Does a sling have to be made of a specific fabric?

[Catsu]

I am wondering if I could just buy 5 metres of a fabric I like off a fabric shop/market instead of paying £60 for a 'wrap sling' which is just a long bit of fabric really isn't it?
Is there a special kind of fabric you need?

Wrap slings are made from specific fabric, but yes, you could in theory just use a length of fabric.

It will need to be strong enough for carrying a baby though (obviously!). The downsides to doing it that way are:

• It won't be as comfy as a 'proper' woven wrap
• It will still be relatively expensive to buy 5m of fabric because you need such a long piece.
• Afterwards you will be left with a long narrow bit of fabric that isn't worth much. Whereas if you buy a 'proper' wrap it will hold much more value, especially if you buy 2nd hand in the first place.

My cheapest woven wrap came from German Ebay - it is a brand called Nesthakchen and cost me about £21 including postage from Germany. I think you'd struggle to get the fabric for that. Have you looked at 2nd hand wraps on ebay / german ebay / Natural mamas etc to see how they'd compare to fabric cost?

The best woven slings tend to be woven diagonally which gives the best sort of support. It is possible to just use any fabric, but it won't be as comfy for you, and possibly not for the baby/toddler as it needs to come from knee pit to knee pit and armpit to armpit. If the fabric you use is too thin or inflexible it will be uncomfy for them.

Plus without a properly made one you'll find your baby begins to feel too heavy earlier.

Stretchy wrap slings though, you can make yourself - I really recommend it! You just need to look for jersey cotton.

How old is your baby, and what do you want to use the sling for (ie long walks, around the house, short trips, to use instead of a buggy)? Have you looked at other types as well, and have you thought about buyng secons hand?