I love baby carriers.

Strollers are heavy, cumbersome, usually a pain in the ass to get into stores and they require smooth surfaces – yes, yes, of course there are many positives, but in many occasions a stroller isn’t the right fit, and only a carrier will do.

Carriers are lightweight, can go wherever you can go, leaves both of your hands free, and your baby gets to see whatever you see. In a nutshell, they are awesome and if you don’t have one, you should go out and buy one.

Don’t know what a carrier is?? Just walk into a Starbucks, and you’re sure to see a bunch of guys and gals rocking them – just look for babies hanging off the chest of their parents. From my numerous trips to Starbucks, I think the Baby Bjorn is the most widely used.

From day one we’ve had a baby carrier, and only having one comes with a major issue – if you’re splitting it with your spouse, you’ve got to rearrange a whole bunch of belts and straps each time to get it to fit properly. I know, this doesn’t sound like the biggest deal (which it’s not), but it is still annoying.

The one we typically use has so many straps hanging all over the place – it’s just annoying. And, figuring it out is like trying to figure out a Sudoku puzzle. And, maybe most importantly, it just doesn’t seem to be made for a guys body.

My dad continues to be the best dad, ever. That said, I couldn’t imagine him ever wearing a baby carrier. There is no doubt that the role of fathers has changed over the past 30+ years, and designs just haven’t kept up with the times.

Thankfully, a few weeks back the good people over at Mission Critical sent me over their Baby Carrier to try out. This carrier looks like something out of the movies that the SWAT would be wearing – military grade and covered with MOLLE strapping. Don’t get me wrong, either guys or gals could wear this, but it is fully marketed towards guys.

Marketing aside, this is a great baby carrier and one that I would recommend.

Here’s why I recommend this baby carrier for any father out there:

I feel like Haddie is really secure in it – this isn’t so unique, as I feel comfortable with all the other carriers as well. But, in my mind, her safety is the number one issue when buying a baby carrier. According to Mission Critical, this carrier “Exceeds All ASTM Regulations For Carriers JPMA Certified” additionally, “The Mission Critical Baby Carrier is tested for and exceeds all ASTM regulations for Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Soft Infant and Toddler Carriers” – to be honest, I didn’t dig into those regulations and certifications, but they sound good. I get hot – like, really really hot. With other baby carriers, my child is basically going skin-to-skin with me, and I find her always overheating. This carrier looks chunky and hot, but I find Haddie (and me!) always much cooler in it compared to the others. The inside is also really comfortable. This carrier doesn’t have straps flying and dangling all over the place. The straps are all neatly tucked away, or rolled up using velcro tie-ons. There is no hassle or instruction manual that you have to read to put this on. You literally put it on over your head, clip in some straps, pop your baby in, and click some more straps. Easy as pie. I remember when we bought our first baby carrier, we were so overwhelmed with the complicated design that we left the store without buying one. All the baby carriers are good, but most of them are missing some essential features. Here are two features that I love about the Mission Critical Baby Carrier: 1) There is a built in pocket (think: keys, dog poop bags, cash, small baby essentials… anything); and, 2) there is a built in sun shade! These are two basic things that I can’t believe no other carrier comes with. No more fanny pack for me (ha). No more draping Haddie with an aden + anais swaddle. I look totally bad-ass walking into Starbucks and Bed Bath and Beyond. Seriously, other dads are green with envy. I’m not going parachuting into foreign territory with Haddie strapped to me. Heck, I’m not even going bushwhacking. But for urban adventures, and light trails at the cottage, this thing meets all the durability requirements – whether it’s walking on a trail with twigs flinging back, or pushing my way through a crowded Costco, this baby carrier has me covered. It has padded shoulders! Need I say more????

Some recommended changes:

While the carrier is for both front and back facing babies, I found Haddie was a little young / small to face forwards, so I had to bend down the front flap as to not obstruct her face. This is something that I also do with all the other carriers, but the Baby Bjorn seems to be made with a more flexible design in the front flap, making it easier to flip down.

Mission Critical is currently working to release the product in Canada – get it over here already!

All in all, this product is a big winner for our family. It has become my go-to carrier, and so far I could not be happier with it. Whether buying as a gift or for yourself, this is a good buy.

Disclaimer: this product was provided to me for the intent of an honest review, all opinions are my own, and no monetary exchanges were made.