Dadanana Baby Carrier

The world of semi-structured baby carriers

A little while back, we did a monster post on Carrying Babies, looking at different options and which stages of your kid’s growth those options best suit. As is quite common, one of the brands that design these carry goods got in touch and enriched the discussion. We’ve tried to share a little of that below…

The brand is Dadanana, who make the JoinUS carrier. It’s a very neat and compact carrier, fitting in the growing ‘semi-structured’ part of the market. It’s also simple; avoiding some of the complexity and intimidation you find in fully structured carriers.

As this is one of our favourite segments, we thought we’d encourage Marinus (from Dadanana) to expand on it. We’ve tried to summarise the key points from this expansion:

• The step between structured and semi-structured carriers is a big one
• Structured carriers that add adjustable height shoulder straps allow for a better endurance fit for more users (no matter what your height, you can get the length right for long walks). But they also add significantly to the bulk and complexity of the carrier. Once you add complexity, it also becomes more daunting (and less approachable) for non-backpack users.
• Traditionally, these structured carriers have been long (to allow for all users). If you can keep a carrier under 55cm in height, it better fits the urban environment.
• Having a carrier that is free standing helps enormously in getting your kid in and out of the carrier. Some semi-structured carriers cannot stand freely, and need propping or multiple parents to get the kid in and out.
• Combining a backpack and a carrier means you are more likely to have the carrier with you when you want it

To our eye, the JoinUS carrier looks like it is a good compromise targeted at a more urban audience. Without yet trying one, we like what we see…