If you want to wash the cover of the hip seat, you can easily remove the inner seat made of foamed plastic. And, last but not least, as with all carriers in the Ergobaby collection, we offer the ErgoPromise™ Limited Lifetime Warranty on both hip seats.
Ergobaby Alta hip seat
The Alta hip carrier is a 2-in-1 hip carrier. It can be used with or without a back panel and shoulder straps. The back panel is easily removable and looks very similar to our Ergobaby Omni Breeze. However, an ergonomic, padded seat made of foamed plastic (EPP), which is typical for hip carriers, is hidden inside. The Alta is made of lightweight SoftFlexTM mesh fabric and robust poly twill. This makes it incredibly breathable and, together with the hip carrying method, ideal on warm days. It has a practical little pocket with a Velcro fastener on the hip belt where you can stow your keys, phone etc.
The Alta can be used from when baby is four months old with the panel, inward facing, from five months with the panel, outward facing, and from 6 months with the base only or with panel in a back carry. With the back panel, you can carry your baby in an inward-facing, outward-facing or back-carry position. Without the back panel, it can be worn inward, outward or on the hip. The 2-in-1 is ideal for those who prefer to carry their baby on the hip or simply and quickly in front of them. Or those who want to alternate between carrying their baby in a carrier and an older sibling in a hip seat. It couldn't be simpler.
But there is one more special feature: as with our Lift, you can of course use the hip seat to support your newborn baby more easily in the cradle position (even when breast/chestfeeding). This allows you to support your baby's bum on the seat and not carry the entire weight of your little one with your arms. This lets you react flexibly to every situation individually and according to your baby's needs.
Hip seat baby carrier – the ultimate flexible carrier
As you can see, both designs are the perfect secondary carrier when your baby gets to that wriggly up and down stage and you want to relieve your arms and back. Whether you choose the simple Lift hip seat or the 2-in-1 combination of the Alta – both hip seat baby carriers accompany the rapid development of your little one in a back-healthy way for you and your baby. Both emphasise what Ergobaby stands for: they are practical, comfortable and ergonomic, real helpers in your everyday life with baby and toddler.