more opinion
"I was attracted to this carrier by all the rave reviews on Amazon. I like to hike, and live in a city where strollers are an inconvenience, so I thought I'd give this a try. I already have the original model, but this sounded so much better according to other reviewers. After using it for three weeks, my opinion is that this carrier is a slight improvement over the original when it comes to back support, but it's not a real carrier for truly active pursuits, and not worth the extra 90 bucks (or more) to buy it if you already have the original.
Although this carrier is marginally easier on your back than the original, it is not adequate for more than extended brisk walks. If you don't have either carrier, it makes sense to get this one if you're particularly worried about your back or will be carrying a heavier child. If you're simply planning to carry your child around town for a few hours, the cheaper original model is sufficient. I am still waiting for a baby product company to offer a front-carry model for smaller children that incorporates backpack-style padded and contoured shoulder pads and a padded hip/lumbar belt capable of transferring weight from shoulders to hips. "