Two adjustable, clip-in buckles (a large buckle and a smaller safety buckle) make sure your baby is safe and mean that the sling can be shared with your partner or childcarer. However, getting the fit just right takes time and can involve a fair amount of faff.
What we love
I loved the BabaSling for the first eight weeks of my baby Minnie’, life - it was great for those days when she wanted to be held 24/7. It even appeared on Eastenders!
The large range of colours and paired-down design means that your baby’s dad will probably wear it without protesting too much.
It washes well, which good news if, like me, you have a sickie baby.
The padded shoulder strap gives it a feeling of robustness and I was able to wear it for a couple of hours, without feeling achy.
Pricewise it compares well with other hammock-style slings and folds down into an easy-to-transport, handbag-size duffle bag.
What to watch out for
I tried breastfeeding Minnie in the sling but found it difficult to position her correctly - she was a small baby and seemed to get lost in the swathes of excess fabric. She also got very hot.
As Minnie got bigger, and I tried to put her into the upright positions, using the BabaSling became stressful and invariable led to one of those ‘this is pushing me over the edge’ moments (for me and her). When she was 3 months I gave it to a friend. I tried using it again at 6 months but we still didn’t see eye to eye
Despite many attempts to adjust the fit, the fabric seemed to gape and the top rail, that should have kept her head close to me, could not be tightened. As a result, Minnie ended up swinging away from my body, like Tarzan, and I ended up holding onto her. So much for hands-free!
The pocket on the front of the sling is useful if you carry around postage stamps but if, like the majority of Mums, you need most of Mothercare at your disposal, it is pretty useless.
Who is the BabaSling best for?
Chilled out babies and mums who embrace the closeness that a hammock sling brings.
This is a compact stylish sling that splits opinion: mums either love the BabaSling or hate the BabaSling. It can be fiddly and frustrating to use but if it works for your baby, you will use it from birth to toddlerhood.
