Buying a Sling or Carrier

Buying New
Buying Second Hand
Potential Buying Issues
What to Buy - list of reliable brands
Comfort and Safety Issues

Buying New

The world of baby slings has exploded in recent years and there are literally dozens of brands to choose from. Although parents having a huge choice of styles, colours and fabrics is a good thing, there is a danger of people believing that all slings/baby carriers are equally well made, comfortable and, above all, safe. Sadly this is not the case. The best place to buy a sling is from a specialist sling shop. These are mostly internet based companies run by work-at-home parents who are experienced sling users themselves.

The main UK sellers all stock a selection of different styles of slings which (if used properly) are safe, comfortable and will last for the whole time you want to carry your child(ren). You can buy from one of the following stores with confidence.



Buying Second Hand
Buying a pre-loved sling is a good way to save some money. There are buy and sell boards on many UK-based parenting forums (eg Natural Mamas) as well as the FSOT board (For Sale or Trade) on The Babywearer forum (this is an international site) which are great places to buy and trade new or gently used slings. There is also a dedicated UK Yahoo group for buying, selling and trading slings/carriers and other babywearing items.

Some slings and carriers do come up on eBay although it goes without saying that the usual eBay risks apply and do check the What to Buy guide below for the brands to look for. Be aware that it is not unheard of for cheap imitations to be sold on eBay so be very wary of people selling cheap new branded carriers - for more information please see the Buying Issues section below.

Potential Buying Issues
When buying a sling or baby carrier there is a danger of getting one which could be uncomfortable and/or unsafe. Be aware:
  • when buying a sling/carrier on the high street - if buying on the High Street, please be aware that some of the widely available carriers are only useful for a limited weight range and many parents find them not particularly comfortable - for the same money you can get a comfortable safe carrier that will last for 2 years or more (see the Safety section below). Some High Street shops are now stocking good quality, comfortable slings and carriers but you are unlikely to receive as good advice on choosing or using a sling as you would from a specialist sling shop.
  • when buying a cheap or second hand sling (eg on eBay) -  anyone can set themselves up as a sling maker/seller but these slings are not necessarily safe. Cheap slings are often made with unsuitable materials and may be uncomfortable and/or unsafe. Second hand slings should be checked for wear and tear. New slings which are much cheaper than the normal retail price are very likely to be fake and there have been a lot of fakes on eBay in recent months (e.g. Ergo and Moby). While it can seem tempting to get a "bargain", these carriers will not have been safety tested and there may be chemicals in the fabric that you would not want next to your baby. If it seems too good to be true then it probably is - far better to spend more and be reassured that your child is in a safe non-toxic carrier.
  • when given gifts/donations from friends or family members - having a baby can be expensive and all gifts/donations are of course always welcome, but please check the brand is safe and that, if the instructions are not with the carrier, that you know how to carry your baby in it safely and comfortably.


What To Buy
The following lists contain some of the main brands of each sling type. This is by no means complete but should give you a place to start. Many of the online stores listed above will stock some of these brands so going direct to one of those websites is a way of finding a reliable pouch sling or wraparound etc. If you want to buy a specific brand, putting the name of the sling into Google will give you a list of places you can buy it. Many of these slings are made in Europe or North America and you may not be able to buy from a UK stockist so you need to factor in the cost of shipping (and perhaps customs charges) if you buy internationally. See the Types of Sling page for more detailed information about each style.

Coorie
Hotslings (AP)
Lifft Baby Slings
Peanutshell
Rockin’ Baby Adjustable Pouch
Tri-cotti
Zolowear Pouch

Ring Slings
Bara Barn Ring Slings
BB Sling
Didymos Ring Sling
Ellaroo Ring Sling
Maya Lightly Padded RS
Oopa Baby RS
P-Sling
Rockin’ Baby Ring Sling
Sakura Bloom Ring Sling
SBP Ring Sling
Storchenwiege Ring Sling
Zolowear Ring Sling

Babyhawk MT
CatBirdBaby MT
Colibri
Cwtshi
Ellaroo MT
Freehand MT
FrontBackAndSides MT
Kozy Carrier
Napsack
Taitasi
Wilkinet
Zidee MT
Zidee Podaegi

Buckle Soft Carriers
Angelpack
Beco Butterfly
Beco Gemini
Boba Carrier
Connecta (Integra)
Ergo
Manduca
Patapum
Pikkolo
Scootababy (Hip)
Yamo

Boba Wrap
Calin Bleu Fleece
Close Baby Carrier
Gypsymama Balibaby Stretch (BBS)
Hug-a-Bub
Kari-Me
MaM Eco Wrap
Moby/Moby D
Tricot-Slen



Woven Wraparounds
Amazonas
BB Slen
Bebina
Calin Bleu Gauze/Cool Cotton/Linen
Didymos
Easycare
Ellaroo
Girasol
Gypsymama Balibaby Breeze (BBB)
Hoppediz
Nati
Storchenwiege
Vatanai

Hip Carriers
Ellaroo Mei Hip
Hippychick Hipseat
Scootababy

Comfort and Safety Issues
Slings and carriers are very personal - everyone has a different favourite style or brand and one persons favourite sling/carrier might not suit someone else at all. However if you take some time to think about which type appeals to you and which style of sling will suit you, your lifestyle and family, and also ensure you are using it correctly you will be able to carry your baby for as long as you want to.

For comfort and safety reasons there are some carriers that are best avoided. The High Street front pack style carriers, even though they are the most popular and familiar type, are not comfortable for long. Many parents find after a few months the weight of their baby starts to pull on their shoulders. There are more comfortable, longer lasting carriers on the market so it is worth looking further than the high street.

You may have seen the media storm following the recall of two Infantino bag slings - the SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo - in March 2010. There has been concern in the babywearing community about the dangers of Bag Style Slings for many years following the safety testing carried out by M'Liss Stelzer. For more details see the Positioning and Safety page.


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