BabyBjorn One Air Review

Established in 1961, BabyBjorn is a Swedish family-owned company that develops. It makes and sells baby gear products internationally, such as baby carriers, travel cribs, and more.

Performance Comparison

Baby's Comfort

While the BabyBjorn One Air offers adjustability and versatility, it does not deliver the level of comfort we expect to compete with other carriers.

The One Air has different seat configurations to accommodate your child's age and size, and you will need to reference the manufacturer's instructions when you are ready to make the adjustment. As your child grows, they sit lower within the panel, and the seat widens.

While testing, we noticed that younger and smaller children did not experience the same level of comfort while riding in this carrier as the older children. Still, older children were not super cozy, and our older tester was anxious to get out of this carrier, especially in the back carry position. We think it feels slightly confining between the carrier's straps and internal structure.

Parent's Comfort

Compared to the competition, the One Air is not the most comfortable option for parents. While we like the padding in the shoulder straps and waist belt, other design elements didn't elevate the wearer's comfort.

The carrier's back yoke (also referred to as the sternum strap) is fixed. You can tighten, loosen, or move it vertically on the shoulder straps, but you can't unclip it. So, the carrier slips on and off over the wearer's head. Even if you consider yourself flexible, it's a reach to adjust this strap when it's on the wearer's back. Another person may need to step in to assist with adjustments.

This BabyBjorn has a structured internal panel that's unique and cumbersome. Some testers shared feeling overwhelmed and claustrophobic by this carrier's design, particularly when putting it on and adjusting it. Given its design and straps, those who desire easy access for breastfeeding, those with larger chests, or those experiencing engorgement as their milk production regulates may not enjoy the enclosed vest-like design.

We appreciate that you can fit the carrier to the wearer before placing your baby inside, and this may be helpful for parents who are still gaining confidence with babywearing. We tested this carrier with wearers of different sizes and noticed that its design is most suitable for those with longer torsos and broader shoulders. We also noticed that using the front carry position was more comfortable than carrying on the back. The panel felt long, and the child sat lower in the carrier than some of the competition. We attempted to position and tighten the waist strap, causing the shoulder straps to bunch up at the shoulders.

Ease of Use

Other contenders in our baby carrier review are more intuitive and easier to use. We believe the One Air is more complex in its internal structure and hard-to-reach adjustments. We needed to reference the manufacturer's instructions and videos to sort out the correct usage.

The carrier's clips are unique and, unlike a standard buckle, take some practice to figure out a smooth operation. Despite their strange operation, they make an audible “click” sound, which brings reassurance of proper connection. Some testers didn't mind the clips, whereas others found them cumbersome.

We are not big fans of the mesh fabric. We think the surface will gather crumbs, crusty spit-up, or even snag a teething baby's sharp tooth. The collection of spit-up that is hard to spot-clean could result in a powerful odor over time that results in more frequent full laundering. If you purchase this carrier, we think the BabyBjorn's teething bib is a good investment for keeping the carrier cleaner between washings.

Ease of Cleaning

This BabyBjorn has some positives and negatives related to cleaning, but overall, it is not the easiest to clean. Manufacturer's instructions require that it be machine washed on warm and then air-dried. The mesh fabric has more airflow than some thickly padded contenders, making it slightly quicker to dry depending on the ambient climate and humidity. It will take time, which can leave you without a carrier when you need it.

Since you shouldn't need to wash your baby carrier very often unless a big mess occurs, you will likely spot-clean it from time to time. The One Air's 3D mesh fabric has more texture and “pockets” in the mesh where spit-up grime and food crumbs are likely to collect in these pits. Spot cleaning will require more effort to clean than smoother fabric surfaces.

Should You Buy the BabyBjorn One Air?

It's nice to have a baby carrier that fits your child at every milestone and one that offers several positions. While this carrier has some positive attributes, we found its straps and adjustments overwhelming, not intuitive, and harder to operate when wearing it. It also gave some of our testers a claustrophobic feeling given the interior vest-like design. These concerns make it less ideal than some of the competition. If possible, we suggest you try this carrier before purchasing due to the carrier's structure and design.

What Other Baby Carriers Should You Consider?

The Tula Free-to-Grow is a compelling alternative if you seek a soft structured carrier. The Tula has a higher maximum weight limit, allowing you to use it longer than the BabyBjorn One Air. As your child gets older and heavier, you may want to consider a top-ranked baby backpack carrier as it can offer more support and structure for longer outings. If you only plan to use a carrier when your little one is smaller, the BabyBjorn Mini might be worthy of consideration as it offered a better fit and less convoluted design in our tests.

Manufacturer Video