The seat position can change so that the child can face you or face forward in the more traditional stroller position.  The seat angle is also adjustable for resting or more active positioning.  But my favorite feature is that you can adjust the seat height.  The child sits higher and can better see you (facing you) or explore the world (facing forward) without only seeing people’s knees and dogs.  Best of all, you don’t have to bend down so much to put your child in and out of the seat.  You may have guessed by now that having to bend down with a load (in this case a baby) is one of my pet peeves, especially with a husband with a bad back.

The seat height adjustability is also a big plus when you go out anywhere.  You can leave your child in the seat and adjust the height to fit at a restaurant table, or lower it to your position on a park bench.  I just love this feature.

Since I’m always looking out for the well-being of parents and caregivers, I also love the adjustability of the stroller’s handle bar.  The height and angle options allow you to keep your elbows close to your body and keep the handle bar at elbow level. Such positioning helps you exert maximum force with the least effort while pushing the stroller.  The shape of the handle bar promotes a semi- prone hand position (palm down), which helps to neutralize the forearms and wrists when pushing the stroller.

The wheel design, — larger rear wheels and easy swivel front wheels — makes it really easy to push the stroller over various types of pavement.  And for those of you with long legs, the open base, with its lack of crossbar between the back wheels, leaves plenty of space to walk comfortably without hitting the stroller.

With the company located in Norway, they know about cold weather.  A nice winter accessory package is available to keep the baby warm and the person pushing the stroller, too.  I love the hand muff over the handle bar.  A summer accessory package will also keep your baby cool and the mosquitoes away.

Despite its high cost, I was so in love with this stroller until I realized what needed to be done to get the stroller in and out of the car.  It’s a  12 steps program!  First you remove the footrest, followed by the seat and then the bag which is sitting on the base.  Then with one hand you release the handle bar while pushing it down with the other.  Maintaining both hands on the handle bar, you push with one foot on a pedal to fold the base and the handle bar over.  Meanwhile all your separate stoller parts are spread out on the ground or in your trunk.  To store it more proficiently, everything can be stacked neatly over the base but when it’s time to take the stroller out, the stoller frame will be at the bottom. There goes your efficiency!  Yup!  That was a deal-killer for me.

I still think the Stokke Xplory stroller is a fabulous ergonomic stroller and will work if you can keep it in your garage and just wheel it in and out in your neighborhood with only the occasional car ride.

Our search for the perfect stroller continues.

I’m pleased to report that my little personal experimentation concurs with research on the topic.  It’s easier to carry a messenger bag than a shoulder bag, but even easier to carry a backpack.  Research actually says that the energy needed to carry a shoulder bag is 2.4 times more than for a backpack, and carrying a messenger bag requires 1.8 times more energy than a backpack.  In addition, shoulder and messenger bags force a postural correction to compensate for the asymmetry of the load.  Notice people around you with shoulder or messenger bags. You’ll see the carrying shoulder typically riding higher than the other or people leaning to the opposite side of the load being carried, especially when carrying a handbag or briefcase.

But even after trading my fancy-looking shoulder bag for a backpack, I continued to notice discomfort in my back, shoulders and neck.  That’s when I decided to get on the scale with my backpack.  The number I saw was unbelievable — and no, it wasn’t because of the extra ice cream I’d gulped down that summer.  My backpack was way too heavy for me.

Your backpack should weigh no more than 15% of your body weight, and never more than 25 lbs.  So if you weigh 125 lbs., your backpack should weigh no more than 18 lbs. (which is still feels heavy). If you’re 165 lbs. or 200 lbs., your backpack should weigh no more than 25lbs.  You should also pack heavier items closer to your back.

Weigh yourself with and without your backpack (or purse, as a matter of fact, because some purses out there are way too heavy) and lighten up the load.  You probably don’t really need to carry all those items and your body will thank you.

Now, I don’t have kids (… not yet), but it drives me crazy to see little people carrying big heavy backpacks.  So stay tuned for backpack selection recommendations for both children and grown ups.

The notable exception to this practice is the way that Malians carry babies, which are carried resting on their mother’s back.  The women wrap a long strip of fabric around their back and chest and put the baby inside, supporting the baby’s weight on their pelvis.  While I’m still not sure how it is all tied up to hold securely, both mother and child appear to be very comfortable. It is a traditional solution that is both economical and ergonomically sound.

So I was pleased to notice for the first time upon my return to the US the ERGObaby carrier. And since then I’ve started seeing them everywhere.  Now compare the two pictures below. Can you see the similarities?

The main and most important feature of this style of carriage is that it allows the mother to carry the baby’s weight on her pelvis.  When walking around, the pelvis is a strong and stable part of the body.  It can sustain added weight without compromising the gait or posture. In contrast, carrying weight on the back and chest relies on the muscles that keep your spine erect. These muscles tend to fatigue easily, causing the back or chest to slump, which then compromises your posture. By carrying their babies’ weight on their pelvis, mothers are able to stand nicely upright, keeping their hands free. (No matter where you live in this world, mothers multi-task.)

As for the babies, they are supported next to their mother’s back with their weight and contact pressure distributed between the child’s thighs and hips.  The distribution of pressure is important to maintain circulation and comfort.

Now, I don’t want to cause anyone to panic (Toddy), but the ERGObaby is already on my wish list.   As they say so well on their site:  “This is the all-in-one soft baby carrier, assisting you through all the stages of your baby’s growth and moving from front to hip to back position easily”.

Ergonomically, I am a big fan of carrying the baby on the back, but flexibility and options for other positions are always a plus for both the mother and the child.  The ERGObaby is also easily adjustable with the waist and shoulder strap fitting a wide variety of body types.

P.S. No offense to the fathers but this post only talks about mothers.  Just like anywhere in the world, the Malian fathers are very caring and devoted to their children. But I only saw mothers carrying babies on their backs.