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Originally Posted by
floiejo2 
Okay so I've been doing research on different carriers. I go back and forth...I like the wrapsody bali breeze type wraps but since that's so similar to the moby, I'm kinda wanting something different to have more options. I've been looking at the maya ring sling as well as the sleeping baby production ones (although she seems really backed up and I want something now), and also the light on shoulder ring sling cause it's only $30. But I think I want a loose tail to use as a nursing coverup and sun shade and most of them don't have that...I've also been looking at the mei tai and boba and beca carriers, they look really cool and easy to me. Aaargh! There are so many options...anyone have experience with these or have strong opinions on these carriers? I think the top 2 I'm considering are the maya wrap and the mei tai. Which do you like better and why? TIA!!!
I'd definitely choose a SBP ring sling over a maya ring sling, if you do go for a ring sling. Everyone I know who liked the maya rs hadn't tried any other brand...everyone I know who has tried the maya and another brand has preferred the other brand. I thought the maya was fine before I tried anything else, but now I realize that it wasn't that comfortable. You can look into Comfy Joey ring slings too if SBP is backed up.
As for ring slings in general, the vast majority of them have loose tails. You'd have to look pretty hard to find a closed tail ring sling these days, and you'd probably have to buy it used. So most of them will have a loose tail that you can use for a nursing cover up. In general, ring slings are fast, easy to put on, and pack down small in your diaper bag. The downside though is that since they're only over one shoulder, they distribute the baby's weight unevenly. That means that it will start to hurt your back after 30-45 minutes. I find them very very uncomfortable for long periods of wearing. If you're someone who only wears the baby on quick shopping trips and errands, a ring sling is a good choice. If you'd rather a carrier that you can wear all day at the zoo, or all day at home though, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend something that puts the weight on both shoulders. The other down side to a ring sling is that you technically can do a back carry with a ring sling, but it's fairly advanced babywearing (you have to do it very very carefully or it's unsafe) and even then it's not that comfortable compared to back carries with other carriers.
IMO, mei tais are much more useful than ring slings. I say that because they distribute the baby's weight evenly so they don't hurt, and you can easily do back carries in them. I also really like mei tais for wearing over winter coats. They're also easy and fast to put on, and pack down pretty small. They're pretty cool in summer. Some brands have a sleeping hood so when the baby falls asleep, you can pull up a little hood that will support their head--I really like that feature. They're also very easy to learn back carries with compared to woven wraps.
Soft structured carriers like the beco and the boba are good choices too. If your baby is still pretty little, the boba might not work though--I think it's for babies over 6 months. We really like our boba with our toddler because it's got a tall body compared to most SSCs, so it holds her more securely than SSCs with shorter bodies (which only come up to her mid back now, instead of her neck like the boba). SSCs are easy to put on because of the buckles. They're kind of bulky though in a diaper bag. You also have to adjust the straps if you switch users, which is a total pain in the neck but isn't an issue if you're the only one who uses it. Some people find SSCs too bulky--I personally hate how backpacky they feel, but some people consider that a benefit. SSCs are a little harder to get a good fit with than mei tais and wraps because they're not as customizable. A lot of people have to try a few different brands before they find one that fits their body well. SSCs are easy to learn back carries with. The other big benefit is that they put a lot of the baby's weight on your hips, which a lot of people find more comfortable than other carriers (but I actually don't like it).
My favorite carriers are woven wraps. (The wrapsody bali breeze actually isn't a woven wrap, it's a gauze wrap, so I wouldn't put it in that category). I love how soft and snuggly they are, and how customizable they are. You can make it fit your body perfectly. I also like that there are so many options with a woven wrap. With a mei tai or an SSC, you can do a front carry or a back carry (or sometimes a hip carry). But with a wrap, there are 25+ different carries you can do, so you can alternate among them depending on your needs. You can definitely get woven wraps that are cool in summer. I know you said that you'd like something that's not a wrap because you already have a wrap, but you're very very close to outgrowing the Moby, and then you won't have a wrap. ;-) So I wouldn't rule wraps out just because you want more options. I actually think a wrap gives you the most options!
As for nursing in carriers, I've found it easy to nurse in every type of carrier you've mentioned (wraps, mei tais, ring slings, SSCs) so I think you can make it work easily in whatever carrier you choose. For what it's worth, I'm able to nurse most discretely in a wrap.
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