Kozy vs Catbird Mei Tai...or is there a better mei tai?

[leanmarie]

I have a 2 month old and I love my Moby, but since he is getting big; 12 + pounds and counting; it is getting a little too stretchy for me and I am always adjusting it to tighten it up. Also, it does take some time to get it on when he is fussy, so I really want a mei tai. I even thought about getting a stronger wrap like the Bali Breeze etc, but I am not sure. I just hate having to wrap and then wrap some more, to wear it; especially out in public. So I am set on a mei tai. Through all my research, it has come between the Kozy and the Catbird carriers. I do have an Ergo, but I am waiting for colder weather and my little one to get older to use it. I want a mei tai that is sturdy, comfortable, and will be good to use now and through his toddler years. I do like the Catbird because it has a hood on it, but the Kozy has nicer patterns and it looks like it has a higher back. I did like the Mei Tai Baby, but I have read that the straps are narrow and the material is not very supportive. I did make a ring sling, but he dislikes it and he keeps on sliding on an angle which make him very fussy. 

I am not sure which one to get or if there really is a major difference in these. Is one mei tai really better than the rest?

Any advice would be great.

[julesbr]

I haven't tried the ones you mentioned, but I, oh, how I loved my Babyhawk. I was very sad when dd outgrew it.

[clovergirl]

The Kozy and the CatBirdBaby are both somewhat large bodied mei tais and they may be too big for your little one at this point, especially if you are looking to wear him with his legs out (as opposed to inside the carrier).  If you have the Ergo for him to grow into, I'd look into a smaller bodied mei tai to use for now... the Mei Tai Baby is a good option because it does have the built in cinching feature to narrow the seat for smaller babies to have their legs out more comfortably.  The Freehand and BabyHawk mei tais are also smaller bodied but may still require some modification to the seat width if your babe really needs their legs out.

Hope that helps... and I hope you find something that works soon!

[Snapdragon]

I also am not familiar with those that you mentioned but I LOVE my babyhawk!! love it. We still use it every day and ds is 14 months. It is so comfy and also pretty and a breeze to put on. I think I started using it when ds was around 5 or 6 months. I thought for sure we would be doing back carry with it by now but we are still happy with the front carry. I use it and my over 6 ft tall dh uses it just fine too.

[leanmarie]

Thank you for all your replies. I am still deciding on which one to get.

[bwaybaby918]

Any and all mentioned above can be used with newborns, some are bigger bodied, but can be rolled/folded to adjust length, though wider ones will require feet to be in.  Double check this but I'm pretty sure the catbird baby mei tai allows you to cinch the middle (just as their SSC, the pikkolo, does), so that you can adjust for your LO.

:)

[foolishpony]

I love my Mei Tai Baby!!! I've used it with DD and with DS. DS was pretty chunky for a while and I never felt that the material wasn't strong enough. Plus, the fact that you can cinch it made it great when he was younger. Still use it with him now that he's 19 months. Even my almost 4 yo DD can still go in. I did pick up a 2nd MT (Freehand) and have to say I don't like it nearly as much...

Good luck!