Best baby slings by Zolowear

We’ve received notification from Amazon.com today that a number of Zolowear’s best baby slings are marked down.  Below are some of the ones we’ve identified as great values and some of the product reviews.

zolowear: organic khaki

Marked down to almost 8%

From the manufacturer:  ZoloWear has been bringing mothers and babies together, beautifully, since 2001. Their award-winning high fashion baby slings are proudly made in the USA. ZoloWear slings adjust to at least six comfortable carrying positions and are a great value, safely supporting babies from 4 to 40 lbs., preemie to preschooler. Why choose a ring sling? Ring slings are more adjustable than pouches. This means that you can easily wear your infant in the popular upright, or tummy-to-tummy hold, which can be difficult to achieve in a pouch because young babies who cannot hold themselves upright tend to squish down into the pocket of the pouch. With a ring sling, the top rail can be tightened to support a young baby in a vertical position, whereas a pouch often cannot achieve a snug enough fit. Ring slings also provide cover for discreet breastfeeding. Because the top rail on a ring sling can be let out significantly, it is easier to get a perfect position for breastfeeding in a ring sling. Features & Benefits: Totally unpadded; Infinitely adjustable for a perfect fit, which means it can be worn by more than one caretaker; Easy to get baby high and tight – including the tummy-to-tummy hold; Breastfeeding friendly = Discreet breastfeeding; Perfect for preemie to preschooler; Generous zip pocket on luxurious open tail; Fabric is cool 100% organic cotton; Includes FREE instructional DVD. See below for a size chart so you are sure to get just the right fit.

zolowear cotton

Marked down 10%

Great and beautiful sling – Bella, May 28, 2010

I used this sling twice, and attracted many good stares. One friend even commented how beautiful it is. It is easy to use and compact to bring about anywhere. Most of all, my baby enjoys snuggling close to me and take “long” naps in it. Kudos to Zolowear, more beautiful fabrics please.

zolowear cotton sage

Marked down 8%

Product Description

SL-01225-M Size: Medium Features: -Fabric: Sage. -Totally unpadded. -Fully adjustable. -Beautiful flowing tail. -Breastfeeding friendly. -Six safe carrying positions. -Perfect for preemie to preschooler. -Infinitely adjustable for a perfect fit. -Generous zip pocket on luxurious open tail. -Easy to get baby high and tight – including the tummy-to-tummy hold. -Available in x-small, small, medium and large. -Material: 100pct Cotton. -Warranty length: 3 months. The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months > View CPSC Warning Here

Our toddler has FPIES related to over a dozen different types of foods, including wheat and soy.  For 2 1/2 years we’ve been managing his diet by cooking completely allergy free.  While on vacation it is always more difficult to eat safe foods.

Today’s Symptoms

Unlike the last several days, he woke up disinterested in leaving the bedroom to play with his cousins.  He preferred to nurse and nurse for almost an hour and a half before agreeing to move on to some playtime.  After some indoor playtime, the cousins became excited about going outside to play on the swing set, trampoline, and children’s pool.  My son had no interest.

While everyone headed for the backyard, my toddler repeated his preference to remain inside to play trains and trucks with dad.  Not much interest in mom…at least, not until the next request for nursing.

Second Morning Nursing

It is atypical for our toddler to want to nurse a second time in the morning; however, at around 10:15 AM his little cousin told me that my boy said he was sleepy.  At first, I thought he was pretending, but after a few minutes noticing him just lying on the floor with a toy car in each hand doing nothing, it was pretty clear that he wasn’t playing any sort of sleep game.

I picked him up and took him to bed where he proceeded to nurse in a drowsy state for about 90 minutes.  He drifted in and out of sleep.  Each time I snapped him off he grabbed at me and went right back to nursing.  It was a draining morning.

Later that day, a lot more cousins and family stopped over and our boy remained just as disinterested in playing outside, and didn’t really want to play with other kids either.

This is typical behavior of a toddler who has some sort of FPIES issue going on.  He may have ingested either wheat or soy that touched one of his safe foods somehow, and it was making him feel drained and/or uncomfortable.  We’re heading back home shortly, so his system will get back on track soon.  It’s just a bummer that it happened during a large family get together and prevented him from socializing as much.  It may also be partly that young toddlers sometimes get shy when the house gets crowded with adults and bigger kids.  We had a great time and are hopeful that his stomach doesn’t present any discomfort for him during our drive back home.

Ring slings are those comfortable, fashionable wraps with rings that are worn over the shoulder and are simple to adjust.  They are among the most popular baby slings available and are offered in a wide variety of fabrics and styles.  See our baby sling buying guide to compare the features of all types of slings.

Our 2010 Top Picks

Most Urban

• Balboa Baby Adjustable Sling by Dr. Sears – Black with Geo Trim (Only $59.50 – click for image)
  • Designed to grow as your baby does, our Adjustable Ring Sling – Geo Trim has a unique contoured padded strap that evenly distributes your baby’s weight, a covered elastic trim ensures baby’s safe and a deep pocket designed to keep baby snug and secure.

High Fashion

• Rockin’ Baby Adjustable & Reversible Pouch (was $99, NOW $74 – click for image)
  • Love Your BabyRock Your StyleBecause Moms and Dads are Rockstars!! Baby Wearing has so many long term benefits for both parents and baby and more and more moms and dads are including baby slings as their top must haves to prepare for juniors arrival. Rockin Baby was founded by 2 moms in LA who needed a solution to keep their baby near while not sacrificing fashion or style. The socially conscious company was born in 2002 offering mom and dads exquisite fabric styles and quality construction for optimal safety and comfort.
  • REVERSABLE! The Rockin Baby Pouch is also reversible which is a great feature of all their slings. All the fabric styles reverse to a solid pattern so depending on your mood, outfit or if dad is wearing the baby you will always have a choice between 2 patterns.

The Go-To Standard

• Maya Wrap Lightly Padded Sling in Bright Stripe (was $66. NOW $59.88 – click for image)
  • Top quality fabric and design.  It was the first sling my husband and I bought and loved.
  • One of our most popular ring slings, the Maya Wrap Lightly Padded Sling in Bright Stripe is getting rave reviews for comfort and ease of use! The redesigned shoulder has a light pad while the rails are still unpadded for easy adjusting. It’s the perfect first sling for new baby wearers.

For Dad

• Ellaroo Lightly Padded Baby Sling Stone (NOW $69 – click for image)
  • The EllaRoo Lightly Padded Baby Sling is 100% cotton fabric, with just a touch of organic cotton padding in the shoulder and rails. The inner and outer rails are fully independently adjustable through lightweight brushed aluminum Sling Rings, with an open tail for maximum adjustability and versatility. The sling is designed to cup the shoulder and spread naturally over the back, keeping baby secure and close to your center of gravity. The EllaRoo Lightly Padded Baby Sling is a simple all-around sling, or the perfect foundation piece for a well rounded sling collection. It’s great for newborns, nursing moms, and it carries heavy toddlers exceptionally well. How to choose your sling size. Most people will use a Medium sling. Very petite people, example five foot two and one hundred twenty pounds, may use a Small. Larger moms and dads, example size 20 , will use a Large. The slings are all the same width, about 25 inches, but they vary in length by about 6 inches.

Buckles, Rings, and Wraps – Oh My!

Yes, there are a lot of different types of wraps out there.  We’ve made it easy to compare all the varieties by listing them on our page dedicated staying current on different types of baby slings.  Here, we’ll point out those which we find to be the easiest to wear, or put on.

Criteria

The easiest types of baby slings, we feel, are those which are intuitive to put on and are obvious when put on wrong.

#1  The Pouch – It doesn’t get any easier than a single-piece of over the shoulder cloth that you set the baby in.  Pouches offer a couple of positions, including sitting up on the hip and lying in a cradle position.  There are a few top brands that we’d recommend, so that you can choose from your preferred types of fabrics and designs, including the Hotslings Pouch Sling, Slinglings, Peanut Shell, and Karma Baby Pouch.  See and learn more about different types of baby sling pouches here.

#2  Ring Slings – It’s a pouch sling with a ring, for adjusting the length and snugness of the fit.  Also allows for two baby wearing positions, sitting and cradle.

Warning: Only read this if your child’s college fund is already sufficient.

How? Yes, how is it possible that a sling can cost $1,200?  The answer, Laotian silk.  Sakura Bloom’s rare, handcrafted silk is produced using labor-intensive weaving and dying techniques.  Natural plant dyes bring out the unique weave of this special fabric.

How? Again, how?  How can you let your baby near something this expensive, let alone put her in it, and not expect the usual baby mess that occurs, i.e. spit up.  Well, you don’t.  All Sakura Bloom Slings are machine washable on a cold, gentle cycle.

The Full Picture

Sakura Bloom actually has a nice spectrum of sling collections, with prices starting at around $88.  The list below describes their sling collections.

Pure – Single Layer Irish Linen, $88

Hana – Single Layer Irish Linen edged with Dupioni silk, $120

Simple -  Double layer Irish lined, $148

Essential – Two-color reversible of Irish linen, $160

Simple (Silk) – Double layer dupioni silk, $180

Essential (Silk)- Two color, reversible make of handwoven dupioni silk, $198

Artisan – Reversible and unique, made of handwoven dupioni silk, $260 – $340

Luxe – eco-friendly, made of rare, handloomed, naturally dyed silks, $540 – $1,200

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