Last year I wrote a series of articles on babywearing for the conceal carrying parent. Since then I have continued to babywear both of my children. I have also become a Certified Babywearing Educator! As I’ve practiced babywearing and gained professional insight, my opinions have changed a bit. Here are some things I’ve learned as I went further down the babywearing rabbit hole.
If you would have asked me a year ago what the best baby carrier for a conceal carrier was I would have had an answer for you. Over the last few months I’ve accepted that there are more right answers than I originally thought.
The best baby carrier needs to support baby’s back in its natural position, support baby’s legs in a natural spread-squat position, and comfortably distribute baby’s weight across their caregiver’s body. There are carriers on the market that will not meet the first two requirements. There are a lot of carriers on the market that can meet the third requirement. For the conceal carrying parent, we then have to decide: do we prioritize our current conceal carry set up, or our baby carrier?
If you’ve dialed in your conceal carry set up and have zero desire to change it, that is fine and we can work with it! If you already have a baby carrier, ultimately you might need to select something new that will accommodate your conceal carry set up.
If you carry along your waistband you will want to prioritize a carrier that does not have a waistband. Onbuhimos, ring slings, and some woven wrap finishes can accomplish that for you.
The onbuhimo is a Japanese styled baby carrier. It has a panel, shoulder straps, and a chest clip. Some brands, like Happy Baby and Lenny Lamb, let you carry a small baby on your front. However, traditionally these carriers have been used to carry slightly older babies high on your back (shoulder to shoulder).
My husband is a big fan of onbuhimos, and despite being familiar with a lot more on the market, this is still his go-do.
Ring slings are simple pieces of cloth with a set of rings sewn into one end. The baby’s weight is distributed across one shoulder and your body. There are a lot of options on the new and used market. Ring slings are also one of the easiest carriers to DIY if you feel so inclined. Really, you can find one at any budget point, which is part of why I love them. Additionally, for the conceal carrier, there is no waist band.
Ring slings are my OG carriers. They are the first carrier that I used regularly with Baby Primer Peak 1, and I’ve only collected more as I’ve been babywearing.
Woven wraps are incredibly versatile. They are simple pieces of cloth. While you can purchase a specific woven wrap (in a variety of patterns, prints, and colors), you can use a bath towel or bed sheet in an emergency. For small babies you can tie a Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC) or a Ruck Sack Carry high on your body to avoid pinning fabric and printing your gun. Another great carry with a woven wrap is a slip-knot hip carry. This carry functions similarly to a ring sling, but instead of rings, you tie a slip-knot at your shoulder.
There is a bit of a learning curve with woven wraps, but once you get the hang of them they offer the widest variety in carry styles.
There are a lot of reasons why you might choose to prioritize your baby carrier comfort over your conceal carry set-up. Babies, even at birth, often times weigh more than our conceal carry set ups. Ergonomic support is important for our immediate and long-term health and wellbeing. Additionally, you’ll likely spend more time carrying your baby each day than you anticipate. That being said, having a supportive and comfortable carrier is pretty important.
Regardless of your choice, any of the above-mentioned carriers are also solid options for you. Many parents enjoy onbuhimos, ring slings, and woven wraps. Some of whom have never, and will never conceal carry while babywearing.
If you want to choose a carrier and then adjust your conceal carry set up to accommodate it, you have more options available to you on the market.
Soft structured carriers have a waistband with a clip, shoulder straps, a panel/body, and often include a chest clip. Originally these carriers were designed for a 6+ month old baby to be worn on a parent’s back while hiking. Over time these have become a popular choice for newborn through toddler years.
The biggest drawback for a conceal carrying parent is that there is a waistband with this carrier style. However, these are some of the most popular carrier styles on the US market, both new and used.
Similar to woven wraps these are long pieces of stretchy cloth that is tied around parent and baby. You are limited to carrying baby on your front with a tie pretty close to your waist. These carriers are super popular during the newborn and early months, but quickly feel less supportive as baby gets bigger. The material is similar to a t-shirt or a pair of leggings.
These carriers are similar to SSCs because they have a waistband, shoulder straps, and a panel/body. However, the biggest difference is that there are no buckles. You’ll tie the waist and shoulder straps off with a square knot. These are highly versatile for having the same anatomy as a SSC, and that is thanks to the knot tying.
Unfortunately, for older/bigger babies, the waistband will end up lower and that can pin clothing around your gun.
There are so many more carrier styles on the market. The Happy Baby Haven, Momcozy Wraps, Boba, Moby, Ergo Embrace…the list goes on. These carriers all have similarities to a combination of others mentioned above. Ultimately, these carriers are great for a parent who is choosing carrier first, but not necessarily for a parent choosing their conceal carry set up first.
Assuming you’ve either chosen to adjust your conceal carry set up around your baby carrier, or you already have a baby carrier and you’ve now decided to start conceal carrying, this is for you!
First, identify where on your body a carrier waistband hits (if there is one). Then identify where your pants sit. If you plan to conceal carry on a belt, you’ll need to determine if the carrier will cause printing, or get in the way of your gun and holster. If it is all clear, feel free to carry along your waistband!
Thankfully there are other places to conceal carry aside from your waistband (or general waist area).
Primer Peak Editor, and Babywearing Dad, Dan has a series of articles that go more in depth on what that might look like. You can read his articles HERE, and HERE.
Off body carry is also an option. I mention this a lot because over the last two years off body carry has become my default carry method. I babywear every day, at home or out and about. I breastfeed. Ultimately, I decided that it was easier to make conceal carry accommodate my current lifestyle rather than the other way around. Once I accepted that, I had an easier time getting us out of the house. Off body carry is never going to be as great as on-body carry, but I refuse to believe it will get my children and I killed in the streets (unlike being unarmed).
What is the best baby carrier? It depends. Your comfort and values are going to be what drives the answer to this question. Regardless of what is driving your decision making, hold you babies close, and stay strapped.
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