PortaMEe, PortaYOU
Sunday November 12, 2006
There are a number of hands free, baby carriers on the market. And they all work reasonably well. But I've yet to find one that is comfortable for both the baby and parent and isn't too bulky. And I've yet to find one that is truly hands free since they never store all the extras you need to carry when carrying a baby.
Well I may have just found the answer. Enter the PortaMEe. This thing looks to have it all: counter balancing straps, lumbar support, comfortable straps and carrier support, storage for your essentials (wallet and keys) and the babies (diapers and wipes), cell phone holder, and a detachable water bottle or sippy cup holder. Not to mention the lumbar support looks like it will work well.
Comments
When I was living in Germany almost every mother I saw used a baby sling. This is basically just a big piece of clothing that can be tied and adjusted in a variety of ways, depending on the baby’s age.
The baby sling, which is made by a variety of different companies, purports a an array of benefits including proper positioning for both parent and baby, and development of baby’s neck and back muscles, and discreet breast feeding.
I’m not sure which brand is supposed to be the best, but they are all very simple and made basically the same way.
The baby sling is a very efficent and versatile design. There is a great list of ergonomic features of the baby sling over at the Ergonomenon (wink-wink). But sometimes there are other considerations that might make a carrier like this a better option. A carrier can allow a child to be more energetic and interactive by providing a greater freedom of movement. They also typically have a waist strap to move the weight of the child off of the shoulders. And there are also the non-ergonomic issues. As a father I doubt I’d ever willingly wear a baby sling.
Very poorly designed product. Save your back and shoulders and get the ERGO carrier instead. I am 5′3 and my husband is 6′3. We both found the Portamee EXTREMELY uncomfortable after 20 mins of wear, with our 23 lbs son. We found it was more comfortable to just carry our baby without a sling. Then I discovered the ERGO carrier. It is absolutely perfect. Ergonomically correct and offers a wide range of colors to choose from. Now I know why in a walking city such as New York I see ERGO carriers everywhere and I have never seen a Portamee sling other than the one I bought. Eventually I got a refund from the Owners but it took a lot of waiting for them to retun my call and also it took posting some honest reviews online that obviously got their attention more quickly than my call to them did.
ive had a great experience with the portamee. its beautiful to look at and beautifully designed. i have a small frame and could adjust it to fit me and my 15lb son perfectly! im also a first time mother and had lots of questions. the portamee staff was extremely helpful and made sure i was happy and satisfied with their product…which i am! as i say, im a small woman and i walk the streets of chicago with my son on my hip without any discomfort at all! people stop me on the street to ask me where i got it all the time!
We have one of these Portamee carriers.
I found it on the web searching for a new carrier after our Ergo carrier ripped.
I’m 6′2″ and I find it very comfortable and easy to use.
My wife is 5′7″ and she’s passionate about this thing.
Our baby boy is 5 months and 18 pounds.
I think she just likes that it looks nice.
Very well made.
This review states it “looks” to have it all, and “look” to be comfortable. It would have been nice for the reviewer to try it first!! I found it uncomfortable, strap to close to neck instead of on shoulder. Bottom not wide enough to support baby ergonomically correctly, and to many adjustments in the straps to put it on. Yes it has lots of great pockets, but it is not machine washable!! With all my babies drool, spit up and such, that is a killer!
Please trey it next time instead of just doing a good review based on “looks” alone!
Please note that this was not a review of the PortaMEe. It was simply a blog comment on a new product entering the market. That’s why it “looks” good. It is kind of hard to review a product such as this without a newborn myself. I looked into renting one for a few months, but they are quite expensive
OMG Noha posted the exact same thing on another site I read. Either you are working for Ergo (very shady) or you are obsessed with defending your baby carrier which is just weird. I am just trying to find out which one is better for my new born and can’t believe that ppl spam reviews. I still might get the ergo but it is very ugly… and i am leaning towards this one.
i was researching baby carriers bc my daughter grew out of her bjorn.
After much debate we got the portamee becasue I just couldn’t carry our 8 months old daughter, walk our preschooler to school and carry a diaper bag.
i just have to say that the portamee has been great for us.
i was checking out reviews out of curiousity and i was so surprised at the extreme opinions on your blog.
i think different things work for different people…
oh, my husband LOVES it too.