The Mountain Buggy Juno carrier was provided free in return for my honest review of the product thanks to MommyCon.
In a Nut Shell
The Mountain Buggy Juno carrier is an ergonomic Soft Structured Baby Carrier (SSC) that can be used from birth to approximately 4 years of age.
- Pros: It is versatile, long lasting, supportive and comfortable for both baby and mom, and is high quality.
- Cons: Cumbersome to put on, and pricey. Also not ideal for someone with hand strength issues.
Our Review: Mountain Buggy Juno Carrier
I am new to Mountain Buggy, but from what I have read they are known for their all-terrain strollers that appeal to families that love to hike and really get out in nature. The Juno Carrier is their first venture into the baby-wearing world. This is their first baby carrier and overall I would say that they were successful in making a great baby carrier though there are features that I feel could be changed.
INSERT IMAGE
This carrier is one of few that is really versatile and is able to be worn from newborn until the child is 44 lbs. Not many carriers are able to boast this without the purchase of additional accessories. The Juno comes complete with an infant insert and is in the same price range as many other SSC’s on the market at $179.99.
Mountain Buggy boasts a couple of features that I do really enjoy! One of these is the retractable pockets on the waistband under baby’s butt. These two pockets are rather large and can fit my iPhone 6 as well as my hubby’s Samsung 7 Edge in them with ease. They are helpful when I am running into a store real quick and only need to bring my keys, phone, and wallet. Another feature that I love is the pouch along the baby’s body that creates a closer connection and gives you the ability to cuddle with your child a bit more naturally.
What are the seating options like with the Mountain Buggy Juno?
I love that with this carrier you are able to carry your child in a variety of positions. This makes it a much more versatile carrier especially if you are like us where I love to front carry and my hubby prefers back carrying.
Using the Newborn Insert
Using the newborn insert is super simple. I love that the newborn insert is not stiff and bulky like some of the newborn inserts on the market. Their insert is soft and flexible, but still offers head support that is needed for newborns who do not have head control yet. I personally was unable to use it as my son has grown too large. However, I did tuck a baby doll into it ans saw how easy it was to position it in the carrier. I would suggest the first couple times you try to use it that you have someone there to help you because there is a learning curve to getting the newborn into the carrier without fear of dropping them.
Front Carry Options
I ended up having my lovely sister model the Mountain Buggy Juno carrier for me due to the fact that the buckles are very stiff. Stiff buckles is a good thing most of the time because it means they are less likely to accidentally come unclipped though if you have issues with strength in your hands like I do then the buckles make it impossible for you to use. I also noticed that the elastic clip that is over the clip on the waistband gets in the way of clipping and unclipping it since it was placed directly over the clip instead of in front of it to hold it together if the clip were to accidentally come unclipped while in use.
Front Face In Carry
The face in carry was one of the most comfortable positions for my sister. She felt like his weight was evenly dispersed once we found the sweet spot for the sternum clip on her back. My son loved this carry because he was able to snuggle close with her when it was nap time while we were out and about at the zoo.
Front Face Out Carry
While Raiden loved this carry because he was able to get close to the animals and still be held without it feeling like our arms were going to fall off it was not quite as comfortable for my sister. His weight felt like it was going forward no matter how much we adjusted the carrier. In addition to that we did not like how the material lay on him while he was in this position. It just did not seem like it was as snug of a fit.
Back Carry
The back carry was pretty easy once I helped my sister figure out the easiest way for her to get him on her back by herself. The back carry is very comfortable. My sister described it like wearing a backpack. His weight was evenly dispersed and she felt like she was able to do so much more because her hands were truly free and she was able to maneuver more naturally than she could when she was wearing him on the front.
How is strapping baby into the Mountain Buggy Juno?
SSC’s aren’t the easiest carrier to use and they do have a learning curve, but I would say out of the three different SSC’s that we have used this one is the easiest to use. The reason I say this is because if you have strong hands the clips are really easy to reach and it can be put on within a minute or so. The sternum buckle is my FAVORITE feature when it comes to the buckles on this SSC. The reason I say this is because it can be very hard to reach behind you and buckle/unbuckle a clip if you are not crazy flexible.
What I love about this sternum clip is that it is magnetic so as long and you get the two pieces close they will lock for you. In addition to that in order for us to take it apart you just pull one side up and they will come unlatched. This makes it so much easier to use though if you have a coat on with a hood you would want to make sure you clip it under the hood so that you don’t try to pry it out from under the clip seeing as you will more than likely accidentally unclip this clip.
Is it easy to clean?
I love how easy it is to clean. You can clean it in mild detergent that is free of brighteners on cold in the washing machine or you can hand wash it. You will always want to hang it to dry and I would recommend putting it in a pillow case or mesh bag when washing it in the machine as an extra precaution.
Are they add-ons that I can buy separately?
They do offer teething pads that easily snap onto the straps so that your child isn’t chewing directly on the carrier. In addition to those they have a cooling pad. The cooling pad that you can purchase slips into a little pocket in the carrier. It is safe for your child because it will never directly touch them and they will still get your body heat to help regulate their temperature.
Overall Feelings
I would recommend the Mountain Buggy Juno carrier to friends and family who plan on long adventurous activities where they would be wearing baby for extended times because it does do a great job at evenly spreading your baby’s weight so that they feel light while you are carrying them. I would also recommend this carrier to someone who is looking for a carrier that will be long-lasting. However I would not recommend this carrier if you want something you can throw on fast for a quick jaunt into the store or to run inside to pick up your other child from school. It just takes too long to put on and take off to be worth while when you will only be wearing it for five minutes. It is also not something that I would recommend to someone who has a condition like Charcot Marie Tooth disease or for someone who has carpel tunnel or arthritis.
Pros:
The Mountain Buggy Juno is made of high quality material that is soft to the touch, but still has a tight weave that feels like it will withstand a lot of wear and tear as you use it repeatedly. It is also ergonomical and quite comfortable in the three positions that we tried. The biggest pro about this carrier however is the sternum clip. This is the feature that my sister just raved about. She is flexible enough to clip a regular clip behind her back, but this reduces so much strain when she is getting the carrier on and off by herself.
Cons:
The Mountain Buggy Juno has quite the learning curve when you are putting it on. You have to figure out the perfect way to do it with your child for each position and you will fail more than once. Sometimes you will even feel like you need to ask for help because you just don’t feel confident. In addition the buckles are very difficult to clip and unclip which means that anyone with issues with their hands will be unable to use this carrier. I personally am unable to use it though I am able to use a few other SSC’s on the market because their clips are easier to squeeze. On top of the buckle problem there is the elastic strap issue. Even if the buckles were easier to use the one on the waistband is very cumbersome due to the placement of the elastic piece.
Ashley
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