Didymos Brown Cashmere India Ring Sling

As you can tell, I really like Didymos wraps. I've tried most of their blends and styles, in a variety of lengths and types of carriers. One blend I really wanted to try last year was cashmere. I am a lover of wool in general, and cashmere seemed to me at the time to be the epitome of luxury for a wool lover. I read many amazing reviews of cashmere india, but as I don't tend to gravitate towards thicker wraps, I was intimidated by the specs of this beautiful beast.

Luckily, a local mama ended up selling her ring sling made from Brown Cashmere India right around the time I was ISO. I literally posted this on her post, I was so excited....

Thanks Nemo.

This sling was in pretty well brand new condition when I received it, and was still a bit itchy to the touch. It softened up very nicely with a bit of gentle breaking in at home. It was very supportive with my toddler, rock solid, but with a bit of cush on the shoulder. There was not very much bounce to it at all though, which I generally prefer in a carrier.

Beautiful bronze rings

We enjoyed this sling for a short while, but the support just ended being more than we needed. If you are a lover of thick wraps. this would probably be right up your alley. I wish I had liked the qualities of this wrap better, as I love the India pattern so much, and the colours of this sling were just right for me.

The Verdict:

Pros: Beautiful, understated, elegant, supportive

Cons: Itchy and somewhat beastly brand new

Recommendation: If you love cashmere and India print, you will love this. If you are looking for a rock-solid beast of a wrap that you can tame into a cuddly soft, yet supportive workhorse, this is for you. If you like bounce and right-out-of-the-box wrapability, maybe this isn't for you.

Girasol Northern Lights Ring Sling

I bought a used Girasol Northern Lights ring sling off of a mama on our local BST page when I was looking for something small to put in the diaper bag. It was my first Gira experience, and I was pleasantly surprised. The wrap was a very beautiful mix of colours, and the pleated shoulder done by SewFunky was very comfortable, even with my 20lb chunker of a baby.

The wrap was fairly thin, but I still found it nicely supportive for the quick trips we used this carrier for. The only issue I had with this wrap was that it was prone to pulls. The nature of the wrap made them easy to fix, but this drove me a bit nuts. I ended up selling this sling to fund something else, but we really enjoyed it while we owned it.

The Verdict:
Pros: Thin, supportive, beautiful, affordable
Cons: Pull prone
Recommendation: This is a great ring sling (as are most giras), and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something small to put in their diaper bag etc. or for on the go.

SewFunky Handwoven Ring Sling

When I first became interested in handwoven carriers, I was trying to reign myself in by only purchasing budget options. One of the first handwoven carriers I ever purchased was a SewFunky handwoven ring sling with a pleated shoulder in a rainbow colour pattern. I bought it directly from SewFunky, and Tanja allowed me to choose my ring colour preference.

Shipping was lightning fast (I think she has an in with Canada Post), and I was so excited to receive this beauty. My first impression was how beautiful the colours were together. The rainbow was bright and vibrant. The material was a bit stiff, so I washed it first thing. It came out substantially softer, but had to be worn often for a week or so before I found it anywhere near soft.

The weaving was a bit thicker than other budget handwoven brands such as Girasol, but this led to a great texture for a ring sling, as it tightened and stayed put easily.

I found this sling plenty supportive for my then six month old, and perfectly comfortable for short trips with my two year old as well.
Overall, I thought this ring sling was amazing for the price, and only moved it along when the collection got out of control.

Action shot with my giant two year old

The Verdict:

Pros: Affordable, Canadian converter and seller, beautiful, handwoven

Cons: Took a bit to break it in

Recommendation: I would recommend this ring sling to anyone who is looking for an affordable and beautiful ring sling and doesn't mind taking the time to break it in.