REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable for parents
Machine washable
REASONS TO AVOID
Hang to dry
Not as cozy for little ones with limited adjustability
Beco Gemini Review
Below average carrier, but there are easier, more comfortably options with lower prices
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price: $140 List
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and BabyGearLab Review Team ⋅ Feb 19, 2018
RELATED: The Best Baby Carriers
The Skinny
The Beco Gemini is a soft structured carrier that works for little ones between 7-35 lbs and offers four carrying positions depending on your baby's size and developmental stage. The Beco is machine washable and has an adjustable width seat bottom, a waistband pocket, and padded shoulder straps. While this carrier is more comfortable for parents than some competitors in our best baby carrier review, it isn't as cozy for the baby. Many of our tiny testers indicated discomfort during testing. Also, the Beco has limited adjustability, making it hard to find a good fit, and the design is tight, with limited room for the baby. There are more comfortable and less expensive carriers of this kind that would be easier for most parents to use while out and about.
Editor's Note: We updated the Beco Gemini review on October 17, 2022, with new sections to provide additional comparisons between products to help you with your final decision.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Beco Gemini | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | | | |
| Price | $140 List $69.99 at Amazon | $90 List $69.99 at Amazon | $60 List $59.95 at Amazon | $200 List $189.99 at Amazon | $45 List $39.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Comfortable for parents, machine washable | Easy to use, comfortable to wear, cozy for baby, affordable | Budget-friendly, easy wrap, machine wash and dry | Easy to put on, super comfortable to wear, cozy for kids | Machine wash and dry, comfy for baby and parents, economical |
| Cons | Hang to dry, not as cozy for little ones with limited adjustability | Hang to dry | Size specific, no adjustability | Long drying time, lots of buckles and straps, expensive | Harder to use, lots of fabric |
| Bottom Line | Below average carrier, but there are easier, more comfortably options with lower prices | Easy to use, comfortable sling to wear and sit in | Inexpensive, easy to use, wrap style without the wrap hassle | Most comfortable to wear with a cozy seat and easy attachment | Budget-friendly wrap that is comfortable but harder to use |
| Rating Categories | Beco Gemini | Nalakai Ring Sling | Baby K'tan Original | BabyBjorn One | Boba Wrap |
| Child Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Parent Comfort (35%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Ease Of Cleaning (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Beco Gemini | Nalakai Ring Sling | Baby K'tan Original | BabyBjorn One | Boba Wrap |
| Min/Max Weight | 7 - 35 lbs | 8 - 35 lbs | 8 - 35 lbs | 8 - 33 lbs | 7 - 35 lbs |
| Carry Positions | Facing In (Newborn - 35 lbs) Facing Out (4 mo. - 35 lbs) Hip Carry (4 mo. - 35 lbs) Back Carry (4 mo. - 35 lbs) |
Facing In (8 - 35 lbs) Hip Carry (8 - 35 lbs *BGL recommends Head/Neck/Torso Control) |
Kangaroo Position (8 - 35 lbs) Hug Position (8 - 35 lbs) Adventure Position (8 - 35 lbs) Explore Position (8 - 35 lbs) Hip Position (8 - 35 lbs) |
Facing In (0 - 36 mo./33 lbs) Facing Out (5 - 15 mo./26 lbs) Back Carry (12 - 36 mo./33 lbs) |
Facing In (Newborn - 35 lbs) |
| Weight | 1.21 lbs | 0.9 lbs | Sm: 0.89 Lg: 1.04 lbs |
2.26 lbs | 1.41 lbs |
| Packable Size | Medium | Small | Small | Large | Small (5.5 yards in length) |
| Fabric | 100% Cotton | 58% Bamboo 42% Linen |
100% Cotton | Cotton, Polyester, PU Foam | 95% Cotton 5% Spandex |
| Hood | No | No | No | No | No |
| Storage Options | Pocket on waist belt | Pocket on the tail | Pouch on the belt. | None | Storage Pouch |
| Other Features & Notable | None | None | Azo Dye-free | Adjustable Seat Width, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Class 1 |
None |
| Included Accessories | None | None | None | None | Storage Sack |
| Care Instructions | Machine wash cold, hang dry | Machine wash cold, hang dry | Machine wash cold, tumble dry low | Machine wash warm, hang dry | Machine wash cold, tumble dry low |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Beco was started in 2005 by Gabby Caperon. Gabby built a base of admirers thanks to her carrier designs that modern parents feel are functional and stylish. Beco makes a few different soft structured carriers.
Performance Comparison
Most little testers indicated their discomfort in one way or another when using the Beco.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Tip: The Beco Gemini carrier has a close relative, the Beco Gemini Cool, which appears similar, but features a breathable 3D mesh vented panel for extra airflow. We are linking to the Cool in our review, and you can compare the Beco Gemini on the left with the Beco Gemini Cool on the right in the photos below.
Baby's Comfort
Compared to other contenders, the Beco isn't the most comfortable option, partly because it's limited in how much you can adjust it to increase comfort. Adjusting the parent's shoulder straps impacts the space in the child's seat and the headrest position, making it harder to customize the seat to fit comfortably, especially for larger children. Our older test passengers verbally said being in the Gemini hurt, which is easy to believe, given how tight it feels in the carrier.
The seat width on the Beco is adjustable depending on the carrying position and the passenger's size.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The convertible seat has two widths, narrow and wide, and which setting you use is based on the carry position and somewhat on your baby's size. Adjustments need to happen before you put your baby in the carry, so if you get it wrong, you'll likely need to start over.
Some testers will find that the padded portions of the straps are too short, and the non-padded portions can dig in under the baby's weight.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Parent's Comfort
The Beco is comfortable enough compared to the competition. Its parent comfort score is just above the average, with nicely padded shoulder straps and waist belt. However, the shoulder strap padding stops short of being useful for larger wears (most dads), so you still end up with a simple strap supporting baby's weight in some positions. Some testers also feel it has a more restrictive feel than other soft structured carriers, and the feeling increased as the size of the passengers did.
Some features of the Beco are easy to use, but overall, making adjustments is more challenging than similar products.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The Beco is more challenging to use than the similar competition. The Beco is relatively intuitive, but you will probably need the manual for the seat width adjustment. The manual is okay but has a lot of pictures that interestingly take away from understanding how to use it. Putting it on is okay, but there are easier soft structured carriers to put on, adjust and put a baby into, like the BabyBjorn One.
The Beco has a waistband pocket with Velcro closure. Although it isn't a very big pocket, it will hold smaller items, such as a pacifier or keys. The buckles have a safety feature mechanism (above right) that will take some practice and may require two hands. They aren't necessarily hard to use, but there is a learning curve.
The Beco needs to hang to dry and is harder to spot clean.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Cleaning
The Beco isn't the easiest to clean. While it's machine washable on cold, you'll need to hang it to dry. This drying method could take more time than you have before your next adventure, leaving you without a carrier.
Should You Consider the Beco Gemini?
The Beco Gemini may be less complex, with fewer adjustments to fiddle with, but it's not the most comfortable carrier for a child. Those who prefer a more simplistic soft structure carrier may like the Beco Gemini; however, other baby carriers in the lineup offer better performance and for less money.
What Other Baby Carriers Should You Consider?
We suggest checking out the BabyBjorn One, another soft structure carrier. Or, consider the Nalakai Ring Sling, a sling-style carrier that's even more straightforward than the Gemini and, therefore, much easier to use. It's also more comfortable for the parent and child and less costly.
Manufacturer Video
Front Carry Position
Back Carry Position
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD and BabyGearLab Review Team
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