For many new parents you will spend a lot of time researching what you really needed and how I could cut costs. So when you came across babywearing you might ask yourself two questions…
Is it essential?
&
Can I afford it?
Baby Carriers are an Investment
Notice how we used the word “invested”? We don’t mean that you’ll necessarily be able to resell them down the track for a profit (although if your carrier is highly sought after, this is possible). What we mean is that you will reap other rewards from the funds you invest in buying a carrier.
Here’s what you’ll get back out of it:
- Bonding and building a close relationship with your baby
- More time to do things you want and need to do, while keeping your baby happy and close
- More rest for you while baby is content
- Less time spent worrying about “settling the baby” or putting it down for naps
- Potential benefits for breastfeeding
- Great ability to interact with older siblings (if you already have kids)
- Greater efficiency when travelling (either long trips or even just to the shops)
- More opportunities for Dads and other caregivers to bond with and comfort their babies
- Greater levels of contentment and satisfaction as a parent, with a content, settled baby
Babywearing is a very wise investment for any family with babies or toddlers.
Other Baby Items Cost a LOT!
So we’ve established the benefits and the need for babywearing. Now let’s talk about the pricing. It can help to look at the pricing of more “mainstream” baby items that are commonly accepted as essentials.
As with everything, these items range massively in price, and if you’re on a budget, you can usually pick up a bargain second-hand. However, it’s worth pointing out that the exact same thing applies to baby carriers! You can find extremely affordable and extremely expensive carriers both new and in the second-hand market.
And the list could go on…
In the grand scheme of things, most carriers are actually cheaper than a lot of other baby items, and trust us, you’ll really get your money’s worth.
What Is a Carrier Worth?
Sometimes it can be hard to get over the price of something you’re not totally familiar with. After all, some carriers are just a “piece of fabric”, right? Wrong. The price of a carrier comes down to the massive amount of time and effort that goes into it (probably a lot more than you might think). Here’s what you need to factor in:
- The design process
- Sourcing materials, fabric, parts
- Paying staff fairly and ensuring ethical work conditions (if it’s crazy cheap, you should ask why)
- Rigorous testing and passing safety standards
- Price may depend on the rarity or uniqueness of the fibres used (for example, silk is more expensive than cotton)
- Labour on cutting, piecing, and sewing
- Labour on packaging and presentation
- Cost of shipping
- Administration – businesses need to do a lot behind the scenes, and that cost should be factored in as well.
Really, when you think about it, baby carriers are extremely fairly priced. A lot of time and effort goes into the end product (and usually a lot of love too).
Ready to invest in that carrier now? GREAT! You won’t regret this, trust us.
Happy babywearing!
