Looking out upon the vast sea of baby carriers, what’s to set one product apart from others? Some parents are looking for a breastfeeding tool. Some focus on simplicity. Great adjustability certainly helps. And isn’t the desire for comfort a given?
In the babywearing world, a high quality ring sling ranks at the top for many due to their simplicity, adjustability, comfort and breastfeeding support. Soft structured carriers can offer comfort, but don’t offer discreet breastfeeding – if they can be used as a breastfeeding tool at all. Wraps offer the ability to wear baby in a variety of positions, as ring slings do, but often heat baby and parent up in generous folds of fabric. Pouches offer simplicity, but can’t deliver the comfort and adjustability babywearing pro’s are looking for.
A couple of years ago, Rebecca from Baby Holdings, Inc. pulled her favorite design elements together to create the HAVA baby sling. Wearing her five children over the past ten years gave her insight that others lack. For example, most baby carriers – including the majority of ring slings on the market – aren’t constructed to distribute weight optimally. “When I designed the HAVA ring sling,” Rebecca shares, “I focused on creating a pleated shoulder that spreads wide, right away. Without that, baby’s weight just won’t be distributed effectively, and you can’t wear your baby for longer than 10 minutes comfortably.” Another bonus to look for in a ring sling is light padding in the rails to prevent chafing. HAVA is set apart in that it offers sleek padding through the rails and at the shoulder, yet doesn’t inhibit adjustability because it is offered in different sizes. Educated babywearers know to stay away from ‘one-size-fits-all’ slings.
Parents love having the ability to loosen and tighten their ring slings while wearing baby, instead of having to re-tie fabric or adjust straps. Babies love to wiggle and change positions, after all. “I love the pop-ability of my ring sling,” Rebecca says. “That’s the funny term babywearers use to refer to how easy it is to put your baby into the sling and get your baby out of the sling.”
For those who want to nurture their babies despite a hands-off culture, wearing them close to their hearts only makes sense. For those who know the difference between carriers, the sling’s the thing.
