About Babywearing

Say it fast three times and it’s practically guaranteed to make you laugh! Now make your way to the local baby supply store and stand in the aisle with a fellow mom and start talking about the popability factor, while unsuspecting shoppers wander about, and you’re bound to attract some interesting looks.

That’s all fun, but the “popability” factor of your baby carrier can be a huge deal when considering which model will work best for your baby and your lifestyle.

Popability, also known as “poppability” and how “poppable” a carrier is, refers to how easy or hard it is to take your baby in and out of a baby carrier. Pouches are pretty well regarded as having the highest degree of poppability, followed by slings.

Wraps can take a little more effort to get adjusted, but in my experience, they’re just as poppable as a pouch or sling once you have it tied.

An Asian baby carrier has a slightly lower poppability, followed by structured front and back carriers. I had purchased a really great looking hip carrier that came highly recommended, but found that the leg holes were so tight on my barely 10 month old baby, that it was a struggle to get him in and out. We probably used it 3 times.



As your baby gets older, a how poppable a carrier is likely to become more and more important to you. In the beginning, your baby will be pretty content while being carried about. Depending on their personality and how they take to your baby carrying lifestyle, older babies and toddlers may be more finicky about being in the carrier, then wanting out, then wanting back in again. Having a baby carrier with high popability makes it less of a hassle to accommodate your toddler’s fluctuating moods.

To find out the true popability of the baby carriers you’re considering, get hands-on with them, using the baby. You’ll soon find the carrier that best fits your needs, in terms of comfort and how much time and effort will be involved for each wearing.