Podaegi, Korean Baby Carriers

Podaegi are Korean versions of baby slings or Moby wraps.  Since people walk and take public transportation so frequently in Korea, mothers and grandmothers carry their babies more often than they push a stroller.  Korea isn't very ADA or parent-with-stroller friendly, and it must be easier to navigate a lot of stairs or crowded spaces with the baby strapped to you.


These baby carriers abound and they're typically made of really fluffy fleece and printed with a babyish pattern like clouds on a bubblegum pink background.  They look precisely like a bathrobe that has been wrapped around the mother and baby and secured with the tie, and they appear to double as a warm fuzzy coat for the mom and baby too.  It's funny but I don't think I've ever seen a simple black backpack style baby carrier on a Korean.


A few friends of mine are expecting babies and I looked into buying one as a gag gift, only to find they cost over $50!  For that, I could buy a bathrobe to tailor, make a mondo diaper cake and still have money leftover for some candy pacifiers....