Babywearing systems

Elastic Sling  (Stretchy Wrap)

Elastic baby wraps are made of tricot, a knitted soft moldable fabric that stretches. They differ from each other in stretchability, thickness, material and length. In addition to natural cotton or viscose, some cloths also contain elastic material such as elastane (also called spandex). Thanks to their ease of use and wearing comfort, stretchy wraps are ideal for carrying newborns on the front.

Woven slings

Woven slings come in all kinds of materials, sizes and weaving techniques. They differ in stretchability and thicknessl. There is often a mixture of different yarns. The greater the percentage of a particular type of yarn, the more pronounced the influence will be on the tying qualities of the fabric.

Together, these characteristics determine the way a wrap feels and can be tied. A quality woven wrap stretches diagonally for a nice positioning of your baby in the wrap, but is not elastic like an elastic sling. The woven wrap is available in various lengths. The ideal size depends on the chosen tying method and the body measurements of the wearer and the child. A sling with a different print or color on both sides can be useful when tying.

The great advantage of a woven wrap is the versatility in use. Babywearing on the front, hip and back is possible with all kinds of tying methods. With a woven wrap you can wear as from birth of your baby until preschool age. Learning tying techniques under supervision can ensure that you can enjoy wearing this wrap.

Ringslings

A ringsling is a short (usually woven) sling with 2 rings attached to one end through which you pull the fabric from the other end. You attach the fabric by tightening, not by buttoning or clicking a buckle. The ring sling is a compact carrying system that allows you to carry a child on the hip or stomach, which is convenient to use as soon as you have mastered tightening a baby sling. Due to the asymmetrical way of babywearing, this is especially recommended for short distances.

In addition to the choice of material, the way the shoulderend is finished also determines how comfortable a ring sling feels on your shoulder. This can be gathered (unfolded), folded (folded), pleated (pleated) or padded (padded). Depending on the anatomy of the parent, one shape is more comfortable than another. Some shoulder systems have different versions designed for right and left shoulder.

Asian traditional carriers

These babywearing systems are originally from Asia. There are different types: the three most well-known are the meh dai, the onbuhimo and the podaegi.

The Meh dai (also called Mei Tai) are originally from China. Meh means "carry on the back", dai stands for "band"...in other words "back carrier with straps". Traditionally, it is a pre-shaped square back panel with straps at the four corners: wide hip straps at the bottom and longer shoulder straps at the top. Both hip belt and shoulder straps are tied with a knot. In the meanwhile, many variations exist. Fit and try is the message! Nowadays you will find meh dai that are suitable for newborns, but many types of mei tai are more suitable for children who can already sit independently.

Onbuhimo are originally from Japan. Onbu means "to carry", "himo" means belt/rope...or rather "back carrying belt". Onbuhimo are carriers without a hip belt. This baby carrier is suitable for children with sufficient control of the upper body.

Podaegi come from Korea. The meaning is "baby blanket with a band". They are quilted wide blankets with a band along the top. Podaegi are intended to carry children on the back. Podaegi are much less known in West-Europe.

Baby carriers

Baby carriers or Soft Structured carriers (SSC) offer the possibility to carry a child ergonomically without (a lot of) knotting. A baby carrier is a soft square back panel with straps at the four corners. At the bottom is the hip belt that is attached with a buckle and at the top there are longer shoulder straps. Depending on the presence of buckles at the shoulder straps, baby carriers are divided into full-buckle carriers (buckle for shoulder straps) and half-buckle carriers (tying of shoulder straps needed, no buckles).

A special soft structured carrier is the Marsupi. Marsupi is a carrier without buckles, but the straps are attached to the back panel with velcro.

Many baby carriers are designated for a certain age (baby – toddler – preschooler), but there are also softstructured carriers that grow with your child. Shoulder straps are padded (like backpacks), spread open overshoulders or can even be both. The hip belt can take on all kinds of shapes and thickness. The buckles also determine part of the babywearing comfort with their position and way of tightening. Because there are so many shapes, materials and models, it is a matter of finding out what suits you and your baby.

Torso carriers

The torso sling is a thin rectangular piece of fabric (standard size 170 cm x 120 cm) that is wrapped around the torso (upper body) of the wearer and then tied or simply rolled to secure the fabric. The baby is usually on the back.

A big advantage for parents with neck complaints is that the arms and shoulders of the person wearing are free. It doesn't feel that warm either as there is only one layer of fabric. But the torso carrier often has to be knotted or rolled over again, which makes this system feel unsafe for many parents. That is why this system is rarely used here in Belgium.

Doll carriers

Carrying systems for dolls are also available. This is a way of involving the siblings of your baby. Nowadays there are several brands that have a doll carrier in their collection. They exist as a baby carrier, sling or ring sling. Girasol® even offers a doll carrier for creative mini parents: kids can design their own doll carrier.