I thought I had bought a gentle used Ergo on ebay but I guess I was taken. I didn't even know that counterfeit Ergos were an issue until I spotted a blog post that got me thinking. I did a little digging which prompted me to contact Ergo and yep, mine's a fake. And it makes me mad. It's not the money. Yes, even used we paid a pretty penny for it but we also got over 1.5 years of use out of it. It's the safety issue. I carried my baby around with this thing and it's not safety tested buckle (the buckle was the big clue it was a fake). Yikes! It's one thing to use a knock-off purse or pair of sunglasses but I don't want to take chances with my kids. Even thinking about it gets my blood boiling. This wasn't a case of a "too good to be true" deal where I bought a $20 ergo from some random website like cheapergos.com or anything super sketchy like that and it even came in a box with a manual and everything but I'm still kicking myself for not paying the extra money for a new one.
So we'll be looking for a new soft structered carrier. Having researched, it seems like Ergos were the top/only good ssc for a while but other brands have since surpassed them with some features so I'll probably try something new. I have lots of babywearing friends so I was able to look at several but I am still torn between a Boba and a Kinderpack. Ideally, I would buy a Boba for baby number two and a toddler sized Kinderpack for Lucy now that I know how much she still likes to be worn but I don't have the funds for that so I'll probably settle for just a Boba since Lucy still fit comfortable in the Ergo and the Boba is taller - but honest opinions, how not manly is this?
I think it is adorable (and it comes in a matching mini!) and Craig says he would still wear it although I know he would prefer the black but is it really really girly and I'm just not willing to see it? Keep in mind that to some people, babywearing is inherently "girly" so even a black one could not be considered manly although personally I think seeing Craig wear our baby is really sexy. Just sayin'
I do know that whatever one we get, I will be buying it directly from the source. And I would really really encourage you to do the same. Ebay is great for somethings but apparently not baby wearing gear.
How maddening!
ReplyDeleteThe only baby wearing item I use is a Moby wrap. I used a knock-off Baby Bjorn with my two oldest and it about killed my shoulders and back. Didn't use anything with Baby #3 (just our arms and a stroller when necessary). By the time our youngest came around, the Moby was my best friend. ;)
Good luck on your hunt!
So sorry that happened.
ReplyDeleteMy life changed when we got our Ergo (although any ssc would have made the same difference). With my surgery and back issues, I just couldn't pull off a sling carrier and wraps and Texas heat just do not work for me (even in January :) ).
There is nothing more attractive than Jason putting Zuzu on his back in the carrier and walking out the door to go to the park. Ours is plain tan, but even if it was hot pink, he would look good to me.