You may often get overwhelmed by the wide varieties of baby carriers that are availbale today in the market. Therefore before buying a baby carrier its necessary for you to decide which category of the carrier you want to use.

There are certain basic factors that will quide you to select the right baby carrier for your use. One main factor is the age and weight of the child. The others include price as well as the features of the product.

When going by the categories, your choices are slings, pouches, front or back carriers and wraps.

Among this, slings are the most commonly used baby carriers, mostly because of their simplicity. They are also easy to put on your shoulder as well as to take off . Parents of new born babies find slings as the best baby carrier. The main benefit of slings is that it lets you hold your baby in a cradling position, once it is set over your shoulder.

Small infants can be carried on your chest as well as on the back. Ring slings baby carriers are long strips of fabric that adjust with rings. They come in padded and non-padded varieties and are adjustable to the weight of your baby.

Another type is called pouches which are also known as tube or pocket slings. They are tube-shaped slings sewn together. Pouches have a built-in pouch, where you can place your baby safely. Pouches are also considered more secure, as they have a curve sewn in to shape the cloth to the parent's body to support the weight of the baby.

The wearer slips the pouch over the head and one shoulder,creating a seat to hold baby in. Pouches are lightweight and can easily be put into a diaper bag for carrying when not in use. The difficulty with pouches is that generally they are not adjustable.

Other type of carriers are front or back carriers, which are basically rectangular piece of fabric with straps coming off the corners. They are designed to hold the baby in a rectangular section. This type of carriers can evenly distribute the weight of your baby across both shoulders and your hips. These carriers are good for carrying older, heavier babies and toddlers.

The last category is wraps which are long pieces of fabric that you wrap around you and your baby and then tie. You can choose different carrying position depending upon the length of the fabric.

The wearer's front, back or hip positions are the common practice. The advantage of wraps is that they are comfortable to wear and can distribute the weight very evenly. In this category, stretchy wraps are most popular.

So, the setection of a particular type of baby carrier is primarily based on the age and weight of your baby as well as your convenience to use it.