BabyHawk Mei Tai Baby Carrier Review

While the BabyHawk Mei Tai baby carrier is a little more expensive than some other similar baby carriers, it's also a step above most basic mei tais thanks to its headrest, padded straps and all-around good looks. This is an attractive, but not overly fussy, mei tai baby carrier that can be worn everywhere and thrown in the washer when it gets messy. Above all, it's a comfortable way to carry babies up to 40 lbs.

The basic mei tai baby carrier is a square of cloth with little straps sewn on at the corners. The straps are tied around the parent so that the mei tai forms a little pocket where baby can sit. The BabyHawk Mei Tai baby carrier takes that basic idea and builds on it, so that you have an extremely comfortable and attractive baby carrier that looks modern while keeping the simple beauty of a very old baby carrier design.

In terms of parent comfort, BabyHawk has done a fantastic job with the Mei Tai baby carrier. The top straps are very wide, and they're padded for quite a long way from where they meet the front carrier portion. There's enough padding to wrap all the way over your shoulders, even if you're very tall, so the main weight-bearing areas of the carrier won't dig in. The bottom straps are long enough to fit up to a women's size 22, so there's enough room for most parents to tie the bottom securely but comfortably. If you need a little more room, a larger size is available with about 12 additional inches of straps.

For baby, the carrier portion of the BabyHawk Mei Tai is also generously sized. It's perfect for tiny babies who want to snuggle into a little nest, but also works nicely for older babies who want arms and legs free plus a great view of the world. There's enough fabric there to give great support without overwhelming. The lightly padded headrest gives some extra support, too, and the top of it can be folded down if you don't need it to be quite so tall.

You can wear your baby on your front or your back with the BabyHawk Mei Tai. Learning to put the Mei Tai on can be a little challenging if you haven't used this baby carrier style before. It will take a bit of practice, especially if you're going to wear baby on your back. It might be helpful to have a second pair of hands available the first few times you attempt a back carry.

The BabyHawk Mei Tai is a little bit thicker than most unpadded and totally unstructured slings or mei tais. Those padded straps, long tails and headrest definitely add to the comfort, but when it comes time to stuff the baby carrier in your diaper bag, you'll certainly notice the difference. It folds or rolls bigger than an unpadded ring sling, but smaller than a fully structured front-pack baby carrier. After it's washed a few times (it's machine-washable!), the less stiff fabric folds a little smaller still.

The construction seems very durable. I like that there are double rows of stitching at every seam on the BabyHawk Mei Tai. It's still a good idea to check regularly for tears or seams that are coming undone, but the double seams should give a bit of extra security. This baby carrier feels quite sturdy.

For $80-100, you can order a pre-made BabyHawk Mei Tai, or you can custom order from tons of different fabrics, including some Dad-friendly options. You can also add a pocket or toy ring, or choose various size options for the perfect fit.

Disclosure: Review sample of BabyHawk Mei Tai baby carrier was provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.