Artipoppe baby carriers caught my eye before I was even pregnant.
While they were (apparently?!) around when Lana was born, they didn’t come onto my radar until somewhere around 2020, when celebs like Jessica Alba, Chrissy Tiegan and Eden Grinshpan (one of my personal fave style and culinary icons) were toting their babes around in impossibly cool-looking carriers that somehow managed to make parenting feel like a sun-washed bohemian hobby.
“An accessory worth getting knocked up for,” I think I once said. Ask and you shall receive, nyuck, nyuck.
In short, Artipoppe carriers — more specifically, Artipoppe Zeitgeist baby carriers — are gorgeous. With their luxurious fibers (linen, cashmere, silk) and now-iconic embroidered peacock-feather insignia, they’re easily the sleekest and most stylish out there, and the simplicity of the carrier’s design makes babywearing seem downright effortless. If off-duty-model vibes were translated into a babywearing accessory, this would be just such a thing.
The kicker, of course: They’re pricey. Like, starting-at-$370-each pricey, with the majority of the patterns costing upward of $400.
Is The Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier As Functional As It Is Pretty?
Where To Buy: At Saks | Artipoppe Zeitgeist Carrier in Yin Yang Air
more at Artipoppe | more at Saks
So, on this second go-round, with my trusty Ergobaby 360 baby carrier and Sakura Bloom ring sling at the ready should the Artipoppe fall short, I decided to give it a try with the obvious question front of mind:
Is the Artipoppe carrier more than just a spendy, pretty face?
Short answer: Yes.
But even for the price, it’s not perfect.
Features Of The Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier
The Artipoppe Zeitgeist carrier can be used from birth until about 2 years of age, and offers front-carry, facing-in; front-carry, facing-out; and back-carry options. (Disclosure: I have not yet tried the back-carry option.) The waist belt fastens with a robust clip; shoulder straps are worn in a cross-back design.
The Artipoppe Zeitgeist is available in loads of patterns and fabrics, ranging from more-affordable fibers like linen (which is what we own), cotton and hemp, to more luxe fibers such as TENCEL, silk, cashmere and velvet — even vicuña, which, full transparency, I had to Google. (It’s a camelid, like an alpaca, but unlike alpacas, vicuñas haven’t been domesticated, so wild herds are rounded up and sheared only once every two years. Not quite sure how I feel about that, but if you have a cool $3,750, a vicuña-blend Artipoppe carrier could be yours.)
Prices for the Artipoppe start at $390 and go right up to the aforementioned $3,750 vicuña version, with loads in between at the $500-$700 range.
Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier Pros & Cons: Lots To Love…
I’ve used the Artipoppe Zeitgeist carrier for almost a year at this point, so it’s been well tested. Here are some of the features I genuinely love about it:
- The quality. Simply put, this piece feels well made — as I would hope for all baby carriers. The fabric is lovely, the straps and fasteners are all robust, and the unboxing experience is a thing to behold. (The box itself is beautiful, and it comes with a dust bag too.) The website and the instructional videos are, let’s say, a vibe. (They gave me a chuckle, at least.) A premium product all around.
- The cross-strap design. This is something folks seem to either love or hate, but I quickly found the cross-strap design to be easier to use than the behind-the-back buckle of the Ergobaby. You fasten one side first, insert the babe, then grab the second strap and fasten it. You can do all of this without taking a supporting hand off the baby, and it becomes downright easy after just a time or two. Then, with the babe in place, you cinch the straps snug. As long as the straps are let out again before the next use, it’s no stretch to reach them for fastening, I promise. And from a comfort-and-support perspective, the cross-straps are tops, distributing the baby’s weight evenly. (I’ll also note here that I vastly prefer the Artipoppe waist clip to the Velcro version on our Ergobaby if only because releasing the Velcro is so loud every.single.time.)
- The minimal structure. The Artipoppe Zeitgeist carrier has just enough structure where it counts, without a lot of bulk. So baby is comfy and cushioned, but the fabric lays smooth and neat and the overall effect is chic and clean. It can also be rolled up and packed relatively small. Smaller than my Ergo, for sure — though nothing beats a wrap or sling in terms of packability.
- The ergonomic fit in the front-carry, facing-in position. In the front-carry, facing-in position, the Artipoppe has been a comfy fit for my little Elle since she was just a few weeks old. The width of the seat adjusts securely and easily so that it grows with your kiddo, keeping their legs/hips in an appropriately ergonomic position even as they grow. And the padded area behind baby’s head is smartly designed too. It can be folded in to support a newborn, extended upward, or folded out as baby supports themself more independently. On ours, specifically, I also appreciate that the design is printed on both sides of this piece, so the yin yang is complete no matter the position. That said, my thoughts on the front-carry, facing-out position are a different story — see more on that particular position in the Cons section below.
- The lightweight fabrication. We have the linen version, and it’s truly comfortable to wear all four seasons and just gets softer and more comfortable with increased use.
- And it goes without saying…the appearance. The Artipoppe Zeitgeist really is a good-looking baby carrier. Ours is on the simpler side, but I do love how all the patterns and fabrications feel a bit luxe or elevated (while still complementing everything from leggings and jeans to chic office looks or even dressier ensembles). Babywearing, in and of itself, is a sweet idea — but looking straight-up cute while doing so? That’s a nice plus.
…But There’s Room For Improvement (AKA For $400, Can We Get A Hood?)
OK, so there’s a lot to love about the Artipoppe baby carrier. But it also misses the mark in couple of big ways — like, for $400, where is the hood/sunshade? And the front-carry, facing-out position leaves a lot to be desired. More on both of those, below.
- The lack of hood/sunshade. For naps in the carrier, I’ve found that nothing quite compares to the effectiveness of raising a sunshade or hood over baby to block not only light but also some of the overwhelming stimulation of being out and about. So, the fact that the Artipoppe lacks this feature is, honestly, a pretty big bummer. I get that, compared with other structured carriers on the market, the Artipoppe aims to be more minimal — and that’s part of its aesthetic allure. But for the price point, I’d love for them to have snuck a stowable hood into the neck support. Or at least make available an accessory piece that could somehow attach to the existing fasteners.
- The chintzy front-carry, facing-out adapter thingie. The Artipoppe Zeitgeist offers the option of a front-carry, facing-out position using a little adapter strap that fastens onto the inside of the front panel, essentially narrowing the panel to accommodate babe’s legs facing out. The problem is that, with this piece in place, it becomes the only part of the carrier that makes contact with baby’s tummy, so there’s basically this horizontal band pressing into their middle. It doesn’t look very comfortable to me, and when Elle was younger and less sturdy, I didn’t love the idea of her body slumping against this band. (Cinching the center of the front panel in this way also means the top band of the front panel ends up loose and saggy, which doesn’t seem like the intended fit, but after watching the video, it seems to be…right? I dunno.) Now that Eleanor is bigger and sturdier, she doesn’t seem bothered by the band, but she’s also too big to carry in the front-facing position for long periods of time without my back paying the price. Essentially, the adapter feels like a bit of an afterthought, and since early iterations of the Artipoppe Zeitgeist didn’t include this piece at all, I think that’s exactly what it is.
- The care instructions. The website claims the linen-cotton blend is machine-washable, but ours came with paperwork that clearly says spot-clean only, and I imagine the other fabrications are the same. Which seems fundamentally silly for something likely to experience a blowout. Somehow, we’ve yet to soil ours substantially, so this hasn’t impacted us directly, but it seems like it could be a hindrance.
- The price. I mean, obviously. It’s more than double the price of the feature-laden Ergobaby Omni 360, the similarly fashionable Stokke Limas Carrier, and the Tula Explore Baby Carrier (for most patterns — Tula also has some really luxe, artistic options that sell at a premium).
In Summary: While Pricey, The Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier Is Superb
In sum, if appearance or cool factor is your number-one driver, and you’re willing to potentially forego the front-carry, facing-out option (I’m not ruling it out entirely, but I didn’t prefer to use it in that way) and you can take or leave a hood, the Artipoppe Zeitgeist baby carrier is for you.
Or if you’re putting together a baby registry and you need a “shoot for the moon” kinda gift, I’d say go for it. The craftsmanship is superb, and we’ve really enjoyed ours, especially now that Elle is older and I’m less concerned about napping on the go.
Where To Buy Artipoppe Baby Carriers
By far, the best selection for Artipoppe carriers can be found directly through the manufacturer website. It’s where you’ll find all of the available colors and fibers, ranging from our exact Yin Yang Air design to the ultra-indulgent vicuña version I mentioned before — and, my personal favorite, the nubbly Zeitgeist Yin Yang 1970 in cashmere and silk. Stunning.
If you’d rather shop with a familiar retailer, Saks also offers a handful of patterns — all with Saks’ free shipping and returns. Artipoppe carriers are also eligible for additional savings when Saks runs dollar-off or gift-card promotions for minimum purchases, so there’s an opportunity to save a bit there.
Either way, a babe’s time in a carrier is so limited in the grand scheme of things that this is one of the few circumstances where I’d say, if you’re interested, bite the bullet and grab it ASAP to make the most of your investment. These little nugs just get too big, too fast. *sob*
Alternatives To The Artipoppe Zeitgeist Baby Carrier
If you’re hesitant to pull the trigger on the Artipoppe carrier because of any of the factors listed above, these alternatives might be a good fit.
1. If You’re Hesitant Because Of The Price: The Stokke Limas Baby Carrier
The Stokke Limas Baby Carrier ($149; also on Amazon) // While not as iconic, the Stokke Limas Carrier is tasteful in design, and it’s soft structured with cross-back straps. It doesn’t offer a front-carry, facing-out option, but we already discussed that’s not a selling point for the Artipoppe. The Stokke Limas also looks seriously easy to use (I’m kinda itching to try it myself now!), and it has a built-in hood. Stokke also offers a more fully structured carrier (the Stokke Limas Flex, also on Amazon) that has similar features but is additionally intended for toting larger babes for longer periods of time.
2. If You’re Hesitant Because Of The Lack Of Features: The Ergobaby Omni 360 Cool Air Baby Carrier
The Ergobaby Omni 360 ($180; also on Amazon) // This carrier is admittedly not as sleek, but what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in features (galore!). The Ergobaby Omni 360 offers all the carrying styles of the Artipoppe plus hip carry, a hood, a detachable pouch for the caregiver’s things (hello, YESSSS, how is this not a given on all carriers!!?), crossable straps, and a breathable mesh fabrication. We have a previous version, and it’s great, if a bit utilitarian. If you put function before form, I can’t imagine a better carrier than the Omni 360.
3. If You’re Hesitant Because Of The Price And Lack Of Features: The Tula Explore Baby Carrier
The Tula Explore Baby Carrier ($199+; also on Amazon) // If you want a feature-rich carrier that’s a little sleeker than the Ergobaby and not exorbitantly priced, this is the one for you. The Tula offers all the carrying options as the Artipoppe, plus it includes a hood and a slim waist pocket. Prices for the Tula start at $199, but it goes up to Artipoppe range for handwoven options that are honestly gorgeous. The Moonlight Orchid has me positively smitten.
If you have any other notes on the Artipoppe (or other carriers!) I may have missed, feel free to chime in. Hope this is a helpful one, gang.
xo!
Em
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