Take a hike. And while you’re at it, why not take your baby?
You probably don’t want to spend your time carrying your precious cargo around in your arms all day. So here’s the good news: with the right baby carrier, you won’t have to. From spending some time outdoors to going through a busy airport, it’s a great way to make sure your baby is safe and still close to you while you have your hands free.
Sounds great, but that’s not always the case. Choose poorly, and you end up with random buckles and straps digging into all the wrong body parts. Baby carriers might be a must-have dad accessory, but that doesn’t mean every piece you find online is as good as the next one.
Don’t worry, though: we’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation. We’ve reviewed a bunch of baby carriers and giving you our advice and recommendations. Take it or leave it–but when you do go on that hike, make sure you’re prepared.
That’s exactly what the Lillebaby Complete All Seasons promises: preparation in all scenarios. Does it hold up to that promise? Let’s dig in to find out. And one final note before we do, if you’d like more, find all of our picks for the best baby carriers, here.
Quick note: Fathercraft is reader-supported at no cost to you, which means we earn a commission if you buy a Lillebaby baby carrier after clicking an affiliate link. Read more about that here. This is an independent and unbiased review, but we received a free Lillebaby Complete to help us write it.
Lillebaby Carrier weight limit, washing instructions, and more
Before we start the subjective part, let’s go over some basic facts. The information here is straight from the manufacturer’s website and sales profiles but can help you make sure that the Lillebaby is right for you. Skip these bullets to go straight for our opinion instead.
- Baby weight: The lillebaby carrier weight limit is 7 pounds on the low end, and 45 on the high end. In reality, that means you can use it to carry your infant out of the hospital or your 4-year old to soccer practice.
- Washing instructions: It’s machine washable, but you’ll want to use cold water and gentle baby detergents. Avoid the dryer and hang it up to drip dry instead.
- Lillebaby positions: The Lillebaby is a 6 in 1 carrier, meaning that you can choose one of six positions: fetal (more on that below), infant, ergonomic outward, hip, toddler inward, and back.
- Comfort: keep scrolling for some of our thoughts. the manufacturer promises comfort through two-way adjustable straps, extendable back panels, and lumbar support. This is an ergonomic baby carrier in most positions for both you and the baby.
A complete Lillebaby All Seasons review
It’s all about the structure, baby. The Lillebaby Complete All Seasons is part of the ‘structured carrier’ category. As the name suggests, that means it’s sturdy enough to hold up and be safe in all conditions and positions. No guesswork in how that sling goes around your neck again.
So, what did we think? How did the Lillebaby All Seasons hold up in the all-important test of Calvin? We left no stone unturned, no road unpaved, no mountain unscaled… You get the idea. So let’s dive into our full review, including the best and worst parts as well as a verdict.
The awesome
Two carrier pockets
If you’ve read some of our other baby carrier reviews, you already know: we don’t just appreciate pockets. We love them. You never know what you can store (or find) in them. The Lillebaby All Seasons has two, one larger zippered pocket and a smaller one on the outside of the larger. Great feature.
Six carrying positions
You might not have six sides, but it’s tough not to appreciate the flexibility that the six carrying positions bring. Two options for infants (although we only recommend one of them… keep reading) and no less than four for babies six months and older.
An optional hood for that little head
Unlike most carriers, the Lillepad actually comes with a hood that you can pull out of one of the pockets or store away when it’s not needed. It’s a great feature anytime you want to take your little add-on (and the baby carrier) out in the sun.
Comfortable shoulder pads
In a world where many baby carriers succeed on everything but comfort (check out our Beco Gemini review), the Lillebaby gets this one right in one important aspect. The shoulder straps are thicker than most alternatives and extremely comfortable as a result. They also come with pads for the shoulders and lumbar area that add to the comfort.
Adjustable head support
Back to the baby’s head. It matters, you know? Especially when the little one can’t quite hold it up yet, which is why we love the head support on the Lillebaby All Seasons so much. You can adjust its snugness through a strap and buckle mechanism to make sure it fits and properly supports that lovable noggin.
Certified hip-healthy
The Lillebaby All Seasons has the official Seal of Approval from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. In other words, it’s perfectly safe for your baby’s growing hips, at least for five of the six carrying positions. (Can you feel the tease?)
The wish it was different
Big red flag: the infant fetal position
We’re finally getting to it: It’s easy to consider the Lillebaby All Seasons as perfect for newborns because of its fetal position. But be careful: that position, where your baby’s legs are curled up in the carrier itself, is not a recommended position by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute. We don’t have an infant so we didn’t test it, but we would not recommend it to any parents of newborns.
A design flaw on the hood and pocket
The pocket is great, and the hood is great. But together, they don’t work as well as they should. That’s because the hood stores away in the larger pocket, which takes away storage space. Unless the weather requires the hood to be out, that’s not very usable or helpful.
Difficult to convert the leg positioning or adjust shoulder straps
At some point when your baby grows, you’ll need to move them from inward to outward-facing. Unfortunately, the Lillebaby All Seasons makes that difficult. You’ll need to take the lumbar support piece off the waist strap, pull it out from the loops, and reconnect everything. Not great, and definitely not easy.
Still some comfort issues
Even with the Lillebaby’s emphasis on comfort, our testing still revealed some issues. The shoulder straps connect to the side buckle in a way that digs into the armpit. The cross straps are also difficult to adjust, so you may be stuck in a position you don’t prefer. Meanwhile, the waist straps almost feel like cardboard in how stiff they are.
The verdict
Let’s be clear: this is a pretty good baby carrier. Most Lillebaby carrier reviews will agree that the overall comfort is pretty good, and it’s on the lower end of its category’s price range.
But good is not great, and we had to deduct some points for usability. It’s generally comfortable but not as good as it could be. Consider it a solid B – you can do better, but you can certainly do worse. Like making the playoffs without a shot at the Super Bowl.
The Complete All Seasons vs. other Lillebaby carriers
The All Seasons is not the manufacturer’s only model, so you might be wondering which Lillebaby to get. Use this as your guide to compare the Lillebaby Original vs. the All Seasons and other models.
First up, a heads-up: You can find three different baby carriers called ‘Complete.’ The difference is in the moniker that comes after, where the maker splits up its model as follows. We already talked about the All Seasons a bunch, so here are the other two
- Complete Original: The Lillebaby flagship costs less at $120. It’s very similar to the All Seasons but comes with simpler/cheaper cotton material without mesh that’s not quite as breathable.
- Complete Airflow: As the name suggests, this one keeps your baby (and you) the coolest. That’s because of a mesh material on both the main area and the hood. Oh, and the pockets are also bigger.
In addition to its Complete series, Lillebaby also offers 4 other models:
- The CarryOn, with three carry positions specifically designed for toddlers between 20 and 60 pounds. Expect to pay around $150.
- The SeatMe, specifically designed for hip carries between 14 and 45 pounds. Heads-up: It’s not currently available on the Lillebaby website.
- The Pursuit, at $125 model designed for babies between 7 and 45 pounds. It’s designed for active parents and has no fewer than 7 (!) pockets.
- The Serenity, available for $150 on the Lillebaby website. It’s designed for 7 to 45 pounds. It’s smaller in design, resulting in more flexibility but less support. Compared to the Complete, you also get an extra pocket.
Lillebaby Complete costs, add-ons and where to buy
Depending on which of the above variants you pick, you’ll pay anywhere between $120 for the Complete Original and $170 for a more custom embossed option. You can find your favorite on the Lillebaby website or Amazon.
Don’t stop at the carrier, though. If you have some extra change to spare, Lillebaby promises some extra functionality with a number of add-ons and accessories:
- A $19.99 chest bib and teething pad that attaches to the carrier when the urge to chew just gets too strong.
- An $8 waistbelt extension that increases the size of the waistband by 9.5″ for some extra comfort.
- A $27 lumbar support pillow that’s designed to increase comfort, maintain a healthy posture, and reduce lower back strain.
- A $16.99 tummy pad that reduces the way in which the carrier digs into you, specially designed for pregnant carrier wearers who need the extra support.
- An $11 infant pillow that can easily be inserted into the carrier’s base to raise the tiny one’s position without sacrificing hip health.
Do you need all of these add-ons? Probably not. Even one may be too much. But they do add some extra complexity and comfort, which might just be what the doctor ordered.
Wrapping Up
Want to see all of our baby carrier reviews, along with our pick for best baby carrier—you’ll find all of that here.
