The Wilkinet concept:
The Wilkinet baby carrier is designed with flexibility in mind, it allows you to carry your baby not just on your front, but also on your hip and back while still giving you the security of tying baby in. In this sense it occupies the middle ground between very secure clip-in carriers that can only be used in a couple of positions and baby slings that can be used in numerous positions.
The Wilkinet baby carrier in action:
Ease of use
The Wilkinet is not the easiest of baby carriers to get to grips with, in that you don't simply drop your baby into the carrier and then clip her in. Instead, long straps wrap over your shoulders and then around your waist, and you need to reach behind you to bring them around to the front when wearing the carrier on your front.
The carrier works in two steps, first you lightly tie your baby into the padded section and then you tie the carrier onto yourself. How easy this is to do depends on which position you're using the carrier in and is also down to personal preference. In the front and hip positions it requires that you use one hand to support your baby while you sort out one strap and then to swap hands so that you can sort out the other strap. Once you have your straps in place you tie them securely in a bow round your waist.
More difficult is using the carrier on your back, we didn't find it easy to get baby quickly into the right position when alone, mainly because of the need to have a height difference between yourself and baby when you put it on. You can do this using a chair, but it does take practice and is far easier when someone else is around to help. Like many carriers, once you get the hang of it it's not too difficult, but it does pay to practice at first and take a good look at the instructions and maybe the instructional videos on the Wilkinet website.
One thing that we didn't like about the Wilkinet was in removal - we found it very hard to take a sleeping baby out of the carrier without waking him up, whatever the position.
Comfort for baby
For a new baby the head support given by the Wilkinet is great. We also really like the seating position for the baby: unlike may front-worn carriers, the Wilkinet doesn't have a wedge of material between the legs, instead baby's bottom rests on a very well padded bar of material and a loop then goes up between the legs and ties at the baby's waist for security. This means that weight isn't put on the bottom area as with some other carriers.
The Wilkinet is similarly restrictive in baby's positioning as other front-worn carriers, much more so than a sling, but this does give you more security than a less restrictive carrier. Your baby also has more choice of positions than with many other carriers, so as she outgrows being carried against your chest you can wear the carrier on your hip, a position many babies love as they can see so much and get still feel that they're being securely cuddled.
The back position is great for giving baby a good view too, while leaving you without the restrictions of carrying her in front of you. One thing you do have to watch out for with this position is to get used to allowing for the extra space the carrier takes up behind you when going through doors and so on. You will adjust to it naturally, but in the beginning you need to be extra mindful.
Comfort for you
There are comfort pros and cons with the Wilkinet. When worn on the front the carrier's cross-over straps give good back support, but as with any other carrier, at some stage your baby will become too heavy to be comfortably carried like this for very long. This is when the carrier's flexibility really starts to pay off, as carrying your baby on your back puts a lot less strain on your back than front-carrying. Personally we also find carrying baby on your hip very comfortable, but you can't carry your baby in this position for too long without putting quite a bit of strain on one side - unlike front and back positions the weight is unevenly distributed.
