Louise 
Best in Carriers – The Honest Midwife Awards 2026
A good carrier keeps your baby close and your hands free. The right one can make the early weeks feel much more manageable. The wrong fit can be uncomfortable for both of you.
The Honest Midwife Awards are now in their third year. They celebrate products that parents trust and recommend. Entry is free. Brands send two samples, which are tested in everyday family life and reviewed by me as a registered midwife.
Safety came first in this category. I asked every carrier brand for the same documents – the safety standard, the test certificate and the newborn fit guidance – before publishing any result. Every carrier was also checked against the T.I.C.K.S. safe babywearing guidelines.
This year’s categories
- Best Baby Carrier
- Best Toddler Carrier
What We Looked At
- Verified safety standards – not just what’s on the product page, but what the brand could actually show us
- Safety from birth – can it be used with a newborn, and does it support the head and neck properly?
- Hip and spine positioning – does baby sit in the “M” position with a curved back, in line with TICKS guidance?
- Ease of getting baby in and out – can a tired parent do it alone, one-handed?
- Weight distribution for the wearer – shoulders, back and hips, especially in the early postnatal weeks
- Versatility – newborn to toddler, front and back carries
- Washability – because there will be milk on it
- Value for money – does the price match what you get and how long you’ll use it?
- Parent and professional feedback – what our tester and The Honest Midwife thought
A Note on What We Test
The Honest Midwife Awards judge the products that are entered. We can only test what brands send us, or what we know about and can get hold of. There will be products out there we haven’t seen, and some of them may be better, safer or cheaper than the ones on this page. A win here means a product performed well against the others in its category in our testing. If you know of a product you think we should be testing, tell us. We’d like to hear about it.
Best Baby Carrier 2026
A good carrier can change your day. It gets you out of the house without a pram, settles a grizzly baby, and gives you two free hands for a cup of tea or an older child. It also has to keep your baby safe and your back happy, which is a lot to ask of one piece of fabric. This year’s entries were strong, with seven carriers tested, so the three on the podium had to earn it.
A Note on How We Judged This Category
A baby carrier isn’t like most of the products we award – it’s worn, it supports a newborn’s head and spine, and it has to be right every single time you use it. So alongside our usual in-house and family testing, we went back to every brand in this category directly and asked for the detail behind the marketing: the exact safety standard each carrier is tested to, the test certificate and test house, the tested weight range, recall history, hip-positioning guidance, and hip-healthy recognition where it’s claimed. Some brands came back with everything we asked for. Some came back with partial answers. Where we couldn’t verify a claim to our own satisfaction, that mattered to the final placings – a carrier only made this podium if we were confident, on paper as well as in testing, that it deserved to be there.
Gold Winner: Mamas & Papas Kudo Baby Carrier
The one for your back. It was designed with chiropractors, and both our testing and its paperwork back that up.
RRP: £149 | Shop the Mamas & Papas Kudo →
Why It Won Gold
Co-created with McTimoney College of Chiropractic, the Kudo has a Posture Align dial that gently pulls your shoulders back and a pelvic support panel that puts the weight onto your hips rather than your spine. For a postnatal body that’s a big deal. It’s suitable from birth with a dedicated newborn lift section, and it’s tested to EN 13209-2:2015 – the full harmonised European safety standard, not a lesser technical report – which was clearly and openly confirmed to us. It comes with a particle-filtering hood and soft recycled fabric, and front carries are easy thanks to magnetic connectors and a wide over-the-head opening. Of everything we tested this year, this is the carrier we could verify most thoroughly, and it performed just as well in the hands of our testers as it did on paper.
Key Features
- Suitable from 3.2kg to 15kg (birth to approx. 36 months)
- Posture Align dial with integrated back support
- Pelvic support panel to distribute weight onto the hips
- Newborn lift section and adjustable seat base
- Magnetic quick-clip connectors
- Pull-forward adjusters so you can tighten solo
- Particle-filtering privacy hood
- 100% recycled, temperature-regulating fabric
- Machine washable
- Tested to EN 13209-2:2015
Things to Consider
There’s no back carry, only front-facing in and out, so it won’t take you all the way through toddlerhood the way some carriers can. At 1.26kg it’s the heaviest carrier on the podium. And with all that structure it’s bulkier to store or throw in a changing bag.
Silver Winner: Flybaby Baby Carrier
Seamless, featherlight, and more rigorously documented than almost anything else we tested this year.
RRP: £229 | Shop the Flybaby →
Why It Won Silver
The Flybaby is a seamless 3D-knit carrier made from OEKO-TEX certified recycled yarn, weighing just 425g – light enough to live permanently in your changing bag. When we asked for the detail behind its safety claims, Flybaby gave us a thorough answer: independent SGS testing, material testing to EN 71-3 for harmful substances, and International Hip Dysplasia Institute recognition as a hip-healthy carrier, with documentation to support it. It’s suitable from birth at 3.2kg, with clear guidance on achieving a safe newborn fit, and it’s never had a recall or safety notice anywhere. It’s a genuinely lovely, well-considered carrier to wear.
Key Features
- Suitable from 3.2kg to 15kg (birth to approx. 3 years)
- Seamless 3D-knit construction from 100% recycled polyester yarn
- OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified materials
- SGS-tested beyond baseline requirements; EN 71-3 compliant
- International Hip Dysplasia Institute hip-healthy recognition
- Just 425g – one of the lightest carriers available
- Adjustable centre panel for a snug newborn fit
- Machine washable at 30°C
Things to Consider
Back carrying is only introduced once baby has developed proper head, neck and torso control – so this stays a front carrier for longer than some others in this category, which suits families who want a slow, considered approach to that transition. At £229 it’s the most expensive carrier on the podium, though the safety documentation and hip-health recognition go a long way to justifying it.
Bronze Winner: Najell Easy vol. 2
If you want a carrier that both parents can share without a fuss, this is it. Two sliders, one magnetic fastening, done.
RRP: £135 | Shop the Najell Easy vol. 2 →
Why It Won Bronze
The Easy vol. 2 is exactly what it says. Najell’s magnetic one-hand fastening means you can get baby in and out on your own, and the two sliders widen the panel as baby grows and switch between the three carry positions in seconds. It’s soft, padded and breathable, works from newborn to around three years, and looks nothing like a tangle of buckles. Our tester found it comfortable for longer stretches, not just a quick trip to the shop, and it’s never had a recall in any market.
We want to be transparent about why it’s dropped to Bronze this year: it’s tested to CEN/TR 16512:2015, a technical report rather than the full EN 13209-2:2015 standard, and Najell wasn’t able to share test certificates when we asked. It doesn’t carry hip-healthy recognition either. None of that means it’s unsafe – but against a category where two other carriers could show us fuller documentation, it’s an honest reflection of where it sits. That said it’s a really lovely carrier and was loved by our tester and her baby.
Key Features
- Suitable from 3.2kg to 15kg (newborn to approx. 3 years)
- Signature magnetic one-hand fastening
- Two adjustable sliders for fit and position changes
- Three ergonomic carries: parent-facing, forward-facing, back
- Air Mesh lining for breathability
- Soft padding on straps and belt
- Easy to share between caregivers
- Clean Scandinavian design in several colours
Things to Consider
Najell state that forward-facing and back carries can begin from 5 months – earlier than the guidance given by other carriers in this category, which typically wait for full head, neck and torso control. We’d suggest following your own instinct and your baby’s development over any brand’s stated minimum on this one. As with any magnetic system, check the fastenings are fully engaged every time you clip in.
Congratulations
Well done to Mamas & Papas, Flybaby and Najell. Three very different carriers, each one we’re genuinely happy to have put our name behind.
Best Toddler Carrier 2026
Once a baby outgrows a sling or soft carrier, a framed backpack carrier opens up a different kind of outing altogether – proper hikes, uneven ground, longer days out where a pushchair simply won’t go. Three well-established names went head to head this year, each pitched at a slightly different budget and use case.
What We Looked At
- Comfort for the child – padded, supportive seat, adjustable harness, shade from the sun
- Comfort for the wearer – back system, hip belt, weight distribution over a long walk
- Stability – freestanding base or kickstand for loading and unloading safely
- Storage – practical space for nappies, snacks, water and layers
- Adjustability – fits a range of adult heights, grows with the child
- Build quality and warranty – how it holds up over repeated, rugged use
- Value for money – does the price match what you get
- Parent and professional feedback – what our tester and The Honest Midwife thought
Gold Winner: Osprey Poco
The most decorated name in framed toddler carriers, and it earns that reputation on the trail.
RRP: £350 | Shop the Osprey Poco →
Why It Won Gold
Osprey built its name on high-performance hiking backpacks, and the Poco range brings that same engineering to a child carrier. A kickstand lets you load and unload safely without help, an integrated sunshade and generous storage cover a full day out, and the suspended mesh back system – borrowed from Osprey’s adult hiking packs – spreads weight properly rather than letting it all sit on the shoulders. Independent testers who’ve covered well over a hundred miles with it consistently rate it as more comfortable, easier to put on, and more supportive than every rival they’ve tried. It’s backed by Osprey’s 7-year guarantee, covering repair or replacement for defects over that whole period.
Key Features
- Kickstand for stable, solo loading and unloading
- Suspended mesh back system for weight distribution
- Integrated UPF sunshade
- Generous, multi-compartment storage
- Fit-on-the-fly adjustable hip belt (Premium models)
- Suitable from approx. 6 months, up to 18-22kg depending on model
- 7-year Osprey guarantee
Things to Consider
It’s by far the most expensive of the three, and reviewers consistently note it can be tricky to get on and off alone the first few times, particularly for a shorter or less experienced wearer. However, the Osprey repeatedly comes out as an excellent and durable toddler carrier – a must for our parents that are serious about outdoor life!
Silver Winner: LittleLife Cross Country
The trusted, mid-range workhorse that’s been getting British families up hills for 25 years.
RRP: £199.99 | Shop the LittleLife Cross Country →
Why It Won Silver
LittleLife has built a genuine reputation in this category over two and a half decades, and the Cross Country is where that experience shows. A wide, freestanding base means you don’t need a separate kickstand to load a wriggling toddler safely, while 20 litres of storage is generous enough to double as the day’s only bag – reviewers have used it to carry hiking boots and nappies alike on longer trips. The X-buckle harness and adjustable seat height keep a growing child secure and comfortable, and at roughly half the price of the Osprey Poco, it remains the carrier most UK parents reach for first.
Key Features
- Wide, freestanding base for stable loading
- 20L storage capacity
- X-buckle child harness with adjustable seat height
- Attachable UPF sunshade
- Adult fit from approx. 1.57m to 1.93m
- Suitable from 6 months to approx. 3 years, up to 20kg
Things to Consider
At around 2.5kg it’s mid-range on weight rather than genuinely lightweight, and the child’s seat padding is a little less ventilated than some rivals. It’s a comfortable, dependable choice for country walks and family holidays.
Bronze Winner: Out n About Nipper Trek
The newest and lightest of the three, and already picking up recognition of its own.
RRP: £250 | Shop the Out n About Nipper Trek →
Why It Won Bronze
The Nipper Trek is Out n About’s first backpack carrier, and at just 2.5kg it’s one of the lightest structured carriers available, with a fold-flat design that makes it genuinely easy to store and travel with – a real advantage for families who don’t want a bulky carrier taking up car boot space between trips. A ventilated mesh back system and padded hip belt keep the wearer comfortable, and testers found it straightforward to fit a child in and out solo.
Key Features
- Weighs just 2.5kg
- Fold-flat design for easy storage and travel
- Ventilated mesh back system and padded hip belt
- Removable, washable drool pad and foot area
- Adjustable torso length and shoulder straps
- Multiple zipped storage pockets, hydration bladder compatible
- Removable UPF sunshade
Things to Consider
Comfort on longer hikes is where it falls behind the other two – its large frame can feel bulky in confined spaces, and reviewers are consistent that it suits shorter walks, dog walks and day trips better than all-day trail use. As Out n About’s first carrier in this category, it also doesn’t yet carry the long track record the other two have built up over many years.
Congratulations
Well done to Osprey, LittleLife and Out n About. Three genuinely different carriers for three different kinds of adventure.
Congratulations to our winners
Well done to our Best in Carriers winners. Babywearing can be a lifesaver in the early days, and these carriers stood out for comfort, fit and safety.
Every carrier fits differently, so try a few before you buy if you can. Many areas have a local sling library where you can get help with fitting. Whatever you choose, keep the T.I.C.K.S. guidelines in mind every time you use it.
Thank you to every brand that entered. Entry is always free, and each carrier was checked carefully before any result was published.
Next, see the winners in Best on Wheels, Best in Nursery and Best in Feeding.
