Product Comparisons: Maya Wrap Ring Slings vs. Other Carriers

Pouches vs. Maya Wrap Ring Slings

Advantages of the Pouch (i.e. the Hotsling)

• Pouches are smaller. They take up about a third of the space in your bag.
• There is virtually no learning curve; you just put the sling over your head and pop the kid in.
• Relatively inexpensive Pouch brands offer some really great fabric colors and prints.

Disadvantages of the Pouch

• Pouches do not offer coverage for nursing in public.
• Although available in an "adjustable" variety, and they advertise adjustability through flipping the shoulder over, no pouch is totally adjustable. It's tough enough to buy a pouch that fits you and your baby at the time of your purchase, let alone trying to buy one that will fit when your baby's size (and/or your size) changes.
• Lack of/tiny range of adjustability also prevents other caregivers from using the carrier, unless they all happen to be exactly your size.
• Pouches are tough to nurse in because, although you can get an "adjustable" pouch, even those do not offer total adjustability, the way a ring sling does. They cannot hold the baby at every level imaginable, supporting the baby in exactly the unique position you and your child need at that feeding; you are the one who has to support the baby to keep her in the right position for nursing.
• No built-in zipper pocket to eliminate the need for always lugging around a diaper bag, and no rings to clip a carabiner to (see the Why Ring Slings page for more info on the carabiner reference)!(Zipper pocket applies only to Lightly Padded & Lightly Padded Organic Slings.)

Wraps vs. Ring Slings

Advantages of the Wrap (i.e. the Moby Wrap)

• Distributes the weight of the child more evenly across your body, allowing you to carry your baby comfortably for longer periods of time.
• Many, many positions to carry your child in from newborn to toddler.
• I've never tried it, but it seems like you could easily make one by doing nothing more than buying a really long piece of fabric.

Disadvantages of the Wrap

• More fabric wrapped around you multiple times = hotter and sweatier mama and baby.
• Requires more practice and time to learn how to use it.
• Not exactly "Pop in and Go." Wrapping the baby into position takes longer than popping her into a Ring Sling, and changing positions is more time consuming and less seamless than with a Ring Sling.
• Doesn't provide a built-in nursing cover (like the tail on a Ring Sling).
• No built-in zipper pocket to eliminate the need for always lugging around a diaper bag, and no rings to clip a carabiner to (see the Why Ring Slings page for more info on the carabiner reference)! (Zipper pocket applies only to Lightly Padded & Lightly Padded Organic Slings.)

Structured Carrier vs. Ring Slings

Advantages of the Structured Carrier (i.e. the Baby Bjorn)

• Distributes the weight of the child more evenly across your body than a Ring Sling does.

Disadvantages of the Structured Carrier

• Not conducive to nursing, especially if you'd like to feed discreetly in public.
• All those buckles and straps! Not exactly "Pop in and Go."
• Only two positioning options.
• You can't carry a toddler in it.
• No built-in zipper pocket to eliminate the need for lugging around a diaper bag!
• A newborn without head and body control will slosh around in a structured carrier, and stuffing the carrier full of blankets doesn't always fix that problem.
• Your child will grow out of the structured carrier much sooner than he will grow out of a Ring Sling, forcing you to either abandon babywearing or spend more money on another carrier that accommodates his new size.
• You can't fold it up and pop it in your bag as easily as a Ring Sling.