In-depth reviews guided by a Pediatrician

Ergobaby Omni 360 Review

Expensive and uncomfortable for parents and passengers
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Price:   $180 List | $139 at Amazon
Pros:  Easy to clean, sturdy fabric, multiple positions
Cons:  Poor instructions, expensive, not as comfortable
Manufacturer:   Ergobaby
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and BabyGearLab Review Team  ⋅  Feb 19, 2018
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50
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#13 of 15
  • Child Comfort - 25% 5
  • Parent Comfort - 35% 4
  • Ease of Use - 30% 5
  • Ease Of Cleaning - 10% 8

The Skinny

The Ergobaby Omni 360 is a soft structured baby carrier that can be used in multiple positions and for little ones from 12-45 lbs. It features padded shoulder straps a waistband zippered pocket and adjustable seat width. The carrier is easy to clean and is one of the few that is both machine washable and dryable. However, the Omni is very expensive, and neither parents or passengers felt it was very comfortable. The padding in the shoulders is so thick it can chafe, and the seat sides rub little legs as well. Given the price, we wish the overall comfort and ease of use performance was better. We feel parents can save some money and have a better experience with similarly styled higher ranking carriers that cost less.

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Our Analysis and Test Results

ErgoBaby was started by a mother, Karin Frost, in 2002 when she couldn't find a great baby carrier she liked. Wanting to keep her little one close she tried several different carriers but couldn't find one that was both comfortable and ergonomic. The soft structured carrier provides freedom to enjoy all of life's adventures while keeping your baby close. Ergobaby now produces 30 different carriers in 5 different categories including Swaddlers for newborns. Ergobaby is located in Los Angeles and sells in more than 700 retailers in the US and over 50 countries.

Performance Comparison



Little ones had varied responses to the Ergobaby with older children disliking the padding on the seat sides.
Little ones had varied responses to the Ergobaby with older children disliking the padding on the seat sides.

Baby's Comfort


Little testers weren't thrilled with this seat. While the seat and sides are padded the sides seem to irritate little legs, and the larger a child is, the worse it is. Carriers without padded sides were cozier overall, which is somewhat counter-intuitive.

The heavily padded straps of the Ergobaby can cause chafing for some wearers.
The waistband of the Ergobaby has a padded waistband that some parents felt didn't add the comfort they hoped for.

Parent's Comfort


The Ergobaby earned one of the lowest parent comfort scores in the review. The Ergobaby has padded shoulder straps that are almost too padded and making wearing it somewhat bulky and uncomfortable. Depending on how wide or narrow your shoulders (above left) are the straps can chafe your arms or armpits in the back carry position. In the front carry position, the padding is better, but the waistband can rub on the upper part of your derriere depending on how long your torso is (above right).

Adjusting the seat width of the Ergobaby is relatively easy with the color coded velcro panels. Unfortunately you need to do this before you put the baby inside which means you may need to guess the first few times you use the carrier.
Adjusting the seat width of the Ergobaby is relatively easy with the color coded velcro panels. Unfortunately, you need to do this before you put the baby inside which means you may need to guess the first few times you use the carrier.

Ease of Use


The Ergobaby has multiple features and adjustments that increase the complexity of use. With seat width adjustment and moveable head support, there is a steeper learning curve, and the manual is not the best. The instructions are more complicated than necessary given that much of it is intuitive.

The buckle clips on the Ergobaby have a built-in safety mechanism.
The Ergobaby has a useful zippered pocket on the waistband under the carrier seat.

The Ergobaby has safety buckles (above left) that require a little practice to use quickly and without hassle. The carrier also has a waistband pocket under the seat bottom with a zippered pocket and quick access open pocket.

The Ergobaby is machine washable and can be thrown in the dryer which is rare for this kind of product. However it isn't the best for spot cleaning unexpected accidents when in use.
The Ergobaby is machine washable and can be thrown in the dryer which is rare for this kind of product. However, it isn't the best for spot cleaning unexpected accidents when in use.

Ease of Cleaning


The Ergobaby is one of the easiest in the group to clean. It is machine washable, and you can put it in the dryer. The only downside is it isn't the easiest to spot clean for on-the-go messes. While you can scrub away spit up, it takes a longer time to dry than some of the competition which will leave you with a wet carrier or no carrier at all.

Manufacturer Video



— Juliet Spurrier, MD and BabyGearLab Review Team