Which ring sling?

[Magneto]

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the different brands, can anyone recommend one or know of any pros and cons of the different brands?

Ds is 18 months and the lifft sling is too tight for us both now and the baba sling is so uncomfortable with him in a hip carry (feels like I can't get him high or tight enough). So was looking at ring slings as they're completely adjustable so I could use it with a smaller baby too.

Tbh I think even a good ring sling is going to be uncomfortable with an 18mo for any length of time as all the weight is on one shoulder - although still handy for "carry meeeee!" moments.

Have you tried a Mei Tei? I find these the most comfortable and have made them for lots of people. They have long, scary-looking straps which are a bit off-putting initially but mean they are very adjustable, suitable for big and small babies and carers. Weight is evenly distributed over both shoulders and waist/hips and I found them very supportive for my dodgy back. I carried my huge DS regularly (often instead of a pram) until he was about 2 and only stopped because I was pregnant.

what grumpla said, i have a ring sling and its fine for a short time with my 14mth old but not for a long walk or anything, i use my mei tei for that, they are VERY simple to use!

Yes, I have a Babyhawk mei tai and an Oh Snap which are great for long walks (mei tai) or trips to the shop/times when ds constantly wants to be in and out of it (the Oh Snap) but I need a hip carrier for around the house when I'm doing housework or cooking and he has one of those "Carry Meee" moments . He won't stay in the babyhawks in those circumstances because if I'm not moving around much he gets grumpy as he can't see what I'm doing. If I put him forward facing then I can't see what I'm doing because he's too tall now .

I'm seriously hoping there's someone out there with more slings than me now I also have a kari me wrap, which I've found he's a bit too heavy for but was great when he was very small. And a babybjorn (which was the first carrier I bought when I didn't know anything about them, must really get round to selling that one as I won't ever use it again).

cough i 'may' have more slings that you, but ihave recently sold my close carrier and lent my moby wrap to my sister, i still have a wilkinet, two ring slings, a wilkinet and a german wrap sling... that i can remember off the top of my head

some ring slings have a more padded shoulder bit, so look for one of those!

phew that's a relief

Ok, padded shoulder added to checklist thanks!

i have said wilkinet twice in htat post, i did at one point have two wilkinets as i liked two fabrics they were made in... but i now only have one and the one mai tia but have been eyeing up the babyhawk? slings.... so those two and the two ring slings and the wrap, thats not too bad...

If you want a ring sling for a toddler, you really want one with linen in, as it's a lot more supportive. You can get ring slings specifically designed to be supportive for a toddler, of course these would also be usable with a younger baby. But some ring slings designed for younger babies aren't supportive enough with a toddler.

I know a woman locally who makes slings and she has a bit on her website about shoulder styles - it depends on your body shape and personal preference generally rather than weight of child. here - her company is called "pouchlings" if you wanted to google to find her website or facebook page, she is a quite the ring sling expert.

yes bertie is right! ihave a linen one that great for a toddler, it has a pocket on it which is great for keys, purse a muslin etc! then a thin cotton one which is nice in summer but not as supportive at all.

I like ring slings made from woven wraps. They can be pricier new but they usually come up a fair bit 2nd hand on Natural Mamas for sale boards, and sometimes on ebay.

So for example Didymos, Hoppediz, Girasol, Natibaby, Oscha, Lenny Lamb etc all do ring slings. They have slightly different style shoulders, but different things suit different people so it's difficult to say that one will be much better than another without trying.

Thanks Bertie I'll check that out. And thanks for the info about linen too

4madboys - I love my babyhawks, I got a custom mei tai from the US and it's gorgeous. When I have enough money I will buy the custom oh snap I want but I have settled on a more economical half price preloved one from eBay (but I don't like the colours very much at all).

What is the difference between the woven rig sling and a linen one Pootlebug?

Linen ones vary depending on what they are. Linen is known for being strong but breathable so lots of people like the support for toddlers. Woven wraps are also specially woven so as to be supportive, so are likely to offer a very good amount of support. Some people swear by linen for toddlers, others are not nearly so convinced that it is superior to other fabric....each to their own, I think.

I don't think a padded shoulder is necessary (or even desirable tbh) if the sling is supportive enough in itself.

If you buy a new ring sling rather than preloved, whether linen or wrap fabric or something else, you need to 'break it in' a bit by pulling the fabric backwards and forwards through the rings to make it easily adjustable - they can be stiff when new.

Oooh I've got tons of slings. About four - six mei teis depending on which ones I have loaned out. A close carrier. A wilkinet (which I've never really got on with) and a ring sling which has a buckle instead of a ring (it's Australian but I can't remember the make). I had a navy & pink ring sling (mamaway?) but I sold it as it was a bit girly for me and definitely too girly for DH.

I am debating whether I can justify a new ring sling for no.2 , would quite like to make one but currently 39 weeks pg so unlikely to get round to ordering the rings in time