Best organic baby slings
Prams are a relatively recent invention, dating back to Victorian times. But before then -- and for millennia -- babies were carried in arms or in slings. Images of children being carried in slings can even be seen in ancient Egyptian artwork. A parenting tool that old has to have something good going for it.
The renaissance of slings in the West started in the 1960s and was boosted in the 1970s by The Continuum Concept, Jean Liedloff's book about her time in the South American jungle. She found that baby-carrying and other ancient ways of child-rearing were turning out children who were happier, more confident and lower maintenance than the brats being raised in her native US.
This led to the Attachment Parenting movement, which proposes baby-carrying, co-sleeping and breastfeeding as key ways to develop a strong bond between baby and parent. Far from being overly child-centric, Attachment Parenting suggest that in their early months you (or a friend or family member) should pretty much throw your baby in a sling and get on with your daily life. The theory is that, when they're old enough to crawl, they will be so secure in their attachment to you that they will crawl off confidently, scarcely looking back.
Whether you believe the philosophy or not, there's no doubt that newborns seem to prefer the womb-like closeness and security of a sling to a buggy. In fact, they'll tend to sleep for ages in a sling -- only waking to feed or for a nappy change. But while some people plump for a sling instead of a buggy, many modern parents will prefer the flexibility of owning both a buggy and a sling -- each has their uses.
Any baby-carrier or sling is an affordable, space-saving and ethical choice compared with a buggy, pram or pushchair, since you're not buying something made from so many different, often unsustainable, materials. What's more, a good sling is hard-wearing enough to be handed on and used for dozens of babies. Things to look out for when choosing your sling are comfort -- for you and Baby, of course -- ease of use and general practicality. Then of course there are the different green credentials that the fabrics can have.
All four of the slings we tested are made from some kind of certified organic cotton. Both the Wilkinet and Huggababy slings are made in the UK, which is a definite plus for eco-friendliness and ethics. The Wilkinet in particular stood out ethically -- for everything from its Fairtrade materials to its refusal to give retail giants more favourable terms than small shops.
The designs ranged from the age-old simplicity of the Didymos, a simple length of fabric which ties around you, to the brand new design of the Close, which has stretchy fabric that's tightened through two pairs of metal rings.
In all, the Wilkinet came out best for a combination of ethics and comfort. The Didymos came a close second for its quality and its unerring ability to lull a baby to sleep. And the Close was impressive for the speed and ease with which you could pop a baby in it -- perfect for the Attachment Parenting idea of wearing your baby around the house. The Huggababy was the only let-down as it proved uncomfortable and hard to adjust, plus the cream colour of the undyed fabric was simply impractical.
Close Rouge Baby Carrier
Didymos Wraparound Sling
Huggababy Organic Sling
Wilkinet Baby Carrier
