BabyBjörn Miracle Carrier Review: Why Was It Discontinued & What Replaced It?

I have always been a fan of babywearing. When my children were little, I used several different baby carriers, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. However, one that really stood out for me was the BabyBjörn Miracle Carrier.

I originally wrote this review when Jelly Bean was a baby and the BabyBjörn Miracle was still part of the current range. Many years later, the Miracle has been discontinued, but I know from the searches that bring people to this post that parents are still looking for information about it — particularly if they’ve spotted one second-hand or inherited one from a friend or family member.

So, rather than remove an old review of a product you can no longer buy new, I’ve updated it with current information about what happened to the BabyBjörn Miracle, what replaced it and how it compares with BabyBjörn’s carriers today.

My experience with the BabyBjörn Miracle Carrier

One of the things I particularly appreciated about the Miracle was the amount of support it gave me.

After three pregnancies and a car accident some years previously, my back and shoulders weren’t as strong as they once were. Babies also get surprisingly heavy when you’re carrying them for any length of time — especially when you’re already lifting pushchairs in and out of the car, carrying changing bags and generally carting around everything that comes with having young children!

For me, good support was therefore one of the most important things to look for in a baby carrier.

Was the BabyBjörn Miracle comfortable?

What I loved about the BabyBjörn Miracle was the ability to adjust how the baby’s weight was distributed across my body.

The carrier could be adjusted between users, but I could also change where I felt most of the load.

On days when my neck and shoulders were particularly uncomfortable, I could loosen the shoulder straps slightly so that the waist belt sat more firmly around my waist and hips. This shifted more of the weight away from my shoulders and meant I could comfortably wear Jelly Bean for longer.

The straps were wide and padded, which also helped distribute the weight.

Another feature I really liked was being able to make the adjustments from the front. I didn’t need somebody standing behind me trying to tighten straps or work out which buckle went where.

In fact, when the Miracle first arrived, I was so excited to try it that I took it straight out of the box, put it on and adjusted it by myself.

It was also much easier for Hubby and me to share than some of the carriers we’d used previously because we could quickly readjust it between us.

Why I loved babywearing

I used a baby carrier from birth with each of my little ones for two main reasons: closeness and convenience.

There was something lovely about having my baby snuggled up close to me, but from a practical point of view, babywearing also made family life much easier.

A carrier gave us the freedom to explore places where taking a pushchair wasn’t particularly practical. We could still go for family walks in the woods or head down to the beach without worrying about whether the buggy would cope with the terrain.

It became even more useful as our family grew.

When Beanie Boy came along, I could carry him while Little Bean travelled in the pushchair. Later, it was Jelly Bean’s turn to snuggle in the carrier while Beanie Boy rode in the pushchair and Little Bean walked alongside us.

Those are the situations where babywearing really came into its own for me.

I also regularly used the Miracle for the school run. Carrying a baby in the carrier was considerably easier than lugging a heavy infant car seat backwards and forwards between the car and school.

What age was the BabyBjörn Miracle suitable for?

When I originally reviewed the Miracle, BabyBjörn stated that it could be used from birth for babies weighing at least 3.5kg (8lb) and up to approximately 12kg (26lb), or around 15 months.

The carrier could be adjusted as the baby grew, including an internal adjustment according to the baby’s height.

I remember thinking I’d broken mine the first time I tried to move this adjustment because it was so stiff! The instructions reassured me that this was intentional for safety reasons.

Because the Miracle is now an older, discontinued product, I’d recommend anyone who has acquired one second-hand checks the instructions for their particular version rather than relying solely on specifications found online.

Why was the BabyBjörn Miracle discontinued?

This is one of the questions people most often ask about the BabyBjörn Miracle.

BabyBjörn no longer sells the Miracle and describes it as one of its discontinued baby carriers.

However, I haven’t found an official statement from BabyBjörn saying that the Miracle was discontinued because there was something wrong with it. Instead, BabyBjörn explains that it continually develops and improves its carriers and directly compares the old Miracle with the newer Baby Carrier Move.

According to BabyBjörn, the Move offers improvements over the discontinued Miracle including:

• improved back support
• padded shoulder straps designed to make longer periods of babywearing more comfortable
• a wider seat area for baby

So it appears that the Miracle was phased out as BabyBjörn developed newer generations of its carriers rather than there being one specific dramatic reason for its disappearance.

If you have an older BabyBjörn carrier and are uncertain about its age, authenticity or safety, BabyBjörn recommends contacting its Care Team for advice.

What replaced the BabyBjörn Miracle?

If you liked the idea of the Miracle, the BabyBjörn Baby Carrier Move is probably the most relevant current model to look at.

BabyBjörn itself compares the Move directly with the old Miracle.

The current Baby Carrier Move is designed for babies from birth (minimum 3.2kg and 53cm) until approximately 15 months, with a maximum weight of 12kg.

It offers three carrying positions: newborn, facing in and facing out. For facing out, BabyBjörn says babies should be at least five months old and able to hold their head up unaided.

The Move doesn’t offer back carrying, so parents wanting to continue babywearing into toddlerhood or carry their child on their back may prefer one of BabyBjörn’s longer-lasting carriers.

How do the current BabyBjörn carriers compare?

BabyBjörn’s range has changed considerably since I originally reviewed the Miracle.

Baby Carrier Move

The Baby Carrier Move is the model I’d look at first if you’ve found this review because you were interested in the Miracle.

It’s suitable from birth to approximately 15 months (3.2–12kg) and has padded back and shoulder support. It’s intended to be relatively simple to put on and take off and is currently made in breathable 3D mesh.

Baby Carrier Mini

The Baby Carrier Mini is primarily aimed at the newborn and early baby stage.

BabyBjörn recommends it from birth to approximately 12 months, although its recommended weight for comfortable carrying is around 3.2–8kg.

It’s smaller and simpler than the longer-lasting carriers, so it may appeal if you mainly want a carrier for those early months.

Baby Carrier One and One Air

The Baby Carrier One and breathable One Air are designed to last considerably longer, from birth up to approximately three years.

They can carry children on the front or back and have a maximum weight of 15kg.

Baby Carrier Harmony

The Baby Carrier Harmony is another birth-to-three-years option.

It has padded back support and shoulder straps and offers four carrying positions, including back carrying. Its current recommended range is 3.2–15kg.

Is the BabyBjörn Miracle still worth buying second-hand?

I can understand why parents still look for the Miracle. I genuinely enjoyed using mine, and it was my favourite carrier at the time.

However, buying a used baby carrier is different from buying one new.

I’d want to know its history and inspect it carefully for signs of damage or deterioration, particularly around the buckles, straps, seams and fastenings. I’d also make sure I had the correct instructions for that particular model and check that no relevant safety information had been issued.

BabyBjörn advises anyone who owns an older model and is uncertain about its authenticity or safety to contact its Care Team.

It’s also worth comparing the price of a used Miracle with newer carriers. Baby carrier design has continued to develop since the Miracle was launched, and depending on how much use you expect to get from it, a newer model may make more sense.

Would I recommend the BabyBjörn Miracle?

Looking back, yes — I really did love my BabyBjörn Miracle.

It was comfortable, easy for me and Hubby to adjust between us and gave me the freedom to carry Jelly Bean while keeping my hands free for his older siblings.

That’s why I didn’t want to simply delete this review when the Miracle disappeared from the shops. It represents my genuine experience of using the carrier when my children were little, and there are clearly still parents looking for information about it today.

If you’re trying to find the modern equivalent, I would start by comparing the Baby Carrier Move, since BabyBjörn itself specifically compares this model with the discontinued Miracle.

If you’re looking for something that will last further into toddlerhood or allow back carrying, the Baby Carrier One, One Air or Harmony may be a better fit.

BabyBjörn Miracle FAQs

This article was originally written when my children were young and the BabyBjörn Miracle was a current product. It has since been updated to include current information about the discontinued Miracle and BabyBjörn’s present-day carrier range.

Disclosure: I was originally gifted the BabyBjörn Miracle Carrier for the purpose of my review. I was not instructed what to write, and all experiences and opinions about using the Miracle are my own.