We were sent this fab review of a NiU Niu sling, from Nicola, and her 3 month old daughter, Eliza.

What type/brand of carrier are you reviewing?
NiU NiU SPOC Sonia

Is this your first sling?
No

Do you use one regularly?
Yes, everyday

How comfortable did you find the sling?
Very comfortable

How comfortable did your child seem in it?
She loves it, very comfy and cosy!

How long were you able to use it for (single stretch)?
About 4 hours is probably the longest

Do you consider the sling to be good value for money?
Fantastic, I paid about £30

How would you rate the sling for convenience?
Brilliant!

What did you like about the sling?
It is gorgeous…very lightweight so was perfect when it was very hot, and also has it’s own pocket sewn into one end, and wraps into itself really easily

What didn’t you like?
It is VERY stretchy so needs to to done up tightly, and redone every so often

Overall marks out of 10?
9

Summary
Pros: Excellent value for money Comfortable Beautiful	Cons: Very stretchy Needs to be retied from time to time
Overall Score:

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1. Wrapsody Wrap Review
2. SnugBaby Review
3. Connecta Review

We asked Emma, mum of 1 year old Charley, to try out a Wrapsody wrap, kindly lent to us by Kangarinos, and tell us what she thought. Here’s what she had to say…

What type/brand of carrier are you reviewing?
Wrapsody – a stretchy wrap

Is this your first sling?

Do you use one regularly?
Yes, I have used Baby Bjorn in the past, now I regularly use a Rose and Rebellion SSC.

How comfortable did you find the sling?

We used it in the front carry position, and I found it very comfortable.

How comfortable did your child seem in it?

Very comfy. She was happy in it, pleased that she could have her arms out of the fabric and look around more than she can in my usual R & R

How long were you able to use it for (single stretch)?

I wore it on a few dog walks of around an hour, but probably could have worn it longer if we’d needed to.

Do you consider the sling to be good value for money?

The RRP is £50, which is reasonable, particularly as it can be used from birth to toddlerhood.

How would you rate the sling for convenience?

It folds into smallish bag which could easily fit into a large handbag to take ‘just in case’ when the child is walking. It would also be handy to keep in car glove box etc.

What did you like about the sling?

The convenience and versatility were great.

What didn’t you like?

The fact that it is a wrap sling would mean it would be difficult to put on outside in the wet without getting the ends wet and muddy. Obviously this is a downside to all wraps, though.

Anything else?

I love the tie-dye design of the wrap I had. Doubt my husband would have been too happy to wear it though!

Overall marks out of 10?
9

Summary
Pros: Comfortable Versatile Very pretty	Cons: Tricky to tie without the fabric dragging on floor Husband wouldn’t wear it
Overall Score:

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2. Woven Wrap Review
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I hope you are having a thoroughly lovely summer – it’s great to see so many babywearing mums and dads out and about across the UK. But it would be even better to see more babies snuggled up in mei tais, wraps, ring slings and pouches. Once again, we’ve taken the best offers we can find to present to you here. As always, please let us know if you find any others that we should know about!

First up, and a bit of an unusual one, but Petit Poppet are going to be holding an exciting competition on their FaceBook page.  An unmissable prize is up for grabs for one lucky winner! For more details, check out the FaceBook page at 9.30 am on Wednesday!

If you can’t wait to win a prize, you must look at the fabulous offers on Yamo structured carriers at SlingJax. This baby carrier is well designed, comfortable and super soft to the touch.  It includes an easy-to-use head support hood for sleeping and baby can be carried in front, on the back, and on the hip. Now from £79.99.

For a ring sling, Baby Hut have discounted the BB-Sling in Turkish Delight – a gorgeous turquoise design – down to £49.99. This beautiful woven baby carrier is made in a fair trade project in India, and uses two aluminium rings to allow allow easy adjustment, making the bb-sling very comfortable and easy to use from birth up to 3 to 4 years!

Over at Bosies for Baby, they have a Melkaj mei tai that is simply stunning! The straps are made of lilac corduroy and the reversible body can be worn either pain pink cotton side out, or showing the gorgeous machine embroidered flower design. This mei tai has a generous hood, which, thanks to little hidden ties, can be neatly rolled up when not in use. Now reduced to £67.50

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1. Sling Special Offers – Weekly Round Up!

If you haven’t headed off on your summer holidays yet, or even if you have, you may well be in need of a comfy, cosy, convenient way to carry your baby. And we have a range of perfect solutions, all at a great price!

All Baby Needs is offering a special discount on Moby wraps, including this fabulous Moby UV. The Moby Wrap UV offers gentle protection for sensitive newborn skin which lasts up to 30 washes, with a  UPF value 44-48. Reduced to £34.99.

If a mei tai is more your cup of tea, have a look at this gorgeous Ellaroo carrier, from Little Green Angels. Now only £45, this particular mei tai has been used as a demonstration sling, hence the discount, but is in excellent condition. The Ellaroo Mei Tai is a versatile, sturdy, all-around baby carrier that can be worn on front and back. Because the shoulder and waist straps are tied on however you like, the pack can be easily shared between parents of very different sizes.

For parents who prefer not to have to tie their sling, this Amazonas ring sling from Natural Baby Shower could be the ideal solution. A beautiful design, and with a pocket for storing all important toys, this sling can be worn in a variety of ways, making it extremely practical and versatile. And now it has 10% off, making it only £40.50.

If you come across any special offers that our readers would love to hear about, please let us know by leaving a comment below!

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2. Moby Wrap Review
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You may be thinking about summer holidays, and wondering how you will lug that pushchair around, and what you will do in the airport. Well, worry not – have a look at these special offer slings, and ditch the pushchair (for the most part, at least!)

Closer To You has some Hotsling pouches reduced to £16, which are perfect for both little babies, and older toddlers, who are at the “pick up, put down” stage. Easy to use, comfortable and the fact that they fold down small, means that Hotslings make a great holiday sling. If you live near Edinburgh, you can pop into their store and try slings out before you buy too!

If you want something that you can use for longer periods, or just prefer a two-shouldered carrier, Sling Jax are offering Kozy mei tais for just £55. Available in classic black, this carrier is fab for babies who like an upright carry position, and a great all round sling, for both mummy and daddy!

Over at Big Mama Slings, there is a beautiful Angelpack ECO buckle carrier, in “Hope” design, now with 15% off. This simple yet attractive carrier has a sleek design, featuring a non-detachable sleep hood and a one-part waist band.  Suitable for use from around 5 months to 35lbs, the shorter body makes this an ideal carrier for petite/average sized parents.

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The school summer holidays are almost upon us, and if you have a baby and a school-age child, you may be wondering how on Earth you will cope. One simple solution is to use a baby sling, so you can keep one of them close to you, whilst the older one plays. And as everyone loves a bargain, here are a few of the best ones we can find this week in the work of babywearing and slings…

Joey Slings have some clearance mei tais for an unbelievable £10! They have small faults on them (check the individual listings for the full details), and as such are non-returnable, but they are perfectly functional, and made to the same super comfy design as the usual Joey mei tais.

If you fancy a ring sling, SaSa Slings have a gorgeous Rockin’ Baby Ring Sling, with 27% off, down to £40. The pattern on this stunning sling is Orange & Ivory Tulips reversing onto Tiger with Brown Aluminum Rings, and it is made from 100% Cotton Sateen.

For those of you who would like something a little more personal, Calin Bleu are offering three unbleached cotton wraps for the price of two! The fabric is dyeable, so you can choose to leave it natural, or dye it any colour you like. At £77.90 for three wraps, you can either keep them all to go with different moods, or give them as gifts.


As always, if you come across any bargain slings, mei tais, wraps, or baby carriers, please do leave us a link below to let other babywearing parents know. Thanks x

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This babywearing story was sent to us by Dawn Brown, who shares her SnugBaby mei tai with her husband, and of course, her gorgeous daughter, Zara.

Today we went on one of our weekend days out. We try to do this every weekend and we try to pick places which will be of interest to a 7 month old baby. Today we went to look around Durham Botanical Gardens. As for most of our days out we packed out Snugbaby as sitting in a pushchair all day must be so boring for babies and where is the fun in viewing the world from knee height – you miss all the best bits.

I purchased my Snugbaby after being lucky enough to meet Claire at the NEC baby show where she let me try one of the carriers and I found it so comfy I just had to buy one. Since then we’ve had so much fun on our days out and Zara gets to experience the world from our level. No more bending down to talk to her in the pushchair, if she’s on my back she can chat away to daddy or me and in a front carry she really gets to see what we do.

Today we  had a lovely day out exploring the gardens and greenhouses with Zara. Initially daddy was hogging the Snugbaby as he usually does and took Zara to see the greenhouses with her in a front carry.

She loves being carried like this as she gets to see everything up close and personal and Daddy loves showing her all the jungle plants and the rain from the sprinkler system.

She even got to get up close and personal with some bird eating tarantulas! Wow I couldn’t see that from my pushchair!

When Daddy eventually let Mummy have a turn at carrying Zara for a while we opted for the back carry position, this is probably the trickiest carry to master as it involves throwing baby over your shoulder but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually quite easy and worth persevering with as it’s my favourite carry position and Zara loves it too!

With Zara now seeing the world from my viewpoint we set off for a long walk around the gardens, we must have spent about an hour wandering around and my back felt absolutely fine and Zara was very happy in her position although I had to make sure she didn’t grap hold of too many plants on the way round.


At the end of a lovely walk we were both still smiling.

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The Lifft pouch sling was reviewed for us by Dawn Brown, mum to Zara, who is 7 months old.

What type/brand of carrier are you reviewing?

Lifft Sling

Is this your first sling?

I already have a structured baby carrier and a mei tai style baby carrier.

Do you use one regularly?

We regularly use slings for days out at the weekend or quick trips to the shops.

How comfortable did you find the sling?

This sling was comfortable for short periods of time (up to about 20 minutes) but after that I could start to feel the weight on my shoulder. I’d be happy using this sling for quick trips out but I think I would start to feel uncomfortable if I was using the sling for long periods of time.

How comfortable did your child seem in it?

Zara seemed very comfortable and happy in the sling.

How long were you able to use it for (single stretch)?

At most I have used this sling for half an hour although after about 20 minutes I did start to notice the weight on my shoulder.

Do you consider the sling to be good value for money?

This sling has a RRP of £50. Which in itself is not as expensive as some slings on the market. My only problem with the pricing of the Lifft is that you buy the sling in a size that fits you (ie I wore a size 1 – 8/10 sling) which means my husband wasn’t able to use it and in our household where we both like to carry Zara it would mean buying two of them.

How would you rate the sling for convenience?

The sling is very small when not in use and so could easily fit in your changing bag and it is quick and easy to put on, so great for convenience.

What did you like about the sling?

I liked the simplicity of the sling and the colours that are available.

It is very easy to put on and does feel secure despite my initial worries that Zara would slip through the bottom of it if she wriggled enough.

I also like the idea of being able to carry a newborn in a lying down position although unfortunately with Zara being 7 months old I wasn’t able to try this.

What didn’t you like?

I was a bit disappointed with the limited carry positions that are available for an older baby. At 7 months old and weighing 20lbs, the only position I could use for Zara was a hip carry.

I also found it a shame that my husband couldn’t use this sling as you buy the sling to fit you. When we go for days out, my husband and I like to share carrying Zara and with this sling that would not be possible unless we bought two of them.

Anything else?

I wish I had been able to try this sling with a newborn baby as I think the sling is probably better suited for that type of carry.

Overall marks out of 10?

I’d mark this sling 7 out of 10. I’ve marked it down because a) there is a limited range of carrying positions for my 7 month old, b) my husband couldn’t wear it and c) after about 20 minutes carrying a very wriggly 20lb baby I did start to feel it in my shoulder.

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The SnugBaby mei tai was reviewed for GYHB by Dawn Brown, and her seven month old daughter, Zara.

What type/brand of carrier are you reviewing?

SnugBaby

Is this your first sling?

Sort of, we already have the Tomy Freestyle structured baby carrier but this was our first sling type carrier

Do you use one regularly?

We use the sling most weekends when we have trips out and occasionally when nipping to the supermarket or the local shop

How comfortable did you find the sling?

I love this sling, it is so comfortable to wear and puts no strain on my back unlike the Tomy carrier did.

How comfortable did your child seem in it?

Zara loves being in this sling, particularly the back carry, she can see what’s going on and also pull mummy’s hair when she wants something.

How long were you able to use it for (single stretch)?

The most I’ve used it for so far is about an hour and I still felt fine after that (but we had to stop for lunch).

Do you consider the sling to be good value for money?

I consider this sling great value for money as both myself and my husband can use it and it is used all the time, I’ll also be able to use it for quite some time as Zara is only 7 months old.

How would you rate the sling for convenience?

The sling comes in a great little carry bag so can be carried around easily when not in use and it is very quick and simple to put on (with a little bit of practice) which is great when you are just nipping out to the shops.

What did you like about the sling?

I love the colour and how it looks stylish, I love that both myself and my husband can wear it, I love that there are 4 carrying positions (front outward facing, front parent facing, hip carry and back carry). I love that Zara enjoys being carried in it and I love that it doesn’t hurt my back.

What didn’t you like?

The only thing I don’t really like about this sling is that my husband enjoys using it so much – which means I don’t get to use it as often because he always insists on carrying the baby.

Anything else?

Initially it can be a bit overwhelming when looking at the carrying instructions and all the various ties, but with a bit of practice and perseverance it soon becomes very easy to use and well worth sticking with.

Overall marks out of 10?

This is by far the best sling I’ve come across todate and so I have to rate it 9/10 – I’d rate it a 10 but the trouble is I now want to buy one to match every single outfit (and there isn’t a green one currently available!)

Summary
Pros: Four carrying positions Suitable for either parent Comfortable Stylish	Cons: A little overwhelming at first Takes a little practise
Overall Score:

Related posts:

1. Lifft Review
2. Wrapsody Wrap Review
3. SnugBaby review

This glorious sunshine we are having is certainly worth getting out and about in, and what better way to enjoy the outdoors, than with your baby in a super-stylish baby carrier. Baby gets a fantastic view from a sling, and you get to enjoy cuddles and chats, encouraging communication and interaction with your baby. To make it a little easier on the pursestrings, we’ve got some great offers for you…

Sling Jax are opening their new shop on Thursday 1st July, and they’re offering 10% off all purchases to readers of Get Your Hands Back, simply by mentioning us when you go in to buy your sling! Make sure you call in to 259 Northolt Road, Harrow, HA2 8HT to try out their great range of baby carriers.

To celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness Week, Bras4Mums are offering £10 off when you buy a Royce nursing bra and a Lifft pouch sling together. To take advantage of the offer, use code BFLifft at the checkout.

If you fancy a mei tai, check out Wonder Mummy, where they have £10 off gorgeous Napsack carriers. Comfortable and simple to use, Napsack mei tais are designed to be one size fits all, and are suitable for babies up to 14.5kg.

If a ring sling is more your thing, Natural Baby Shower has great reductions on Amazonas Ring Slings, now £44.55. The Amazonas ring sling is great for all those who do not have an easy time with tying knots, but still do not want to do without the many advantages of a sling. Threaded once through the two stainless steel rings and tightened, the cloth sits fast and secure.

As always, please let us know if you come across any great deals on baby carriers, wraps, mei tais or slings by leaving us a comment below.

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