Babywearing: which mei tai?

[MaltesersAndMarmite]

Having finally decided to buy a mei tai to replace my moby which I find too stretchy with my 16lb dd, I'm overwhelmed by the different types available. Need something which has some head support as she sleeps in the sling alot. Any opinions gratefully appreciated.
TIA

Hi MandM,

You might find this site helpful:

www.slingmeet.co.uk

Various dealers advertise here and you can post for advice, or perhaps get to a meet to try some before buying.

I like Babyhawk mei tais because the straps are very comfy, but my current love is my Sleepy Nico soft carrier which is as beautiful as a mei tai, and incredibly comfortable and easy to put on. And it has a sleep hood.

You can find them on:

www.sleepynico.com

Hope you find something that suits.

With MTs you really just need to find a fabric you like and dive in! If you don't end up liking it, you cna always sell it on. the fab thing is that they keep so much of their value that you may end up losing out on about a fiver.

I have never tried a napsack baby but i love the idea of them. the straps are wide at the top then narrow down so it is wider over the shoulders the way a wrap is, spreading the weight like a wrap does, but narrows down the the ends where you will tie off so no bulk. They don't have a sleep hood but are deep enough that a smaller baby will be deep enough in the carrier that a sleep hood is not necessary.

TBH, any of the MTs which slingjax sells are excellent and tried and tested by carrier addicts. I have a weakspot for Tettitetts, and they have sleep hoods, but the price of one is a restricting factor.

napsacks are very very comfy mei tais.
joeyslings are brilliant too. we have had ours for years...literally
Babyhawk and kozy are big american brand names and are very very good.
there are literally loads out there. whereabouts are you? perhaps you could get a couple of demo slings in to try or ask a sling agent

Can't find a sling agent nearby unfortunately, and I don't think getting to a sling meet is possible as the nearest is pretty far away and as I don't drive it would be a very long trip on bus and train. Thanks for the suggestions

have a look at
slingjax

sharni has a fantastic selection

MaltesersandMarmite! you nnneeeedd to visit this page! Bigmamaslings will give you lots of helpful advice before you buy if needs be. I really recommend the Kozy. It doesn't have a sleep hood but it is a deep or rather, tall carrier so a 16lb baby will not need a sleep hood. The sale price if fab so if you don't get on with it, you will be able to get the full value back, second hand. If you don't mind going for buckles, the Patapum on the same page also has a sleep hood but I don't know if it is standard or an extra. I would love to try a pikkolo and a beco but I can't justify one at the moment. have this helps.

Thanks for that Kis. Are Kozy's reversible?

yes it is, this would be black on the 'reverse' side. all MTs are reversible really. when someone says that they have a 'reversible' MT it means that they chose a second fabric for the reverse rather than taking the standard fabric the maker would use, which is generally the fabric that the straps are made of. in this case, i suspect a black cotton twill.

Wow, thanks so much, am off to buy!

oh goody, since I can't justify buying any slings at the moment, i am fulfilling my passion for shopping through others.

ARGH! Computer problems, by the time managed to get on line again it had sold, unsurprisingly

Join the UKBabywearingSwap group and buy second hand - then your cost of trying a sling can be nothing or minimal if you don't like it.

I've got Toddlerhawks (DS is 2)and they are very well made, and the head support is much better than faffing with a hood. I also had a Front Back Sides Mt, which was lovely.

second vote for the Kozy; I graduated from a Moby D to this and use it all the time, for hours.