Recommendations for a SSC for a husband who is 6'6"

[Stillwellmom]

Does anyone have any advice on a SSC that would fit a guy who is 6'6"? Unfortunately, we do not have any stores in the area that carry any SSCs, so unless I order them, he can't try them on.  Thanks for any input!

[motherhendoula]

Not sure if this will be helpful or not - but here goes!  My DH is 6'2" and plus sized ...he needs 5 yards for a SSC.  - i use 4 yards.  I sew so i made a few wraps myself - if you have the option ....go for 5 yards , unless he is also plus sized, then i would go for 5.5 yards or even 6.   (then YOU can use the 6 for a back carry!!) 

[insidevoice]

It will depend largely on how he will wear, and how heavy he is as well. Is he a tall and thin guy, or a tall and heavier guy?

He may want extra length in the padding of the straps either way, but he may NEED the extra length if he's a little heavier.  You may also want to know his waist measurement- some carriers have fairly small waist belts- the Ergo- for example, would require a belt extension for a lot of people who I wouldn't think of as needing to order a larger size, but they do.   The Oh Snap is great and is incredibly adjustable- I would suspect that unless your husband is well over 300 lbs it would work well for him.  Kinderpacks come in a plus strap length that I like a lot, but unless he has a fairly broad shoulder (or in the case of a woman, a larger chest) I can see the plus strap being too big for  many people. 

Nana's Jetpack comes in a larger strap size, as do Olives and Applesauce. 

How old is the baby/child you want to wear?  That will help get a better idea of what might work as well.  

[Bokonon]

My husband is 6'4" and was about 300 lbs. when DD was wearable, and he liked the Beco Butterfly II.  

[sweetgirls]

My husband is also 6'6, and 220 lbs. He's been able to comfortably wear all carriers. Beginning with the Moby, then we move on to a pack. Both the Beco and the Ergo were fine for him. They both offer lots of adjustment options. He also really liked the Maya sling when DD1 was bigger, about a year old+.

Hope that helps.

[cristeen]

The Moby worked for my 6'4", 280 DH for the first few mos. He now uses a Two Mommas Design half-buckle Tai w XL straps now DS is older. The XL straps give us the ability to do any tie we want front or back. But the half-buckle (waist) is a bit less intimidating for him. Depending on his comfort w it and the age of the babe, my fave is my TMD onbuhimo w XL straps. It would fit DH, but he finds it intimidating (its far easier than the half buckle, IMO).

A fair bit of this will be dependent upon his shoulders though. From what i've heard, I wouldnt even be able to comfortably wear something like an Ergo because its designed for narrower shoulders (mine are extremely wide for a female, although not wider than DH's).

[Stillwellmom]

Thank you for all the great advice!  DH is 6'6" and about 220, fairly thin and athletic.  We have a 2.5yo that will be carried in it, but we are also due with another one this June.  We both love and wear the Moby wrap, but we are looking for something more supportive after the first few months.  My DD was 10 lb 5 oz when she was born, and I don't think this one will be any smaller.  We are both tall, so we tend to have small children as well.  I've been looking at the Ergo, Boba, Becco, OhSnap online, but just wish I could try them on to see the differences. 

[insidevoice]

The Ergo is the shortest bodied of those.  The Becco- depending on the model is often best for younger babies as the base width is fairly narrow for a toddler. The Oh snap is a tall carrier- my 18 month old fits in it with the headrest up behind his head for support if he is arms in and snuggled down.  I love it because of this, but it might swallow a younger baby.  I haven't tried a Boba, but they have the foot straps that should help to keep the child in a good position even if they outgrow the width of the carrier. 

Another consideration might be a Mei Tai.  You could wear it rolled and scrunched for a little baby but it would be ok with the larger child as well.  Personally however, I like a structured waist once a child is over 25lbs or so.   My current favorite carrier is my toddler size kinderpack- they are very hard to get though and again, my 18 month od really is just fitting into it now.  My almost 3 year old fits it perfectly and he's very tall for his age.  She does make an adjustable infant carrier though that I would consider for a little baby, though I really think the Kinderpack design shines in a back carry and prefer other options such as a woven wrap for a front carry. 

If you like the Moby and want more support- maybe a woven would be a good investment.  It would work well for either child and is probably the most versatile option.  Personally- once they get to the up down up down age, I like something easier than a wrap and use other carriers, but a wrap is amazing for those first months and for longer carries later on. 

[motherhendoula]

I would check out local Babywearing groups in your area.    http://www.thebabywearer.com/   is a good resource.  You may be able to try a few things on - meet other tall parents and see what worked for them!  

  when you wrote SSC ...i thought it stood for Short Cross Carry - as with a woven wrap.....I would blame lack of sleep, but baby has been getting better lately.....just reading too fast!

[Stillwellmom]

Originally Posted by Stillwellmom 

Thank you for all the great advice!  DH is 6'6" and about 220, fairly thin and athletic.  We have a 2.5yo that will be carried in it, but we are also due with another one this June.  We both love and wear the Moby wrap, but we are looking for something more supportive after the first few months.  My DD was 10 lb 5 oz when she was born, and I don't think this one will be any smaller.  We are both tall, so we tend to have small children as well.  I've been looking at the Ergo, Boba, Becco, OhSnap online, but just wish I could try them on to see the differences. 

Lol.  That should say we "tend to have tall children," not small.

[sillysmile]

My DH is 6'6" and thin (but not skinny), with a really long torso and broad shoulders. We got the Ergo Sport rather than the regular Ergo because the straps were longer (at least 2.5 yrs ago when we checked). It has worked very well for both of us so far, still works for our tall 2.5yo (30#) and we're planning to use for our newborn as well -

[Xavismom]

I'm 5'11, and my DH is 6'4, we use a Boba, and it fits both of us, and our tall chunky 20 mo DS perfectly =) I can post photos if you'd like. Love our Boba!!

[PatioGardener]

I'm 6 feet tall and looooove my Manduca!

[Monkey Keeper]

Just my 2 cents...

My DH is 6'5" and wears a 36/38" waist and 46" jacket. We have an older Ergo (2005 or so), and he maxes out the waist buckle and nearly maxes out the shoulder straps as well.  His brother is 6'8' and thinner, and he has worn our Ergo on the same settings, maybe a little tighter in the waist. But there's no way anyone larger could wear it. Unless your DH can try it on, I would go with something else.

Also, I agree with PPs that the Ergo's short body can be problematic for tall kiddos. DD2 was well off the charts for height her entire first 3 years, and she could do some amazing backbends in the Ergo! The longer body of the Beco was much better for both her and DS (who was similarly sized) in that not-sitting-well-yet phase where their shoulders need support, even in a front carry.

Edited by Monkey Keeper - 7/16/11 at 7:00pm

[macandcheese]

I second the Boba recommendation. DH is 6'2" and it fits him fine—the straps allow for a lot of room. DS is also on the tall side (though he's only 7 months) and it will be a long time before the top of the Boba's body is even below his shoulders.

[Xavismom]

Originally Posted by PinkBunch 

Just my 2 cents...

My DH is 6'5" and wears a 36/38" waist and 46" jacket. We have an older Ergo (2005 or so), and he maxes out the waist buckle and nearly maxes out the shoulder straps as well.  His brother is 6'8' and thinner, and he has worn our Ergo on the same settings, maybe a little tighter in the waist. But there's no way anyone larger could wear it. Unless your DH can try it on, I would go with something else.

Also, I agree with PPs that the Ergo's short body can be problematic for tall kiddos. DD2 was well off the charts for height her entire first 3 years, and she could do some amazing backbends in the Ergo! The longer body of the Beco was much better for both her and DS (who was similarly sized) in that not-sitting-well-yet phase where their shoulders need support, even in a front carry.

This is exactly why we went with a Boba instead. I felt like our DS was going to pop right out of the Ergo we tried on in a store! And it didnt fit my DH very well either.