Babywearing 101: the Ring Sling

When most people think of the word sling, the ring sling is what they think of: a long piece of fabric looped through two rings. Within that simple design though, you have lots of different design options and variations.

The pros of a ring sling is that they are infinitely adjustable - making them easy to share and not so hard to size. They're also among the most versatile of one-shouldered carriers, with many mothers finding that nursing is easiest in this style. Most ring slings can be used from birth all the way to 35lbs.-40lbs. comfortably, meaning they have a long "shelf life".

The cons are that the one-shouldered carry can be hard on the shoulder with heavier babies for long periods and the sling generally has to be adjusted every time you put it on (though this is pretty straightforward).

When looking at ring slings, beware the heavily padded styles. The padding isn't primarily what determines comfort in carriers, it's the spread of the fabric that distributes the weight evenly. Heavily padded shoulders look more comfortable, but they can be difficult to adjust and spread properly and can get very hot. Stick to lightly padded or unpadded shoulders.

Rings are generally made from plastic or aluminum. It's important that you buy a sling made with rings meant for this purpose - welded metal rings can come apart and either type can warp allowing one ring to slip through the other. Plastic rings are usually thicker and "grippier", while aluminum wrings can accommodate heavier fabric and are more attractive (esp. the colored ones!).