Artipoppe baby carrier is one of the most bougie baby products, due to its price tag. I admit that when I first saw them online, I was convinced that both the company who produces the Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier and the people who buy it must have lost their minds and went to buy the most common baby carrier Ergobaby Omni… and I hated it.
I tried numerous baby carriers and they were rarely comfortable for me, as I’m very sensitive in the area of my shoulders and neck. Ultimately, I pulled the plug and bought Artipoppe carrier to see if the hype and price tag were justified…
Full disclosure: As usual, I bought this baby carrier myself. It’s not a paid review and it wasn’t gifted to me and influenced by the stroller company, so this review is as objective as can be. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Why is Artipoppe So Expensive?
Artipoppe carriers come in a variety of stunning patterns and designs. The biggest difference between Artipoppe and other baby carriers is the materials used. There are a few kinds of Artipoppe carriers and they vary significantly in terms of pricing.
The “basic” ones are made of cotton and linen and start at $370. Then the price goes up to $520 for velvet and tencel, $640 for calfskin, and doubles to $740 for cashmere and $790 for silk. Then, there is also an option of 30% vicuña along with silk, cashmere, and cotton and that will cost you $3750.
The carrier is of beautiful quality and comes in a dustbag and unique gifting-ready box, which makes you feel like it’s a luxury item. But then, if you think about it, it’s just a silly box. Nevertheless, it eliminates plastic packaging claiming it’s a sustainable brand.
I would have believed in these claims easily, but having worked in baby products marketing and logistics I can say that cardboard isn’t always more sustainable than plastic due to the substantial amounts of energy it takes to make, gases during production, and not to mention – it weighs more so when you consider it when shipping it’s not so simple.
I recommend watching their own instruction videos on how to put on the carrier and adjust the fit because the little sheet can be confusing. It took me a few tries to get the hang of it, but it’s really simple to put it on, and most importantly: there are no weird clips and straps on the back that you might need help with. Artipoppe carrier can be put on entirely on your own.
While many are debating that there are Artipoppe alternatives and recommend LennyLamb brand it’s like comparing apples to pears. They might look alike, but even the functions are different (like the most important for me cross strap).
Baby Comfort
Naturally, the baby won’t be able to tell you if they prefer this carrier over another, so the comfort level can be measured in terms of how long can the baby stay in the carrier without fussing.
Artipoppe is soft, so it’s comfy, but on the other hand, it has very good hip support (deemed ‘hip healthy’ by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute).
While every baby carrier claims it’s suitable for a newborn, with or without an insert, it seems that the baby wasn’t actually sinking in this carrier, while it was in other carriers. I still don’t feel comfortable using baby carriers with a newborn (I’ll be forever a stroller bassinet fan!), if you need to put your tiny baby in it for a bit you can, but you might want to consider a wrap instead.
Having had two c-sections I was still using belts and felt uncomfortable, so the strap would have bothered me even on Artipoppe.
Pros of Artipoppe Carrier
Materials are fantastic, especially for babies with sensitive skin or eczema. Ergobaby felt weird to me and the baby, but there’s no such issue with Artipoppe. It’s washing machine friendly, so you don’t need to worry about spills or dirt on it.
The design of the Artipoppe differs from most other carriers on the market in that it features a cross strap at the back, while others have a “backpack-style” straps with a clip.
It also differs when it comes to actual designs. Artipoppe’s limited edition releases have been known to cause chaos as they often sell out within minutes, similar to bamboo baby clothes of certain brands.
Cons of Artipoppe Carrier
On top of the obvious – high price tag (which I talk about later, because it shouldn’t scare you instantly) the carrier isn’t perfect. No baby product is perfect if you ask me.
There is Artipoppe controversy the brand that thrives on a campaign of inclusivity is simply too pricy to be inclusive. The brand has been criticized for cultural appropriation having peacock feathers and eagle – images sacred to indigenous peoples around the world. I won’t comment on this as I think everyone can decide for themselves whether they agree with it or not.
Also, it requires an insert for a baby to be front-facing, which is a bummer as it’s an extra piece that’s annoying. The back carry mode works just fine, so if your baby is fine with it go for it. Both of my kids wanted to see, so ultimately we struggled with the lack of easy front-facing with both kids ever since they were 6 months old.
Other complaint is that their referral system seems a bit like an MLM scheme if you look at Reddit, but honestly, it’s not uncommon – most brands offer them. Once you have actually bought an Artipoppe carrier you are able to sign up for the referral scheme. This gives you a discount code to share with friends and family and every time someone uses your code to buy you are awarded $50 off of your next carrier. The only catch is you are not allowed to share your ‘friends and family’ code publicly in Facebook groups or websites.
Artipoppe vs Ergobaby Carrier
If you ask me Artipoppe fits undeniably better than Ergobaby for my own comfort.
In terms of baby’s comfort, for a newborn stage, Artipoppe is a clear winner over Ergobaby, but once your baby grows then the front-facing mode is slightly annoying. However, depending on the child you might still be fine carrying your baby facing you, or actually switching out completely to a bigger hiking backpack.
Is Artipoppe Carrier Worth the Price?
While I do think that this carrier works great, whether it’s worth it or not will depend on your use, your baby’s preference, and how much are you planning on using it.
I can honestly say that if I got it with my firstborn I have told you that it’s not worth it because Dylan despised all baby carriers and the longest he ever lasted and was about an hour here and there on a hike, but with many breaks in between. With my second child, a carrier wasn’t an issue, so it was more worth it for us.
I admit that Artipoppe carrier is much more comfortable than any other carrier I tried. While you might think that spending so much money on a carrier is crazy, I will also say that at the end of the day, it might not be as expensive to buy it as you think…
To illustrate it, I waited weeks and weeks to sell my Ergobaby carrier and eventually, I sold it for $53 dollars which after Mercari fees came to about $45. Considering the new one is $179 and mine was barely used, it came down to about $140 after I sold it.
A few carriers of less popular brands I actually couldn’t even sell and ended up giving them away in buy-nothing groups.
In case of Artipoppe it was a different story. As it’s a luxury brand, similar to bamboo clothing, you can easily resell it. The average selling price is between $200 to $300, averaging around $250 (so you can also buy Artipoppe used if you wish). That said, after you sell it you will actually spend less money on it than on a cheaper baby carrier!
Considering that for me Artipoppe was much more comfortable and stylish, on top of the quality materials used, I do think that it’s absolutely worth it!
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