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For those of you who own multiple carriers how do you choose which one to wear? Talk me through your thought process! I'm considering purchasing a ring sling and I currently own a wrap (Moby) and a SSC (O&A). Just wondering if I'd choose to wear the ring sling enough?
I'm sure you'll get a variety of responses! :)
At home I use a lot of mei tais. I love how I get a perfect fit pretty much every time. But when I'm out of the house, I hate the straps because I don't want them to get dirty on the pavement. :lol: I'll usually keep one SSC and one RS in the car at all times and when we get to our destination I decide which one is better. I use ring slings a lot for quick trips (grabbing milk, post office, dropping something off) or, now that DS is walking, when there will be a lot of ups and downs (visiting people's houses, sometimes the mall, an outdoor event). I use a SSC when I'm grocery shopping (he traps too much off the shelf when in a hip carry in a RS :lol:), out during nap time (he'll sleep on my back), and basically anytime I might be wearing for a longer amount of time. I'll also choose to use a SSC if we're out for the day because DH will only use SSCs and this way we can trade off. When DS was smaller and doing mostly front carries I would use a mei tai out of the house quite a bit because it was easy to get him in it while I was sitting in the car. I can't do a good back carry while sitting in the car. I pretty much only use SSCs for back carries, so for me having a ring sling switches things up for DS so that he's not always on my back. He loves it back there, but sometimes he needs a break from that! If you love a carrier, you'll use it. I have more than we need, but I'm a bit of a collector apparently. :lol:
Oh, I'm a horrible wrapper. By the time DS was 15 pounds I started getting annoyed by my Moby (stretched too much). I got a mei tai when he was not quite 2 months old and it became my main carrier till I bought a ring sling and a SSC. I wasn't sure which I'd like more and ended up finding uses for all. I do have my first woven on it's way here, so that I can give it a good real try with wrapping. I don't know if I'll ever break it out in a parking lot but there sure are a lot of people who only own wraps. :)
What a great question. For me, it was the comfort vs. convenience factor. For example, a Moby is kind of a commitment to put on, and very difficult to deal with in, say, a parking lot (as Jackie mentioned with the mei tai). But a ring sling is a pop in, pop out kind of deal--perfect for running to the store, etc. But a one-shouldered carry is not as comfortable for long-term wear for the parent, so we use the Ergo (SSC) or framepack for longer term things like hiking, outdoor festivals, etc--basically anywhere you really want to have some serious support.
HTH!
exactly what I was thinking actually! I think a ring sling is in my future for Baby #3 when I get there! :)
I went back and forth. The ring sling was perfect for DD as a newborn. They are super easy to nurse in and are easy to deal with when you've got a floppy baby on your hands. They aren't great for heavier babies. My Moby and Mai Tai got me a few more months of BWing once DD outgrew the ring sling. I wore the Moby for long hikes and walks and used the Mai Tai for quick trips. I now exclusively use a Ergo because its the only one that doesn't kill my back. I honestly don't think there's one carrier that will get you from day 1 through to toddlerhood.