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It's not under $100, but I love my Beco Gemini carrier! It's super comfortable (I can wear it for several hours without any pain in my back or shoulders) and it's easy to get on and off by yourself.

Do you have any baby/kid consignment shops nearby? Ours always has a variety of carriers and slings of all brands. You can try them on in the store and see if they work for you before you buy! Plus, much cheaper than buying new.

LO and I prefer slings to other type of carriers; and I like the adjustable HotSling best.

I'm not a fan of the Baby Bjorn because of the baby development issues.

I have the k'tan and the moby, but the k'tan is much easier to use because you don't have to wrap and tie a ton of fabric. It's sized though, so DH and I can't share. He'll probably be the main one using the moby and I'll use the k'tan. I also have a sling, but only because it was free.

We'll get an ergo when LO is bigger, but I do love the Mei Tei as well.

Sorry, that probably wasn't helpful! As we are big proponents of baby wearing, we're dedicating all the money and energy that most people put into strollers into our collection of carriers - so we'll end up with quite a few.

Baby Bjorn is not the best because of the aforementioned development issues. Moby's are only useful until baby hits 15lbs.

I like my Ergo. I used a Moby when she was littler but I use my Ergo now.

We've used the Moby, Baby Bjorn, Ergo and Pognae. If I had to do it all over again I would get the Beco Gemini (and maybe the Ktan too).

I have a babyhawk mei tei. I pretty much only used it for the first 6 months until LO could sit in a shopping cart and at that point he was happy playing on the floor rather than being carried. I love it though and I'm sure the next LO will spend lots of time in it while I chase DS around! It's comfy, folds up small, is easy to get on and is easy to wash. It's about $90 and comes in any color you want!

@Smurfette: Do you have a Buy Buy Baby around you? They usually have them to try on there.

Forgot to mention - I also tried the Bjorn (hated it, and so did Liv) and the Moby. Didnt like that either. Too much fabric for me, and I didnt like the feel of the hold.

I went through a slew of carriers, because like @arden i strongly believe in babywearing.

I have bought several. The ktans never fit me right, so based on recommendations here i returned them and got a beco butterfly. That felt uncomfortable for both baby and i so that got returned too.

Our local BRU has a selection of carriers on mannequins to try on. (At least i assumed thats why they were there).

I took baby with me and tried on a bunch. The ergo and the bjorn seemed to be got fits, but i was worried about the development issues with the bjorn.

I ended up finding an ergo at a consignment store. Its great now, but i think it will be too hot during the florida summer...so i bought a bjorn air despite the "issues".

Ultimately, its a lot of trial and error check out consignment sales or BRU to try some on. Check if theres a babywearing international meeting near you.

We have the moby, ergo, and a korean podaegi.

Moby I've used a handful of times for around the house. Was a shower gift.

We just got the ergo (and the lady at BBB used a 20% coupon!) and DH likes the structural carrier fit the best. We haven't really used it yet though (since MI weather blows and we haven't been out all that much~)

The Podaegi will come in handy as a Moby replacement once DS is a lil bit bigger with better head control.

We have the k'tan, moby, and ergo. Each one is great for different things.

I wear the k'tan around the house while getting things done. It goes on quickly so it's easy to just pop on, but I don't find it secure enough for leaving the house.

I like the moby for around the neighbourhood errands. I do find the wrapping a bit much for quick trips but she is well supported and seems comfy. Sometimes we both get really sweaty in there though.

The ergo we use on longer outings and long walks. I like that there is a bit more air circulation. I can wear it for ages without getting tired and a lot of moms say they can nurse while wearing it. Haven't tried nursing in it yet, but I do look forward to it. I also like that i can touch her more easily in it. DH likes this one most because he's nervous about wrapping the others incorrectly, despite tons of practice.

I use the Ergo and love it. On a recent international trip, i had my 20lb LO strapped to me for about 10 hours. I know that's not the best situation for LO or myself, but i was able to do it comfortably. It's also great in hot weather because you don't have all of that extra material which could heat up the baby.

If i had to do it again, i'd probably buy a wrap (moby or blue celery) when LO was a NB because i did not like using the infant insert.

@zippylef: not entirely true. I still wear my 12 mos old in the moby! I actually like it more now that he's bigger. It goes up to 35 lbs.

Alright I have so many baby carriers and tried a ton!!

Baby Bjorn:
Not a fan. at all. Firstly for the hip development issues they can cause, and secondly because the design doesn't distribute the weight very well and can cause a lot of pain to you.

Beco Gemini:
LOVE. IT. I wasn't as much a fan while DS was a newborn - and he wasn't either, but once he was about 15 lbs he started to appreciate it. The nice thing is that you don't need an inset like the ergo, and there are snaps to make it fit a smaller baby better. You can use this as early as 5 lbs! I love the versatility of this one. Starting at 6 months, you can use the beco on your back as well. If DS is cranky while I'm trying to throw dinner together, I throw him on my back. It's also great if we're going for walks where strollers are hard to maneuver. For awhile, we also always brought it with even in the stroller just in case DS got cranky/clingy. Though once he hit 7-8 months he liked the stroller a lot more. You can also wear this on your hip, and front facing out or in (facing out isn't recommended for more than ten minutes at a time for the same hip issues as well). Definitely worth the $130!!!

Maya RS (ring sling):
This is probably one of the cheapest - because you can get an off brand (like on etsy) that is essentially the same. Though I would recommend making sure it has a padded shoulder..

This is so comfortable and so easy! It's a lot easier to get on/off than any of my other baby carriers. It works amazing for a newborn because it keeps them really close and snug, but also for a toddler. I still love wearing DS in this one! You can do back carries with this too but I haven't mastered it - it's more difficult. You can do hip carries though. I have one friend who still carries her three year old in her RS!

Moby:
you're right - it's a lot of fabric and can be cumbersome. Personally I LOVED it. I took the time to watch a few youtube videos and that really helped - there is a definite learning curve. The downside was that it could get really warm. However it was a lifesaver for me as it was the only way DS would nap away from home!

Babyhawk Mei Tei:
My sister has this one and it's the only one she has and uses. She LOVES it. She carries her toddler mostly on her back now, though they started out using it front carry facing in at first. She says baby wearing saved her life - she does all her cooking/cleaning with her baby on her! He was especially clingy and needy. She said it's so comfortable, even with her 25 lb kid! And the Babyhawk is less than $100.

Check out paxbaby - she sells baby carriers and helps moms find the right one for them. She also has a baby carrier loaning system so you can try different carriers.

Good luck with your decision!

I bought a used Ergo. It cost me $70 so it wasn't very expensive. I love it so much I may order a new one because I do not like the print of mine. I recommend the Ergo hands down. I can wear my 17lb 4 month olds for hours and not be uncomfortable.

@Mrs.B: omg 17 lbs 4 month old?!?!?! gahh!!! My 12 mos old is only 19 lbs!

@NaturallyCathy: It's so confusing, right? I feel like I have spent many many hours researching the different kinds of carriers, but in the end, you will have the best luck if you're able to try them on yourself. QuirkyBaby has a rental program, as well as a generous return policy (quirkybaby.com), and the owner is really really helpful over email. I was considering purchasing a ring sling, and she even offered to do a Skype session with me to help me figure it out.

I do love our Babyhawk Mei Tai. We also have the Beco Gemini, which I will use more when Eloise is a little older. I know it can be used with newborns, but I find the mei tai to be a little snugglier when they are little. I like it for all of the reasons that Mrs. Pen mentioned, as well as the fact that the straps are just straps - so I can fold it up and my husband can pick it up and put it on without having to adjust anything. They also come in a ton of fun patterns. I've worn Eloise in it for up to two hours and still been totally comfortable. Granted, she is still only about twelve pounds or so, but I do find it to be pretty supportive. I also like that it has a little built-in headrest; she can fall asleep and not have her head flopping around. Oh! Also, it folds up nice and small and can easily be thrown in the wash. Very easy to put on by yourself as well (although we are still in the front-carry only stage.... I can't speak to back carries.)

The Beco Gemini is also a good one, and I second (again!) all of the points about it that Mrs. Pen mentioned. It's well worth the price. I went back and forth about whether to buy the Beco or the Ergo. I've never heard anything but good things about the Ergo, but the Beco felt a little trimmer to me, which I liked.

Loads of people also love ring slings, especially for the newborn stage and again once they are able to hold their heads up and want to do more of a hip carry. I borrowed one from a neighbor with Owen, and it was not for me. It is an easy on/off option, but I really didn't like having the weight only on one shoulder.

I love the idea of the Moby, but just found it to be way too much fabric for me. Even though I got how to do it, I just was annoyed every time I had to put it on.

Good luck! I would definitely suggest looking into a rental/loaner program so you can try them on yourself. Another option would be to find a babywearing group near you and go to a meeting.

@Mrs. Pen: Haha yes she is a big girl. She is already in 12 month clothing and some 18 month!

We have the boba 3G and love it. You can use it from infancy to well into toddlerhood. No need for an infant insert and it comes with foot holds for when they get bigger.

I also love the boba 3G I'm always surprised it doesn't get more love. DS has been in it since birth at 7 lbs, it's very secure a d can hold newborns without a hot, cumbersome insert. You just have to rethread the waist straps so they face opposite directions from how they are originally (then rethread again when LO is bigger). But it's super easy. Easy to get on - buckle around the waist, slip in shoulder straps, buckle behind neck, slip baby in the front, facing you.

It is over $100 but will be good for a while so you get a lot of mileage out of it. You can't do forward facing out in it but that position isn't good for you or baby anyway. You can do backpack carry when they're older so they can have visibility that way.