By Art Gib

The original Chinese Mei Tai was a traditional piece of cloth with four unpadded straps that secure by bringing the straps together in a bow against a torso. The original carrier has a history that stretches back hundreds of years as a product utilized by mothers, often carrying their babies in a simple fabric carrier.

A variation of this model emerged in Austrailia in the 60s and later climbed into the baby market in North America in 2003. The Mei Tai baby carrier is now doned by hundreds of brand names like the Ellaroo or the BabyHawk, which come in a variety of different features and fabrics.