If you’re looking for a baby carrier, you’re probably wondering if getting a newborn carrier is worth it or if you should get something different. I’ve tried and tested many baby carriers with my kids in their baby and toddler years to find the best options on the market!
In this article we’ll go over all the details about the Ergobaby Embrace Newborn Carrier so you can decide if it’s right for you.
If you’re interested other Ergobaby carriers, you can check out my reviews:
Use the table of contents to jump to any section or read through for all the details:
- How Easy Is It To Use?
- How Comfortable Is It For Baby?
- How Comfortable Is It For Parent?
- Price
- Can you wash it?
- Can you fold it?
- Key Features:
- What would improve it?
- How to use the Ergobaby Embrace
- Recap & Final Thoughts
How Easy Is The Ergobaby Embrace Carrier To Use?
The Ergobaby Embrace is an easy to use baby carrier. Many other soft structured baby carriers have multiple adjustments you can make with zippers, buttons, clasps and velcro to get them ready for your baby to wear. There is also no complicated wrapping involved.
The Embrace Newborn Carrier is simple to use. There is one buckle at your waist and two buckles that secure either shoulder strap to the body of the carrier.
You either roll the waistband of the carrier to make the body panel shorter for a baby under 23 inches long or keep it in a regular setting/size for a baby who is older than 2 months or longer than 23 inches.
If reaching behind your back is a mobility issue for you, it can help to loosen the straps all the way to make them as long as possible. Then once you buckle them at the side of the carrier, tighten them again.
How comfortable is the Ergobaby Embrace for Babies?
The Ergobaby Embrace baby carrier has light padding around the baby’s legs to help with weight distribution (no red marks on my baby’s skin) and lightly padded head support, which is nice and flexible.
My baby has been really comfortable in this carrier as we’ve been using it. The carrier’s simple design still has enough adjustments you can make to it to guarantee you’re getting the perfect fit for your child. I also lent the carrier to a family member who has a newborn so we could test it with a smaller infant than mine.
The Embrace carrier is more light weight and cozy than a bigger more structured carrier like the Omni Breeze. It’s designed for small babies, making it more comfortable for newborns to use. A big carrier can feel like a lot of bulky material is surrounding your tiny newborn; you won’t have that problem with the Embrace.
If you’re still babywearing into your child’s toddler years, as they get bigger you will probably find they are more comfortable in a larger, more structured carrier that offers better head support for taller children.
How comfortable is the Ergobaby Embrace for Adults?
There are a few features that make the Embrace carrier particularly comfortable for adults to wear. It has very wide shoudler straps that are made of a stretchy wrap-like material. The width of the strap helps distribute weight evenly.
The Embrace has a soft flexible waist band. You can see from my photo how much it can bend and move. Some other carriers have very stiff, uncomfortable waist bands.
It’s a very lightweight carrier, which also makes it more comfortable to wear than something heavy and bulky.
The waist belt can be adjusted up to 52 inches long (132 cm), which makes it a comfortable fit for many body types. It’s also great for petite users and can fit a very narrow XS waist.
Price
The Ergobaby Embrace carrier is $99 USD when it’s not on sale ($129 CAD).
There are a few big, expensive purchases you may make as a new parent, but investing in a good baby carrier is likely one that you won’t regret. As far as soft structured baby carriers go, this is quite a reasonable price.
I would recommend the Embrace over other cheap newborn carriers because I know Ergobaby uses safe materials and creates their carriers with infant safety and comfort in mind.
Can you wash the Ergobaby Embrace Carrier?
Yes, you can wash the Embrace carrier. Secure all the buckles together and for extra care you can put the carrier in a laundry bag or pillowcase. The Embrace carrier is machine washable in cool water on a gentle cycle. Use gentle detergent and no fabric softener. You should hang-dry this carrier.
The Ergobaby Embrace is a blend of 79% polyester, 17% rayon, and 4% spandex. Polyester can melt when it gets too hot so do not iron your carrier and don’t put it in your dryer.
The fabric of this carrier is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certified, which means right out of the box it is safe to use with your baby and contains no known hazardous substances. This is important for your baby’s sensitive skin to be comfortable and safe from skin irritations.
Can you fold the Ergobaby Embrace Carrier
Yes, you can fold the Embrace Newborn Carrier. It folds up smaller than almost all my other baby carriers (except the Tula Lite, which is meant for travel). This small size makes it ideal to put in a diaper bag or at the bottom of your stroller.
It’s very convenient to fold up the carrier and have it around for naps on the go or when you’re going somewhere like a sandy park you can’t access with a stroller.
Ergobaby Embrace Newborn Carrier Key Features:
Shoulder straps
The spreadable shoulder straps are wide, soft fabric that resemble a wrap or ring-sling style carrier. They have less padding than the Ergobaby Omni Breeze or Omni 360, but this carrier is also meant to carry a lighter infant than those more-padded carriers.
You can spread the fabric of the shoulder strap out across your upper body with your baby facing in toward you. Later, for older babies in a facing-out position, the straps should stay thin.
The shoulder straps cross behind your back. They evenly distribute your baby’s weight over your torso very well.
Infant seat
The adjustable seat has lightly padded leg openings for better infant comfort. It can be configured two different ways depending on the size of your baby.
For newborn mode (smaller than 23 inches or up to about 2 months of age), you can wrap the carrier twice around the waist band to reduce the body panel size and seat width so it doesn’t engulf the baby or cover their face more than it should. For a slightly larger/longer baby, the carrier is extended to its full length.
The Embrace carrier doesn’t have all the same adjustment options as the Omni carriers Ergobaby offers but that does make it easier to use and possibly more user-friendly for a new parent trying a baby carrier for the first time.
Waistband
The waist belt can be adjusted up to 52 inches (134.5 cm) it fits a wide range of bodies from XS – XXL. This carrier is great for petite parents who may struggle to get a tight fit with some other carriers like the Omni carriers and carriers from Lillebaby I’ve reviewed. The lightly padded waistband is flexible and comfortable to use.
The waistband has no lumbar support or thick padding like you’ll see in carriers built for larger, heavier babies. If you like this style of carrier but really want lumbar support, check out my review on the Ergobaby Aerloom, it’s quite similar but also has lumbar support. You can also see this direct comparison of the Aerloom vs Embrace here.
Carry positions
You can use the Ergobaby Embrace in a front-facing in carrying position with a newborn (no newborn infant insert needed). Front-facing in position with an older baby and front-facing out position. Make sure to adhere to the recommendations in your carrier’s instructions or on the Ergobaby website so you ensure your baby has adequate neck support for each carry position.
If you’re looking for a carrier you can hip carry your baby with, you may want to consider reading my review of the Omni Breeze or Omni 360. The Aerloom can also be used in a back-carry position.
Weight restrictions
The weight restrictions for the Embrace carrier are 7 – 25 pounds (3.2 – 11.3 kg) no newborn insert needed. To start using this carrier, your baby must be a minimum weight of 7 pounds, and a minimum height of 20 inches.
It can be used up until about age 12-18 months or until your toddler is a maximum weight of 25 pounds.
Instructions sewn in
The waistband of the Embrace carrier has a small panel of instructions sewn into it in case you need to reference it on the go. It also has an instruction tag on the body panel to remind you how to wear the straps and waistband.
I find this can be super helpful if you have stored your carrier away for a while and need a quick guide.
What would improve the Embrace carrier?
The Embrace carrier has no lumbar support. This is most likely because your baby will be under 25 pounds when using the carrier. You may find as your baby gets heavier that a carrier with lumbar support will help make sure your lower back doesn’t get sore. The Ergobaby Omni and Aerloom carriers all have lumbar support and so does the Babybjorn Harmony.
The Embrace does not have pockets. If you’re looking for a baby carrier with pockets, the Ergobaby Omni Breeze has the most pockets. The Aerloom and Omni 360 also each have one pocket.
The Embrace doesn’t have a sunhood/privacy hood either. You may think this is a ‘missing feature’ but I actually wouldn’t want a sun hood with a newborn carrier. You’ll need a clear unobstructed view of your baby the entire time they are in the carrier for safety reasons.
How to use the Ergobaby Embrace
First, secure the waistband and tighten the carrier around your torso. For a newborn baby the waistband will be high up close to your braline. As your baby gets longer and bigger the waistband drops lower towards your bellybutton.
Load your baby in the carrier and put one strap over your shoulder. The strap will cross your back and buckle at the side of the carrier.
Put on the second strap, cross it over your back and buckle it to the opposite side of the carrier.
Rotate your baby’s hips for a comfortable, safe seat and ensure their legs are well supported. Tighten the straps of your carrier once your baby is in the right position.
Ergobaby has lots of great videos on how to get the right fit for your carrier. You can also schedule a free ‘fit check’ with one of their pros to make sure you’re wearing your carrier correctly.
Final thoughts on the Ergobaby Embrace Newborn Carrier
If you’re interested in babywearing with a newborn or very small infant, the Ergobaby Embrace is the perfect choice. It’s a nice, cozy option that isn’t bulky or overwhelming to use.
I personally prefer soft structured baby carriers like the Embrace instead of ring slings and wraps. When my babies were tiny I wasn’t interested in baby wraps and the larger carriers felt too big. This is where the Embrace really shines.
If you’re already out of the newborn stage and looking for a new carrier, I’d recommend going with something different that will allow you to carry your child more comfortably as they get bigger and heavier. For a bigger/older infant I’d recommend the Omni Breeze, BabyBjorn Harmony or Tula Explore.
