This baby carrier I sold a while ago. I only tried it on for a short time, and it did not fit me well at all. In fact, it was probably the worst fit of any buckle carrier I have tried on. Amazingly, I traded another Kanga with another lady who was getting rid of a different carrier she didn't like, and she loved it when she received it. This is a great example of how different carriers work / don't work for different people, especially when it comes to buckle carriers, also called Soft Structured Carriers, or SSC's.
Also, these are not-the-greatest iPhone photos. I never took good photos of this carrier before it went out the door. These pics are a great example of why it's important to take good photos. And why matching makes things prettier. Jax and I and the carrier are totally clashing. Badly. And I bet you had no idea our backyard and side of the house were so ugly, because I make sure those never make it into my good photos. It also goes to show you that you can take really pretty pictures in a not-so-pretty spot, and no one will ever know, if you do it right. We are standing in the same area of the driveway that I usually do for photos. Just the angles Benjamin chose to shoot from gives us kind of an ugly background.
I have tried a bunch of SSC's. Originally, I thought I was an "SSC girl", meaning that it was the kind of carrier I preferred. All I really needed was a good teacher to help me learn how to wrap, and I fell in love with woven wraps. I still love the SSCs we own, because they are quick and easy. SSCs are what I keep in the car, so I don't have to remember to take a carrier with me each time we go out. SSCs are what I give to my mom and sister when they baby sit Jax. They are what my family will use to carry him. All of my sisters that live here, and my mom, have all worn Jax in our SSCs. When I run errands, and I'm in and out of the car for short periods of time, an SSC is perfect.
We own the following SSCs:
Ergo
Beco Gemini
Olives and Applesauce
Kinderpack Toddler/Standard
I have tried on the following SSCs:
Kanga XT
Beco Butterfly
Tula (Toddler)
Boba (cotton canvas, not air)
Onya (cotton canvas, not sport)
Most SSCs can be worn on your front, or on your back. I have found that most of the SSCs I've tried on have been comfortable in a front carry, but fewer have been comfy for me in a back carry.
When worn on my front, I prefer straps that can be crossed across my back, as it distributes the weight better (and Jax has always been heavy). This is possible with the Beco Gemini and Olives and Applesauce (the main reason we own those two).
For safe baby wearing, here's a few basic guidelines, as far as fit is concerned:
The width of the body of the carrier should go knee-to-knee on the baby. This enables the child to be in a seated type position, with their knees at approximately the same height as their bum. Carriers that allow the baby's knees to hang below their bum put stress on the hip joints, and may lead to hip problems if baby is worn too frequently in this position.
The height of the body should at a minimum, be taller than the baby's armpits. If it is hittting at their armpits, and you expect them to keep growing, it's time for a new carrier. If it's any lower than their armpits, they could arch backward and throw themselves out. If it is too tall (above their head), they can get smothered inside it.
In a front carry, the baby's head should be high enough on your chest for you to kiss their head. If you can't kiss their head, they are too low. In a back carry, the higher up on your back you can get the baby, the more comfortable you will be with weight distribution. You don't want the baby hanging down low below your hips in either front or back carry.
SSCs and any carrier that has a fixed body shape, such as a Mei Tai ("may tie"), come in different sizes to be used for different size children. If the baby is an infant, you need a carrier with a narrow base, so it doesn't just put the baby into splits. If your baby is a toddler, you need a carrier with a wide base, to keep their knees seated up high instead of dangling down outside the edges of the carrier.
Kanga carriers are designed by Bloo Kangaroo, which is a relatively small maker who hasn't outsourced her production. As a result, she creates a limited number of these carriers each year, and they are all one-of-a-kind. The buyer chooses the fabric and design, and she makes them to size. She currently has four different sizes of carriers. The XT is considered toddler size (approx. 18mths to 3yrs, depending on the size of the baby). The height of the baby matters more than girth, as far as how they will fit in the carrier.
I found the Kanga to have very stiff padding in the shoulder straps. The straps are more narrow, relative to other SSCs. The shoulder padding is a single piece, and is not very flexible because of how stiff the padding is. The shoulder straps are also sewn in a contoured shape, like a gentle "C" shape, to come around the body more comfortably. The straps attach to the body with buckles. Since the shoulder straps have buckles, technically you could wear this in front, with the straps crossed behind your back, but it wouldn't be comfortable due to the thickness of the strap padding and the contour of the straps. They are best worn directly over and under the shoulders, as in my photos.
The waist band has the same very stiff padding, but it is sewn into three sections, enabling it to wrap around the waist comfortably. The waistband ends in long straps, which you can either tie in front of you, or thread buckles onto (the buckles come with the carrier).
The hood attached with velcro, so you can take it on/off as needed. Hoods are most often used to cover baby when baby is sleeping, to close out the distractions around and help baby sleep peacefully, or block sun from their eyes. The hood has strips of fabric at the corners that you tie onto little loops on the shoulder straps, to keep the hood up and over baby's head. In my photos, the hood is hanging down behind the carrier, and completely removed in some other photos.
Personally, I found the corners of the sewn-on velcro to be a bit scratchy. If I had liked this carrier and kept it, I probably would have removed the velcro and sewn on some snaps instead.
I really liked the waistband of this carrier. The sections of padded waist made the fit more comfortable and supportive. SSC waistbands are meant to be worn just above your hip bones, so that most of baby's weight is resting on your hip bones and lower body. I have problems with many SSCs that they don't get tight enough around my waist. This tie waist allowed me to get it tight. I also felt the tie waist to be more comfortable and attractive than a big buckle at my waist.
What absolutely did not work for me with this carrier were the shoulder straps. The padding was really thick, and the seams of the straps are on either side of the strap, creating a somewhat poky edge. As the straps came under my armpits, the seam rubbed my skin (if I was wearing a tank top), and the thickness of the padding put pressure under my arms, rubbing and pressing uncomfortably. Finally, I felt like it put way too much pressure (and weight) on my shoulders, rather than my waist / hips.
A mama who bought my other Kanga XT absolutely LOVED it, and did not have any trouble with the shoulder straps rubbing, and felt that it made her baby weightless. To each his own! It was a good lesson for me to realize that especially with SSCs, if at all possible, I should try them on before buying them. Kangas are a bit hard to find though, so it wasn't possible with this one.
Also, this carrier could be effectively worn inside out, making it possible to have a "girl" side and a "boy" side, so mom and dad could share the same carrier.
This photos shows the hood attached. All the other photos have the hood removed.
You can see Jax is getting good knee-to-knee coverage here, and the head rest is actually a good height for him. It was comfy for him to be on his Daddy's back in this carrier.
The straps weren't sewn uneven, but Benjamin had tightened them unevenly, so they look odd in this photo. Also, this can show you how different body types can make carriers fit so differently.
