Brilliant Babywearing Businesses Guide to the Best Baby Carriers and Slings for 2022

Choosing a baby carrier or a sling can feel like a complete minefield. There are so many different types, with so many different features. Consequently, it can be really easy get completely overwhelmed.

Ultimately the best one for your family will be the one that fits you best – both physically and fitting your needs and how you want to use it.   Which is why I highly encourage trying a few on before you invest.  Finding your local sling library or babywearing consultant and trying a few with their help will really help take all the effort and guesswork out of finding that perfect fit for your family.

But sometimes it is helpful to have a starting point. It can be helpful to have an idea of what to try and what might suit you. Which is where this list comes in!

I asked 36 Babywearing Consultants from all over the UK (and a couple from Europe too) to tell me their top 5 picks across 8 different categories – best for newborns, best multi position carrier, best lightweight carrier, best for longevity, best value for money, best toddler and preschool carriers, top Eco-conscious brands and best babywearing accessories.  And then I compiled all this data to produce the lists for each category below.

What makes this guide different to others is the sample number and experience behind it. Each of these 36 consultants runs a busy sling library and consultancy, has experience of 100s of different slings and carrier brands and models, and between us we see literally thousands and thousands of families a year. These picks are based on that combined knowledge and the experience that comes with working with families directly and seeing what works in particular circumstances and not in others. None of us received free carriers or any donations in exchange for our opinions, and entry into this list doesn’t rely on the brand providing free samples – something that often excludes smaller and often more affordable brands from being considered in other lists and awards, simply because it costs too much to enter. So all in all making the Brilliant Babywearing Business Guide to the Best Slings and Carriers for 2022 a list that you can really trust as a starting point for your research and what carriers and slings to try.

So without any further delay here are the Top Picks for each category:

Best For Newborns

  1. Two-Way Stretchy Wrap
  2. Mamaruga Zen Sling
  3. Ring Sling
  4. Close Parent Caboo
  5. Ergobaby Embrace

Many carriers are marketed as “from newborn”, or “newborn to toddler”.  But the simple truth is few actually do the newborn period really very well.  Or at least few genuinely do both newborns and toddlers. This makes sense as newborns have different needs to older babies.  During the 4th trimester period they sleep more, they crave the closeness and sound of their caregiver’s heartbeat – just as they had in the womb.  So the slings and carriers that work the best are the ones that are soft, flexible and can really fit down for a smaller form to give a lovely cocooning, snuggly, safe carry.  

So it is no surprise that all the 5 top picks on this list are ultra soft.  Only two buckle carriers make it into the top 5 and both of these – the Mamaruga Zen Sling and the Ergobaby Embrace are made of soft jersey and so emulate the soft feel of a wrap or a ring sling.  

The Stretchy wrap was far and away the winner, topping almost every consultant’s list.  But there are so many stretchy brands!  One common theme was that parents find two-way stretchies so much easier than one way (you can read more about the differences between the two here).  

The Top 5 Two-way Stretchy Brands were;

  1. Izmi Baby
  2. Lifft
  3. Boba
  4. Joy and Joe
  5. Hana Baby

Notable mention also goes to Calin Bleu which came in 6th – but retails at just £25 (which is a good £10-20 cheaper than the brands above) so is a great budget friendly choice.

Best Multi Position Carrier

  1. Tula Explore
  2. Ergobaby Omni (360, Breeze and Dream)
  3. Beco Gemini
  4. Beco 8
  5. Kahu Baby

These are the “does it all” carriers, offering multiple carrying positions including outward facing, inward facing and back carries. These are all great choices if you’d like to have the option to carry your baby forward facing when developmentally ready and have the piece of mind that they can be also used on your back once the baby gets heavier too.  All bar the Tula also offer the option to hip carry too.  

I think it might be a surprise to many that Ergobaby didn’t win this category, however, they did come in a very close second behind Tula.  It is worth knowing that Ergobaby do own Tula, and the Tula Explore is quite similar to the Omni but with some key differences including being a little cheaper and having very beautiful patterns so this maybe why they just pipped Ergobaby to the top spot.  

And maybe even more of a surprise the Baby Bjorn didn’t make the top 5 at all.  While Baby Bjorn do make a number of Multi-position carriers they did not feature in any of our 36 consultants top 5 list in this category.  Likely because these carriers have a narrower fit range than others, fitting some parents well while not fitting others.  As a result, while many parents do come to our libraries asking to try a Baby Bjorn most discover they don’t fit them as well as one of the 5 choices above and so don’t go onto buy a Bjorn afterall.

Best Lightweight Carrier

  1. Kahu Baby Carrier (Sunshine)
  2. Integra Baby Carrier (Solarweave)
  3. Ring Sling – in particular the Melliapis Simple Ring Sling
  4. Mini Monkey Mini Sling
  5. Izmi Baby Carrier (Breeze)

These are the carriers that really pack down small, that are made of ultra-light breathable material making them perfect for summer, travel and anyone who wants an option that can fold down small to fit under the buggy or in the change bag.  

Absolutely all of these are not only fantastic lightweight options but also great carriers.  You’ll notice that some of these appear in other categories too, such as the Kahu Baby Carrier which not only far and away won this category but also came in at #5 in Best Multi Position and Best Value for Money too.  Likewise you’ll find ring slings mentioned in Best for Newborns and Best Value for Money as well. 

Best For Longevity

  1. Woven Wrap
  2. Boba X
  3. Manduca XT
  4. Isara the One
  5. Tula FTG

This category focused on the carriers that last the absolute longest, that grow with your child from tiny baby all the way through to toddlerhood and beyond.  The far and away winner was the Woven Wrap.  Of all the different types of carriers and slings this is the one that will truly go from newborn or even preemie all the way through to preschooler or as old as you need it to.  I have a friend who once carried her husband in a woven wrap for a dare.  So it is not a surprise that wovens won this category as they are absolutely unbeatable on longevity.  But for those that prefer a buckle carrier the 4 listed here are the ones that go the absolute longest, all working well from just a few weeks old into toddlerhood and beyond. 

Best Value for Money

  1. Woven Wrap
  2. Integra
  3. Boba X
  4. Ring Sling
  5. Kahu Baby

The idea behind this category was two fold.  To represent the carriers that offer great value in terms of how not only how much they cost to buy but also how long they actually last.  So it’s unsurprising that alot of the same carriers that featured in the Longevity category, reappear here – with Woven Wraps winning again.  Because anything that lasts a long time will have a lower “pence per day” cost than anything that doesn’t last long.  And while woven wraps can vary hugely in price, there are many really great cost effective brands and a really thriving second hand market too.  

It is worth noting that many of the budget options such as Infantino, Red Kite and many others don’t make the shortlist.  The reason for this is that while these are cheap to buy, they generally don’t last very long (months rather than years), meaning that they often end up as a false economy and you will end up needing to replace them before too long and paying more per use versus a carrier that is designed to last longer. 

It’s also worth noticing that Ergobaby and Baby Bjorn are completely absent from this category. While they are very well known (because they have relatively big advertising budgets!), they are quite a bit more expensive than other brands, both in terms of actual cost (likely to pay for that big advertising budget) and the cost per use when you factor in that they often don’t last quite as long as some others.  So if you are looking at Ergobaby or Bjorn and feeling a bit priced out – please don’t despair.  This is definitely something that your local Sling Library or Babywearing Consultant can help you with – finding a carrier that fits your budget, your needs and physically fits you and baby well.

Best Toddler carrier

  1. Tula Toddler Carrier
  2. Integra Size 2
  3. Beco Toddler Carrier
  4. Isara Trendsetter Toddler Carrier
  5. Lenny Lamb LennyPreschool Carrier

Most toddler carriers work well from around 18 months through to 3.5 years of age and can be a great option for anyone who is finding their existing carrier is becoming heavy and their little one is no longer fitting as well.  While many baby carriers do last well until around 2 years of age, if you are still carrying regularly at this point it can be well worth sizing upto a Toddler sized carrier for more support.  You can find many of these carriers compared and contrasted here.

Many sling libraries also offer the options to hire these carriers for holidays and trips away, so even if you don’t carry regularly but are thinking a carrier might come in handy for an upcoming trip it can be well worth contacting your local sling library to hire (and/or I offer postal hires too!).

Best Preschool carriers

  1. Lenny Lamb LennyPreschool Carrier
  2. Tula Preschool Carrier
  3. Integra Size 3
  4. Easy Feel Extend Plus
  5. Woven Wrap

While Toddler carriers generally last upto 3.5 years of age, Preschool carriers generally work from around 2.5 years of age until at least 5.  They are a great option for any family where extended carrying is helpful, maybe due to additional needs or so many other reasons.  Just as for toddler carriers, many sling libraries do loan out preschool carriers for trips or a specific purpose.  I personally used the Easy Feel Extend quite a bit over the first few weeks of my daughter starting school, simply because she was so exhausted mentally and physically in those first weeks carrying her really helped ease her through that transition.  I often have parents hiring for a month or two for similar reasons. 

Top Eco-conscious brands

  1. Firespiral
  2. Oscha
  3. Kahu Baby
  4. Mamaruga

This category focuses on the brands that are really committed to sustainability and making the smallest environmental impact possible.  Each of these companies are really careful about sourcing, packaging and every single step in their production line to ensure the smallest environmental footprint.  You’ll notice there are only 4, and I hope this is something that will continue to grow as we all start to focus more on making sustainable choices. 

Best Babywearing Accessories

  1. MooMo Baby Leg Warmers
  2. Suck Pads
  3. Bundlebean Babywearing Cover
  4. Wrap a Hug Baby Wearing Socks
  5. Mamalila Softshell Coat

In our final category, we move away from carriers and slings and look instead at accessories.  There are so many amazing small businesses making beautiful accessories to enhance your baby carrying experience – that it almost sems cruel to limit it to just 5 but here are our top 5!

The Best Carrier for you personally…

Ultimately the best baby carrier or sling for you personally will be the one that fits your family the best and this will depend on your needs, baby’s age and stage, your body, the body of your partner or anyone else who might be sharing the carrier with you and what each of you personally find comfortable.  

This can be so hard to tell from reviews!  But hopefully these lists have given you a starting point for your research and a starting point for working out what you’d like to try on.  If you’re reading this and feeling more overwhelmed than ever.  Please do reach out – either to me or to your local sling library or consultant as we will be able to help you find the best fit for you.

-Madeleine

If you found this article helpful and would like to support Sheen Slings in producing content like this and keeping it free and accessable for all you can do so here.

Mini Monkey TWIN Mesh Carrier review

Since I originally reviewed the Mini Monkey TWIN carrier back in 2018, Mini Monkey have updated it to replace the soft denim chambray panel with an even softer, airy mesh fabric. So I thought it was high time for a fresh review!

The first thing to say is much of the carrier remains the same. In terms of how long it fits, how it can be used, who it fits etc….. is all unchanged and still covered in great depth by my orginal review (which you can find here). So I won’t repeat this in the text here, and instead I will focus on the differences and what make this newer version, quite frankly better, than the older model.

But first, for those who prefer a video review, you can see and hear my full thoughts on the Mini Monkey Twin Mesh and see it in action here;

So what has changed?

First and foremost the main change is the fabric.  I did actually really love the old denim chambray.  It was so soft – like a really soft denim shirt.  And it coordinated with everything.  But it was kind of hot.  And let’s face it – carrying twins is a hot affair. Even in the winter!  So switching this panel over to mesh is a really welcome change.  And not only is it mesh, but it is really ultra soft, ultra breathable, ultra lightweight mesh.  It is the same Mesh they use on the Mini Sling, which always absolutely flies off the shelves come summer because it is unbeatable in terms of how thin, cool and light it is. Making this a fabulous option for sprint, summer and actually all year round.  Plus this mesh fabric is extremely fast drying, which is great because slings do get dirty (sick, spit, nappy explosions) and something that can be washed and dried quickly is a big big pro!

The second main change is that Mini Monkey have redesigned the back part of the carrier.  On the older denim version the back part moved and would annoyingly sometimes get stuck in the plastic clips when attempting to loosen or tighten the carrier and as a result I have got stuck in this sling more than once!  On the newer Mesh version this has been completely redesigned.  Now the back part is sewn into place and the buckles for loosening and tightening are lower down on your back which makes them easier to reach than before.  Additionally they’ve added a sizing thing that allows you to adjust where this crossover is on your back to allow for different parent shapes and sizes.  It is definitely an improvement.  However, it is still a bit of a source of frustration because;

  1. While the buckles are much easier to loosen off than before, they are still not that easy to reach!  And it’s still a bit tricky to do!
  2. Likewise while it is much easier to tighten than before, it’s still quite stiff and really can be quite hard to firstly find the right angle to pull the strap at and actually get it to move!  This is something that you get better at over time but it is a bit of a knack and still not super easy.
  3. While it does adjust to fit different size backs – I am finding it doesn’t go small enough for very petite parents.  There are 3 settings and Mini Monkey have labelled them suggesting they fit XXS, S and M-XXL respectively.  I am size 12 and 5ft7/170cm and definitely wouldn’t describe myself as an XXS and yet I am using it on the XXS setting.  On anyone significantly smaller than me, say UK8 and below (or in mens sizes shirt collar size of 14)… I am really struggling to get the straps anywhere near tight enough.  Particularly when babies are smaller.   Consequently, I don’t think this carrier works well on more petite parents.  For everyone else, including plus sized parents, broad shouldered parents and everyone in between there is loads of adjustability – it’s just the very petite that its not work for.  
Left: Sliding back part on the Denim carrier. Middle: Sewn in back part on the Mesh carrier. Right: Sizing guide on the Mesh carrier.

However, those niggles aside, I do think this back panel panel is vastly improved and combined with the new mesh fabric I really do think that the Mini Monkey TWIN mesh carrier is one of the best dedicated Twin carriers out there.  It is fairly intuitive to use, it folds down really very small and works really well for babies aged between 8 weeks and 8 months (ish!) – so really plugs the gap before babies are ready for the one front one back options like the TwinGo.   

The Mini Monkey Twin carrier currently costs £115 and can be purchased through Sheen Slings here.  I also have 2 available to hire and offer discounts to those who hire first to ensure you can try before you buy and be completely sure it will work for you before you invest.  Or if you’d like to talk through your options and whether this verses something else (like 2 singleton carriers or a woven wrap) might work better for your family feel free to get in touch!

-Madeleine

Front Cross Carry with a Long Woven Wrap Tutorial

Front Cross Carry is a fabulous option for older babies. Generally once baby has good neck and upper torso control you can use this carry.

It’s main pro’s are;

  • You can pre-tie it and the pop baby in and tighten around them. Likewise you can loosen to take baby back out without untying. Making this a very practical carry because you can pre-tie before you leave the house or before you drive your car … avoiding the need to tie near muddy puddles when you reach your destination. It’s also a great option for toddlers who are “up and down” a lot as you don’t have to keep retying it every time they want to come back up.
  • Secure cross between babies legs means this carry is great for older babies who like to straighten their legs and try to stand up in the sling. Or those that “bounce” in the sling. The material between their legs feels really secure and means they can’t “pop” or lose their seat.
  • Supportive band of fabric around your lower back really helps distribute baby’s growing weight and can feel very comfortable
  • It is easy for older babies to get their arms out and have a good look around – great for “nosy” babies.

It’s main con’s are

  • It’s not great for babies who really want to lean out. The way the material runs across baby’s back means that a baby who is determined to lean back can often work the material down to a point where it no longer feels safe. You can try twisting the material (as shown in the video below) and this often helps tighten the top up and keep it feeling secure. It’s definitely worth trying but if your baby really wants to lean, but trust your instinct if this carry just doesn’t feel right. Instead Front Wrap Cross Carry or Kangaroo Carry often work better for those who want to lean!
  • It doesn’t work well for younger babies as the cross does open their legs wide and doesn’t offer the best neck support. Consequently, I don’t typically recommend this carry until baby has a strong neck and upper back and is naturally spreading their legs wide around you when you hold them in arms. Around the same time you might feel comfortable supporting them in arms on your hip. Instead for younger babies or for those wanting a snugglier carry the closely related Front Double Hammock carry is worth exploring.

Here’s how to do it;

Wrap shown is an Ali Dover Dream in size 6 which is my base size. There are variations of this carry that allow you to use shorter wraps – a knotless finish that will work with a base -1 and a short variation that will work with a base -2 or 3. And you can find more info on woven wrap sizes here.

If you are struggling with this or any other carry please do get in touch. I can go through it with you step by step and provide real time feedback (whether online via Zoom or in person) and really help flatten the learning curve and ensure your 100% confident going forward.

-Madeleine

If you found this article helpful and would like to support Sheen Slings in producing content like this and keeping it free and accessable for all you can do so here.

New Year, New Location and New Dates!

2021 has been an interesting year! While there’s still be distruption, Sling Library sessions were able to come back in April and ever since September they’ve been getting busier and busier and busier! As have consultations, workshops and online consultations too! Which has been amazing to see.

Looking to 2022, Sling Clinic will be back at both Kingston Town Children’s Centre and Barnes Children’s Centre. And then to keep up with the increasing demand I will be adding a brand new location – Old Malden Childrens Centre!

All of these sessions are completely FREE to attend (although donations are welcome). They are small group friendly informal sessions, perfect for those who have a couple of questions, would like a quick fit check or have a fair idea of what they want to try and would like like to try it on in person or hire to try before they invest in their own. Booking is essential and you can find the dates for each venue and the booking form here.

For those needing more indepth help, private consultations in my home, clients homes or online are back from the 5th of Jan. These are the perfect way to explore a number of options and really delve deep into how to use them and become competely confident using whatever you choose.

Once you have found the right option for you the Sheen Slings webshop is here for you! Carrying an increasing range of slings, carriers and accessories – all purchases come with the added bonus of me! I care much less about what you buy and much more about whether you can use it and that it add value to your like … so all carrier and sling purchases come awith a free 20 minute online video fitting appointment that you can book at anytime if you are at all unsure. And all my clients – are always welcome to send me a photo to double check fit and/or ask any questions. I want to ensure you love carrying and all the products in the shop are carefully curated based on what I know works for a wide range of parents and babies. They are all things I have seen work time and time again for families of all shapes, sizes and needs. Most are also things I have either used personally myself or wish had been available at the time for me to use personally!

Finally, I am continuing to build my learning zone with ever more tutorials, reviews and frequently asked questions. So if you have a question and can find it here please do ask!

Wishing you a very happy 2022 and really looking forward to welcoming many of you in the New Year.

-Madeleine

Top 3 reasons why your baby carrier might be causing back pain

When it comes to baby carriers – fit is everything. How well your carrier fit you personally and how well it is fitted each time you use it. Parents often come to me with a carrier they’ve bought and is causing them pain and assume I will tell them they need to buy something new. But often they really don’t need to. A few tweaks to how it is fitted and how they are using it can be a total game changer. Suddenly that carrier they hated is now is now super comfy and their back feels supported and comfortable.

So here are my top 3 reasons your carrier might be causing you pain, and HOW to fix them! Watch the video of my instragram live showing all 3 or scroll down if you prefer to read!

#1 – The waistband isn’t high enough.

Getting the waist band right is the absolute foundation of any carry. Often the reason parents are struggling is simply that the waistband is positioned too low, or that it is not tight enough and the result is baby’s weight is causing the waist band to tip which consequently causes your pelvis to tip and your back to arch. The fix is to simply raise the waist band up and tighten it up!

You can see more about waist band positioning here:

Or read my full blog on this here.

#2 – The shoulder straps are too loose

This can be counter intituive because usually if something is rubbing or hurting we often think it must be too tight, so our instincts are to loosen up. But actually when it comes to baby carriers it is the reverse; when they are too loose baby pulls away from you and this downward drag causes that rubbing or pain or heaviness on your shoulders. The trick to it feeling lighter is to tighten those straps up until there is no slack. Or until it is tight enough that if you lean foward, baby doesn’t draw away from you.

Often parents are worried to tighten up because they fear squashing the baby, but actually babies enjoy that closeness. They enjoy the security that comes with have the straps snug because it feels more secure and more cozy for them.

#3 – How you tighten the shoulder straps

This is often the biggest culprit behind discomfort in carriers – HOW you tighten the straps. The fact is, that for most carriers this is not obvious. Just simply yanking on the strap to tighten it often doesn’t work. The combination of baby’s weight pulling downward int he sling and the friction across your back will prevent the strap from tightening effectively.

Instead it is key to

  1. Support baby’s weight as you tighten, so that you aren’t fighting gravity
  2. Move any looseness around you back, wiggling your shoulder as you go before you try to tighten the strap.
  3. Once the looseness is directly by the buckle, then and only then, tighten it!

You can see this in action fro a carrier with ruck sack straps here;

and for a carrier with Cross straps here;

So there you have it, my top 3 reasons your carrier might be causing you pain. Let me know if any of this helps. Or if you’d like me to fit check your carrier and suggest potential tweaks specific for you personally please do get in touch to book an online consultation (or in person if you are local to me). Or check out your local sling library.

-Madeleine

If you found this article helpful and would like to support Sheen Slings in producing content like this and keeping it free and accessable for all you can do so here.

Carriers shown in this article are the Ergobaby Omni Breeze, Ergobaby Omni 360 and the Beco Gemini.

Christmas Gift Guide – Babywearing Edition

Wondering what to get the new parent in your life for Christmas? Well wonder no further – here are my top pick present ideas for expectant parents, new parents and seasoned babywearing officiandos alike!

  1. Gift Voucher – give the gift of learning a new skill with a voucher for a consultation. Or choose a money amount that they can use toward a consultation or a carrier as they prefer.
  2. Wrap a Hug Babywearing Socks – keep little toes warm with these nifty one size fits all socks
  3. MooMo Baby Legwarmers – or choose legwarmers for mobile babies allowing them to go from sling to cruising seamlessly. Legwarmers make a perfect gift for a toilet training training toddlers too, keeping legs warm and fashionable while the bottom is bare for early potty training days!
  4. Bundlebean Babywearing cover – help keep them snug and dry while wearing with these fleece lined covers that fit parents and babies of all shapes and sizes and work with all the different styles of slings and carriers too!
  5. Fiddlebeads – practical and pretty, these make such a lovely gift for any babywearing parent
  6. Hat Clips – tired of losing hats? Save winter hats from being thrown off and lost with our little clips that let you secure the hat to the carrier.
  7. Suck Pads – give yourself the fit of washing your carrier less with our strap protecting suck pads

Happy shopping!

-Madeleine

Tula Lite Review

Designed as an ultra-light compact travel carrier, the Tula Lite isn’t really designed to compete with Tula’s other carrier offerings but instead complement them. Offering Tula lovers a light-weight option perfect for hot days and travelling specifically. It’s ultra slimmed down design doesn’t offer the same level of support, flexibility of use and fit of the Tula Explore and Tula Free-to-Grow… but what it does do is fit into a tiny self contained bag, weighs almost nothing and has a frankly enormous pocket. All of which makes it perfect for travel and summer days out.

You can see how it works and hear my full thoughts here in my video review or read on below for my key facts and considerations on this carrier:

What is the Tula Lite made from? How does it feel?

Made from a 100% Nylon outer patterned fabric combined with a 100% polyester mesh lining fabric, the Tula lite does indeed feel very very light. It is not the world’s softest carrier and it does feel a bit snythetic but none of it feels overly harsh. Against bare shoulders it didn’t chaffe and nor did it make me overly sweaty. Making it a great option for really hot days.

What ages and stages is it suitable for?

It is weight tested from 5.4kg (12lb) to 13.6kg (30lb) and I would say realistically it would work from roughly 3-4 months through to around 18 months. Maybe a little more or a little less depending on whether your baby is tracking the lower or higher percentiles respectively. Neither the width nor the height of this carrier adjust, which is why compared to other more adjustable carriers (such as the Tula Explore or the Tula Free-to-Grow) it doesn’t fit as early or last as long! I believe this was a conscious choice by Tula to keep this carrier really compact, lightweight and simple – as obviously adjustment systems would add bulk and weight. So this is a carrier that will work from when baby can sit in the panel without being over-extended. As the panel is very soft and squishy this can be as early as 3 months for babies with longer legs, and more like 4 or 5 months for smaller little ones. It will then continue fitting until the point where babies legs are much longer and the panel can no longer support to at least mid thigh – typically around 18 months. Because it is designed for babies who are 4 months plus, this carrier doesn’t feature any head or neck support as at this point most babies can support their own head. There is a removable hood, however, that can be helpful as a headrest if baby falls asleep in the carrier.

What carrying positions does it offer?

The Tula Lite offers 2 carrying positions – front facing inwards, and a back carry. Both work very well and with just 2 buckles total to do up and 1 point of tightening for each side this is definitely a very simple and intuitive carrier to use. When carrying on the front the straps pull forwards, which is a very easy motion to do. When wearing on the back they pull backwards, which I did find a bit of a challenge but again not too hard once I got used to the angle and direction of pull.

What it doesn’t offer is a hip carry or the front facing outward position.

How does it fit for the adult?

To keep this carrier compact, it features almost no padding. The waistband is wide, curved and only very lightly padded. It is, however, surprisingly supportive because it is really flexible and moulds around your body to get a really good fit. The padded section isn’t overly long which means it will tighten to fit a petite waist. The webbing, however, is very very long which means the waistband can comfortably and easily accommodate plus-sized parents too. A convenient elastic loop at the end of the webbing allows you to tidy the excess away and avoid having long dangly bits.

Where fit becomes more complicated however, is when we look at the shoulder straps. The straps are completely unpadded and relatively narrow. They feature a long section of mesh and nylon strap before moving into adjustable webbing. This section is so long that many very petite parents will find that they simply can’t get the straps tight enough. You can see in the video and pictures above that I have the straps almost at their tightest, and I am not by any means petite. At 170cm (5ft 7) and a UK size 12 or 14 there are many parents both male and female who are smaller than me and would need to get the straps significantly tighter. There is, however, absolutely oodles of webbing… so if you are a plus sized parent you can rest assured there is plenty of space.

Being unpadded, this carrier does mould nicely to fit over different shaped backs. And the narrow shoulder straps work well with narrow shoulders, and sloping shoulders. But the lack of padding can mean it can get a bit diggy on some parents depending on individual fit. As such this wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice for a full time carrier, but for travel and summer I would happily sacrifice a litle bit of comfort for being cooler and less encumbered.

It is worth noting that the straps only do up in the rucksack or H configuration. It is not possible to cross the straps across the wearer’s back.  If you are someone who finds cross straps more comfortable, or someone who finds doing the strap up at the back hard with rucksack style straps then likely you’ll struggle with this carrier.  And would be better off with another lightweight carrier instead.   

What is special about this carrier?

The real unique selling point of this carrier is the frankly enormous pocket at the front.  The carrier features two zipped compartments.  One hidden inside the waistband which allows you to store the whole carrier neatly inside, allowing you to easily wear the carrier as a hip bag or over the shoulder bag when not in use.  And a second separate compartment accessed via a zip on the outside, at the front.  While the carrier is stored it does take up most of the space inside this pocket but there is still easily space for phone and keys and maybe a small purse or certainly a bank card and a bit of cash. 

However, when the carrier is in use/ or at least not folded away – this pocket is really capacious.  Loads of space for snacks or for a nappy and change of clothes for baby.  You probably won’t get a change mat in there but you will get a good few things in there, certainly anything you need on hand immediately while travelling.  

How does the Tula Lite compare with other options on the market?

The two closest competitors to the Tula Lite are the Boba Air and the KahuBaby Sunshine carrier.  

The Boba Air is really very very similar to the Tula, but almost half the price!! Made from a very similar nylon material, it too offers rucksack straps only and the same 2 carrying positions.  The shoulder straps are more adjustable and tend to fit petite parents better than the Tula Lite.  The Boba Air also folds up even smaller and easily fits into a bag but doesn’t have the big front pocket space nor is designed to be worn empty as a hip bag.  

The KahuBaby Sunshine offers a lot more flexibility than either the Tula Lite or the Boba Air.  It offers 4 carrying positions, including both a hip carry and a forwards facing position.  It offers the parent the choice of either rucksack or crossed straps and the width of the panel is adjustable meaning this carrier works for both younger and older babies too.  Generally working well from around 8 weeks through to 2 years of age.  Additionally, the sunshine material is just as thin and breathable as the material used for the Tula Lite and the Boba X but feels a lot softer and a lot less “syntheticky” to the touch.  Plus it is UPF50+ rated which means it blocks 99% of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, making it truly an exceptional summer and lightweight travel carrier.  My full review of the KahuBaby can be found here.

Another carrier to consider is the Mini Monkey Mini Sling.  This is actually quite a different style carrier to the Tula Lite, Boba Air and KahuBaby Sunshine, but as a pure lightweight travel carrier it is hard to beat.  It is honestly one of the smallest, lightest, most compact carriers going.  And at just £37.50 it has one of the tiniest price tags too.  You can read my full review of this carrier here.

Price tag and is it worth it?

At £79.90 the Tula Lite is significantly cheaper than other Tula carriers, but considering that this isn’t really designed as a full time, year round birth to toddler carrier like their other offerings it’s not necessarily as good a deal as it might seem.  It is significantly more expensive than the Boba Air which costs just £40!! and only a little cheaper than the KahuBaby Sunshine which costs £110 and offers a whole lot more flexibility, comfort and longevity and actually is designed to be a year round birth to toddler carrier.

So is it worth it?  Well that depends entirely on how much you are going to use it and how much you need a lightweight travel carrier.  If you live somewhere very warm, or travel A LOT (several times a year) then it may well be worth it.  Although honestly, my vote would still be with either the Kahu Baby Sunshine for the additional flexibility or the Boba Air for the fact it is really very very similar but £40 cheaper.  If, however, you live in the UK and only go away once or twice a year it really might make better sense not to buy any of these but to hire one instead.  For £10 for 2 weeks or £20 for 1 month you can hire one of these, or better still a Kahu Sunshine for the whole time you’d be away and save the environment and your bank balance the stress of actually buying something you only need for a short period of time. 

-Madeleine

If you found this article helpful and would like to support Sheen Slings in producing content like this and keeping it free and accessable for all you can do so here.

How to tidy up the long flappy straps on your baby carrier

Wondering how to tidy up the long dangley straps on your baby carrier? Wishing those straps were shorter?

  1. Find that little elastic loop right at the end of the webbing
  2. Wind the strap up – folding from the end up to the length you would like the strap to be
  3. Use the elastic to fasten

Viola!

Wondering how to tidy up the long dangley straps on your baby carrier?

Find that little elastic loop at the end, wind up the strap and use the elastic to fasten

Viola

Shown with an Ergobaby Embrace but this trick works for virtually all buckle carriers – including all Ergobaby, Tula, Manduca, Beco, KahuBaby carriers and many many more. To check if your carrier can be tidied in this way simply check for the loop of elastic at the end of the strap.

-Madeleine

How to replace a broken buckle on an Ergobaby Omni 360 carrier.

The Ergobaby Omni 360 is a fabulous carrier, it’s one of the most popular carriers in both my library collection and my retail side. But if it has one flaw it is that the side safety buckles are a little frail. I’ve never seen one fail randomly in use, but they do sometimes snap when attempting to open or close the buckle. Particularly if the alignment of the safety prong isn’t right. They are also quite suspectable to breaking if they catch on anything (car door etc).

However, the good news is that it is normally very easy to get replacements. Simply message Ergobaby and they will usually post you out a free replacement right away. Over the last 3 years I have had to replace 5 of these buckles (across 4 carriers!), and each time Ergobaby have sent me a replacement within a week. But what they’ve never sent is instructions on how to do it!

So for anyone needing to replace a buckle on their Ergobaby carrier – here is how to do it, as shown while I replace the buckle on one my library collection carriers:

So how do you do it?

Well …

  1. Email Ergobaby UK for a replacement buckle. It can help to take a photo so they know which one is broken, and it can also help to confirm which colour way so they provide the right colour buckle.
  2. Remove the old broken buckle. If you have a newer Omni you may well be able to simply unthread it. It will take a fair bit of force. However, if you have an older one the buckle will be too narrow and you won’t get it off this way. Instead Ergobaby advise you smash it off with a hammer or rolling pin. So if your struggling to get if off, instead wrap the buckle in a towel to protect you from flying debris and then hit it hard with a hammer or rolling pin and throw away the resulting pieces.
  3. Replace the new buckle. Check the other strap to ensure you are threading it correctly. I can’t stress this enough. The video above is edited in the middle because I threaded it on the wrong way first time! And then swore because I had to take it off and do it again!!
  4. It will take alot of force to pull the strap through the buckle. The new buckles are wider and designed to be able to pull onto the strap without unpicking the end, but it is a tight squeeze – so you really do have to wrench it. I find it easier to pull the elastic through first and then use the elastic as leverage to pull the rest through. It worked really well on this carrier, however, I’ve had others where it has proved almost impossible. Particularly if the stitched end is a little fatter (which is the case on some colourways! I always struggle more on my Pearl Grey carriers than I do on the blue ones!)… it might just not work. In that case you have two options. One, unpick the stitched end or, two, cut the elastic tidy loop off. If you unpick the stitched end chances are you will need to pay someone with an industrial sewing machine (like a local cobbler) to resew it. If you cut the elastic then you won’t have it to tidy the straps.

If you have any questions about replacing your own buckle please do get in contact and ask!

-Madeleine

If you found this article helpful and would like to support Sheen Slings in producing content like this and keeping it free and accessable for all you can do so here.

Decision Fatigue! And how I can help…

Decision Fatigue is something I learnt about recently and wanted to share with you because it is something that we all encounter everyday and understanding about it and why it happens can really help…

The phrase “decision fatigue” describes the idea that your ability to make good quality decisions – weighing up all the pros and cons – goes down the more decisions you need to make.

Making decisions takes a lot of mental energy and so it makes sense that the more decisions you need to make in a given time the more likely that your going to become fatigued and start making snap descions, impluse purchases or start to suffer decision paralysis (where you just can’t decide).

So why am I telling you this? Well as new parents you are literally having to make 100s of decisions constantly, all day, every day. When to feed the baby, when to change the baby, why is baby crying? Do they need burbing? Are they over tired? Do I have enough nappies in the change bag? Does baby need an extra jumper? Do I need an extra jumper? … I could go on, but you get the idea. ALL DAY, EVERYDAY!!

That constant mental tax makes it really hard to make good decisions about things like what what carrier to buy.

It makes it really likely you’ll feel overwhelmed with choice. It makes your more susceptable to “timed” sales offers, or to just buying whatever that celebrity or influencer was gifted. In fact, this phenomeon is the reason companies offer timed sales, offer influencers free gifts – they are using the fact that many of use will be scrolling when we are feeling burnt out and desicion fatigued and thus much more suceptable to just buying without researching or trying first as we usually would. This mental tax can also make it more likely that you experience “decision paralysis” – that feeling where you just can’t decide… and so you don’t get a carrier at all but then maybe feel guilt and worry that you’ve missed your opportunity or left it too late (you haven’t, it is literally never too late).


If this is you – I can help.

I can listen to your needs and work with you to whittle down the choices to the ones that are most likely to suit you. I can ensure you feel confident fitting and using whatever you choose and I can help you check fit for you and baby and assess suitability for you personally so you can be assured whatever you go on to purchase really does fit your needs.

I offer hires so you can try before you buy and really be sure your making a great decision. I offer discounts to anyone who has hired first too, so you won’t lose out by hiring first.

I stock a carefully curated selection of carriers that work for a really wide range of parents and needs to ensure there is choice without too much choice!


If your feeling decision fatigued trying to find the right carrier for your family please do get in touch – I really can help.

-Madeleine