Maya Wrap Baby Sling

Carrier: Maya Wrap Baby Sling
Weight: Up to 35 lb
Cost: ~$80
Website: www.mayawrap.com
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Bottom Line: A timeless, attractive, fairly straightforward carrier that I almost never use. Not particularly comfortable and resulted in a few minor injuries to my children as I was figuring it out.

Pros: Unlike a Moby or woven wrap which can get a little unwieldy due to the sheer amount of fabric, a ring sling is fairly easy to use at home and away. Though not quite as discreet as a wrap, it also offers a way to nurse privately since the extra fabric can be used to cover up. Also, it can be used with newborns all the way to toddlers. A lot of people also comment on how cozy and natural it looks.

Cons: I know many people really like this carrier, but despite watching the accompanying DVD a couple times to try and figure out what I’m doing wrong, I don’t actually use mine very often. No matter how high or low I get the ring, I always have to be careful that my baby’s head doesn’t hit the metal when she’s flailing around. Also, especially with my toddler, but even with my baby occasionally, I find myself leaning to one side instead of standing up straight. Also, it was really nice when my baby was very small since she would curl up tummy to tummy inside the sling and I know it will be easy to get her in there securely with her legs out when she’s a lot bigger. However, at the moment she’s at a very awkward age (4 months) where she wants her legs out, but I just don’t feel like she’s in there securely enough to have her legs hang out. Lastly, I’m sure this wouldn’t have happened if I’d been more careful, but one time when I was tightening the rings, my toddler had put his hand in the wrong place at the wrong time and his fingers got pinched resulting in lots of tears. I still keep this in my car in case I need an easy carrier right away, but I don’t end up using it very often since I’m usually pre-wearing the Moby or Ergo. (Updated to add: While my feelings toward the ring sling haven’t changed, my new favorite combo is the K’Tan/Boba 4G.)

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