What's Your Favorite Baby Sling and Why?

the Moby was terrific. very comfortable, maybe a little cumbersome with all the fabric but my baby loved it and fell asleep easily.

Absolutely without question, the Ergobaby carrier! I tried wrap slings, but they just didn't work. With Ergo, i can hardly feel the weight even when i put my 2 year old in it. I use it mainly for my baby, though and used the infant insert for the first 3 months. It is totally comfortable, and i love the little hood which helps support the head or shades it from the sun. In the instructional video, it shows how to breastfeed with it on. Easy to use!

Hello there,

I used Moby wrap and it was awesome! It was easy to figure out how to get it on and you could use it different ways. I used it while I went for walks with the baby and was able to nurse him while walking if need be(it was rare.) I used it in the summer time and found it to be comfortable. The baby is snug to your body allowing for easy nursing and for the baby napping. I had no choice but to use one seeing that my other children were in the double stroller(ages 1 & 3 at the time.) I still use it once in a while. My son is now 2 years old and loves being on my back. It gives me the extra support I need and he loves it. I hope this helps. I tried many things and swear by the moby now!

D.

of course you will hear positive and negative reviews about each one. each mother and baby are unique, so you will never get consistent opinions.
i love the babyhawk (www.babyhawk.com). It's not a sling, it's a carrier (works both on front and back), it's super light, super easy to use, super comfortable, and has good back support, since the baby's weight is on your waist rather than your shoulders (which is a problem with the bjorn).
Since I've had it, 6 of my friends bought it, and they all love it. It works from newborn up to 40lbs. I found it when my daughter was 3 mos old, and we've gone everywhere with it (hiking, flying to Europe, etc). she is 15 months now, and still fits in her "kangaroo" really nice. unfortunately, i can't carry her too much in it, as i'm pregnant with #2, but when she is born, she'll be in the babyhawk too.
other things that i love about it: it has no buckles (it ties), so it's easy to switch btw mom and dad without having to adjust buckles. Unlike the bjorn, there is no piece of cloth btw your body and the baby, which allows for closer comfort, and less sweating in the summer. it's made of cotton material. you can pick your colors and front fabric and design your own unique carrier on their website.
good luck!

I have the bjorn and the Baby K'tan. I use both at different times. The Baby K'tan is two pieces, and you have to be very careful to hold the baby when you lean/bend over as with the bjorn. It is pretty convenient as the way it comes it is easy to use- no having to do the majority of the wrapping yourself. The ones that are just a huge piece of fabric will always fit though no matter who is using it-they just take more adjusting to how to use them. The Baby K'tan and the moby have mulitple carrying positions which is great, while the maya really doesn't.

Here in CT, I bought the K'tan about 7 months ago at Target (for $39.99) and a few months later they were on clearance for $10!

I have a baby K'atan and I thought it looked great but haven't used it a lot. My daughter didn't like the sling position (too squished for her) and we didn't really try any others yet. I liked it as a sling because of the double sling design, it seemed more secure than a regular sling. Also, if you buy from the company directly online they are very nice to deal with.
I have a Playtex Hip Hammock which I had with my older son (3 and now and too big to carry long). So far this is my favorite for a bigger baby. My daughter is a little small for it--13 lbs and the package says 15-35 lbs--but I tried her in it for a few minutes and she liked it. I loved it with my son and used it until he was over 25 lbs. I used to carry him and the groceries up 2 flights of stairs when he was in it. I like that it is easy to use so it is great for multiple short errands. It also puts the weight on the hips and waist so it is comfortable.

I researched online and would like to get and Ergo carrier but haven't yet. I got a secondhand Snugglie and only used it a few times. We also had a used frame backpack and never bothered with it.

I have seen lots of slings and carriers on ebay for a lower price, both new and used. It is also worth trying a baby carrier before you buy. I was able to try a hip hammock in Babies R Us. You can also try friends' or ask around at a La Leche meeting or other mommy gathering.

I never had much luck with slings, however I absolutely love my Ergo. This is what I'm using with my second son (now 3 months old) and I'm able to nurse him while pushing his brother in a stroller. It's pretty incredible! The Ergo's design takes the pressure off my back and sits the weight around my hips; much more comfortable than the Bjorn.

First of all I love sharing my sling experiences b/c I love them soooo much! I have 3 and have used them all for different ages with my little girl. The Moby was great for early on, the first - fourth month. She was so happy snuggled up tight. It was easy to use with the picture booklet guide. Not very easy to use out and about on the fly b/c it's long but you can have it on before you go and you don't have to worry about it hitting the floor as you put it on. From four months on I use the Maya wrap. My daughter hated the laying position in any wrap so I used it for the hip carry. It was tricky to get the positioning right and I watched all sorts of how-to videos. However, I didn't give up and kept trying and I'm glad I did b/c it's a quick carry for running into the store etc. As my girl got bigger it was easier but also not a long term carry solution. Now for my favorite! I didn't get it until she was 6 months old but I would say its a one stop shop. The Ergo Baby Carrier. It's a snuggly bjorn like carrier that you can use on your front, back or hip. They are pricey but you can find them online gently used for almost 1/2 off. It is so comfortable and easy to use. Support is great, they are held close to your body, they have pockets and accessories to add on to it. I go hiking with her, to the store, chores around the house, it's awesome!! Also you can use it up to 35 lbs! I have bought 2 as presents for friends/family who are pregnant. Check out their website! Hope this helps.

I love my Moby. It was probably the most useful (and most used baby gift I got). It took less than a week to get really quick at putting it on and easily getting my son in and out. My son loved riding in it and would fall asleep as we walked. He is now 8 months old and we still use it all the time. I've gone through three different positions for him as he's grown. The way you put the sling on is the same but just change his position in it. He now loves looking forward when we go outside. I was on public transit all the time so my wrap kept my baby close but was also easy to maneuver around with and get up and down and around. The Moby is also nice because it really distributes the weight well so the baby's weight doesn't hurt your back or shoulders. It is a lot of fabric but the nice thing is that it fits lots of sizes so I'm small and petite and my husband is built more like a football player but we both can use the same sling.

I have to completely agree with Michelle J! I have the Moby, the Maya, and the Ergo, and love all three for similar reasons expressed by Michelle. (I also have a Bjorn, and it is uncomfortable and my son hates it!) All are easy to use once you do it a few times, and my son (who is now 13 weeks old) currently prefers the Maya wrap, I think because I can get him up higher on my body where he can see out better (the Moby tends to get too tight when I try tying him up higher). Although I like the Moby, I wouldn't buy it again, and would just buy the Maya and the Ergo. The Maya is very lightweight and will be the coolest option for the summer months. My son was big (almost 9 pounds at birth) and so we aren't currently using the Ergo. He outgrew the infant insert pretty quickly, and is still too young to be in the older kid positions, but it is by far the most comfortable carrier out there. The weight is distributed on your hips like a hiking backpack, so there is no pain on your shoulders! Feel free to contact me if you want more info on any of these options. Hope you find one that works for you!

I have and love the Maya wrap. My friend had gotten it for her and her son and she breasted. She said it was pretty simeple. I don't breastfeed so I don't have that experience. My only complaint with the style I have is that sometimes the strap, where it goes into the metal ring, can get twisted on me and I have to re-thread it. It is exceptionally comfortable and I have the option of laying my baby down in it or sitting him in it and letting him see out- much like a front or back backpack carrier would. I have a carrier and he doesn't like it. He is happy in the maya. It is not too hot and they do have lots of different styles and fabrics. I didn't have to purchase it but I would say it would have been the best purchase I could have made and would have gotten one if I didn't get a loaner.

I can't comment on the ones you mentioned, but I can answer your question. We LOVED the new native baby carrier. I felt so confident knowing it was just one piece of fabric and would never come loose. (They come in different sizes to fit the parent well) It couldn't be more simple to slip on and put him in. It was a thin (unpadded) but sturdy material so he was still snuggled up in us. Machine washable and best of all, it folded up into a small square to bring in the diaper bag, stroller, purse, etc. . SOOO convenient for nursing too! a bit pricey but completely worth it!

My granddaughter was born late April in the South which means "hot" weather coming fast. So, my daughter & I researched to find the 'coolest-temp-wise' sling baby holder we could. The 'white' k--tan fit the bill perfectly after a time or two of awkwardness trying to get it right. We did & it worked all summer. Now my grand has outgrown the first ktan and needs a warmer one for the winter months... Bottom line is that the lightness/naturalness/intimacy/closeness/safety which the k-tan offers is topped by none of the other contraptions.

I have tried the Bjorn for all three of my kids, but it wasn't until my third that I got an Ergo, and i absolutely loved it. I could still shop, push a stroller, get stuff done around the house, etc and my son slept comfortably in it , or even looked around and was comfortable too. you can wear it on your front, back or hip, although I mostly used it on the front. It comes with an instructional video too. hope that helps.

The Ergo carrier. It's that simple - really. It will also last you the longest...since you can wear it in many positions and feel comfortable as the baby grows - even beyound 12 months. I am 40 - we are constantly on the trails or travelling and am both comfortable. Enjoy

Check out My Baby Nest. I used this for my son. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it. It was so comfortable, easy to nurse in, great for snuggling. My son loved it. I used it all the time - around the house, out doing errands, going out to dinner (he would sleep the during an entire meal all snuggled in with me). When he got bigger (after 6 months or so) I used it in the other positions that are possible. Check out their website.
http://www.mybabynest.com/

I use different carriers for different ages and outings! I used my ring sling (maya) and bjorn from the beginning. (I also had a Moby, but only used it for the first few months. It stretched out easily, so he started to sag. And I found it a pain, with the straps being so long. They dragged behind me!) The ring sling was good for when my son was tiny, as well as around the house. The bjorn (which I actually loved!) was great for being completely comfortable with hands-free (there was NO WAY he could fall out!), especially when running errands. Later, I could put him facing forward in the bjorn, which he thought was so cool. :)

But once he was 15 pounds, the bjorn went into the closet. It really does hurt your back with a big kid. So I used the ring sling even more, and also got an Ergo. The Ergo is WONDERFUL! But he couldn't face forward, and it's not very easy to use on the hip. So as he got older, I switched between the two. The sling was lighter and easier to fold, so I always took it with me in my diaper bag. It's also great for a new walker, because he can get up and down easily. And it's so nice to have a toddler on your hip! You can talk and hang and just enjoy each other!

But the sling can hurt your neck and shoulder if you wear it too long, once they're big. And I never had any pain at all with the Ergo. So for hikes, long errands (2 hours at a local farm, etc.), I put my son in my Ergo on my back.

Hope this helps a little!

I love the baby bundler, which is not so much a sling as a giant piece of fabric and a DVD. I like it because it was much sturdier feeling than either of the slings I got (hotslings, jelly bean). My baby was very small and with the slings I felt both like she was being suffocated by fabric and she might fall out. The baby bundler could hold her in several very secure positions, including the standard "sling" position, without leaving her all slumped over. And she is now 9 months old, and I still use it, as later on you can turn your baby to face out and use it like a bjorn. Everyone who has seen me use it has commented on how much better it is than a baby bjorn. So it also has a much longer life span than a standard sling.

Ergo, definitely. I have a big (22 lbs) 7 month old who I carry in the front with it and a big (32 lb) almost 3 yr old who I carry on the back - obviously not at the same time - and love it. Far more comfortable than the bjorn and the little pocket on the 'seat' let's me put a diaper and a bottle in it if I'm just heading out for a quick trip instead of needing to lug an entire diaper bag with me.

Hope this helps.