SSC Comparison: Ergo vs Beco (4th Gen)

There are a number of good, quality soft-structured carriers (SSCs) out there. SSCs are often called the "modern mei tai" because they have the same basic design- a body panel (where baby sits), straps that go up over the shoulders, and straps that go around the waist. Unlike mei tais, however, SSCs generally have buckle closures instead of having to tie them. They are most commonly "one size fits all" and can usually be worn comfortably for long periods.

After a lot of research, I saved up to buy an Ergo when my first daughter was just under a year old. I was very pleased with it, even though I had nothing to compare to. However, when my second daughter was about 8 months old, I started looking into the Beco. I kept seeing people say that they preferred their Beco over their Ergo for comfort, but since different carriers work better for different people, I figured it was just an individual thing. I tried to find more information on the specific differences between the Ergo and the Beco, but my efforts always came up short.

When a friend of mine informed me that she was selling her beautiful 4th Generation Beco, I couldn't pass up the deal!! So I went ahead and bought it. Though I did opt to keep the Beco and eventually sell my Ergo, they were both great carriers!! Since I still owned my Ergo at the time, though, I figured I would go ahead and write up a comparison myself, so that others wondering about the specific difference don't have to search in vain! Here were my conclusions... (the red carrier is the Ergo, the brown/patterned carrier is the Beco)

First things first...laid flat, you can see that the waist strap on the Beco is more padded than the waist on the Ergo. However, the body of the Beco isn't as bulky as the body on the Ergo (even without the pocket, the Ergo is bulkier).

Here you can see that the Ergo body is wider and slightly shorter than that of the Beco. You can also see the characteristic widening at the front of the Ergo waist strap. Some people find that more comfortable. Personally, I found it difficult to be wearing it whenever I'd sit or squat down, because it would shove the carrier upward when it would hit my legs.

The straps were noticeably different, particularly while wearing. Even though the Ergo straps look only slightly wider here, they are much more padded. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. It's great for long-term comfort. However, it also adds a lot of bulk. I found that the slightly narrower straps of the Beco were far more comfortable for me.

Action pics! Ergo on top, Beco on bottom. This is a good example of what I mentioned about the Ergo waist strap. You can also clearly see the body width difference between the two. Also, the back carry picture shows how the Beco carries her much closer to my body, even though the Ergo was comfortably snug and tight, it always put a little extra strain on my shoulders because I could never get her close enough to my upper back. The "bulk" factor is also very obvious in these pictures- the Ergo has it (again, even without the pocket), the Beco does not. There do seem to be a lot more "straps" going everywhere on the Beco, though.

Both the Ergo and the Beco are wonderful carriers!! I'd be very happy to just have my Ergo still! But I did find that I preferred the little differences that the Beco offered (not to mention the cute factor- prints/patterns- something that Ergo has only recently begun to incorporate into their carriers).