Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Action Baby Carriers (SSC) review


Since 2013, Andrea Govender and her husband have been the brains behind Action Baby Carriers. These are an American-made soft structured canvas carrier with a lightly padded waist, lightly padded/webbing straps that aren't hard on the pocket - $98US for a standard size and $114 for a toddler. They sent me one of each size to try and I've enjoyed having Audrey and the dolls rock around - I even tried a little bit of tandem action, and the flatter padded straps were BRILLIANT.

Andrea's got an excellent eye for style and the carriers are cleanly designed using modern fabrics. 

It's lovely to see a wide range of choices which are fashionable without practicing appropriation or questionable labelling. I especially like the way you can check out the construction of the carrier in this neat mockup - 

You can see that the straps pass all the way through the body of the carrier - so when you tighten, you are actually cinching the diameter of the carrier and pulling your child closer, not just pulling on the stitching or the edge of the body panel.

 This is especially nice when carrying smaller babies who still need to be carefully positioned and have their spine well supported to avoid slumping, and REALLY helps with a heavier child to pull their weight closer to your core so they can't lean away. 

They sent me one of each size to try and I've enjoyed having Audrey and the dolls rock around - even a little bit of tandem action! We went on a rather epic night walk - around two hours, plenty of pavement pounding, and no complaints here. 


Regardless of size, each carrier features a simple sleep hood, safety chest strap, and verrrrrry comfortable crossable straight straps (especially good for petite or narrow-shouldered carers). I found these especially great for a longthy walk and staying supportive with 14kgs in a front carry. 

These will suit a wide range of bodies - hip belts adjust from 28 inches to 52 inches, and shoulder straps cinch down to a total 17 inches (more petite than a Tula), which meant I could actually achieve a snug back carry, something I can't manage in all SSC. 

The waistband is supportive and i could get a snug fit without being crazy wide and uncomfortable to sit in (4 inches wide). Toddler was a very comfortable seat for my 14kg/32lb nearly 3yo, and the leg padding was nice without being another massive chunk on the carrier. I think the toddler size will prove supportive and easily capable right up to it's 45lb/20kg limit. (Andrea recommends the toddler for children not younger than 18mo, and not less than 15lbs.)

Just for fun, I tried the standard size out with Audrey and although her support wasn't knee to knee (and please remember that's not strictly necessary beyond approximately 12 months of age) she didn't complain and I was still comfortable. The body was obviously a little short but we compensated with the sleep hood ;) with my 8kg (18lb) Demi doll this was very easy, and the construction of this carrier (go back and look at those transparent pics) mean this works very well (I prefer to hold off on SSC till 4mo) without the need for an insert. 
Verdict? Great carrier at an amazingly good price point. Very pleased with adjustability and I've had the chance to see it with a wide variety of body types at a recent meet. 

4 comments:

  1. Looks convenient and easy to use.
    For toddlers 2.5 y/o + up to
    60lbs, try Piggyback Rider standing child carrier and enjoy using!

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    1. This is incredibly rude and lacks professionalism. Please refrain from spamming my site.

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  2. Hi Chelsea! I live in the Philippines. I've been eyeing ABC for awhile, but held off because I'm unsure how it will fare in real hot and humid tropical climates. I'm curious, since AUS is more like our weather, how was the heat/sweat factor for both you and your child?

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    1. Great. One of the more breathable SSC I've tried. I think any SsC is going to get sweaty under the waist and straps, but good fit makes that less of a comfort issue and more just the consequence of a hot climate.

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