Ann Moore
The Snugli® Baby Carrier
As a Peace Corps nurse during the 1960s in Togo, West Africa, Ann Moore saw African mothers do something that she found very interesting: they carried their babies in fabric slings tied securely on their backs. Moore liked the closeness between babies and their mothers when carried in this way. She observed how the babies seemed so calm because they felt secure and near to their mothers.
When Moore came back home to the United States and decided to have her own child, she wanted to carry her baby in the same manner. After her daughter Mandela was born, Moore attempted to secure the baby on her back just as she had seen in Africa, but the child kept slipping. Starting from a simple backpack and then refining it to their needs, Moore and her mother designed a carrier similar to the ones used by the women in Togo. Together, they came up with the original soft baby carrier, the Snugli®, as well as other kinds of specialized carrying cases.
Due to their invention, mothers and fathers all over the world are able to ride bikes, cook and run errands while carrying their babies close to them. Here is a picture of Moore with the Snugli®.
For more information on Ann Moore, refer to:
Innovative Lives – Women Inventors: Ann Moore
Lemelson-MIT Inventor of the Week: Ann Moore