with so many different styles of carriers on the marketplace - what will suit you?

My favourite answer - well that depends on....

What are you drawn to? Do you feel you could use it confidently, if not seeking support with a local library to learn how to use it well may then be worth the investment. Sometimes what you think you’re after will conflict with your needs (the sling you love doesn't fit baby safely yet, the overall longevity isn't ideal for where baby is currently at developmentally, or maybe what you really want is out of budget etc). Then there's health – do you have any mobility / fexibility issues, back pain? Are there any medical issues (you or baby)? People and babies differ in size massively! Depending on these answers the slings I suggest person-to-person to try will vary! And this is also why generic recommendations don't work! 

Below I will talk about the different types of sling available in the UK marketplace, and why you may want to give them a go.

Tying style slings

Because we can mould them to fit exactly, they are going to work well for small babies.

• Stretchy wraps - best place to start if unsure, and can be used in the interim before something else fits (these are most mainstream and affordable) usually < £50. You want a 2way super stretchy brand like Hanababy – these are most intuitive to learn with. 

  • You may find a pre-tied close caboo/kosy koala style preferable.

• Ring Sling* - One shouldered (marmite!), Simple to breastfeed in.

• Wovens* - Extremely versatile, lots of lengths and ways to carry, great if you want to geek out on babywearing.

• Half Buckles & Meh Dais* a cross between a buckle carrier and a woven - versatile but less so than a woven, due to panel adjustments you may need to wait a few weeks til it fits. A meh dai is essentially the same but with a tying waist

  
  

*These tying style slings have more of a learning curve. You can nack carry from newborn with these tying styles. Depending on the weave and blend you'll have more longevity, maybe much more than a stretchy wrap. Stripey or colour-block patterns can really help with learning, as you can track where the fabric is moving. £50-£200+ depending on brand / weave new.

Stretchy Hybrids

• Hate the idea of tying? A clippy hybrid-carrier is a very adjustable lightweight buckle, somewhere between a stretchy wrap and full-structured sling - quite soft with scrunchier shrinkable panels - well suited to smaller babies.

• Likely to fit a Newborn OR far sooner than most buckles. 0-4wks lasting til 6-18m depending on brand and overall adjustability.

• £70-£150 RRP new - brands I suggest trying via a sling library: Izmi baby carrier, Mamaruga Zensling, Ergobaby Embrace, Boba Bliss, Mini Monkey mini-sling. Ideal at this pricepoint! 
  

Full SOFT STRUCTURED Buckle Carriers (SSC)

Generally not adjustable enough for true newborn and will fit best from 1m-12weeks (poss sooner if baby is big) til around 18m despite what marketing says. Some may last a fair bit longer depending on overall adjustability (such as the Lenny Lamb Upgrade, Boba X, or Manduca XT)

Weight limits are useless (more on that in other blogs)! A 2-way stretchy-wrap can be perfect in the interim of these fitting. Decent carrier rrp £70-£200 new. Try before you buy via a sling library / consultant definitely recommended!

3 categories - all feel different on and work a little differently too! Some will suit you better than others.

1) Harness carriers - Example Brand: Baby Bjorn Harmony (can be bulky)

2) lightweight (apron-style) carriers - Example Brand: Kahubaby

3) Full Waistband, soft structured - Example Brand: Tula Free to Grow

Twin and Tandem Options

You can combine some of the styles mentioned above, for example a full soft structured buckle and a ringsling to tandem carry. Or you could have two caregivers split the carrying. If tandeming you could carry two babies on the front, or one of the front and one on the back. A Stretchy wrap/ Caboo or woven in the earliest weeks can be a great shout, as you only need one of these on to carry two!

Note: There are specific twin carriers, such as the mini-monkey tandem, or Twingo but these usually come at an expensive price-tag, import fees, and potentially have a more limited shelf-life than if you were to combine two slings (but you may feel this is more faffy!). Different options can work well depending on your baby's developmental stage.

Onbuhimo

An onbuhimo is a traditional Japanese-style baby carrier generally designed for high back carries without a waistband (though you can use them for front carrying - parent facing - too). It uses shoulder straps that attach directly to the body panel, making it ideal for toddlers, quick up-and-downs, and wearers looking to avoid belly pressure, such as during pregnancy. You may find it too fatiguing on the shoulders - a shoulder to shoulder carry is most comfy.

I have all of these styles available to try and hire in my library.

To book a session head to the homepage of this site and fill in my contact form :)