Return to Main - DIY Babywearing on Facebook - TICKS Rules for Safe Babywearing - 4 Rules for Safe Fabric Selection

Different Types of Baby Carriers

Page Under Constuction; for now, download PDF: CarrierStyles.pdf

Carrier Styles

Woven Wrap
Ring Sling
Stretchy Wrap
Pouch Sling
Mei Tai
Onbu (and variations)
Soft Structured Carrier
Podaegi

Woven Wrap

Also referred to as: wraps, wovens

Description

A long, narrow parallelogram of woven (not stretchy) fabric. Ends may be blunt (making it a long rectangle) or tapered. Used by wrapping around wearing and baby. Dozens of different ways to wrap depending on personal preference and wrap length.

Good For

Front Carries: Good for all ages
Hip Carries: Good for babies with strong truck control
Back Carries: All ages (for experienced wrappers only)
Forward Facing: Good for babies with strong head control and decent truck control

Advantages

Incredibly versatile. Good for all ages newborn and up. No upper weight limit. No need to "upgrade" to bigger carriers for toddlers or preschoolers. Nearly all size wraps usable by nearly all size wearers. Good for front, back, hip or even forward facing. One of the few carriers that (with experience and care) can be safely used to back carry a newborn.

Disadvantages

Steep learning curve. Takes more time to get baby up.

Variations

Handwoven: high quality, woven by hand. More "beauty marks," more expensive
Machine woven: made to imitate a handwoven. Fewer "imperfections," more affordable
Hybrid: stretches a little from rail to rail (no lengthwise stretch) giving it the snuggliness of a stretchy wrap but the versatility of a woven. (Popular brand: Wrapsody.)
DIY/"Simple Piece of Cloth" - A woven wrap made from bolt fabric such as osnaburg or cotton duck or repurposed fabric like a tablecloth.
Inoshi: essentially a wrap with a built-in tie waistbelt to make the seat unpoppable.
Walter's Never Fail Wrap : essentially a wrap with built in leg holes to make the seat unpoppable.
XOXO Carrier: Essentially two narrow cross passes of a wrap attached to a buckle waist band to make the seat unpoppable.

Sizing

Available in a wide variety of sizes from a size 1 (2 meters long) up to a size 8 (5.6 meters long) or longer. All sizes are usable by nearly any size wearer or child. Wrap length simply determines what kind of carries can by done. Most beginners start with their "base size" (whatever size is needed to do a Front Wrap Cross Carry; usually a size 5, 6 or 7 for most women) and carries are categorized based on what size is needed in relation to your base size. (For example: a ruck tied in front requires a wrap two sizes smaller than your base size, so it is referred to as a "base minus 2" carry. If you were a base 5, you could do this carry with a size 3 wrap. If you were a base 7, you would need a size 5 wrap to do the same carry.)

Stretchy Wrap

Also referred to as: Stretchy, brand names Moby, Boba, or Solly

Description

A long, narrow parallelogram of stretchy fabric; usually similar to a jersey knit.

Good For

Front Carries: Good from newborn and up. Rated up to 35lbs, usually starts to get uncomfortable around 15lbs.
Hip Carries: Good for babies with strong truck control. Rated up to 35lbs, usually starts to get uncomfortable around 15lbs.
Back Carries: Never Safe; Do Not Attempt
Forward Facing: Debatable; typically considered fine for babies with strong trunk control

Advantages

Poppable and can be pre-tied (tie it once and then pop baby in and out as needed for diaper changes or to nurse.) One-size-fits-most.

Disadvantages

Tricky to learn how tight to pre-tie. Often only comfortable for the first few months of baby's life before baby is too heavy and it constantly sags. Must have three passes supporting baby, which means that they can be hot in summer.

Variations

"K'tan" or Huggaloops loop-style: instead of one long, continuous strip wrapped around three different times, it is instead two loops and one sash that are all separate. Easier to put on, but must be carefully sized for the wearer.

Sizing

Regular stretchy wraps are nearly one-size-fits-all. Some companies like Moby do offer plus-sized lengths. Smaller wearers would simply wrap the extra tails around their waist an extra time before tying of.

K'tan-style loop carriers must be very carefully sized to the wearer as they have no way to adjust.

Ring Sling

Also referred to as: RS

Description

2-3 meters of woven (non-stretchy) fabric with two aluminum or nylon sling rings sewn onto one of the short ends. The fabric folded through the rings may be simply bunched (gathered), folded into neat pleats, or any combination of the two.

Good For

Front Carries: Good for all ages
Hip Carries: Good for babies with strong truck control
Back Carries: Experienced wearers with trustworthy toddlers or older children only. Single-pass back carries are a risk to children who might lean backwards.
Forward Facing: Good for babies with strong head control and decent truck control. Worn inside the "pouch" of the sling (instead of legs out) sitting cross-legged.

Advantages

Fairly easy to learn to use. Incredibly quick to put baby up or take them down. Easy to adjust one-handed. Incredibly newborn-friendly, but also good for toddlers who want up and down frequently. Easy to nurse in. Affordable. Easy to tandem two small babies on your front with two slings on opposite shoulders. Incredibly flexible sizing.

Disadvantages

One-shoulder carries can be less comfortable for larger babies or longer wearing. Not recommended for back carries.

Variations

Pleated shoulder: the fabric sewn around the rings is first pleated to make the fabric narrower and neater and then sewn a few inches from the rings. Lays more neatly on the shoulder without getting bunched. Pleats may go straight across, be pleated from the center, box pleated, or any other combination.
Gathered shoulder: the fabric sewn around the rings is simply bunched through the rings and then sewn straight across a few inches from the rings. Allows more "spread" to the fabric across the shoulder and therefore better weight distribution.
Floating gathered shoulder: Same as gathered, except more fabric is pulled through so the stitching is 12"-16" away from the rings and sits behind the shoulder when worn. Allows for a double layer of fabric across the shoulder and the most spread.
Hybrid: any combination of the above; typically a few pleats along the outside of a gathered shoulder.
Padded shoulder: padding is sewing into the shoulder and top rail of the sling for cushion.

Sizing

Sizing simply effects the length of the sling, and therefore how much tail hangs through the rings after it is tightened. 12" of tail minimum is safe, and you want the tail at least 12" above the ground to avoid being a tripping hazard. That said, sizing is incredibly flexible. A 5'7", US size 10 woman can wear anywhere from an XXSmall to and XXLarge ring sling safely.

Pouch Slings

Also referred to as: pouches, brand name SevenSling

Description

A tube of woven (not-stretchy) fabric is sewn with a reinforcing seam. Worn diagonally like a sash, baby is then placed in the sling like a ring sling. Functions the same as a ring sling, except that there is no size adjustment.

Good For

Front Carries: rated for newborns; typically preferred for babies with strong trunk control due to the lack of support offered unless sizing is absolutely perfect.
Hip Carries: Good for babies with strong truck control
Back Carries: Not recommended
Forward Facing: Good for babies with strong head control and decent truck control. Worn inside the "pouch" of the sling (instead of legs out) sitting cross-legged.

Advantages

Quick to put baby up and get baby out. Folds up incredibly small; can fit in a diaper bag or even a pants pocket for a back-up carrier.

Disadvantages

No ability to adjust size. Must be sized exactly right in order to provide proper support. One shoulder carries means that it can be less comfortable for longer wearing. Often advertised with newborns in a horizontal "cradle carry" which makes it very difficult to monitor breathing and keep baby from collapsing their chin to their chest.

Variations

Some brands such as HotSlings do offer some minimal adjustment ability.

Sizing

Sizing is very dependent on both the wearer's and child's size and cannot be adjusted. Therefore, a pouch sling that fits a mom with her newborn may not fit the same mom when her baby is a year old. If a mom and dad of different sizes wanted pouches to use for two different age children, they therefore may end up needing four different pouches to accomodate all 4 combinations of parent and child.

Mei Tai

Also referred to as: MT, brand names Fly Tai, Infantino Sash

Description

A rectangular body panel with two long shoulder straps coming out of the top corners diagonally and two shorter waist straps coming out of the bottom corners horizontally. The carrier is tied around the waist hanging down, "wrong-side" out like an apron, and then pulled up over baby. The shoulder straps go over the shoulders, under the arms, and either tie under baby's bum or cross over baby, under baby's legs and then tie.

Good For

Front Carries: Good for all ages
Hip Carries: Good for babies with strong truck control
Back Carries: All ages (for experienced wearers only)
Forward Facing: Good for babies with strong head control and decent truck control; usually requires the carrier to be modified/cinched narrower.

Advantages

Incredibly easy to learn to use. Flexible sizing can fit multiple parents. Offers wrap-like support with the ease of a buckle carrier. Ability (with experience and care to monitor breathing) to back carry newborns safely. Waist-strap and two shoulder straps offer good weight distribution for long wearing.

Disadvantages

Panel size is dependent on child's size. Therefore a parent who chooses to wear as their baby reaches toddlerhood or preschooler age may need to upgrade to a toddler-size or preschool-size carrier.

Variations

Wrap strap: Straps are wide and flat like a woven wrap.
"Tube" strap: Straps are sewn into a flattened tube (narrower and double layered.)
Padded straps (can be padded to wrap as well): Section of the shoulder straps closest to the body panel include padding.
Half-buckle: Waist straps include a buckle closure instead of a tie closure.
Ring-waist: One waist strap is replaced by double sling rings, which the other waist strap is threaded through like a D-ring belt.

Sizing

Body panel size is based on child's size. Body panel should be tall enough to reach at least up to baby's armpits but not so tall that baby's airway is obstructed. (The waist band can be "rolled" an extra time to shorten a too-tall panel.) The width should be wide enough to support baby's legs from knee-pit to knee-pit, while still allowing the legs to swing freely at the knee. (The body panel can be cinched with a ribbon or hair tie to make it narrower for smaller babies.) The strap length is determined by parent sizes. Most mei tai strap lengths are considered one-size-fits-most.

-- Alyssa Leonard - 2016-07-16