compare Boba and Ergo baby carriers

We encourage you to contact Ergo Baby, Inc. to verify the information about their carrier and certainly feel free to contact us with any further questions that you may have.

Please see text below for our detailed comparison of the two baby carriers.

The Boba and the Ergo are supportive soft structured baby carriers that support your baby's hips and spines due to the wide seat of the carrier.  There are no leg holes in either carrier and your baby is always oriented toward you in a seated position.  Both have soft padded shoulder straps and a wide waistbelt to better distribute the weight of your baby on your body.

The Ergo baby carrier does offer an optional padded infant insert create a more snug and enveloping fit.  The Boba does not offer an infant insert as we recommend a baby wrap instead for smaller infants.  A baby wrap's support is unmatched and is naturally designed to cling to every curve and contour of both you an your baby's body.  It is a better and more breathable option than an infant insert.

The Ergo also has a sleeping hood for head and neck support when an infant falls asleep.  The Boba 1G does not have a hood while the newer models do.  While the height of the back of the carrier compensates for smaller babies making a hood unnecessary, toddlers do fall asleep on mom and dad and need the head support as well.  The new Boba 2G comes with a detachable hood so you can decide whether or not you and your baby need it.

The main difference between the Ergo and the Boba is the ratio of height to width in the carrier.  The Boba is designed for babies 15 pounds and up.  The height of the Boba carrier is 3 inches more than the Ergo baby carrier.  The sides of the Boba body are tapered and the body is wider preventing little legs from getting tangled up when loading them into the carrier.  The extra width of the carrier provides a larger seat which means more leg support and an overall more secure and enveloped feeling (no peeking holes on the sides) for your toddler.

The Ergo's seat is wide as well.  In order for a carrier to provide complete leg support the fabric has to extend to at least the back of the knee and hold the baby in a flexed abducted (froglike) position.  Yet, as your child gets older, roughly beginning at a year and a half, little legs get longer and the fabric in any soft structured carrier no longer quite reaches the back of the knee.  The knees are no longer supported at the child's hip position and they start to hang down more and more as the child gets older.  Visualize the comfort of sitting in a hammock that the fabric comes to the back of your knees versus a hammock that only goes to the back of your middle thigh.  A seat that only goes to the back of the middle thigh may pinch may put pressure on the nerve behind the thigh and may even interfere with blood circulation.    The older toddler, the smaller and smaller the seat.    The Boba has answered this lack of proper leg support of bigger babies and toddlers with adjustable foot straps when the fabric seat no longer supports the legs.  Foot straps give give bigger legs a place to rest.  Boba 2G's footstraps are now detachable so you can adjust the carrier to your little one's needs.

Since the back is higher, the shoulder straps begin higher on the wearers back.  They don't sit as far apart on the shoulders of the wearer.  Weight distrubution is better distributed through the shoulders, the whole back and the waist of the wearer.  The chest clip adds more security but is optional.  Ergo's straps sit wider on the wearer's shoulders which may be better for those with wider frames.   The weight of your child is distributed differently as more pressure is found in the sternum area where the chest clip brings the shoulder straps together in the front.  Those with smaller frames may find it essential to cinch the chest clip to avoid wider straps from sliding.

Also, the extra height and the rounded top of the Boba baby carrier provides more upper back support for your toddler  The lower back of the Ergo works wonderfully for smaller babies or for older babies who don't want any upper body restraint or support whatsoever.  Yet,  it  as a lower back doesn't support an older baby's upper body it may cause a "leaning back feeling" for the wearer.  This may  throw off the wearer's center of gravity causing the carrying individual to compensate and lean forward while walking or carrying.  Upon tightening the shoulder straps to bring the child closer, the combination of the low back and the straight top creates a horizontal line of pressure against the toddler's back, and does little to actually bring the child's upper body toward the wearer.  Tightening the shoulder straps and chest straps in the Ergo may bring the whole body of a smaller baby closer to the wearer but tightening the straps with a toddler will only make the shoulder straps and the chest clip tighter as the toddler's upper body remains unsupported.

The Boba doesn't have any pockets or extra attachments as the design is more simple and less bulky.  The Ergo has sleeping hood and a pocket that are not detachable and in addition to this offer a wide variety of optional attachments that you may purchase separately.   Nursing in the Boba is discreet as the wide body of the carrier is tapered on the sides providing more coverage.  The low back of the Ergo and the straight sides make it necessary to get out the sleeping hood to nurse discreetly.

The Ergo offers the option of a hip carry.  We discourage off centered carrying as it is not ergonomic and is hard on the wearer's back.  The only buckle on the Boba is a military grade waist buckle for added security.  This waist buckle is centered.  The waist buckle on the Ergo is positioned on the wearers hip.  There is a strip of elastic which acts as a safety  to back up the buckle if it fails.

We are proud to say that the Boba is made right down the road from our office in Boulder, CO.   Although Ergo is based in Hawaii, most carriers are made in China and some in India.  The Boba is made with soft brushed certified organic cotton. The classic Ergo is made with sturdy thick cotton canvas.  They do have organic options available at a higher price.

Both are good carriers.  Both will hold your baby close to you.  Ultimately it is up to you to decide what you are looking for and what features will be the best fit for you and for your baby.

Happy Hunting!

We encourage you to contact Ergo Baby Carrier, Inc. to verify the information about their carrier.  The trademark "Ergo" and "Ergo Baby" are property of Ergo Baby Carrier, Inc.

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