Beco Butterfly II/Soft Structured Carrier (SSC) Review

This is a newbie carrier for me. As I mentioned earlier this week, I love my stretchy wrap and pouch slings, I also have a mei tai carrier that I made before my second son was born. A friend helped me with it, but it was the first time either of us had made one. Two and a half years later, it was starting to see better days. I started to look at other mei tais but kept getting drawn back to the Beco Butterfly II, a Soft Structured Carrier (SSC), or a Buckle Carrier, much like an Ergo. A few weeks ago, I finally bit the bullet and purchased one. In terms of baby carriers (I may or may not have a few, ahem), it is probably one of my smartest decisions. I absolutely love it!

Here's my 34ish pound pre-schooler on my back. The Beco Butterfly II can hold up to a 45lb child.

Here's my 18ish lb almost 6 month old in a front carry. He love love loves this carrier!

This is one of the many safety features on the Beco Butterfly II. It's a piece of elastic around the shoulder straps, to keep anything from slipping. To adjust the shoulder straps, you need to pull the strap out of that elastic and then adjust. A bit cumbersome, but I'm all about safe babywearing!

Close up of the elastic.

Close up of the shoulder strap. To get baby out, you need to push in the oval button, then squeeze the sides. It takes a bit of practice, but definitely worth the extra effort to know baby isn't going anywhere!

Here you can see just where you need to wear the Beco - it needs to be resting on your hips (not above) so the weight is resting evenly.
Another neat feature, the Beco Butterfly II comes with a sunshade (or a "ravioli catcher" if you happen to have baby fall asleep during dinner at Olive Garden!) that snaps onto the carrier. Instead of trying to find a place to store it, there is a small pouch to tuck the shade into when not in use.

Again, pros and cons come with a SSC/Buckle Carrier as well.

Pros:

• Adjustable for anyone caring for baby to use
• Distributes weight evenly
• Typically allows to wear through a wide weight range
• Has more padding/cushion than other carriers
  

Cons:

• More expensive
• Can be difficult to use on back (takes practice)
• Breastfeeding can be difficult
• May not be able to wear a newborn in one (though some do have infant inserts)

Discliamer: I purchased a Beco Butterfly II for my own use. All opinions are my own and you may have a different experience.