Lenny Lamb Wrap Conversion Ergonomic Carriers: Infant vs. Toddler Sizes

The question frequently comes up whether people should buy an infant size or a toddler size ergonomic carrier for their child. Just because your child is toddling or walking does not mean they will need a toddler-sized carrier. In general, I believe the rule of thumb is that children who are wearing at least 2T size clothing might be ready for a toddler sized carrier in most brands. Some brands of "toddler-sized" ergonomic carriers might well almost be called preschool-sized carriers--they're huge!

First, it's important to understand that for an older child, "knee to knee" is not nearly as important as it is for tiny ones. In fact, if you have a choice between a carrier that doesn't go all the way from knee to knee on your child vs. a carrier that is wider than the distance between their knees, go with the narrower one to avoid overextending the child's knees. Both the baby and toddler size Lenny Lamb carriers are tested to go up to the same weight (about 44 lbs), so there is no concern about the smaller size not being strong enough to hold a toddler that is between sizes.

I have a Lenny Lamb ergonomic carrier in baby size, and one in toddler size. These are wrap conversion full buckle ergonomic carriers, also known as WCFB carriers. Nae is a year old and has been walking for several months now, but the baby size is still the best fit for her.

The Lenny Lamb website has a nice little graphic on each ergonomic carrier page showing the design and measurements of the carriers. The dimensions given for their baby size carrier are 35 centimeters at the base of the panel, 32 centimeters at the narrowest point across the panel, and 40 centimeters as the height of the panel. The toddler size dimensions are 45 cm across at the base of the panel, 38 cm across at the narrowest point, and 48 cm panel height.The site also has a note that the sizes may vary approximately 2 centimeters up or down from that. From what I've heard, the diamond weave carriers may tend to run a bit larger than the jacquard weave carriers, possibly (some theorize) because they are a bit more stretchy and less dense fabric.

Unlike a woven wrap, you do not need to wash your Lenny Lamb ergonomic carrier before using.

Here is a comparison picture of the two sizes: Twisted Leaves Turquoise in the infant size is on top, while Paladins in toddler size is on the bottom. The waist bands are very close to the same size and the base panels are lined up here, so you can see the difference in the size of the body panels on the two carriers.

 Here is a photo with the bottom left corners lined up so you can see the difference in another way:

As you can see, the toddler size is very much bigger than the baby size. With the size of my kids, the toddler size would probably fit them to at least preschool age.