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I love the Ergo, I don't know much about the other two, but they don't seem to have a pocket. It's super nice to have a place to stash a spare diaper and your wallet so that you don't always need a purse (annoying to carry with the shoulder straps.)

I can get her on by myself easily on the front, it's a bit trickier on the back. I actually get annoyed when people try to help because I've done it so often that it's easier without someone interfering.

I voted for the Ergo because that is what I have...I was price sensitive so I bought it using a 20% off coupon.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten a Beco, because it can be used front facing out, while the Ergo can not.

I love my Beco! I didn't use it that much with my son cuz he didn't like to be carried but my DD loves being carried in it! I love the way it fits. Super comfortable and not. bulky. I would suggest checking out the Beco too!

I registered for the ergo too but my SIL said the beco for her was better because baby can be facing out which isn't possible with the ergo. My nephew prefers seeing the world so the beco was better for them. He can face out when awake and face in when he is sleeping.

I absolutely love my Ergo. Personally, I preferred it for older babies (like 5-6 mo +), just because it can be a touch awkward to put on and little babies are so tiny.
With both my little ones, I started out using a stretchy wrap by Maman Kangourou (like a Moby, only not ask stretchy) and I loved that. Great for bonding and so easy for little baby naps.
Once they outgrew their wraps, I moved on to an Ergo!

I recommend a wrap carrier (such as the boba) for the first 4 months, as it is most comfy for all and womb-like.... and then an Ergo from 4 months on (though you can keep using the wrap for light trips), once baby gets heavy ergo is awesome for your comfort.

So is Beco the only one that can be worn facing out? And can it also be worn on the back or are there different carriers for that?

On our babymoon last week we saw a ton of Dads with baby carriers on, and we liked the ones facing out. And DH made a joke about wanting one where he could wear her on his back, watch the football games at the bar with his buddies, and then if she cried he would get someone to tell him what was going on back there- lol.

I thought if we could find one that faced out, and could also be worn on the back, it would provide some versatility for DH. I got some Comfy Joey slings for me early on, but the carrier I'm planning on mostly using for him. I'll hit our UBV up if I don't want to put her in a sling.

Disclaimer: I have never used a baby carrier. However, I think this website is super interesting: http://www.lucieslist.com/2-baby-carrier/
I'll be studying up when the time comes since I do hope to wear a baby a lot if I can.

@shopaholic: I preferred a ring sling for my son under about 4 months (Hava is my favorite) so I didn't buy my Boba until much later but I like it enough I'd totally try it if I ever had another child.

I'm the same size as you and the Ergo never fit me correctly. It just seemed a bit overwhelming. I got the Beco Butterfly II and I love it so much more than the Ergo!

I did not like the Ergo for a tiny baby. We quit using it after trying it several times, because she seemed to hate it. We LOVED our ring sling for every day use until she was about 5 months old. We still use that (at 8 months) for quick trips into stores. It lives in the back of my car now. For longer walks we have a babyhawk that I LOVE also. I'm thinking of bringing the Ergo back out again to see if she likes it any more now that she's bigger.

@shopaholic: I only wear her facing in because my Beco doesn't forward face.

@andrea: I have the Beco Butterfly II and I love how it fits. It's very slim so it's not all bulky and uncomfortable. It fits really nicely. I also like the modern prints! The buckles aren't hard to use at all in my opinion. You do need two hands to unbuckle but that's because of safety reasons, which I actually prefer. You need to squeeze the buckle while pushing the button at the same time. I think there were a few instances where the buckles would unbuckle and the babies fell! I definitely don't mind the two-handed buckle. I tried my friend's Ergo and found it way too bulky on me. I'm 5'5", 118 lbs. I would totally get the Gemini if I could (they didn't have it when I bought the Butterfly) since it gives you the forward face option. BTW, if you do end up getting a Beco, don't buy an all black one! Mine is all black with a gray/white print and it collects link like CRAZY! I don't know about you, but I hate hate hate lint. It makes it look so "dirty", you know what i mean? I drives me crazy! I know you're a neat freak like me so thought I would mention that!

I'm another Beco Gemini lover! I don't find it hard to put on/off at all, the buckles do have a safety mechanism but I can still do them one handed.

i voted ergo even though i've never used it. i have the beco gemini, which i really like.

@banana: i got the gemini and while it's not linty, the color faded after 1 wash, which i read about and i'm more like o well.

also, i found a video where you can unbuckle with ONE hand - the gemini but i'm sure butterfly applies too. let's say you lean a little forward, put the baby weight on the carrier. when you press the safety button with the baby weight on it, it "holds" the safety and you can click the buckle off - hard to explain but i can unbuckle everything with 1 hand but the one around the waist.

We have an Ergo and love it. We started with a Moby because we didn't have the Ergo infant insert, but as soon as LO fit in the Ergo I switched her and haven't used the Moby since. At 11 months, we still use the Ergo every day, and it's very comfortable.

What kind of hikes do you typically take? While soft structured carriers are great for wearing around the house, running errands, and shorter walks, I'd recommend a hiking carrier if you're going to take longer, more difficult hikes or will be outside for extended periods of time. Most hiking carriers have sun shades and more storage capacity. We have an Osprey Poco Plus (http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/child_carriers/poco_plus) for hiking, and it's awesome! You can usually find hiking carriers used in good condition on craigslist and in consignment shops, too.

@tequiro21; genius! I just tried it and it totally worked!

@tequiero21: mmm I'm not sure. I read about it on the pax baby blog - http://paxbaby.com/ffo-situations/

I have the ergo sport and love it, but its really only useful when the baby is 4 months or older. I did try using it with the insert when she was younger but its a bit awkward using the insert especially when its hot.