Why I’ll only be travelling with this baby carrier in the future

We’ve all seen parents lugging their baby’s bulky items across airports, train stations, or stop points while also trying to manage their child(ren). It might sound strange, but ever since I found out I was pregnant in March, I’ve been wondering how in the world I was ever going to travel again. I find it hard enough creating a list of items to pack – add nappies, clothes, bottles, toys, blankets, entertainment, and not to mention a pram to the list? I wanted to crawl into a hole.

I was determined to find a solution to the problem. I wanted to whittle that long list of “must-have” items to something much more manageable than what I’ve seen thus far. Call me crazy, but I started with the largest item on the list – likely what some parents would consider the most essential – a buggy. I started scouring the internet, looking into some of my favourite mum-fluencers and perusing baby shops to find a way to travel (easily) without a buggy. Where did I find myself, you might ask? Well, unsurprisingly to some of you, in the world carriers. It seemed simple now – find a carrier I liked, and I might just be able to swing a few trips without the buggy. Little did I know that the world of carriers is vast, and I wasn’t quite sure where to start. However, after several weeks of research, I decided to take the plunge and give Artipoppe a try. Yes, it’s expensive, but my thought was that if this was going to be my fallback when travelling, and to be hands-free generally, then it was worth every pound.

So, I got myself the Zeitgeist Arrow Zorro in cotton. There are plenty of beautiful designs on Artipoppe, but at the end of the day, the majority of my wardrobe is black or cream, so it felt like a natural fit.

Zeitgeist Monogamy Maiden in organic cotton

Zeitgeist Tweed in cashmere and silk

Next, I planned a weekend away so I could use my nephew as a guinea pig to ensure Artipoppe is indeed the right choice for a buggy-free future when travelling. My nephew was around 16 months old at the time, so I knew that if we could manage him in the carrier for a short trip, we’d be in business. We made our way over to East Sussex for a family weekend away, my partner and I buzzing with anticipation (it’s funny what you get excited about when becoming a parent).

We hiked, we perused antique shops, we explored chocolate-box villages and cosied up in pubs – all the while, discovering the pros and cons of travelling buggy-free. The reality is that everyone will have a different opinion when it comes to how to travel with a baby, toddler, or child, but it’s what works for you. By the end of the trip, my partner and I knew that we were undoubtedly carrier people, and once we got the hang of putting the Artipoppe on, it was smooth sailing. It made us feel more agile – one of us had the baby in the carrier, and the other had our makeshift nappy bag, aka a Klattermussen bag, with all the nappies, wipes, changing mat, etc. There were times when our bodies did tire of carrying a toddler around, but we felt that it was worth it for the freedom of movement we gained. A few more pros and cons below:

Pros:

• The Artipoppe gave us more freedom of movement – we were not lugging the stroller through train stations, on hikes, or to restaurants. This gave us a sense of normalcy
• We felt more in control of our belongings – we knew where everything was – we didn’t have some things in the nappy bag, some underneath the buggy, some in the handbag, etc
• We weren’t searching for elevators or places to park/store the buggy while in shops, stations, restaurants or on trains
• It allowed for plenty of cosy cuddles, while also allowing for time running about the woods during our long ambles
• We felt stylish – this isn’t necessarily a priority as you enter parenthood, but it was an added bonus