Sling reccomendation for 3 month old+

[GusTheOneEyedPolarBear]

I have decided to buy a sling for DS2 (12 weeks) as he prefers to be carried around and isn't keen on the pram.
Ideally, I'd like one which will last past six months old and has good back support and would also let DS2 see where he's going once he gets a bit older. Something which is also machine washable would also be good but not essential.
Also, is it dangerous to buy a second hand one, I've read somewhere that some brands don't conform to EU standards so would love to know which brands to avoid.
If anyone can point em in the right direction that would be great

TIA

Check out www.slingguide.co.uk as that summarises all the main types of decent sling/carriers. You should be able to narrow it down from there.

For a 3mo, the world is your oyster really.

As long as you are buying a decent brand of sling/carrier, then 2nd hand is fine. I'd recommend the For Sale Section on www.naturalmamas.co.uk, as well as the site as a whole. Steer clear of Ebay as there are a lot of fakes on there, as well as a cheaply made carriers. You do get what you pay for with slings. You're far better off saving money by going 2nd hand, than you are going for something similar but that is made from cheap materials.

Thanks for the website recommendation, I was looking on ebay to compare price between second hand and brand new and it's worth knowing about the fakes on there.

I used a moby wrap from birth to around 1 year. I recommend it for back support and machine washability.

I now use a babyhawk mai tei, which gets dd onto my back where she has a good view of what's going on (although I never really got the impression that she was struggling to see out of the moby). I quite like it, although I don't feel the weight is spread ideally, I think I could do better, if I had time to find something else. It is machine washable (I think, I've only been using it for about half a year ). You could use a mai tei type carrier now on your front and it would certainly last you well.

I can't see why a second hand wraps or mai teis would be dangerous. As far as I know the major no-no in sling safety is something called a bag sling, which caused problems with babies suffocating.

Are you near a sling meet or sling library? www.slingmeet.co.uk
It is a good way to see some things in person and try them on....suss out what works for you and your little one as different things work for different people.

Oooo I didn't know there was such a thing as a sling meet, will definitely check out that link thanks