Baby carriers are big in Asia. This is especially the case in urban areas where there is limited space and the majority of the population choose to take public transportation rather than drive.

And where there is demand, there is supply. A great variety of quality supply, I might add.

The Pognae is one such baby carrier. Made in, and popularized in Korea, the Pognae is currently one of the most popular soft structured baby carriers in Asia and Europe.

I had read about the Pognae in various mommy boards even before Claire was born. Many mothers touted the Pognae as a cheaper alternative to the popular Ergo, without sacrificing the quality. Not only that, the Pognae offers an additional feature: a mesh cooling vent which is great for those summer months, or if you have a baby who overheats easily.

However, I decided to go with the BabyBjörn because it was more accessible at the time (ie, we could add it to our baby registry). And while I used the BabyBjörn with Claire, I didn’t love it, and I admit that my shoulders would start to hurt after about 15 minutes of use.

So when my friend Donna recently asked me if I would like to try the Pognae, I jumped at the chance. You see, Pognae has recently expanded to the U.S. with the launch of the website www.pognaeusa.com. Go check it out for yourselves — I guarantee you’ll be absolutely delighted by the 7 adorable designs!

I decided on the “Mild” design and my Pognae arrived within just a couple of days. Almost immediately, I fell in love with its cute carrier bag:

Inside the bag were: the Pognae carrier, the attachable headrest, and an attachable pouch which can be used to store small personal items.

One thing I immediately noticed about the Pognae were the exceptional quality and materials. The 100% cotton fabric is soft and breathable, the foam is soft yet resilient, and there is reinforced cross-stitching in all areas that would require additional support.

I unfortunately could not try the carrier myself because of my overly pregnant belly (perhaps the optional waist extender would have worked?), but other members of the family used it on Claire with limited success. I use the word “limited” ONLY because my daughter does not like carriers in general — she loves to be held, but once she is in your arms, she will whip her upper body back and forth, flail her arms about, and try her best to guide the person carrying her to where she wants to go. Carriers restrict her movement so she will only stand them for about 15 minutes at a time. (And no, she will NEVER fall asleep in someone’s arms, carrier or not.)

But in the 15 minutes during which Claire stayed docile in the Pognae? I would say it was a great success. 🙂 Here is she, comfortably resting in the Pognae with J and my MIL:

Like the Ergo, one great benefit of the Pognae’s design is that the majority of the weight does not rest on the carrier’s shoulders. Rather, the weight is evenly distributed between the shoulders and the waist, so that the person doing the carrying gets tired less easily.

While it is unfortunate that Claire does not like carriers, there’s always a good chance that BebeDeux will, so I will be eagerly awaiting the day when she will be large enough for the Pognae. (According to the FAQs, the Pognae can be used for babies and small children weighing between 12 lbs and 45 lbs. With the optional infant insert, your baby can weigh between 7 lbs and 12 lbs.)

Now, for the best part. For a limited time, the Pognae can be purchased at www.pognaeusa.com for $89 (regular price is $110).

Additionally, for the entire month of October, you can use the coupon code PinkPognae and Pognae USA will donate 5% of your purchase to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, in addition to giving you a 5% discount on your purchase!

What are you waiting for? Go purchase your own Pognae today! It would also make a great gift for an expecting friend, or a new mother!

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Disclaimer: I received a free Pognae for purposes of reviewing it on this blog. I was not compensated in any other way. Every word of this review is 100% my honest opinion.