One of the hardest parts of having two children is never having my hands free.

Alan is almost 20 pounds (90 percent of that in his head) and loves to be carried, mostly by mommy. Plus, our double strollers are such monstrosities that we rarely take them to the mall or other indoor strolling venues.

In short: a baby carrier is an absolute must. And I have tried them all.

When Sam was little, I had a New Native pocket sling that she loved. Insta-sleep. I could do anything with it. When she outgrew it, I moved her to the Baby Bjorn, which was also a big hit with her.

I had hoped I would have the same luck with the boy. But, actually? Not so much. He hated the sling, just loathed it, kicking his little feet and screaming every time I tried to use it. My doula lent us a Snugli sling, which was also met with disdain. A friend gave me a Maya sling, which I figured he would like because it could hold him against my chest upright—his preferred position. But nope. Eventually, he accepted the Bjorn, which was our preferred mode of transport until he reached about three months.

That carrier is not built for the human back. At least not mine. We walk at least three miles a day and spend a lot of time at the park. I needed a carrier that would support that without wrenching my back or making my infant fuss.

Enter the Ergo.

Much has been written about this carrier and all of my friends rave about it, but at $100, it was something I wanted to think long and hard about before getting. Now? I think it is the best baby purchase a person can make.

The Ergo has three setting: front, back and hip. I have only used it on the front and back. At first Alan did not seem especially thrilled with trading his forward facing Bjorn stance with the new one facing inward (the only option with the Ergo), but he quickly grew to love it. Additionally, the first few times I put him on my back, I was terrified that he would fall. And though the instruction video says it is easy to put him on the back, I had some difficulty.

But none of that stuff matters because this carrier absolutely rocks. Truly. I have walked for miles with Alan on my back and on my front. He loves it, sleeps in it and seems very content. And I am completely comfortable with the shoulder padding and the design. In a million years, I could not design a carrier as comfortable as this one, but I am so grateful to those who did.

If you buy one carrier, this is the one to go with. My friends who have used the infant insert say it is just as comfortable as the sling, although I never used it so I have to go by their endorsement.

On Thursdays when I work all morning at my daughter’s pre-school with Alan on my back, I thank the universe for the Ergo. Honestly, I don’t know where I would be without it.