Which of the three would you get?

[paintedbison]

I have a ring sling that I used with DS and liked okay. I also have a very worn out mei tai that I made myself that I liked a lot.

I have the opportunity to trade some diapers for a sling. My options would be a beco butterfly, a wrap (moby or a couple other options), or a new mei tai (ellaroo or maya tie). I'd have to pay a considerable difference for the beco, but I'm wondering if it would be worth it....

[Sharlla]

I'd get a MT with padded straps. I love my Kozy The ER is made in India and I just don't like the design of the M

[MusicianDad]

We have a moby wrap, I love it, DS loves it, heck everyone loves it. Even DD has occasionally worn DS for a bit.

[pixiepunk]

are you strictly looking for something for the newborn? or do you think you'll also use it for the toddler too? if just for the newborn i'd go ahead and get the moby for now unless you tend to have huge babies. i do have huge babies so a stretchy wrap only works well for the first 3 months or so. but most normal babies can be worn in a stretchy wrap till they at least 6-9 months. then when you outwear the usefulness of the stretchy wrap, you can sell it or partial-trade it for a Kozy or a SSC like a beco that will be better for a bigger/heavier baby or toddler.

if you think you might also want to use it with the toddler, though, or if you really don't want to deal with getting something else later on, i'd go ahead and get the Beco Butterfly.

[broodymama]

Of my wrap, mei tai and (new with this babe) Beco Butterfly, I find myself reaching for my mei tai the most. I'm somewhat wrap-challenged, I like the Beco but it's not my favorite, my mei tai is still my first choice.

[ChetMC]

Thoughts

I have several ring slings, a mei tai, a Beco Butterly and we've used plain cotton cloth for a wrap.

I like the slings because once you're proficient, there is no faster carrier for getting baby in an out and they're very flexible. For our girls, the sling worked well from birth right up to age two, but DS wasn't as content in the sling after about 8 months.

My mei tai is homemade too. I like it, but the learning curve has limited how much it gets used. I never reached the point where I could get a child on my back without help. What I really like though is that if you're wearing baby for a long time you can change the way the straps are tied to shift the weight and stress around.

I got my Butterfly half price and tax free at a warehouse sale when the Butterfly II came out, but after having used it for nearly four months I think it's well worth the $140 full price. I haven't used it with a newborn, but it's really easy to put on your back alone, you can change wearers without taking the baby out, and it's very comfortable. I do find the waist belt more comfortable than my mei tai after for long periods. I use the Beco a lot, and am sure that I'll continue to use it a lot as DS gets bigger. i might use it less if I was better with the mei tai, but I haven't used my mei tai at all since I got the Beco.

If you have no particular issues with the carriers you have for the baby stage, I would skip the wrap. A new mei tai or a Beco will be useful a lot longer.. Slings are okay with older babies and toddlers, but I think other carriers are better. And since your mei tai is nearly worn out, it sounds like you could use something that would be especially good for a child over twenty pounds as well as with a newborn.

If you're really good with a mei tai, and have no issues with it, a Beco might not be worth the money for you. If you can get the Beco for less than $90 making up the difference, that's what I've seen them going for used... so if you decided to try the Beco and didn't like it and you could sell it and get your cash back to buy something else.

[paintedbison]

Thanks for the advice. I do like the mei tai. The biggest problem I had with it is that I didn't add any padding to the straps. Once DS hit about 12 months old, it hurt my shoulders to wear him. I was thinking the beco might be better for long term with the padding? However, I guess if I buy a mei tai, it will probably come with padded straps? I'd like something I can wear long term. I could use my ring sling while the baby is a newborn...

[ChetMC]

Try Before You Buy?

Originally Posted by paintedbison

Thanks for the advice. I do like the mei tai. The biggest problem I had with it is that I didn't add any padding to the straps. Once DS hit about 12 months old, it hurt my shoulders to wear him. I was thinking the beco might be better for long term with the padding? However, I guess if I buy a mei tai, it will probably come with padded straps? I'd like something I can wear long term. I could use my ring sling while the baby is a newborn...

I find with the Beco I have less strain on my shoulders because the padded waist belt has a lot of the weight resting on my hips.

Can you try the carriers out with your 20 month old at the store before you choose?

[paintedbison]

Originally Posted by ChetMC

I find with the Beco I have less strain on my shoulders because the padded waist belt has a lot of the weight resting on my hips.

Can you try the carriers out with your 20 month old at the store before you choose?

It's an online store.

[pauletoy]

I loooooooove my Beco!!!!:

[KristyDi]

Personally I would get a non stretchy wrap if that was an option. It works for the newborn stage and then keeps working as your LO grows. But I'm partial to wrapping.

I love my Beco for wearing my 1 year old, but didn't get it until just recently so I don't know how it works for the littler ones. I find it to be very comfortable and supportive once it's on, but I do find it the most awkward of all the carriers I own to get into.

I have a DIY MT that I am also liking. It's unpadded but has wide straps. That's my only experience with MTs.

[PiePie]

how big was your prior baby?

[maymorales]

It sounds like the Beco is your safest bet.

[momma-molly]

Can you get all three?

The wrap is great for a newborn - seriously, there is nothing better.

I love my mei tai, but as other posters have eluded too, it's a little tricky to get used to. As far as shoulder padding, it makes a BIG difference. My shoulders never hurt...well, except for once when I wore my DD for three hours.

Personally, I'd go for the Beco. I've been coveting one of those for a looong time!

[07Mommy]

all you need is an ERGOcarrier, they are great & go from NB to 40 lbs! my LO is about 23 lbs & 20 mos old now & we LOVE it.
here' s their site:
http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/

[mjg013]

I think I'd go with the mei tai unless they offer a non-stretchy wrap. I LOVE my wrap and couldn't live without it but it's a woven. I wouldn't want something I was only going to use for the first year. My baby was born weighing over 10lbs and he is 25lbs now at 8 months. I wanted something I could wear my infant or my toddlers in. My next purchase will be a mei tai.

[To-Fu]

Of the ones you listed, the Beco seems to me to be the most versatile in terms of what size of baby can use it, how you can use it, etc. At least, that's been our experience.