Infantino Flip Advanced Review
Pros: Inexpensive, lightweight, easy to put baby in
Cons: Uncomfortable for baby and parent, hard to use, difficult to clean
Manufacturer: Infantino
The Skinny
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Infantino Flip Advanced | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | | ||
| Price | $32 List $24.99 at Amazon | $65 List $61.95 at Amazon | $50 List $49.95 at Amazon | $40 List $39.95 at Amazon | $40 List $26.88 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Inexpensive, lightweight, easy to put baby in | Easy to use, comfortable to wear, cozy for baby, lower price | Budget-friendly, easy wrap, machine wash and dry | Machine wash and dry, comfy for baby and parents, economical | Inexpensive, machine washable |
| Cons | Uncomfortable for baby and parent, hard to use, difficult to clean | Hang to dry | Size specific, no adjustability | Need to hold baby while you put it on, lots of fabric, hard to wrap | Less secure feeling, not as supportive, line dry |
| Bottom Line | Less expensive, low quality choice that isn't comfortable to wear | Easy to use, comfortable sling to wear and sit in | Inexpensive, easy to use, wrap style without the wrap hassle | Budget-friendly wrap that is comfortable but harder to use | Average with no stand out features for comfort or convenience |
| Rating Categories | Infantino Flip Adva... | Nalakai Ring Sling | Baby K'tan Original | Boba Wrap | You+Me 4-in-1 |
| Child Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Parent Comfort (35%) | |||||
| Ease Of Use (30%) | |||||
| Ease Of Cleaning (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Infantino Flip Adva... | Nalakai Ring Sling | Baby K'tan Original | Boba Wrap | You+Me 4-in-1 |
| Min/Max Weight | 8 - 32 lbs | 8 - 35 lbs | 8 - 35 lbs | 7 - 35 lbs | 8 - 32 lbs |
| Carry Positions | Facing In (8 - 32 lbs) Facing Out (head control - 32 lbs) Back Carry (sit up - 32 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 (Newborn - 35 lbs) | Facing In (8 - 32 lbs) Facing Out (head control - 32 lbs) Back Carry (20 - 32 lbs) |
| Weight | 0.92 lbs | 0.9 lbs | sm 0.89 lg 1.04 lbs |
1.41 lbs | 0.97 lbs |
| Packable Size | Medium | Small | Small | Small | Large |
| Fabric | Polyester, Cotton | 58% Bamboo 42% Linen |
100% Cotton | 95% Cotton 5% Spandex |
Not Specified |
| Hood | No | No | No | No | No |
| Storage Options | None | Pocket on the tail | Pouch on the belt. | Storage Pouch | None |
| Other Features & Notable | Bib | None | Azo Dye-free | None | None |
| Included Accessories | None | None | None | None | Bandana Bib |
| Care Instructions | Machine wash cold, hang dry. | Machine wash cold, hang dry. | Machine wash cold, tumble dry low. | Machine wash cold, tumble dry low. | Machine wash cold, hang dry. |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Infantino is a juvenile product company that makes a variety of gear for babies from toys to soft carriers. Infantino employes moms, dads, aunts, uncles, and a few grandparents to get different parenting insights for making products for parents and their children. The company puts safety first and makes every effort to use harm-free materials.
Performance Comparison
Baby's Comfort
This carrier is one of the most uncomfortable for passengers with the lowest score for baby comfort in the group. The fabric on the Flip is thin and flimsy feeling without the softer feel of most of the competition. We had difficulty adjusting the carrier to fit each child, and while the seat bottom has two widths, the options aren't enough to ensure a comfortable seat. Overall, similar to the problems with comfort for parents, the carrier lacks the internal structure or padding required for this kind of carrier to ensure real napping comfort.
Parent's Comfort
The Flip is the most uncomfortable for parents to wear with a surprising lack of structured support in the straps and waist belt. Unlike similar carriers with wide supportive waistbelts, the Flip waist is almost all strap with only a wide padded centerpiece. Our testers reported discomfort in the back of their arms with poor back support (above left). Things were worse with the back carry position as the thinly padded shoulder straps digging into collar bones and softer bits (above right).
Ease of Use
This carrier is average for ease of use. How to use the Flip is relatively obvious right out of the box, even if you don't read the instructions. You do need to ensure you set the seat width before you put it on, but once you set it, it is somewhat intuitive for strap adjustment and placement. It is harder to get on compared to much of the competition with a similar look. However, putting a baby inside is better than average with the ability to put the carrier on and adjust it almost completely before picking up the baby and setting them inside. You don't need to hold the baby in place as you mess with straps or long fabric ends.
Ease of Cleaning
The Flip is one of the harder to clean products in the group. The Flip is machine wash cold water and hang to dry. The hang to dry means you'll be without a carrier for at least a day depending on the ambient climate which is a bummer when you need to run errands. It also isn't the best at spot cleaning on-the-go should your little one have a blow out of spit up incident while you are out and about. The fabric is harder to clean and takes longer to dry than most of the competition.
Manufacturer Video
— Juliet Spurrier, MD and BabyGearLab Review Team