Baby sling

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A young African woman carrying child in a baby sling.



Ring slings[edit]

Man wearing child in a ring sling





Sisters wearing baby dolls in play slings

Ring slings are highly adaptable and most care givers can wear a "one size fits most" size. As long as the tail is about 8" long a ring sling is still considered safe. Tail length is decided by personal preference with most preferring the tail to hit about hip or mid thigh.

Pouch slings[edit]

A woman with a baby in a pouch sling

Sometimes called "tube", "pocket" or "ringless" slings, these are generally formed by a wide piece of fabric sewn into a tubular shape.[2] Simple, or fitted pouches do not have rings or other hardware. Adjustable pouches may adjust with zippers, snaps, buckles, clips, rings, drawstrings, velcro, and other methods. Most pouches have a curve sewn in to shape the cloth to the parent's body and hold the baby more securely than a simple straight tube. The wearer slips the pouch over the head and one shoulder, sash-style, creating a pocket or seat to hold the baby in. Many pediatricians and baby-wearing experts do not recommend pouch slings because babies can suffocate when held incorrectly. Suffocation risk is greatest in newborns and infants under six months, and usually occurs because the baby's chin is collapsed against his or her chest, constricting the airway. Pouch slings also often restrict the parent's view of their child, making suffocation more likely. When using a pouch sling, wearers should be sure to keep the baby's face elevated and clearly visible.



There are two main types of wrap - stretchy and woven. Stretchy wraps are generally made of knits such as jersey or interlock. It is easy to take babies in and out of a stretchy wrap. This can be easier for the wearer as the sling often remains tied on and the baby is lifted out and put back in as required. Several factors influence stretchiness: carriers with any spandex or lycra content will tend to be very stretchy, carriers which are 100% cotton or other natural fibers will tend to have less lengthwise stretch. Woven wraps are pieces of woven fabric of varying thickness. Natural fibers are usually chosen, with cotton being the most common, but hemp, linen, silk and wool are also used. A variety of weaves are used. Most common are homespun or handwoven fabrics with simple over-under weaves, twills and jacquards. Most weaves provide some give or stretch diagonally.

Simple pieces of cloth AKA (SPOC)[edit]

Man wearing baby in a homemade stretchy wrap sling

Pieces of cloth can be turned into slings by wrapping the fabric around the carrier and the baby and either tying it with knots or using a twist and tuck method to secure the ends. Rebozos (Mexico), mantas (Peru), kangas (Africa) and selendangs (Indonesia) are all rectangular pieces of cloth but are tied or wrapped in many different ways. Wraps are also simple pieces of cloth.[4]

The podaegi and other Asian-style baby carriers[edit]

The podaegi (Korean: 포대기, also spelled podegi) is a Korean carrier with a medium to large rectangle of fabric hanging from a very long strap. Traditionally the rectangle is quilted for warmth and wraps around the mother's torso, while the straps are wrapped snug under the baby's bottom and tied around to the front to support and secure the baby on the mother's back. Western interest in the podaegi style has led to new wrapping methods which do go over the shoulders, and to narrower "blankets". Variants of this shape include the Iu-Mienh/Hmong carrier and the Chinese bei bei. Iu-Mienh/Hmong carriers and bei beis are both customarily used with over-the-shoulder wrapping and often have stiff sections which help provide head support or block wind.

The Chinese Mei-tai (Chinese: 背带, Cantonese pronunciation) - meaning mei: to carry on the shoulders / tai: strap, band[5] - is a square or nearly square piece of cloth with parallel unpadded straps emerging from the sides of each corner. It was traditionally secured by bringing all the straps together in a twist with the ends tucked. A variation on the traditional mei tai was popularized in Australia in the 1960s. There are now hundreds of different brands of mei tai available with a variety of features, but the longer straps, taller body and wrap-style tying method are found in almost all of them. Mei tais are suitable for front or back carries with children ranging from birth to as heavy as a parent can support.



Soft Structured Carriers[edit]

Modern structured hip carriers, soft structured carriers (known as SSC) which can be used on front or back, structured front packs and hard-framed backpacks are also used. Hip carriers may be closely related to ring slings or they may be more closely related to a mei tai, and several different types of fasteners are used in different models. Most soft structured carriers are loosely based on the traditional mei tai with a main flat panels and four straps which are shortened and fitted with buckles for added convenience.[6]

Other types of slings and baby carriers[edit]



Some baby carriers have been recalled due to faulty design or manufacturing defects (usually in limited numbers of carriers from one particular time period).[8] There have also been incidents of babies suffocating while in carriers, particularly "bag sling" styles, and Consumer Reports has urged a recall of all slings of this type.[9][10] Advocates argue that other types of slings are safe, especially when the baby's face, nose, and mouth are visible at all times.

Human evolution[edit]

Baby slings used during the pre-historic times encouraged the growth of the human brain according to Timothy Taylor.[11]


  1. ^ Sears, William. "What Babywearing Means: Our Story". Retrieved May 9, 2009. 
  2. ^ a b Wilson, D. "Pouches and Slings". Retrieved May 9, 2009. 
  3. ^ "The Art of Babywearing: Wraparound Carriers". Retrieved May 9, 2009. 
  4. ^
  5. ^
  6. ^ "101 - Soft Structured Baby Carriers". April 14, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2009. 
  7. ^ Babies Celebrated, Fontanel, B. 1998
  8. ^ "Baby sling carriers raise safety concerns". 2008-04-09. Retrieved 2013-05-13. 
  9. ^ "Baby deaths raise concerns about Infantino slings". 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2013-05-13. 
  10. ^ "Infantino baby slings recalled in US and Canada". BBC News. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2013-05-13. 
  11. ^ Keys, David (2010-09-06). "Prehistoric baby sling made our brains bigger". London: 

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