My partner and I went out for coffee this morning with our baby girl fast asleep in her sling.
The lady on the next table, who was six months pregnant, started chatting to us about baby slings. She asked if it was a hassle to tie which I get quite often.
So, the purpose of this post is to make sling wearing easy. I’m also not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned and have no incentive for sharing my views. I’d just like to see more people using them.
I’ve written quite a lot so feel free to scroll to the which slings do I use section but I’m going to start by writing about why I love baby slings so much.
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Why use a baby sling?
Comfortable
I own a Baby Bjorn carrier too and although I use the carrier for long walks, using a cloth sling is by far the better option for in the house and day to day activities. The fabric slings are incredibly comfortable and seem to distribute the weight more evenly. My back and shoulders definitely feel lighter compared to the carrier
Easy to tie
I know it might seem complicated and annoying to have to tie the sling, but honestly, this takes about 10 seconds once you get the hang of it. I’ve shared the same YouTube video I used below. You just have to watch it, practise tying it, and then you’re good to go.
Baby sleeps well
I’m quite happy to let my baby sleep on me in the sling throughout the day so if you’re happy with this too, the sling is amazing. I know if I put my baby down in her bed during the day, she wakes up more frequently.
Fewer tears
I can’t find the research, but I remember reading somewhere that babies who are carried tend to cry less. I think this is also down to baby temperament too.
What is a baby sling?
It’s essentially a long piece of material that you tie in a certain way. As you will see, the fabrics do vary so I think it comes down to personal preference.
How to tie and use a baby wrap
First of all, definitely persist with this one and it will become like second nature. I basically watched the following video about 10 times until I’d got the hang of it. I’ll also add that depending on the brand of sling you use, you’ll have to tie a stretchier sling such as the Hana wrap more tightly, and then tie a Freerider sling more loosely, but you will figure out what’s best for you and your baby.
Which slings do I use?
Hana Wrap
Right now and in the cafe I was using the Hana Wrap. This is actually my overall favourite for a number of reasons. I now own three hana wraps in different colours. The Hana Wraps are made to stretch in two different ways and are a mix of bamboo, organic cotton and elastane. The material is incredibly soft and comfortable to wear. Out of all the slings I’ve tried, this sling seems to be the most thought out in terms of baby wearing. The length is just right, but the width of these slings is also great. They’re wide enough to tuck a baby’s feet in too.
Freerider
After seeing several ads on my Instagram feed, I looked into getting a few secondhand Freerider slings from Ebay and Vinted. I absolutely loved the different fabric designs and colour options from Freerider. The fabric is also extremely lightweight and made from Tencel. I like the brand ethos of everything being sustainable. However, they are a little on the pricey side. They are also not as wide as the Hana wraps so you can’t tuck a baby’s feet in. They’re also not really stretchy, but for longer walks I actually prefer this as my baby feels more secure. These slings are also amazing for summer as they’re light!
Other baby slings I’ve tried
Baby K’tan
This was the first baby sling I bought way back in my second trimester when I was pregnant with my son. Once it had arrived I loved the feel of the fabric, and thought it seemed fairly straightforward to get on. Rather than wrapping one piece of fabric in a certain way, the Baby K’tan comes in two parts, and the sling is designed to fit you.
I thought I’d found the one … that is until my baby was born and I tried him out in it, only to find that the sling didn’t fit properly, which to be fair was actually my fault. I’m a UK size eight to ten so bought the small. However, I’ve since read that if you’re petite, which I am, you should opt for the next size down. I still love this sling but if you are considering getting one, it might be best to physically try out a few sizes first to check it fits you and your baby before you commit to buying online. I only bought this because I thought tying a long piece of fabric would be tricky but it’s not once you know how!
Caboo Lite
I first tried the Caboo Lite after being shown how to use it at a local sling library, and again really loved it, so I hired one for a week to try. Admittedly, I probably didn’t persist, as there seems to be a knack to getting it to fit just right. The Caboo sling worked in a similar way to the K’tan sling in that it comes in two parts, only this design includes ring fastenings at the side. I got the impression that it’d be easy to use once you’ve got the hang of it, but I wasn’t overly keen on the rings on either side, but that’s just me.
Laleni baby sling
I recently bought one of these slings from Amazon purely because I liked the colour. It was also made from 100% organic cotton and it was much cheaper than both the Freerider and Hana wraps. However, in comparison, the material felt too heavy, and overall it just didn’t feel as good quality as the Hana or Freerider slings so I returned it.
Which sling is best for you
I would definitely recommend a one piece sling – which is basically a long piece of material. Because the fabric will be so close to yours and your baby’s skin, I do think quality is important here so decide whether you like the idea of a more stretchy sling (Hana wrap) or if having something super lightweight and less stretchy sounds better (Freerider).
Where to buy a baby sling
I bought two new Hana wraps originally, but have since bought wraps on Ebay and Vinted. It’s not like buying clothes second hand which may have been worn quite a lot. I think people buy baby slings with the intention of using them and then don’t. When I looked there were a lot of secondhand baby slings that genuinely hadn’t been worn or were never used at all. So you could always start with a secondhand one or even visit a local sling library if you have one in your area and they will show you exactly how to tie it.
History of baby wearing
Where I live I get a lot of people of my parents generation saying they didn’t have things like that in their days. But baby wearing is not new. This article here will explain it better than me and give you some idea of the history of baby wearing.
