what makes a good mei tai

[llwr]

I'm thinking about a mei tai, but I don't want to spend a lot. There's so much variation in prices and also the option of making my own, but I don't know exactly what I should be looking for. Since mei tais have seams I'm also concerned about the seam strength.

[Carhootel]

seam strength for sure, and quality/weight of fabric also - canvas vs. brushed denim vs cottons - you want something strong. I've heard people say that home decor fabric works well, or hidden layers of canvas. I know that while there are some good ebay wahm mei tai sellers, there are also some baaad ones who use cheap cotton and have issues with normal wear. I think reinforced stitching is something you need to look for and most reputable brands will have this - those rectangles at the areas where the straps attach to the body with the cross stitches inside them.

Personally I like when the bottom straps that go around your waist go straight to the sides and not at an angle, I also like a padded waist which many MTs don't have. Some will have padding where your lo's legs go too which will avoid red marks but I haven't really had any problems with that personally. Also, some MTs (all the ones I have) have a hidden layer of canvas in the main body.

I think most of what makes a good mei tai is preference and quality. How much padding and where and the cut of body and length of straps, height and width of body and if it has and the shape/design of a sleeping hood is all up to you

[MadiMamacita]

:LURK
i'm wanting to make one, too. i have good heavy canvas and some fun prints for decoration, but just dont know how to start!

[Quirky]

If you're interested in making your own, there are some great threads and tutorials in the DIY forum at www.thebabywearer.com

In terms of what makes a great MT, it's like jeans in that different people prefer different fits and sizes.

But in terms of safety, although I am sure there are some great WAHM sellers out there on Etsy and Ebay, there are also a LOT of people who have no idea what they're doing -- maybe they've seen pictures of MTs but they don't know how to make them safe and secure, let alone comfortable. I've seen some scary ones that I wouldn't carry a dog in, assuming I wanted to carry a dog in a MT, let alone a baby.

In terms of safe construction, you're not going to go wrong with reputable and widely available brands like Kozy, BabyHawk, Freehand, CatBird Baby, EllaRoo, BallBaby, MomTai, Eden, Mei Tai Baby, Maya Tie....you're also not going to go wrong with quality small-scale sellers like Silly Goose, Bamberoo, Dream Carriers, Kanga, and more. These all have different patterns and fits so they're not going to work well for everyone, but I would trust all of these from a safety perspective.

It really is buyer beware -- I would much rather see someone purchase a good-quality used carrier from a trusted and safe brand than get a new, unsafe carrier from a WAHM who doesn't know what she's doing and uses cheap materials to sell cheap carriers. The savings just isn't worth it if you drop your baby (or if the carrier hurts like hell because it's made from thin fabrics). So check reviews here and at www.thebabywearer.com and run searches for reviews from people who know what they're talking about (not just people who got a cheap deal).

If you do decide to go with a lesser-known person, ask as many questions as you need to about the safety and construction of the carrier. They don't have to send you the pattern to answer your questions about reinforcing methods for attaching the straps, the weight of the fabrics, etc.

[MadiMamacita]

I'm a fan of yours on facebook!

[Quirky]

aww thanks!

[ann_of_loxley]

1). Seam stregth
2). Stregth of fabric
3). Shoulder straps. You'll want to think of length (I like em long, I can cross them over my check then and do a lexi twist...or me this just helps take up weight and distrubute it all that much better - I was able to comfortable wear my son in a MT till he hit 45lbs).
You will also want to think about padding. I like em padded! hehe
4). Waist straps too. I also don't like them angled and I like them wide and slightly padded too.
5). Oh...and length of body too. We have long torsos in our family - this was deff an important one for us! Some MTs just don't come long enough in the body for us!
6). Hood or no? (if used for an older toddler/child that will fall asleep in them, then hoods might be prefered)

Then it just comes down to...colours/patterns! hehe

If you can try any out (like at a sling meet or something?) - that would be fantastic! They really can vary from maker to maker (such as hoods, angles of straps, shoulder or hip, etc). (I never recommend buying cheap ones on ebay if you don't know who makes them!). I love beansling MTs. Bamberoo are pretty good too!