My son was in a carrier all the time during his first year, but it didn't convert to a back carrier which was a must. We tried all the carriers out at home before we left and landed on this one. It's surprisingly comfortable for the kiddo and the person wearing it. The other carriers, I found, put most of the pressure on your shoulders, no matter what their claims were. This one is pretty evenly distributed, thanks to the lumbar support. Another problem I had with the other carriers is my kid sat way too low and was stuck staring at the back of our heads. He sits pretty high on the seat in this one and was able to enjoy the scenery. I was mainly looking at the moderately priced carriers, so we didn't try out the high end ones. However, I don't think we could have found much better than this. I wish the strap that went from under the arm to the back of the carrier was beefier, but other than that, it's great.