# ergo vs. mei tai



## njbeachgirl

nak

pros and cons of both? opinions?

i have an ergo but i'm not lovin' it as much as i thought i would. i find it to be HOT and dds head bops around too much (shes still little though)

is the mei tai any good for long walks?

is it a pain to get on and off?

is one particular brand the best?

thanks


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## rmzbm

MT!!!!! II can walk all day in my MT's, any of them, but I can't sing the praises of www.kozycarrier.com highly enough! The best of the best!


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## Jenlaana

I have never used an ergo, but I love love LOVE my mei tei. I have a "happy cruiser" from happyslings.com and its incredibly comfortable in front, back and side carries. Its also about to start being used on a 3rd child w/out a single sign of breaking down other than a faded tag.









My DH even loves the mei tei. We used to fight over who would get to wear baby in it, when we went to the grocery store or the mall.


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## njbeachgirl

how about baby hawk??

i love their patterns!!


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## ATruck

I have used both. I have to say, if you don't find the Ergo comfortable, I'm not sure that you will love a mei tai any more (unless you are short-- the structured-ness of the Ergo means that it doesn't fit tiny people, and presumably, giants, as well).

To me, the advantages of a mei tai over the Ergo are--
1. slightly more flexible.. you can roll to make the body shorter, etc
2. mei tais are way prettier

disadvantages-
1. slightly trickier to get on-- dragging the straps on the ground, etc
2. may not be as comfortable, depending on what kind you get. I think that Baby Hawks and Kozy both make a great mei tai, though.

Honestly, I think the main difference is aesthetic.


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## ohiomommy1122

carrying a 26 lb DD i CAN say the ergo is WAY more comfy than a mei tai


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## lyttlewon

If your complaint is heat is a mei tai going to be any different? Personally I love the ergo. It is super easy to put on you just snap and go. I had a mei tai for a day and I couldn't get it adjusted. I gave up and bought the Ergo and now I am a die hard ergo lover. The only con is if you are ample in the bottom area you need to buy a waist extender.


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## babymakesthree

another vote for the ergo. i could never get the mt comfy enough (i tried 2).


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## starry_mama

I've never tried an ergo (never even seen one IRL), but I love love love love LOVE my babyhawk. I generally use it for my one year old who is in the 20lb range. But I have carried my 40+ lb 3 year old in it and felt fine.


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## Llyra

I have both. I find that the Mei Tai is more comfortable and easier to use with a smaller baby, say up to crawling age, but that once baby starts putting on weight, the Ergo is WAY more comfy. My Mei Tai cuts into my shoulders, even with very wide straps, and puts strain on my back, while my Ergo is comfortable even to carry my 32 pound almost-three-year-old. Also, it's kind of a pain to use the Mei Tai sometimes in bad weather when you are trying to get your baby into it from the car and the straps are long and dangling in a puddle. That's a minor issue, though!

I don't think a Mei Tai would be any cooler than an Ergo, honestly. Babywearing is sweaty work.


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## dillonandmarasmom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Llyra* 
I have both. I find that the Mei Tai is more comfortable and easier to use with a smaller baby, say up to crawling age, but that once baby starts putting on weight, the Ergo is WAY more comfy. My Mei Tai cuts into my shoulders, even with very wide straps, and puts strain on my back, while my Ergo is comfortable even to carry my 32 pound almost-three-year-old. Also, it's kind of a pain to use the Mei Tai sometimes in bad weather when you are trying to get your baby into it from the car and the straps are long and dangling in a puddle. That's a minor issue, though!

I don't think a Mei Tai would be any cooler than an Ergo, honestly. Babywearing is sweaty work.


yes, yes, and double yes! my mt was great until dd hit about 25 pounds. my shoulder still has a slight ache when i carry her in the ergo(she's now about 37 pounds and 2), but not the shooting pain and discomfort w/my mt. i have a karma baby mt in a beautiful lavender print, and my ergo is maroon w/black. i love the 'look' of both.


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## maxsmum

I have both, like them both. Love the blackhawk mei tai more for when he is going to sleep, his head/neck sticks out too much in the ergo and the little head cradle thing is just useless for his big noggin'. Hate when the mei tai straps drag on the ground. Also hate trying to buckle the ergo in the back. My DH way prefers the mei tai.

so I guess I say go with either one or both! they both are great but also both have their drawbacks. I am a big fan of owning a few types of carriers - keeps from getting sore in one place and they all seem to work for different occasions.


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## njbeachgirl

yeah the heat thing would happen with anything I guess! I just don't notice it in the sling because i'm not using it for long distances like I was the ergo.

I guess I just don't find the ergo to be super comfy. Maybe I need more practice with it!


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## samantha546

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ATruck* 
I have used both. I have to say, if you don't find the Ergo comfortable, I'm not sure that you will love a mei tai any more (unless you are short-- the structured-ness of the Ergo means that it doesn't fit tiny people, and presumably, giants, as well).

To me, the advantages of a mei tai over the Ergo are--
1. slightly more flexible.. you can roll to make the body shorter, etc
2. mei tais are way prettier

disadvantages-
1. slightly trickier to get on-- dragging the straps on the ground, etc
2. may not be as comfortable, depending on what kind you get. I think that Baby Hawks and Kozy both make a great mei tai, though.

Honestly, I think the main difference is aesthetic.


Quote:


Originally Posted by *ohiomommy1122* 
carrying a 26 lb DD i CAN say the ergo is WAY more comfy than a mei tai

I agree with both of these posts.

I have both and really don't use my MT that much, much to my wallet's dismay.







I for one find the other to be much more comfortable and quicker to get on. But it always is dependant on the wearer. Some swear by both, some swear by one or the other.

Can't go wrong with having both!


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## LoveOhm

What about a wrap? Are wraps better than these two options?


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## Mihelinka

I liked the Ergo for heavier child, felt more sturdy for me. Also DH loved the ergo & used it often.

The MT, dh hates. For me it was great w/ a newborn. Now my 5 month old isn't loving being in it much. Also harder to get on IMO & off.


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## njbeachgirl

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LoveOhm* 
What about a wrap? Are wraps better than these two options?

I use my wrap the most-I have a ring sling and a pouch and they are both great. However sometimes I'd like a carrier I can use with DD on my back.


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## birthjunkie27

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ATruck* 
I have to say, if you don't find the Ergo comfortable, I'm not sure that you will love a mei tai any more (unless you are short-- the structured-ness of the Ergo means that it doesn't fit tiny people, and presumably, giants, as well).

Uh oh. I just ordered an Ergo yesterday (after wanting one for over a year...I finally bought it with some birthday money). I'm 5'1" and dh is 6'7". I was hoping it'd work for both of us...now I'm thinking it may not work for either. Yikes...I REALLY hope it works for us.

I loved my Babyhawk MT when Dd was smaller but now she's a big active toddler the straps dig into my shoulders. I also never really liked the long straps issue.


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## lemurmommies

Quote:


Originally Posted by *birthjunkie27* 
Uh oh. I just ordered an Ergo yesterday (after wanting one for over a year...I finally bought it with some birthday money). I'm 5'1" and dh is 6'7". I was hoping it'd work for both of us...now I'm thinking it may not work for either. Yikes...I REALLY hope it works for us.

I am only 5 feet tall, and I just got an Ergo on Monday and LOVE it! It fits me well, and it also fits my DP (we got the waist extender for her.) Don't worry too much until you actually try it out. I had heard they weren't great for short people too, but I honestly don't find I have any problems.

About the MT vs. Ergo question, I have both, and I find the Ergo much more comfortable and easy to use. I think that MT do have a bit more flexibility in that you can roll the body to make it shorter (as a PP said), but the Ergo is much easier for on and off. Despite lots of practice I couldn't get DS onto my back in the mei tai without using a bed/sofa, but with the Ergo I can do a hip load onto my back anywhere!


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## eternamariposa

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rmzbm* 
MT!!!!! II can walk all day in my MT's, any of them, but I can't sing the praises of www.kozycarrier.com highly enough! The best of the best!

I have to agree, my sister has a Kozy and DH an I love ours too. It distributes weight really well, is comfortable- dh record w ds = 2hours!- and easy to use. My only complaint is I can't really wear ds up front very long without him wanting milk. Now that he is getting older that is improving though, as long as he is up really high and can see over my shoulder.


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## MollyandCleo

One other thing I don't think anyone mentioned yet. You can get your baby much higher on your back with a mei tai. By the time she was 8 or 9 months old, my daughter loved being able to peek over my shoulder to "supervise" everything I was doing around the house. In an ergo, the baby is sitting at your waist level, and has to look around the sides of your body to see what's going on.


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## rzberrymom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *njbeachgirl* 
I use my wrap the most-I have a ring sling and a pouch and they are both great. However sometimes I'd like a carrier I can use with DD on my back.









If you're planning on a back carry, I find a structured carrier more comfy (Ergo, Beco, Yamo, Tentoes Click, etc.) To do a back carry with a mei tai, you either have to do a rucksack carry or cross the straps over your chest--I didn't find either of those as comfy as a structured carrier.

But, for a front carry, I find a mei tai is far better--the Ergo is so bulky and padded that it doesn't make for a very good front carry.


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