This page provides a brief overview of the main types of slings/carriers available and their pros and cons, to help you decide which type would suit your needs best. Please email [email protected] with any further questions or to arrange a rental.

 

Stretchy wraps – these are long pieces of stretchy fabric which you wrap around yourself to form a sling for baby to be carried in. They can be pre tied onto you and thanks to the stretchy nature you can pop baby in and out as needed through the day, which makes them especially useful for the newborn stage. You need to learn how to tie them but with a little practice this can be very quickly. Due to the stretchy fabric people tend to find they can start to pull and become less comfortable when baby is about 6 months old (variable with weight of child). I offer a months free stretchy wrap rental for newborns and you can see more details of this and some links to tutorial videos here – http://slingsally.com/index.php/stretchy-wraps-for-rental/

 

Caboos – these are basically a pre tied stretchy wrap. This means there is less to learn to use them, but they are less adjustable to make them fit your and your little ones bodies. You can see pictures and links to instructions here – http://slingsally.com/index.php/other-slings-for-rental/

 

Woven wraps – these are long pieces of woven fabric. They are wrapped around you and baby to form a carry, but because the fabric isn’t stretchy in all but a few carries these can’t be pre tied so you would wrap with your baby already on you and would unwrap and re wrap each time baby needed in and out. The advantage with these is that you can tailor the wrap and carry to best fit you both as individuals and the woven fabric is very supportive and can carry for as long as you want to carry for. There are lots of different tutorials and there’s a link to a good set here – http://slingsally.com/index.php/woven-wraps-for-rental/

 

Ring slings – these are pieces of woven fabric with two rings at one end which are used to fasten the sling. The fabric forms a hammock for baby to be carried in. They don’t suit everyone because they carry the weight on one shoulder, but they are very quick to use once set up for you both. You can see pictures and links to tutorial videos here – http://slingsally.com/index.php/ring-slings-for-rental/

 

Meh Dai – these carriers have a central panel and waist straps and shoulder straps. They are very versatile because you can adjust the size of the panel to fit your individual baby and you have more control over where the straps sit on you to ensure your comfort. There are different types, with some having padded straps and others wide straps which spread the weight in different ways, depending on how you are most comfortable. Link to more information here – http://slingsally.com/index.php/mei-tais-for-rental/

 

Soft structured carriers/SSC or buckled carriers – these carriers are very quick to learn how to use as they generally just have a waist buckle and then a buckle for each shoulder strap. Not all are suitable from birth, but some have infant inserts that adapt them for use with newborns. Each different make varies in a few different ways, the main ways being how padded/structured the waistband and shoulder straps are, if the straps can be crossed or only worn ruck sack style, and where the buckles sit. All of these things can make the difference between a carrier being comfortable for you or not, and it’s very much a personal fit, much like a pair of shoes or jeans. Therefore the more you can try before buying the better your chance of finding the best fit for you. You can find more details here – http://slingsally.com/index.php/buckled-carriers-for-rental/

 

I know that can seem very overwhelming, and I’m very happy to answer any questions you have and help you narrow down your choices to find what you would like to try. It’s also worth looking at the following page for safe carrying and optimal positioning advice – http://slingsally.com/index.php/safe-carrying-information/