With my first child, I received a soft style carrier (I believe it was a Graco) at my baby shower and had great hopes of getting lots of use out of it. However, that never came to fruition as my son was both heavy and long and that just didn't mix well with my short and busty frame - not even beginning to mention just how complicated it was to load, unload and generally adjust the carrier. Needless to say, I got rid of that carrier and didn't look back. After a bunch of research, I found that the only type of baby carrier that worked for us was the Over the Shoulder Baby Holder which is a sling style carrier. Believe it or not, this was one of the few baby items that I hadn't gotten rid of - so I hoped to use it when our second child came around.

Fast forward to the second child's arrival and guess what - something about the much loved OTSBH carrier just doesn't seem "right" for me and my daughter. I'm not comfortable or confident wearing it and my daughter fusses when she's in it. My husband, however, has been able to put it on and wear it with her in it with little trouble (he just sometimes gets confused on just how to put it on 'the right way'). Now, my daughter is the type of child who requires a lot of holding and carrying - especially by me. I kept thinking 'if only' the carrier would work for her then maybe I would have a bit more mobility and have my arms free. But, thinking back to the carrier issues that I went through with my son I didn't want to have to go out and spend a lot of money on something that would be shortlived and may not even work for us.

When I spotted this Baby Connection Cozy Carrier I thought it just might do the trick - and if it didn't then it was no big loss as it cost under $20. The Cozy Carrier is made by Infantino and sold with the Baby Connection name on the packaging - which is the "store brand" for Wal-Mart. The actual carrier and instruction inserts say Infantino on them - which is a reputable manufacturer of babygear including carriers. Sure its not the $100 Baby Bjorn carrier but if this worked for me that just saved me some hard earned dollars.

About the Baby Connection Cozy Carrier by Infantino
This is a soft carrier, meaning its has no wire frame (like a backpack style carrier), meant to be worn on the front of your body only. It can hold babies from 2 weeks (or 8 pounds) through to 20 pounds either facing towards your body or facing outwards. This weight limit is slightly lower than the 25 pound limit on the popular Baby Bjorn carriers.

This particular model, the Cozy Carrier is nearly identical to the Infantino Cozy Rider with the just one slight difference. The CozyRider comes with a vinyl-lined 'bib' that can be placed in between you and your child when you have them in the inward facing position. This Cozy Carrier has no such bib lining and your child's body and face will be right up against your clothing unless you put some sort of burp cloth (a flat cloth diaper or receiving blanket works well) for spit-up protection.

My Cozy Carrier is an attractive navy blue on the outside and the inside is a white, grey and navy plaid pattern. The plaid is not seen when the baby is worn inward facing and the neck/head support is up. If I turn my baby outwards (which is only recommended when a child has adequate head and neck control) and flip down the head/neck support padding then the plaid on the carrier is exposed. The carrier portion itself is quilted and quite padded with nylon adjustable straps in 4 spots and wide criss-cross straps that go around your back (but have no padding and could stand to use some!).


Using the carrier

I've been using this carrier since my daughter was around 3 weeks old - and she is now 2 months of age and around 11 pounds. We use the carrier routinely in the inward facing position though I have tried recently turning her outward so she can look around a bit more during more alert times.
Unlike the baby carrier nightmares I experienced with my son 4 years ago, I find it very easy to load my daughter into this carrier and get her situated. First, you have to put the carrier onto yourself and fasten the 2 straps one at each side of your body to the base of the carrier so the straps are crossed in the back. Next, you make sure that the adjustment straps on the carrier are all released so that the carrier is open to receive your incoming baby. There are 2 straps at the top up by your baby's arms/shoulders and one at each leg opening. Load your baby in making sure their legs go into the leg holes, put their arms into a comfortable position (there are holes they can go through but its not necessary) - and then tighten all 4 straps up so your baby is supported and held in.

If your kid is loaded in and tightened up and the carrier is on you so that the criss-cross is in the middle of your back and not 'riding high' then their weight should be evenly distributed. Once I figured out just how to load it and wear it I found it to be pretty darn comfortable. I've had no back trouble wearing it and can wear it for quite a long time. My little girl is very comfortable in the carrier and falls right off to sleep in it. She loves being right up close to my body. Of course I say that its not too heavy or uncomfortable and my daughter is still "light" as in not close to the 20 pound maximum. I'm a little on the wimpy side so I don't know that I'll be wearing her in the carrier at that point - we'll see. I really think this carrier is more suited sizewise for the smaller end of the spectrum anyways. I'm guessing that loading and unloading a large baby would probably prove to be quite a chore.

Unloading my baby from this carrier is something I can do fairly quickly and easily - by opening the 2 sets of straps on the carrier and then lifting her out. Its important to loosen up the leg straps or you will have a difficult time getting the kid out - I learned that the hard way when one time I thought she was stuck and then I realized I just needed to loosen the leg straps (oops!).

The instructions state the carrier is machine washable but not to put it in the dryer (due to plastic pieces). I've so far only spot cleaned it and not had to brave the washing machine though I'm sure it will end up getting some sort of baby mess on it sooner than later and need to go through the washer.

All in all, I have to say that I do really like the Baby Connection Cozy Carrier by Infantino and am actually impressed with its construction, convenience and comfort.. especially considering that it was so cheap. The only real downsides about it that I've found are that is that it lacks the spit-up guard found on the Infantino CozyRider and that the straps could stand to be a bit more padded. For a carrier for an infant under 20 pounds its suitable and gets the job done. I do think, however, that if you are looking for something to carry a heavier child then something like a Bjorn or a sling would probably be more suitable.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 15
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months