Mei Tai or HAB?

[Maruschke]

Linda that would be nice.

I am trolling ebay for bargains at the moment because I dont have $100+ to spend on a wrap, but I want one because my one shoulder sling is just too uncomfortable. I have the ABA sling. Anyone who wants it can have it LOL it doesn't suit me at all.

[tiggerlinda]

Hun Baby Ktan is the other I have it is around $89 dollars will bring both and you can try them both I like the cross sholder options. The one shoulder are good for short trips but as Miss C gets heavier these are better

[Michelle71]

OK I have a HAB (2 actually - first one nearly worn out!!) and a mei tai (Ellaroo) ....... and an ERGO and a pouch sling. The HAB is great for a winter baby and I used it with DS until he was nearly 6 months. Perfect for a velcro baby and for hands free. DD (summer baby) didn't like it as much (I still love it though!!) and preferred the Peanut shell single shoulder sling. From 5 months I have used the mei tai for both my daughter and my 12kg 2yo son. I also use the pouch sling for both of them (hip carry for DS and chest to chest for DD).

So really, it depends on what suits you and your little one but each one can do something different and suit what you need at different times. Try as many as you can if you have that option. Or risk ending up with as many as I have

[tiggerlinda]

Oh Michelle you make me feel heaps better I have a sling addiction

[Michelle71]

Gotta make someone feel better Linda

[Nelle]

Ohhh Kitt3n a Beetlebums?!? Those are made from rainbows and dreams aren't they? And you can tell Mel I said that. Awesome!

I don't think you'd want one with thin unpadded straps Oscar. One of mine has really thick straps, so the weight spreads well, and the BabyHawk is padded. I find the BH sliiiightly more comfy. I think.

[suse]

Kitt3n - don't tell me you won the beetlebums that was on the GD stocking? If you did - my hat goes off to you, you have the quickest mouse in history . Lucky you!

Oscaroscar - there are heaps of differences between mei tais - each brand has its detractors and its fans. Generally speaking, the differences will be in the following:

Body dimensions: taller bodies suit toddlers and babies who like to be carried with arms in. Shorter bodies suit younger / smaller babies. (And similarly, taller bodies suit taller wearers, short ones suit short people). Narrower bodies may be preferred by petite wearers (a wider body like that of a Kozy gapes on me causing my baby to sag and lean), wider bodies by those with a larger frame. Bodies that taper in or can be cinched at the bottom creating a narrower seat (like a Connecta) are better for smaller babies, bodies that flare out somewhat at the bottom creating a wider seat are good for toddlers and tall babies as it prevents their legs from drooping and helps encourage the knees higher than bum position.

Shoulder angle: narrower shouldered people generally like shallow angled shoulder straps (eg: catbirdbaby), broader shouldered people prefer wide angled straps like in the Kozy. I think a babyhawk is somewhere in the middle.

Shoulder strap width and padding: Theoretically speaking, padded straps can provide greater support, but most mei tais have light padding compared to (for example) an Ergo, and can be equally, if not more comfortable as they are more 'mouldable' to the individual. Some find the Ergo padding to be a little rigid. Narrower mei tai straps (usually about 10cm wide) tend to have some padding. The other end of the spectrum is wrap style straps (eg: Ball Baby Overall - BBO, Octi Mei Tai - OMT are two of the more well known types - both hard to get in Aus) and woven wrap conversions which have wide, unpadded straps (usually at least 15-20cm wide) that work more like a wrap on a mei tai body. Because they cover a large surface area, these are very supportive and comfortable without being padded, I would personally say more comfortable than a padded strap.

Fabric: the heavier the fabric - the more supportive. Canvas and drill are often used in multiple layers in the body of toddler carriers.

Waist: heavily padded SSC (soft structured carrier) style waist bands with seat darts in the body are often used in toddler mei tais (although these are not able to be worn apron style like a true mei tai), or medium weight padding in a traditional tied waist offers more support. Some mei tais use unpadded waist straps attached to the side of the body either at a 90 or 45 degree angle (the Kozy has an angled waist, a BBO has 90 degree waist straps), whereas others use a full waist band attached to the bottom of the body that usually has even just a little bit of padding.

There are sooooo many different types of mei tais out there it's not funny. Apart from wraps, they are probably the most versatile carriers you can get. If you join a babywearing group (either baby carriers downunder for 'local' knowledge, or thebabywearer is more international in focus), you can get an idea of what will suit you personally. It's also useful to know that just because one type of mei tai may not be extremely comfortable for you - something else more than likely will.

Many people find HABs (or any type of stretch fabric wrap or carrier) to be fantastic for newborns and younger babies but less supportive when they get older. So if you would like to wear regularly and for the long term, you can always sell a carrier and get something else when it has outlived its usefulness for your particular circumstance.

[Kitt3n]

Kitt3n - don't tell me you won the beetlebums that was on the GD stocking? If you did - my hat goes off to you, you have the quickest mouse in history . Lucky you!

yes i did suse someone else said they would have sex with my internet connection if they could LOL

sorry off topic!!

but as you say i can see ssc's being better as they get older - that's wht i kept my mei tei's (she still hates the cat bird baby though )

eta - i am really excited about the beetlebum, i feel so very lucky to be getting it!

[suse]

oooh, I'm so jealous. I'll join the queue to offer ahem... favours to your internet connection. If your DH ever decides that he doesn't like it - you can always sell it to me, I'll happily take it off your hands.

I've got an O&A on order because DS is getting a bit too wriggly to wrap and I want a quick 'up and down' carrier for back carries. That's where SSCs can really be a good thing.

[Maruschke]

suse - wow that was so helpful, thanks for taking the time to type all that out!