Mei Tais

Mei Tai (pronounced May Tie) is also referred to as an Asian Style Carrier, and as the name indicates, it is based on the way babies have been worn for thousands of years across Asia. The actual carriers vary depending on the region, and there are a variety of modern takes on ancient Asian design to be found in the Western babywearing world.

The most common Asian Style Carrier is a Mei Tai, a piece of fabric with four long straps. The straps can be intimidating at first, but all that is required is two simple ties. One pair of straps ties around the wearer’s waist, and one pair cross over the shoulders and around the baby.

While made simply from fabric (and occasionally some additional padding), there is no doubting how secure a baby is when tied into a Mei Tai, and you may be incredibly surprised how comfortable and supportive the simple fabric is when it distributes your weight across both shoulders and to your hips.

A Mei Tai is very versatile, and can be worn with a newborn through toddler. Technically, it is possible to use a Mei Tai for a hip carry, but it’s cumbersome to do and not that comfortable. Mostly, Mei Tais are used for front and back carries, and do an equally excellent job with both.

An added bonus of a Mei Tai is that they are almost always reversible. Usually, one side is a solid the same color as the straps, while the reverse has a fun print. This makes a Mei Tai a great carrier to share between parents, where the papa might prefer a solid neutral to the mama’s flowery print. The long straps can simply be wrapped an additional time around a smaller partner’s waist, so sizing isn’t generally an issue.

Mei Tais are popular because they offer excellent support in a two-shouldered carry, without being quite as difficult to learn to tie as a wrap. The variety of available prints is often another draw to Asian Style Carriers. If you like the look and feel of a Mei Tai, but you’re intimidated by the long straps, you might consider looking into SOFT STRUCTURED CARRIERS (SSC).