Adjustable child carrier with enhanced freedom of movement

A soft-structured child carrier having a plurality of configurations, said soft-structured child carrier comprising:

• a waistband having an interior portion, an exterior portion, and a bottom portion;
• a body panel comprising one or more panels joined together having a bottom end, a top end, a first side edge, a second side edge, an interior side, and an exterior side,
• wherein the bottom end of the body panel is attached to the bottom portion of the waistband;
• a panel retaining strap attached to the exterior portion of the waistband;
• a first shoulder strap having a first free end;
• a second shoulder strap having a second free end;
• a first flap attached to the interior side of the body panel;
• and
• a second flap attached to the interior side of the body panel,
• a first configuration where the first free end of the first shoulder strap is attached to the first flap and the second free end of the second shoulder strap is attached to the second flap to form a bucket seat having a first base width;
• and
• a second configuration where the body panel is folded upwardly between the exterior portion of the waistband and the panel retaining strap to form the bucket seat having a second base width,
• wherein the first base width of the bucket seat is greater than the second base width of the bucket seat.

A method of configuring a soft-structured child carrier, comprising:

• attaching a waistband around a user, said waistband having an interior portion, an exterior portion, and a bottom portion;
• providing a first flap coupled to an interior side of a body panel and a second flap coupled to the interior side of the body panel;
• forming a bucket seat having a first configuration or a second configuration for receiving a child therein, comprising:
• folding the body panel upwardly to form the first configuration, said body panel having a bottom end, a top end, a first side edge, a second side edge, the interior side, and an exterior side, the bottom end of the body panel being attached to the bottom portion of the waistband and being folded in a direction towards the exterior portion of the waistband, wherein the first configuration has a first base width;
• or
• folding the body panel upwardly to form the second configuration by contacting the bottom end of the body panel with the interior side of the waistband,
• wherein the second configuration has a second base width that is smaller than the first base width;
• connecting a first free end of a first shoulder strap to the first flap;
• and
• connecting a second free end of a second shoulder strap to the second flap.