Mei Tai vs. Beco carrier

[momofadella]

Hi mamas! I have a 15 month old who I have always worn...we have the Moby and the Hotsling, which I love. Now I'm searching for a good carrier that I can use to carry her on my back. I'm curious what your opinions are of these two styles...or if there are any other styles that you can recommend. I'd like it to be comfortable and easy to put on. Thanks in advance :-)

[tinyblackdot]

A good MT like a bamberoo or a kindercarry are great for toddlers and will grow with your lo, but if your lo is on the larger/heavier side you might want to think about getting a toddler sized full buckle carrier like a Kanga-xt, Olives and Applesauce 18, DreamCarrier, or (my fave) a RobynsNest. All of those can be a bit tricky to get ahold of, so if you want something that you can just buy from a store, i would go with a APLX, its alot like a beco, it just doesnt have the seat/inserts (that i find impossible to use with back carries).

Best of luck!

[elleystar]

I'd have to vote for the Beco, I found it to be so much more comfortable after DS was around 5-6 months old. Mind you he's extremely huge, he hit 30 lbs by 9 mo I think (but don't remember very well anymore. LOL!) Anyway with all that weight AND height he had, the padded waist belt that sat above the hips was amazing for distribution. I also loved that I could set all the straps how they fit me best and then leave them that way-every time I wanted to wear DS, just buckle & go!

[Drummer's Wife]

I have a couple mei tai's (toddler hawk and ellaroo) and a Beco Butterfly but would recommend an Ergo over any of them. It's all we use anymore (though, DS is 2.5 and 30+ lbs).

[Materfamilias]

I have a Kozy mei tai and a Beco and I never use the Beco. I just find the straps too confining and too much of a pain. I like being able to do the really fine tuning the Kozy allows. I've had it since dd was a few months old and it's still working great now that she's 25 Lbs. I expect it will continue to be my go-to carrier for a long time to come...

[elleystar]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

I have a couple mei tai's (toddler hawk and ellaroo) and a Beco Butterfly but would recommend an Ergo over any of them. It's all we use anymore (though, DS is 2.5 and 30+ lbs).

I always wanted to try an Ergo but couldn't afford another carrier, and DS kind of outgrew being worn anyway, about the time he turned 1. He's 19 mo now and about 35 lbs.

Of course my Beco is one of the older style, not a Butterfly. I tried a friend's Butterfly once and liked my 4th gen MUCH better. The Butterfly would not have worked long with my big kiddo.

[elleystar]

Originally Posted by tinyblackdot

A good MT like a bamberoo or a kindercarry are great for toddlers and will grow with your lo, but if your lo is on the larger/heavier side you might want to think about getting a toddler sized full buckle carrier like a Kanga-xt, Olives and Applesauce 18, DreamCarrier, or (my fave) a RobynsNest. All of those can be a bit tricky to get ahold of, so if you want something that you can just buy from a store, i would go with a APLX, its alot like a beco, it just doesnt have the seat/inserts (that i find impossible to use with back carries).

Best of luck!

Yeah to this! Or hunt for a used 4th Gen Beco with no funky seat/insert!

[mamadelbosque]

I don't have any of the SSC's but I love my Kozy & MOMTai - they're what I use if I'm going to be carrying DS2 around for anything more than a quick trip to the grocery store (ie anytime he'll be in it for more than about 15-20 minutes).

[JBaxter]

Ihave a 26lb 13 month old and I LOVE my beco. Its not a butterfly II its an earlier model maybe the 4th generation. Its my go to carrier when shopping. I also have an ergo but prefer my becco.

[alegna]

I keep trying to like SSCs... but they just are not nearly as comfortable for me as my MTs. Kozy is my go-to carrier.

-Angela

[askew]

I have a Beco and a Babyhawk MT and I use my Ergo most. It is just the most comfortable, especially on my back.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I love the Beco Butterfly, and it has become my go-to carrier in the last few months, and I usually do back carries in it. I love my mei tai too, but have not taken the time to learn back carries in it, and only use it on the front.

[KristyDi]

Once the Beco is on, I find it very comfortable. But getting it on is kind of a pain. I don't really like the extra step of getting dd in the pocket thing. That means I don't reach for it as often as I might otherwise. If I needed to wear DD for a long time (more than 2 hours) I'd wear the Beco.

I have a DIY MT, from this company's instructions, that I like a lot, but is on loan to a friend right now.

My go to carry is a woven wrap in a ruck tied Tibetan. Since I can tie the MT the same way I really like it.

[jenfl]

I think choosing a carrier is a pretty personal choice, because of how you like to use it and how they fit your body. It would be best if you could try both out.

Having said that, my DH and I prefer a Beco. We've used one with DD since a few months after she was born, and she still (at 2.5) LOVES to be worn on DH's back -- and DH LOVES to wear her. We chose the Beco because we felt more secure with the buckles than we did just tying the straps of a mei tai.

We're expecting a little boy in a few months, and our very first purchase was a second Beco to wear him in.

[momofadella]

Thank you all so much for your personal opinions. I can see that it varies and is definitely a personal thing, but it seems like the most prefered is a Beco. My dd is fairly small, 19 1/2 lbs at almost 16 months old. So, I don't really need a toddler sized one, at least idt. I am lucky enough to have friends who are going to let me try both out this weekend to see which I like best. I'm also considering the Kozy, I hadn't thought of it until this thread. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone with one that I can try out though. Oh well. Thanks a bunch :-)

[ellairiesmom]

Chiming in a little late but wanted to say that once they get a little heavier, MTs can be rough for long carries. If you had the ability to wait for a custom spot or can take a look at the FSOT board over at www.babywearer.com, I would go for a Kanga or a Kinderpack. I think those are the way to go for SSCs. The padded waists are divine!

That being said, the Kindercarry is a very comfortable MT for when they do get heavier. When I got my new custom in the mail the other day I put DD (33 lbs) in a front carry over my very huge 31 week belly & it was really nice.

[Shannie77]

I love my mei tai, and used it until DD was about 2, but I couldn't wear it on my back comfortably. DD is not a big kid. My friend has an ergo and I am going to get one for the next baby, mostly for the back carry. It is much more comfortably that way, and easy for DH to use.

[BundleFishMama]

I tried the Beco and sold it, wasn't crazy about it - looooove my mei tais though! Babyhawk is my fave Or, if you like the Moby, get a woven wrap and you can do lots with that (back or front carries).

[alegna]

Originally Posted by ellairiesmom

Chiming in a little late but wanted to say that once they get a little heavier, MTs can be rough for long carries.

I disagree. Mine get big fast (20lbs by 4 mo, 25 by 9ish months) and the kozy is super comfy. I wear ds for hours most days without a problem.

On the other hand, I have never been able to get a SSC comfortable for longer than a few minutes.

-Angela

[Dea]

I have a mei tei and a beco butterfly 1 and I love them both, my beco is my go to for my toddler (when I'm not pregnant).
The mei tei takes some practice to wrangle a toddler onto your back and tie it tightly, the beco with it's insert makes it easier to put them on to your front and slide them around.
I see that some people don't like the insert, I find it's not too bad. on the butterfly 2 the infant insert comes out, only leaving the panel in, which I find to not be an issue at all.
I refuse to even consider an ergo, they're a horrible company and are trying to strong arm some of the other smaller companies like beco, furthermore becos are prettier and if you have a taller toddler a better choice. (the back on a beco is longer than on an ergo)

You can also consider angel packs and patapum toddler carriers which go to 60 lbs.