Penny was one of our December winners of the Introducing the New Ergobaby Travel Collection – Your Chance to Win! competition. In early January Penny took her new Ergobaby for a whirl and provided us with a roving report of her adventures.
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My pram is quite large and therefore I am limited to only visiting places which have ramp access points while continually seeking out “pram-friendly” routes. I also sometimes turn down locations if a pram won’t fit or is not permitted. Discovering my town while attempting to push and navigate my pram over sand or through market crowds is not something I would consider to be relaxing or enjoyable. This is where a baby carrier comes in handy! Using a baby carrier is a convenient way to make locations more accessible, and in my case, the Ergobaby Urban Chic allowed me to travel and sightsee without any spontaneous pram-related itinerary changes.
Chic can be defined as elegant and stylish. The Urban Chic Carrier from Ergobaby’s Travel collection is definitely designed with these two elements in mind. Even though I am in no way up to date with current trends (as you will see), rather than standing out, the carrier can easily compliment and blend into your chosen outfit.
Our journey began with a trip to the beach! With my little Mr. protected from the wind, the carrier allowed us to have a lovely and safe stroll along the waters edge! Which I thought was a great way to introduce him to the loveliness of a picturesque Australian beach.

Amazed by everything on his first journey to the beach
He could not stop looking at the waves crashing against the rocks and the birds running along the sand. Oceans can be so unpredictable so to have baby close to me, knowing he was safe definitely kept my stress levels down. Having said that, his favourite activity is chasing birds so I just had to let him out for a quick run before we moving on.

Ready or not… here I come, off to chase the seagulls
To be honest I am not a huge fan of trips to the beach, but after seeing his face light up when his toes felt the sand and when the waves crashed on the shore I think I have a new appreciation.

Taking in the beautiful ocean smell and sounds
Although noticeably less padded than the other Ergobaby carrier I have tried, the Urban Chic is still just as comfortable and even more supportive. One bonus of the shoulder straps being slightly less padded is the ability for the carrier to be folded down small enough to fit nicely into my Ergobaby backpack. Perfect for keeping it clean when moving onto the next destination.

Cheekily playing Peek-A-Boo with the seagulls
Next on our journey we travelled to the Turtle Rookery. Another location which can prove quite challenging when using a pram. Worn out from our beach adventure, baby started showing tired signs as soon as we arrived. What I have always loved about babywearing is that there is a perfect sleeping spot readily available, which of course is a favourite spot of his to sleep.

On our journey down to the beach to see the turtles
When removing the carrier from its box the first thing I noticed was the texture of the fabric! The outer layer is a little glossy and so smooth. While the inner layer is amazingly soft and velvety! I have to say that compared to the Original Organic Ergobaby I found the Urban Chic to be so much softer on the inside. The 100% organic lining provides extra comfort for baby, which is a particularly important factor to assist with falling and staying asleep. One of my favourite mothering moments has got to be having a baby sleep on me while in their carrier. I love how peaceful they are.
An early Sunday morning outing to the markets was next on our adventure list. Steering a pram through a busy market is also not ideal and once again babywearing turned a potentially hectic outing into an enjoyable one. I was focused on finding cheap bananas at the market, which we did!

Enjoying a sneaky walking breakfast of bananas
I thought that he might get in the way of my browsing and choosing if I wore him on my front (how selfish of me), so I gave the back carry position a go. I did have a few nerves and concerns when thinking about using the back carry position, but it definitely came in handy, and I will definitely be doing it again.

Adjusted and ready to browse
Following the instruction booklet was easy and with a few minor adjustments I got him positioned correctly. Also, at first my centre of balance was off, but it soon realigned and we were set to go. With both of us comfortable and baby content on my back I was free to move as I pleased through the crowds. I really enjoyed it and I really think he liked being on my back! I love sharing new experiences with him. The only negative I have is that the cover in the Ergobaby Urban Chic gets tucked and hidden in between the outer and inner layers, rather than in its own pocket. I found it quite challenging to find and get the cover out, and trying to fold it back in between the layers didn’t work for me either, so I ended up leaving it out.

Casually falling asleep while Mummy picks apples
Babywearing can also be a special time for other family members to bond with baby. Grandma (my mum) doesn’t babywear, or for very long when she does. Last time Grandma last wore him he was much younger and much lighter (he is now just over 15 kgs) but she was keen to try out the Urban Chic carrier and compare it to her experiences with the Organic. She wanted to take us somewhere exciting so we headed for the Train! She too noticed the softness, flexibility and lightness of the carrier as well as its ability to distribute weight evenly so there are no sore body parts after wearing baby! Grandma also noticed the flowing straps which she too believed helped with support and comfort for them both. No matter who is wearing him, when in the Urban Chic I know his hips are perfectly supported and his body posture is also perfectly looked after.
For Grandma, babywearing has increased the bond between them as well as decreasing the amount of struggle and grumpy moments he has while out of the house. While being carried he is also more content and able to control his emotions, which in return makes us both happier while out and about.

All ready for the train
In all, for those who are thinking about babywearing while on extended outings I would highly recommend this carrier. I can tell the designer/s of the Urban Chic definitely took aspects of travel into consideration when creating the concept of this functional and attractive carrier. The design of a light-weight carrier made from recycled and organic materials effortlessly aligns itself to the wearer’s body while giving them enough support to assist them during those long and tiring moments of being on holidays. The padded straps and soft inside layer ensures maximum comfort for baby and wearer. And lastly, knowing holiday makers don’t usually stay in one spot all day, rather than needing extra space, the ability to fold up the carrier when moving to the next location is fantastic.