WHAT IS A MEI TAI BABYTM? IS IT THE SAME THING THAT I'VE SEEN ON EBAY/ETSY/ANOTHER WEB SITE?
Your confusion is easily understood, Grasshopper. The babywearing market has exploded in recent years, and there are a wide variety of carriers out there. Wraps, ring slings and pouches are all different types of carriers, and "mei tai" is just the generic name for yet another type of carrier. Mei Tai BabyTM is the brand name of the carriers I make and sell. I've been selling mei tais online under the Mei Tai BabyTM name since 2004. Back then, almost no one had heard of a mei tai type carrier, so I thought "Mei Tai Baby" just sounded cool and slightly exotic. Of course now that mei tais are everywhere, it can lead to some confusion! Many carrier companies call their product a "Mei Tai Baby Carrier", and rightly so - that's what it is! But there's only one Mei Tai BabyTM brand mei tai, and you've found it. New Mei Tai BabyTM brand carriers are NOT sold on eBay or through Etsy. The only places online to get an authentic new Mei Tai BabyTM brand mei tai is through my website or from Cobalt Carriers. A few select brick-and-mortar boutiques throughout the country also retail Mei Tai BabyTM carriers. If you're in doubt as to what you're about to purchase - either new or secondhand - feel free to email me. I remember every mei tai I've made, so I can let you know if you're getting the real deal!
WHAT'S NEW AT MEI TAI BABYTM?
I've added a guestbook! Click the link above to give comments on the site, feedback on your Mei Tai BabyTM purchase, or just to say hello! Also, the Mei Tai BabyTM SHOPPING PAGE is totally redesigned! This is so cool - you can click fabric swatches to pop them into a carrier and see exactly what it will look like when finished. Give it a try!
Oh, and by the way: ZIPPIES. ARE. BACK. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
WHAT THE HECK IS A "ZIPPY"?
The Mei Tai BabyTM Zippy is a carrier with removable, interchangeable decorative panels. CLICK HERE for more information. Why is it called the Zippy if there's no zippers on it? An excellent question. It *used* to have zippers in its earliest incarnation. The zippers were super-cool, and I really wish I could have made them work, but they just weren't up to the task. So the zippers were tossed in favor of Velcro, but the "Zippy" name stuck. (The Mei Tai BabyTM "Rippy" just didn't have the same ring to it.) So there you go! (On a related note, if anyone is in the market for approximately 600 bridal-size separating zippers, just let me know. Seriously.)
HOW QUICKLY CAN I EXPECT MY CARRIER TO SHIP?
The current wait time on all orders is about three weeks. I try my best to get all packages out within the estimated wait time, but please bear in mind that sometimes delays can occur. If you have a concrete deadline by which you must receive your carrier, please let me know before you order and I will do my best to accommodate your needs. Orders received after 6PM go on the next day's queue.
NOTE: The current wait time mentioned above is updated whenever it changes, so please rest assured that whatever wait time is quoted is the best estimate I can give. If you need a carrier sooner than the estimated wait time, please check with Cobalt Carriers for a ready-made Mei Tai BabyTM.
Carriers are shipped via Priority Mail. The USPS just raised rates drastically on international orders, so now all international orders will no longer ship via Priority. International orders now ship First Class. Contact me if you prefer to pay extra to have your international package ship Priority. Global Priority rates are now between $25-$35 USD. A note about international orders: marking parcels from Mei Tai Baby as "gift" to avoid customs charges constitutes mail fraud. I cannot mark any parcels as "gift". International customers are responsible for any duties or customs charges.
Customers in the US should receive a ship notice from Paypal with a USPS delivery confirmation number when the package goes out. (Note: a delivery confirmation number is not the same as a tracking number. The package is only scanned in at the time of delivery, not at every stop along the way.) Shipping insurance is highly recommended (US addresses only). MEI TAI BABYTM IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PACKAGES ONCE THEY ENTER THE POSTAL SYSTEM. ONLY INSURED PACKAGES WILL BE REPLACED/REFUNDED IF LOST BY THE POSTAL SERVICE.
CAN THE MEI TAI BABYTM BE USED WITH NEWBORNS?
The Mei Tai BabyTM CAN be used with newborns! Provided baby is nestled down properly in the carrier, the padded edge of the carrier comes up high enough to support a small baby's neck and head. Also, the adjustable feature makes it even easier to use the Mei Tai Baby with little ones. However, some people prefer to wait until baby has some head control before using a mei tai type carrier.
WHAT ABOUT OUT-FACING, LIKE IN A BABY BJORN?
It is possible to wear a baby facing away from your body in a mei tai, and the adjustable option can make this a bit easier to accomplish. I'll be honest though, I have never found this position very comfortable, and many people maintain that it is not a healthy position for baby's developing hips and spine. Often babies who are old enough to want to check out what's going on around them are happy in a high back carry, which allows them to see the world while still being properly positioned. That's the beauty of a mei tai - you have so many options! Try everything and see what the two of you like best.
ADJUSTABILITY, SNAP TABS, TAB EXTENDERS ... I'M CONFUSED!
Okay, here's the scoop: the optional adjustable feature adds two snap tabs at the base of the carrier. Snap these two tabs together, and the bottom of the carrier is cinched smaller, allowing for tiny babies to comfortably have their legs out of the carrier and still be properly positioned. (Some babies just hate having their legs "froggied" inside the carrier, so this works out great for them!) With the snap tabs, the carrier has two positions: fully-cinched or fully open. Many people are completely happy with just these two "stations" of adjustability. The snap tab extender is available for those who would like incremental adjustability. Add the snap tab extender, and you're able to *partially* cinch the carrier in about 1" increments between all-open and all-cinched. If this makes no sense whatsoever, feel free to email and I can try to explain it better!
WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT LIMIT OF THE MEI TAI BABY?
The Mei Tai BabyTM is 15"x20". The top straps are padded, angled and have a generous finished length of 72". The bottom strap is straight across, unpadded and also measures 72". All straps are 3.75" wide. The Mei Tai BabyTM should fit people wearing a Women's size 2/4-22/44 or a Men's S-XXL. If you are very petite (under 5', under 100 lbs or under size 2) you may want to order custom shortened straps. There is a $5 charge to shorten straps.
The Mei Tai BabyTM is recommended for babies up to 35 lbs. (Although the carrier is sturdy enough to handle heavier loads, we've found that 35 lbs is about the max that is comfortable on the average person's shoudlers for any length of time.) There is no height limit associated with the carrier.
ARE THE CARRIERS MACHINE WASHABLE?
Yep! All carriers and panels (even the brocades) are machine washable. I recommend washing separately on cold and line drying for best results.
WILL THE LOVEY LINER FIT MY MEI TAI?
Although the Lovey Liner is designed to fit the Mei Tai BabyTM, it does work with many other brands of mei tai. I'm not familiar with the specific dimensions of competing brands of carriers, but you may be able to get info from the mamas on the message boards at thebabywearer.com. Also, the Lovey Liners are returnable if it doesn't work with your mei tai.
WHAT IS YOUR RETURN POLICY?
All Mei Tai BabyTM products can be returned within 14 days of receipt for a full refund (less shipping costs). Returned items must be in like-new, resellable condition. Returned items deemed to be in unacceptable condition will be sent back to the customer and no refund issued. All refunds are issued in the form of funds returned to the Paypal account used in the original purchase. Refunds are usually issued within 24 hours of order return/cancellation, but refunds can take up to 30 days. All sales final on custom work.
HELP! I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS!
Feel free to send an email to info@meitaibaby.com with any other questions, comments or feedback you might have. Thanks!
