ring sling with overlapping pleat shoulder

Today's message: The kids are out of school for the summer, so while I'm doing my best to keep up with orders, there may be days where I get a little behind so that I can take the kids to the pool or on a day trip. Please don't expect 24-hour turnaround during this time.
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Please read about infant safety in baby-holding devices (every parent, babywearer or not, needs to know about this) and sling safety!

sizing:

Why is this page so long? And why do you have sizes for your slings? Isn't a one-size sling good enough?

I know this looks like a really long, confusing page, but I've just gone into a lot of detail to try to help people out, based on the emails I get each day. If you are an average-sized person and don't want to measure, and don't care what length the tail is, a small or medium sling will likely be fine for you. After all, it's only the length of the tail that changes with the length of the sling, and sizing is not critical in wearing a ring sling. It's only important if you don't fall into the the mythical "one size fits all" range, and you might enjoy wearing a sling more if it's made with your body size in mind.

Choosing a good size:

When ordering a sling for yourself, there are two factors to consider: your size (and/or your partner's size), and the length of the tail you'd like.

The following is a chart meant to aid in selecting a sling of the length you may prefer. It's not exact, but should be accurate for most people; they come from measurements done on real people wearing a real baby and sling. The final length of the tail will depend on all the factors I list above. Generally, the kangaroo position and nursing in the cradle hold use the most fabric, while chest-to-chest and hip carry use the least. The measurements above are for a median length (a high cradle hold); add 4-6" for nursing/kangaroo hold, and subtract 2-4" for hip. Also, you don't have to have one of the pre-determined sizes; if you would like something in-between, just make a note of it in the "special requests" section of the order form.

Weight range	Height range	Length at: Hip	Mid-thigh	Knee
125 lbs and under	5'4" and under	approx. 62"	66" (xs)	72" (s)
115 to 130 lbs	5'4" to 5'7"	66" (xs)	72" (s)	78" (m)
130 to 150 lbs	5'5" to 5'8"	69" (xs/s)	75"(s/m)	81"(m/l)
150 to 200 lbs	5'6" to 5'9"	72" (s)	78" (m)	84" (l)
200 to 260 lbs	5'7" to 6"	78" (m)	84" (l)	90" (xl)
over 270 lbs	5'8" to 6'2"	84" (l)	90" (xl)	96" (xxl)

The following chart may be helpful if the sling is meant as a gift. However, there will be a lot of variation from person to person. I have had two women who said they were a size 14 order a medium sling and want to send it back. One said it was too long, and the other said it was too short! The only way to be sure you're getting the right length is to measure yourself. A small or medium sling is the closest size I make to "one size fits all" -- it makes for a shorter tail on an XL-sized person, and a long tail on an XS-sized person. These size guidelines should result in a hip- to thigh-length sling (inasmuch as an estimate can allow). If you want a longer or shorter sling, order the next size up or down.

Clothing size (US women's):	Sling length:	Sling Size: **
Under size 4	64-68" / 160-170 cm	XS (extra-short)
Between 2 and 10	70-74" / 175-185 cm	S (short)
Between 8 and 20	76-80" / 190-200 cm	M (medium)
Between 16 and 30	82-86" / 205-215 cm	L (long)
Between 26 and 32	88-92" / 220-230 cm	XL (extra-long)
Over size 30	94-98" / 235-245 cm	XXL (xx-long)
** Sling size is not necessarily the same as your clothing size, especially for larger clothing sizes! Please read the reference points below for a clearer picture. While, like me, you may wear an XXL in clothes, only very super-sized parents will need the XXL sling.

Measuring yourself: Take a long tape measure, or a piece of string, and wrap it loosely around you the way a sling will be worn: start at corsage position (where the flowers are shown at left), bring it around your opposite side at about the level of your natural waist, around your back to the same shoulder, and then let it hang down from the corsage position (NOT the top of your shoulder -- this will make the measurement too long) to whatever point you would like the tail to end. If you measure with the tape tight around you, add about 4 " for the baby. If you find, however, that the measurement you get is significantly different from the table above, I would err on the side of the table; measurements seem to be consistently 6-10" too long, from what people are emailing me.

This measurement, combined with some basic information about your height and build, can help us figure out what size to get; please feel free to email me if you have questions. Please keep in mind that due to variances in the fabric's thickness and stretch and the ring thickness, none of the measurements are exact, and when you're wearing the sling, the length of the tail will vary depending on the position the baby's in and how many layers of clothing you're both wearing. It's not an exact science, so asking for a 74.5" long sling will just be frustrating for both of us -- me, because I can't guarantee the length to half an inch, and you, because no matter what, there will be variation in tail length depending on the factors above.

A note for dads, grandfathers, uncles, and other menfolk:

If you're hoping to share a sling with your female significant other, it's very likely you can both wear her size unless there is a large disparity in your builds. A size small will, generally speaking, be long enough for most average-sized men; you will likely end up with a hip- to upper-thigh length tail, which most men find quite sufficient. A medium, on an average-sized man, will be upper- to mid-thigh length; and a long is generally mid-thigh to knee-length. If you are extremely muscular through the shoulders, or, on the other end of the spectrum, built for comfort rather than speed (i.e. you wear a larger than XXL shirt), you may want a size long, but a medium should do just fine; it will just have a shorter tail. As long as the tail is longer than 10-12", it is safe; it can be tucked in around the rings or into the body of the sling if you don't like the look of a dangling tail. For the most part, unless your partner wears an XS sling, you probably won't need a longer sling than she does. (Oh, and if you're on the fence about babywearing, remember that there's very little that women find sexier than a man who can care for a baby! Trust me, you will get all kinds of positive attention if you're wearing your baby in a sling!)

A few reference points:

Most of the orders I get are for medium slings, and I think that's true for most manufacturers. After that comes small, then large.

I am 5'11" tall and weigh about 250 lbs, with a shirt size of between 22 and 26, depending on the brand. I prefer a long (L) sling, which comes to mid-thigh on me when worn with Susan in a hip carry. A medium sling goes about to my hip, and short (72") goes to my waist. Extra-long (90") goes down to my knees. I may wear an XXL in clothes, but an XX-long sling (96") would go to my ankles -- if you are around my size, please keep that in mind!!

My sister is 5'4" tall and weighs about 125 lbs, and she wears a size 6-8 or thereabouts. A short sling goes about to her mid-thigh, and extra-small goes to her hip; that's with Susan in a hip carry. A medium sling goes to her knees, and my long sling was almost to her ankles.

A friend of mine wears a size 32 or so, and a long sling went about to just below her hip. The extra-long was closer to mid-thigh, and XXL was knee-length. It's a very rare person indeed who really needs that much length, in my experience.

Please note:

While I can hem a too-long sling, I can't usually make a too-small sling longer, though I can add a panel to the bottom (like a Serendipity sling) if there's no pocket involved in the original, or add a panel in the back. However, if you send a sling back for alterations, that means you're missing it for at least a week, plus paying the shipping costs. I really recommend measuring yourself -- and emailing me -- first, so you can be certain your sling is the right length when you receive it.