Lifft Sling Review Part 1. The Little Sling with BIG ideas!!

So I have the absolute pleasure of reviewing the very different Lifft Sling. 

http://www.lifftslings.com

Price - from £34.99 to £54.99. 

The following initial review will look at the ease, comfort, style, safety and practicality of the Lifft Sling as well as some of the points that make it so unique. 

So.... What does the Lifft Sling promise?? 

This sling promises to be unique, in the sence it actually improves your posture. It promises to be better for you than simply carrying your baby.

Brilliant!! 

With such a claim I was so excited to start playing with this sling. 

I quickly started making a simple pros and cons list to help me with this review. I did this because I've never used a sling like this, and really needed to get to grips with its best bits. 

So here is that list..... 

Pros. 

It is sized to fit you - no buckles, no adjusting. 

It's SUPER EASY to put on. 

Very comfortable. 

Lovely style and colours available. 

Baby is snug at a young age. 

Very good for Breastfeeding!! Win! 

Does feel good on the back. 

I think this will be amazing with bigger children! 

Very good price!! 

Cons. 

It's sized to fit you.... Meaning your partner or anyone else cannot wear it :( 

Lack of adjusting buckles means it can move out of place. 

Centre of gravity is put out of balance with baby's weight spread across body. 

Not convinced it's the best sling for baby's posture. 

[My] Baby slips down the sling - possible sizing problem. 

Ok.... Those are the basics. And I think at this point I should mention that my next review will be based on the use of this sling with a toddler. I am really looking forward to that!! 

So what can we get from those basic points?? 

I think, the fact that the sling is sized to fit the wearer has massive potential to be wonderful. It means that you don't have to worry about tying it tight, or adjusting straps, or concern yourself with it coming loose. 

It makes it the easiest sling I have ever worn. All you have to do is fold it in half and put your arm through it!! I don't think it could be easier!! 

This is reflected in the size of the instructions.... One leaflet.... In comparison to the novels I've had in the past!! (I had a picture of this but I can't find it...!) 

But - and this, for me and my husband, is quite a big deal - it means that nobody else can wear it. 

I know for many baby wearers this will be minor - how often does someone else wear your baby. But for me, even if it's just once a week, my husband does enjoy wearing a sling, and with this one he can't. 

I also think there is the issue of changing shape and size post birth. If you were to purchase a Lifft Sling post birth at a size 14, and then lost weight, you may end up not having a safe sling, having to pay out for another. It could become an expensive habit - whereas if you bought an adjustable sling, this wouldn't happen.

Sizing aside, the ease and comfort of the Lifft sling is undeniable. It's like nothing I've ever worn before, and this alone is worth it. 

I very much enjoyed using this sling for Breastfeeding also!! It's always fabulous when you find a product that links both of your mummy passions. And this really does combine the two. 

I can see how this sling would really help a new mum who was perhaps a little apprehensive about feeding in public. It gives good coverage whilst allowing you to feed comfortably and securely. 

I recommend testing this at home a few times first though just to get your latch and comfort right. 

I think the lady point I'll make before exploring this sling further with a toddler next week, is about it's claim to improve your posture. 

There is no doubt that it feels secure and comfortable on your back and shoulders (assuming the size is correct) and you don't ache after using it..... But.... I found that with babies weight spread across my body in this way, that my centre of gravity was a little off in comparison to using a sling where she would be worn at my centre. 

The claim that it improves your posture is correct, but it is in comparison to simply carrying your baby, not in comparison to other sling types. 

And this is where I am looking forward to using it with a toddler!! 

I can see how valuable it will be with an older child, and so at the weekend, I shall be visiting my beautiful god daughter and we will be playing with the sling together!! 

Can't wait!! Come back next week for the next part of the review. 

X

One baby, one day, two slings.

So, this weekend, I went on an epic journey to visit my brother and his lady. 5 hours in the car is NEVER my idea of fun, especially when the journey should take no longer than 3hours!! 

Add a baby into the mix, and it's just a panic filled experience resulting in road-side breastfeeding, screaming child and grumpy parents. 

In reality we were incredibly lucky that Dot slept for so long in the car and nuclear meltdown only lasted a few minutes. 

So, in, fed, and rested we spent Saturday having walks and funs with the slings. Babywearing a plenty!! 

And it was fabulous. 

I finally got to grips with the moby!! As you can see, Dot is snug as a bug, and enjoying her new hat from her uncle. 

Now, clearly, not every sling is going to be suitable for everyone. Different shapes and sizes of wearers and babies will change the comfort for both, and as babies grow, the use of the sling will change. 

So although the moby has been successfully worn, I think, due to having an incredibly long baby, it's just not for us. 

With a long baby, it would seem that the way you wrap it means that little heads don't have anywhere to rest. As you can see here, although comfy, Dot's head can't tuck on nicely. 

Now I've tried different positions and I get the same problem. So, I think, for us, it's not an everyday sling. But I do highly recommend it for comfort, and finally, for being able to put it on on your own!! 

I do like this sling a lot!! It's soft and easy to wear (once you've got the hang of it!) and it can keep you lovely and warm!! 

So, sling two. Hop-tye. 

I love this sling. 

It's so easy. Even my husband managed it. 

Says a lot really. 

Dot sits very well in it. Her hips are supported, as is her back and shoulders. 

And the little hood means that when she starts getting sleepy, her head rests in me, and I can keep her head steady. Good really seen as she constantly falls asleep in this wonderful sling!! 

The back panel means that putting the sling on is very easy. There is only one way to do it, only one place for the baby, very few areas to get wrong. 

Now I know from doing some research, that slings like this (mei tye), that wearer size can alter there ease, so I massively recommend trialling with a test baby whenever you can..... Clearly I'd say this for any sling, but there is less give in this one as opposed to the moby, so probably more room for 'size issues'. 

I've got the hop-tye for another few weeks so I am going to continue using it daily and in different environments to test it's durability within different situations. But, so far, so good!! 

And if she's happy, I'm happy. 

Our day in the hop-tye.

I. Love. This. Sling. 

Yes, it has it's downsides, but I doubt any sling will be 100% perfect. 

I'm soon finding out that having a sicky baby will inevitably mean that baby wearing will end up with more clothes going through the wash.... But that's a small price to pay. 

So today was a small jaunt. A bid to get our very unsettled baby to sleep. 

When we found her still awake after a car journey, I threw on the sling (with ease!) and set off. 

It has taken her a while to get used to it. I'm certain that in the pram she would have been asleep instantly, in the sling she was still fighting sleep 20minutes later. Once I felt her getting grumpy and over tired, I popped her dummy in and placed her head tightly under the 'sleepy hood', and about 5minutes later she was asleep. 

Lovely stuff!!

I think my main concern as the weather gets colder is her arms and legs getting too cold.... I think I'll have to experiment with other clothing options over the next few weeks. 

Leg warmers maybe...??? My friend is currently reviewing some so I'll have to see how that goes! 

Let's see how tomorrow goes.... So far so good!! 

Sling Make - http://www.hoppediz.de/en/tragehilfen/hop-tye