Baby Slings - Tried and Tested

Reviewed by:

Rosie Woodward (3 month old girl) and Maggie Ho (Newborn boy).

Rosie says she was initially shocked by the combination of animal print and corsetry. “That said, once I’d got the FrenchSling on I thought it looked quite good – I probably would wear it in Tesco. There is a broad range of beautiful fabric designs and colours available.”

She was anxious about the lack of support. She says, “I didn’t feel like Dora was very secure – there seemed to be insufficient fabric to surround her.”

Maggie Ho also felt nervous when she was bending down. “The tie was difficult to adjust to the correct length and careful attention was needed to ensure the sling was flat and evenly spread against the back. You can use it anywhere so it’s very practical and easy to wash – although it could perhaps be in more neutral colours!”

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Reviewed by:

Rachel Walter (newborn boy) and Sandy Fazio (7 month old boy)

After a couple of weeks with the Wilkinet, Rachel is wondering what she’d do without it! “I’m able to get on with jobs whilst wearing it – it’s great for working at the computer! He tends to take his morning nap in the sling.”

“It seems to distribute the weight really easily, so it’s very comfortable to wear. I wore my 4kg newborn in it from three weeks, and I wasn’t at all worried about his head wobbling from side to side. It’s really comfortable and I felt like I could wear it for a long time. Style-wise it was pretty plain so it as good for me and my partner. I can’t think of anything that can be improved!”

Sandy Fazio agrees. “It takes a few goes to get used to how this sling ties but it’s a bit like tying your shoelaces – you won’t forget once you’ve got it! I suffer from lower back pain and the Wilkinet really eased the pressure when carrying him around. My baby also seems to like the sling and jiggles with anticipation when he’s going into it!”

The Wilkinet people have also just released a version of their sling made from Fair Trade material, so you can now give your baby ethical cuddles!

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Reviewed by:

Anna-Lena Weighton (4 month old girl) and Rachel Walter (newborn boy)

Anna Lena says the Hug a Bub took some practice. “I was only just getting used to putting it on after a week. It takes a few minutes to ‘tie’ it on to yourself and then fit your baby into, but it could be set up beforehand and then used as necessary later.”

“Once on, the sling was very comfortable and my baby enjoyed facing outwards – especially as she needs more ‘entertainment’ now. She must have been comfortable because she fell asleep like this once!”

Rachel Walter enjoyed the closeness of the sling. “The Hugabub is comfortable and really helped my newborn feel secure, especially in those first few weeks. It is basically one long piece of material, strong but with some elasticity, and you wrap it around yourself and then slot the baby in. The side straps came right up around my baby’s neck and head so he could see out but was well-protected inside.”

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Reviewed by:

Maggie Ho (newborn boy) and Sandy Fazio (7 month old boy)

Maggie describes the Coorie as “Lightweight and practical, but at least one hand was needed to support my baby all the time, especially whilst bending down. It was perhaps too basic because no adjustment could be made if the sling was too big or small. But it would be good for short trips.”

Sandy Fazio says the Coorie is; “Inexpensive, organic and simple. But I had to hold Dora all the time – which I think defeated the objective of wearing a sling! My baby liked the novelty of being in the sling for short bursts of time. I think it would be better if a wider selection of fabrics were available – I was concerned about my baby over-heating.

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Reviewed by:

Anna-Lena Weighton (4 month old girl)

Anna Lena’s main issue with the Mamaway was the instructions. “The DVD was in Mandarin so offered limited help! After watching and reading all the instructions a few times I managed to use it with some success. It was easy to open up and put on but placing my baby in it was more difficult. The sling was quick and easy to put on, but I found it difficult to get my baby in a comfortable position.”

She says, “With better instructions and more practice I think it would become easier.”

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