Mei Tai (pronounced “MAY-tie”)
Components: This carrier design originated in China. A rectangular piece of fabric with four straps of fabric, one on each corner. At least two layers of fabric are used so the carrier is strong enough to support the weight of a toddler/young child.
Use: The bottom straps are tied around the waist and the top straps are wrapped around your shoulders like a backback (or criss-crossed over the chest) when baby is worn on the back, then wrapped around baby and tied. Baby can also be worn on the front, as seen in the picture below, or on the hip.
photo courtesty of FreeHandBaby.com
Variations: Mei tais are available in different fabrics and may have shoulder and/or waist padding for the wearer’s comfort. The majority of mei tais are made by WAHMs (work at home moms), which makes it easier to get your carrier custom-made according to size, padding, fabric, and overall beauty (silk brocade is especially yummy). TheBabyWearer has WAHM reviews to help you make an informed purchase.
I have seen hip carriers in department stores that are very similar to the design of this ancient style carrier, but lack the versatility.
Onbuhimo (pronounced “on-boo-HEE-mo”)
Components: This carrier design originated in Japan. It is similar to the mei tai except the shoulder straps are threaded through large rings at the waist and then tied together, rather than having separate waist straps.
photo courtesty of FreeHandBaby.com
Podeagi (pronounced “poh-DAY-gee”)
Components: This design originated in Korea. It is similar to the mei tai, but the waist straps are absent.
Use: The long shoulder straps are traditionally crossed under the armpits, so the straps don’t touch the shoulders at all. We Western folk prefer to cross the shoulder straps in back and put them over our shoulders before securely tying the straps underneath baby’s bottom (see picture below). Baby can be worn on the front, hip or back.
Variations: The rectangular piece of fabric on the podeagi is much larger than the body of the mei tai. The traditional “wide blanket” podeagi covers the wearer’s entire torso like a robe, typically with a body measuring 25” long and 60”-70” wide.
The “narrow blanket” podeagi is more like the mei tai size at 25” long and 18” wide with at least a 5 yard strap on top. You may also see it spelled as podagi or podaegi.
Soft-Pack Style Carrier
Many of the “soft-pack” baby carrier styles that are popular now can trace their origins back to Asian-Style Baby Carriers (ABCs). Regardless of the style you choose, I have found the strap padding to be the most crucial to the wearer’s comfort.
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