Todbi Air Motion Hipseat Carrier

I have tried several carriers this year but I have not tried a hipseat carrier. Hence when Todbi launched their range of Todbi hipseat carriers (all made in Korea) in Singapore, I was excited to give one a try!

The box that it came in is classically white with light blue accents

Todbi Air Motion Hipseat Carrier
(Comes with an instruction manual, dustbag, teething pads and air pump)

The folks at Todbi were very kind to have provided me with a cute pink one as they knew my favourite colour is pink (even though I was also ok with the other colours as I would be carrying a boy anyway). Of course when it arrived I changed my mind because I love the pink! I had always had dull black or blue carriers so pink was a nice change :D

I was very intrigued by the hipseat as I had not touched or used one before. I was very curious, wondering how it would work.

Hipseat front view

Hipseat top view
(Generous space for little butts)

I unzipped the hipseat to find a light styrofoam and an inflatable plastic thingy (which you can pump with air every time it deflates after use)

The instruction manual (yes, I'm the kind of person that reads instruction manuals!) said that the air provided greater support for your abdomen such that even mothers who had a C-section can use it with ease.

"Wow, that's cool." I thought to myself. "But I wouldn't know until I try it out!"

And so I did. Please note that you must wrap the strap around your waist and not your hips as you strap on the hipseat. Don't forget to secure with the belt to provide greater security. Unlike other carriers, hipseats are designed to be used on its own if you find bringing a full carrier out to be a hassle.

Three postions that you can wear the hipseat (left to right):
1) Face-to-face, 2) Front-facing, 3) Side

The downside of these positions is that at least one of your hands must be constantly supporting your baby so you can't be completely hands-free. Nevertheless, it is still useful for short distances when you just need to run a short errand with your baby but don't want to strap on a full carrier.

If you need to be hands-free or if baby needs to sleep, simply attach the top half of the carrier to the hipseat.

Top half of the carrier

Attach by zipping up the top and bottom (hipseat) and attaching the clasps for greater security and support

Then all you need to do it put it on like you would for an ordinary carrier.

Place baby on the seat first before putting on the shoulder straps and securing the back strap in place
(Side note: my baby loves to bite on the grey mesh in front so put a cloth there if you don't want your carrier to be dirty)

There are also 3 positions available for the full carrier: 1) Face-to-face, 2) Front-facing, 3) Back.

Front-facing (left) and back (right)

I think hipseat carriers are one of the few in the market that allows you to safely carry your baby Front-facing. Baby Boy loves this position as he can do his people-watching thing while we shop.

For the Back position, I love how the thicker waist strap was wide enough to cover all the "baby-fat" on my tummy unlike my other carriers that usually made me look like crap. Baby Boy doesn't really like this position, although I suspect it's because my hair kept sweeping into his face! Haha.

Face-to-face
(front and back view)

The most common position for all the carriers I have is the Face-to-face. Baby Boy looked quite comfortable in this position and had space to wiggle around, unlike my other carriers where he was stuck literally to me and had no space to breathe. Now that he is older and needing his space (sigh), he definitely prefers this carrier.

Close up of the hipseat (sideview);
Love that the wide belt provides more support for my hips

Compared to my other carriers, this one also had the most additional features which included a front pocket and hood to protect the baby from the sun and the rain.

I love this cute little pocket at the side for storing the hood and other little things like pacifiers

The front pocket can be unzipped and rolled up to reveal a mesh underneath for better air circulation for your sleeping baby so that he does not overheat
(Perfect for hot countries like Singapore!)

Rolled up front pocket

Hood for covering the baby's head

Love the removable buttons that allow you to remove the hood when it's not needed (unlike Ergobaby carriers)

We thought the hood could be a little bigger though as my boy doesn't like it wrapped too much over his head (he doesn't like anything over his head)

Teething pads that you can attach to the shoulder straps for your baby to bite on
(They should probably have teething pads for the front of the carrier as well cos my boy keeps biting on it!!)

As usual, I did my usual side-by-side comparison of the Todbi Air Motion Hipseat Carrier with my other carriers (see my detailed review of my Baby Bjorn & Ergobaby here).

Comparison table

Although the Todbi carrier was the most expensive, it also had the most positions and additional features; hence I think it is very value for money. I particularly love the many positions to choose from! This is going to be the carrier of choice for my travels overseas :D

GIVEAWAY!

If you're interested to try one, great news; we are giving away 1 Todbi Air Motion Hipseat Carrier (worth S$299) to ONE lucky winner!

Sponsored by Global Outsource Solutions Pte Ltd, the exclusive distributor of Todbi

Simply follow these steps to qualify:

(1) Leave a comment on this blog post on your baby's age and why Todbi Air Motion Hipseat Carrier will be good for both baby and parent

(2) Share this blog post on your personal Facebook page and tell your friends why you think Todbi Air Motion carrier is great PLUS Tag MadPsychMum and 1 friend (keep the post public so that I can see it!)

The best answer will be picked by the folks at Todbi. Good luck! =)

Terms and Conditions of this giveaway:
a) This giveaway ends on 21th December 2014 (Sunday) and is only open to readers living in Singapore.
b) Participants must complete the entries above in order to qualify. Incomplete entries will be disqualified without notice.
c) The winner will be chosen by the sponsor and must respond within 3 days after being contacted by me otherwise another winner will be drawn.


UPDATE: The winner has been chosen and it is none other than Joydinyeo! Thanks to all for participating! =)


Disclosure: A complimentary carrier was received from Global Outsource Solutions Pte Ltd for the purposes of this review and giveaway. No monetary compensation was received; all opinions are my own.

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P.S: Follow My Baby Carrier Reviews as I personally put various baby carriers to the ultimate test! Do also keep yourself informed of Babywearing Safety tips.