Babywearing 101 – Part Five: Asian-Style Baby Carrier

Today we are continuing our series on the art of babywearing by taking a look at carriers that fit into a category called Asian-Style baby carriers.  These carriers can each trace their roots back to use among the people of Asia, and although they are similar in construction, there are some slight variations to be noted. 

The basic construction of an Asian Style carrier consists of a rectangular piece of material and straps that are connected to the material that serve to "tie" the carrier onto the person who is wearing the baby.

Unlike a ring sling or a pouch sling, an Asian Style carrier is a two-shouldered carrier, which translates into the babywearer having both hands free to attend to other activities.  A baby can be worn in this style carrier in a front carry (such as the sweet baby peeking out of his Kozy on the left – photo courtesy ruby lu), in a hip carry, or on the back.

The Asian style carrier that is most closely identified with Japanese roots is the onbuhimo (examples include this one from FreeHand and this one from Peppermint.com).  Korean inspired carriers are podeagis (like this one from EllaRoo).  The carrier from this category that is probably the most popular today is the Chinese inspired mei tai (more on this style below).  For more information on the slight variations in these styles, see this article by Rebecca Wolf. 

The mei tai (pronounced MAY TIE) has found quite a following among babywearers around the world.  The second carrier I added to my collection was a mei tai, and once I started wearing my then nine-month old oldest daughter in it, I wondered how I ever got along without it!  I started out with mastering the front carry, but before long I ventured into the back carry and she and I were both delighted with the result.  My hands were really free to shop or do dishes or laundry or whatever I needed to work on, and she was thrilled to be able to view the world with the same perspective as her mommy.

So, where to begin browsing?  The above-mentioned Kozy carrier has many fans, as does the BabyHawk (that's a gorgeous BabyHawk holding that sweet baby on the left, photo courtesy Tuulya).  In fact, the BabyHawk is a favorite of Blissfully Domestic reader eager little mind.   

Stephanie of Adventures in Babywearing loves her FreeHand mei tai, and I can personally vouch for the Mei Tai Baby.  I added one to our stash when my second daughter was born, and I cannot say enough how helpful it was to wear her in it while I raced around with her big sister. 

As with most any carrier, you can make your own!  Once again, Jan Andrea comes through with some great patterns and ideas to get you started. 

Any other fans of Asian Style carriers out there?  We are discussing our favorite ways to babywear over at the Blissfully Domestic Living forum! 

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