I am going to try to help you figure out what kind of Dream Carrier you would like for your custom.

Please be aware the information below is just a suggestion and I can not guarantee what I suggest will be the best for you or your child.

With that said, here goes nothin! :)

First, answer the questions below to figure out if you want a full buckle, half buckle, or mei tai.

Who will be wearing the carrier? How big are they?
Depending on your size you may want petite or plus shoulder straps on a full buckle DC. Standard size should fit women sizes US 8-18. If you fall below or above that range, please order accordingly.

Who will be riding in the carrier? How big are they?
I offer many different body sizes. And you can see a chart here that helps narrow down which might work best at what age.

Carrier Size Body Height Body Width Suggested Age Other Info
16in Original 16in 16in 12wks-18mo Does not include hood
18in Original 18in 18in 18mo-3yrs Does not include hood
20in Original 20in 20in 3yrs-5yrs Does not include hood
16in Petite Toddler 16in 17in 9mo-2yrs Hood included
17in Petite Toddler 17in 17in 1yr-2yrs Hood included
18in Toddler 18in 20in 2yrs-4yrs Hood included

Do you plan on wearing this on the front or back? Or Both?
If you are looking for a back carrier, I would suggest the Neo with it’s contoured shoulder straps. They really make back carrying a dream! However when wearing your baby on front you will need to use a chest strap to keep the contoured shoulder straps in place. You are not able to cross the straps in the back with the contoured straps.
If you plan on doing front and back carries, i’d highly suggest getting the regular straight straps. You have the option of getting buckle straps or long mei tai straps.

What will you be using the carrier for? ie…errands, hiking, naps, etc
If you’re looking for something quick for errands, i’d suggest a Full Buckle Dream Carrier. This is available with a soft padded waist or a firm structured waist. The structured waist is available on the half buckle DC or the DC mei tai as well.

Do you plan on using the carrier for extended periods of time? over an hour?
I find when wearing for longer periods of time I prefer to have a half buckle with structured waist or a mei tai with structured waist. I like the extra support of the long tie straps that you get with a MT or HB.

Still confused? ;)

Here are your carrier choices-

  • Mei Tai(80in long tie shoulder straps & 70in long structured or soft padded waist strap)
  • Half Buckle(80in long shoulder straps, buckle structured or soft padded waist)
  • Full Buckle(straight straps, soft padded or structured waist)
  • Neo(contoured buckle shoulder straps, buckle structured waist(contoured or straight)

Once you know what kind of carrier you want(HB,MT, FB, or Neo) decide on the size(16, 18, 20in Original; 16, 17in Petite toddler; 18×20 Toddler).
The carrier body size is designed around the size of your baby. Not you! :)
Then decide if the standard strap size is ok for you. If not request petite or plus size straps.
If you are getting a FB or Neo you also will have the option of the straight or contoured waist. I’ve worn both and can say personally I prefer the contoured when i’m fluffier(postpartum) and love the straight when i’ve finally lost all the baby fat. ;) Seriously though, it is a personal preference. I think the straight is more user friendly, works better with men and women. :)

Finally you have the extra choices.

The Original DC’s do not include a hood(they are curved at the top & have the headrest). The petite toddler & toddler DC do include a flat hood.
You may add a flat hood or hoodie to any size original DC for an additional cost. You may also have a hoodie on the PT or Toddler DC instead of a flat hood for $5 more.
You may get a snap on hood on any of them for an additional cost.

Waist pocket- I do offer a waist pocket on the structured waist DC for an additional cost. It isn’t very large, but will hold some cash/cards, cell phone, keys, etc.

Chest straps- webbing chest straps come with the Neo. You may order a fabric or webbing chest strap with any DC.

Chest straps, elastic, roll up storage straps, & suck pads are added on after the carrier is completed upon checkout. You do not need to decide on all of that until then.

And of course this doesn’t even include picking out fabric for your custom DC! Because I can’t help you do that. :) I can help with links to stores though. Just ask, or see the link file in the Yahoo group.

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