Beco Gemini Baby Carrier Review

The many wonderful features of the Gemini

My recent family trip to Jamaica was great however, it did have one unfortunate moment: We left our beloved Beco Gemini baby carrier at the Montego Bay airport. During the week, I use this carrier at least twice a day while I walk the dog (he's puller who likes to wander off the sidewalk, walking him with a stroller would be challenging). I also use it whenever I have to take Baby solo on public transit. In other words, our Gemini is a key member of our family. We lost it on a Saturday. By Monday evening, I had a new Gemini in my hands.

Baby carriers are a passionate topic in the parenting community and I am firmly on team Beco Gemini baby carrier. We purchased our first Gemini last spring. We'd used a wrap when Baby was first born and then transitioned to a Baby Bjorn when she was a little over a month old. While I liked the Bjorn at first, as Baby grew it started to become uncomfortable. And then the side buckle broke (the Bjorn was second-hand). It was time for a new carrier.

I did a ton of research and narrowed the wide world of structured baby carriers down to three brands that seemed the most promising: Tula, Ergobaby and Beco. All three brands are carried by Snuggle Bugz, making it easy to try them all out at once.

I had high hopes for the Tula and while I did find it quite comfortable, Baby disagreed with me and cried and cried while she was in it. She was more content with the Ergobaby Four Position 360 baby carrier however, I struggled with putting it on solo. Then we tried Beco's Gemini baby carrier. Of the three, it was the easiest for me to get on and take off. It was also quite comfortable and perhaps most importantly, it was the one Baby preferred. How do I know that? Because she fell asleep in it while we were testing it out.

Since then, baby has gained at least 10 pounds (maybe more) and it's still comfortable for me to wear and for Baby to sit in. It's also still a breeze to get on and off and I can easily adjust it to accommodate a puffy jacket, either on me or Baby.

Available patterns

The Gemini is designed for babies that weight seven to 35 pounds. While Baby's only ever ridden in it facing forward or backwards, this carrier can also be worn on one's hip or one's back. Another nice feature of the Gemini is that my husband, who is a big guy, can also comfortably wear it.

The only aspect of my Gemini that I don't love is that it doesn't have a pocket. However, new models now have this feature (we bought our latest Gemini off Kijiji as Snuggle Bugz didn't have any in stock when we needed it). The latest model also comes in eight different patterns and retails for $180 at Snuggle Bunz. For an extra $10, you can upgrade for the version made with organic cotton.

And in case you're wondering, yes, you can toss this carrier right into the washing machine. I've done it many times and my Gemini has always come out looking like new.

Would I buy this product again: Hopefully I won't have to but I would if I needed to (though I might upgrade to the toddler model).

Should you buy this product: Different carriers work for different bodies and sometimes babies seem to have an opinion as well. While I definitely recommend trying out the Beco Gemini baby carrier, I don't recommend buying it unless you have physically tested it out.