A child carrier with a side buckle and ventilation features. The buckle includes a male portion and a female portion. The male portion of the buckle is shaped to mate with the female portion simply and easily, yet securely attaches the side portion of the carrier to the front/strap portion of the carrier. The buckle is robust, yet easy to use and does not easily disengage without a deliberate movement by the wearer thereof. The ventilation features provide comfort to the child carried in the carrier as well as the wearer thereof and are comprised of a ventilation panel that may be open, releasably closed, or accessed through a slit.