Beco Soleil Carrier - Review and Cover

So, as a mommy of four kiddos (oldest 8 and youngest 10 months) I've had a lot of experience carrying babies. Of course, I always figure out how to do it the right way with my last baby. Oh well, at least I won't break my back with my last little guy. LOL!

How am I going to do it!? With my new Beco Soleil Carrier. I watched almost every YouTube video about Tula and Beco carriers so I could decide which one to spend the moolah on (and they are not cheap)! After comparing blogger reviews, reading specs online, and watching the videos I chose the Beco Soleil.

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Here's why:
♥  Baby Comfort. It allows baby to sit knee-to-knee in the carrier. That means that the weight is evenly distributed along baby's legs so that they can sit comfortably -- like sitting in a hammock.

♥ Size. The back on the Beco Soleil was higher (taller) than on the Tula. This for us is a big thing because with my husband being 6 feet and me 5 ft 9 in we have tall babies. Knowing that, I wanted a carrier that would give my little guy the back support I would like for him to have.

♥ Safety. They have safety buckles. I am coming from an Ergo that I've had for nearly 3 years. There were times when (even though I slipped the buckle through the safety elastic strap) I would find that the buckle had come undone for one reason or another while wearing it. With my Soleil, the buckles have a built in safety feature. You have to hold down a small button to be able to open the buckles. While some people think it's an inconvenience... I have no problem using two hands to unbuckle my straps knowing that they WILL NOT unbuckle on their own if they're bumped. It reminds me of the buckles on the kids seats in a Costco shopping basket.

♥ Versatility. The Soleil can be worn three ways. You can do a front carry (baby against your tummy), a back carry (like a backpack with baby on your back), or a hip carry (like you would carry baby around without a carrier). With a Tula you can only do a front and back carry. Granted I don't know when I will use the hip carry, but it's nice to know I have options!

♥ Fit. The Beco carriers have buckles to attach the shoulder straps to the carrier. So, it is easy to adjust the size of your carrier for multiple wearers. This means that even if my husband wears the baby, I can super easily adjust the carrier for myself! That is one thing I hated about my Ergo. My hubby and I are very different in body shape and size and I could never get my Ergo back the way I wanted it. I don't have that problem with my Soleil.


That being said, I was a little bummed (does anyone still use that word? I do) with the print choices of the Beco. I see all the cute Tula patterns out there and the Beco's just don't compare. Don't get me wrong they are still cute, just not as fun! So, this mama decided to take that on as a challenge!

I drafted and created a pattern for a Beco Soleil cover (and sell custom covers in my Etsy shop). It slips onto my Soleil like a t-shirt. Not only does it dress up my carrier a little bit, but it also offers protection. Babies make messes.... we all know that. I don't want to be washing my carrier ALL THE TIME and I'm sure you don't either. But, a cover is easily washed.


Plus, you can change out your cover whenever you feel like a new look! One of the best features about my covers is that they are completely compatible with the hood and snap bag that come with your Soleil. I didn't want the cover to get in the way of my using those. You can even order custom suck/drool pads to match your cover or to coordinate with the existing print on your carrier.



Here is a recent custom cover that I made for a lucky mama that wants to protect her carrier. With a background in forensics she wanted this fun skull print for hers. The aqua adds a punch of color. Her suck/drool pads (currently being made) will have the same two fabric and be reversible. All of my suck/drool pads have an inner layer of organic Sherpa so they are absorbent and safe for baby to chew on!




If you are interested in finding out more about these covers you can check out my very short and very amateur video on my YouTube channel here.


6 comments

  1. Hi, I love your covers! Is your shop closed? Do you sell your patterns?

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    1. My shop has been on vacation because I had to have surgery. I am reopening today for a limited amount of custom orders at a time. I am also working on putting together a pattern for sale as well. :)

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  2. I thought I'd seen your soleil cover pattern for sale at some point but can't seem to find it now. Is it available? Or am I totally off base and it never was at all?

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  3. I haven't sold my pattern yet, but I did sell the covers for a while. Right now I am working on the patterns so they can be available for purchase in my Etsy shop. If you haven't already, join my facebook page so you will know when it will be available. www.facebook.com/naturallycreativemama

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