Baby Carriers & Slings

A baby sling is a soft cloth used in a such a way to help support the weight of an infant or small child, while the child is being carried by someone. Those who use slings are said to be practicing what is called babywearing. Slings come in all sizes and styles. more...

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Slings with rings

(aka 'ring sling' or just 'sling') These are slings, which utilize dynamic tension, a length of cloth and metal or nylon rings. One end of the cloth is sewn to two rings, while the other end is threaded through the rings.The wearer slips this over her head and one shoulder, creating a 'pocket' to hold the baby in. While wearing the sling, it can be adjusted by pulling more or less fabric through the rings.When the fabric tensed up, the two rings form a buckle to sustain the infant's weight. This type of sling can adjust to different wearer's size and accommodate different wearing positions easily. Learning to use this sling is easy to moderately difficult.

Pouch slings (pocket or tube)

These are slings without rings, and are either adjustable or fitted (non-adjustable). It is a wide piece of fabric sewn into a tubular shape. The wearer slips it over his or her head and one shoulder, creating a pocket to hold baby in. The learning curve of wearing a pouch is easy.

Wraps

These slings are neither sewn together nor have rings. They are medium and long lengths of fabric (usually between 3 metres and 6 metres, or 2-6 yards avraging 5yds), which are wrapped around both the baby and the wearer then tied. There are lots of different carrying positions possible with a wrap depending on the length of the fabric and a baby or toddler can be carried on the wearers front, back or hip. With shorter wraps it is possible to do a one shoulder carry, similar to those with a pouch or a ring sling, although most carries involve the fabric going over both shoulders of the wearer and around the waist to offer maximum support. These slings offer the most adjustability, but have a more difficult learning curve.

There are two main types of wrap - stretchy and woven. Both can be used from birth to toddlerhood. Stretchy wraps are made of a fabric which has a great deal of stretch in it, such as jersey. It is easy to 'pop' babies in and out of a stretchy wrap which can be easier for the wearer as the sling can remain tied on and the baby and be lifted in and out as required. Stretchy wraps are popular for carrying young babies but the stretch can mean that they are not as comfortable for the wearer once baby starts getting heavy.

Woven wraps are pieces of fabric (usually 100% cotton) of varying thickness and are available in a wide choice of gorgeous colours and patterns. The diagonal weave means the fabric has a small amount of 'give' which increases comfort for the wearer and support for the baby. Thinner fabrics, while cooler, are more likely to cause pressure points for the wearer when used for long periods of time.

Read more at Wikipedia.org