More about the baby carriers

BabyBjörn’s first baby carrier was launched in 1973. It was called “Hjärtenära” (Close to the heart) and was a simpler version of today’s BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original. It changed the way parents carry their babies.

“In the early 1970s, every other doctor you heard was going on and on about the importance of close contact with small babies. Suddenly, everyone wanted baby carriers and the only one available was a Japanese one,” remembers Björn Jakobson, BabyBjörn’s founder and President. “BabyBjörn couldn’t afford an industrial designer back then,” continues Björn, “so we developed and tested a model by ourselves. We acted as the test family, to see how it worked as a part of a family’s everyday life.” 

Work began on a new model in 1987, and it would form the basis for today’s BabyBjörn Baby Carriers. Earlier baby carriers fastened down the back and were made from a single piece. And they came in several different colors.
“We’ve changed the colors of our baby carriers several times,” says Lillemor Jakobson, Björn’s wife and a textile designer at the company. “Earlier models were available in either bright colors or pastels, and pastels were, after all, big in the late 80s.” 

The first baby carriers were also available in patterned fabrics, but nowadays, BabyBjörn is focusing on single-colored baby carriers and accessories to go with them, mainly to make sure they match parents’ clothes.  
Equal opportunities have always been important to Björn and Lillemor Jakobson, so they have focused on marketing baby carriers for both fathers and mothers. Lillemor, who is a textile designer and who trained at the Stockholm University College of Arts, Crafts & Design, attends fashion seminars to make sure she is totally in touch with the colors and patterns in fashion from one year to another. She has designed many of the baby carriers to fit in with current trends and, as a result, has chosen trendy colors in which to make them.

When BabyBjörn launched a black baby carrier in 1996, it was a pioneering move. Prior to then, most products were pastel-colored and in typical baby patterns. It turned out that many fathers, both in Europe and the USA, appreciated the attractive and modern black BabyBjörn design that matched their clothes. Nowadays, the black BabyBjörn baby carriers are among the most popular ones in our range.
By the way, there’s an interesting story behind the first black baby carrier. In the mid-1990s, the American magazine Harper’s Bazaar published a picture of a model wearing a navy blue BabyBjörn baby carrier, but the picture was taken in black and white. As a result, the magazine’s readers thought the baby carrier was black.
“The magazine was flooded with calls from people wondering where you could buy the black baby carrier,” remembers Lillemor. “So we knew that there was a demand for them, and that’s why we made a black baby carrier.”

Today’s baby carriers

More than thirty years of product development on baby carriers has led to a variety of different versions and textile designs over the years, and our range now contains four baby carrier models: BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original,  BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Active , BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Air and BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Synergy.

The BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original is our classic, original baby carrier and comes in an attractive design. It allows you to carry your child securely and close to your body at the same time as it leaves your hands free. It is a comfortable and easy-to-use baby carrier, perfect for use during day-to-day activities, both indoors and out. The BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original was developed in partnership with parents and medical experts, and its unique design has brought it celebrity status and a Design of the Decade prize in 1999.

The BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Active is a sturdy, comfortable baby carrier that offers a high degree of user comfort. The baby carrier is designed for parents who want to carry heavier children for a little longer. The comfortable support in the small of the wearer’s back and the wide padded shoulder straps guarantee an even weight distribution. Since its launch in 2003, it has received a number of prestigious awards, including the 2004 Red Dot Design Award.

The BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Air is a different version of the BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original. It is a light and airy baby carrier that shapes itself gently to your child’s body. It is made from an advanced 3D mesh developed exclusively for BabyBjörn. It is a cool and comfortable baby carrier, both for you and for your child. In 2006, it received a Red Dot Design Award. 

The BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Synergy is our latest, airy and comfortable model which combines the best features of two of our most popular carriers. It is made from the same smooth and breathable material as BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Air and it has the same comfortable back support as BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Active. This functional baby carrier has already received its first design prize, the prestigious IF Product Design Award 2008.