Macho-looking sling, but uncomfortable to wear

Author's Rating:

Pros: Sleek design, contemporary styling.

Cons: Extremely uncomfortable; awkward buckle placement; puts all of baby's weight on the neck and shoulders.

The Bottom Line: 
Forget it--it's uncomfortable to wear, pricey, and only offers one comfortable position for baby. There are other great carriers out there, so don't waste your money on this one!

Author's Review
My husband purchased the Premaxx Baby Bag after our son was born because he said he wanted a "manly" looking sling. The floral patterns and cutesy designs on most slings turned him off, but the structured design and sleek look of the Baby Bag caught his attention. I was hesitant about the $65 price tag, but I bit my tongue--my husband was excited about it, and I was lured by thoughts of getting him to wear our son around!

When the Baby Bag arrived, it was as attractive in person as it was online. The bag was a neutral silver with black accents (also available in orange with black accents) and had a handy pocket on the front to carry keys or a wallet. It looked simple to use and seemed like it would be comfortable for our son.

Basically, this product is what it says it is: a drawstring bag to carry baby in. The bottom of the sling is thickly padded, providing support for baby and cushioning. The sides of the sling adjust to fit using drawstring latches that are simple to operate and can be configured to hold baby in a variety of positions. The wide shoulder strap is adjustable by a large plastic buckle which easily and securely adjusts the strap from quite long to very short.

My husband quickly perused the instructions (which were short and not very helpful), grabbed our son, and after a few tries and adjustments, we were off to enjoy an afternoon walk. A few blocks into our walk, I noticed my husband kept pulling at the shoulder strap and trying to adjust our son's position, so I asked him if everything was okay. Being a typical "macho man," he replied that everything was fine, and we continued on. Baby slept comfortably the entire walk, well shielded from the wind, in the fetal position, curled in front of my husband's body.

A few days later, I decided to take Baby on a walk myself. I adjusted the sling to fit me, strapped him on, and we headed off. About two blocks into the walk, I was cursing the bag. The buckle which adjusts the shoulder strap was digging into my neck and shoulder horribly, and no matter how I adjusted things, I couldn't get comfortable. My back was aching as well, so I cut our walk short and headed home.

Later, I asked my husband about his experience with the Baby Bag, and he admitted that he, too, had been in pain during that first walk. The Baby Bag was hung in the closet, and it stayed there for several months.

When my son was older, I decided to try using the Baby bag as a hip sling. The bag was still painful, cutting into my neck and shoulder. My son was quite uncomfortable as well, as the drawstrings that hold the sling sides into position kept cutting into the back of his legs. I tried a kangaroo-style position, with son sitting cross-legged in front of me, facing out, and I tried several adjustments, even switching sides, but nothing helped. Both my son and I were uncomfortable.

The Baby Bag has now been retired to the closet, and it is one of those purchases I wish we had never made. For a long time, I gave up on the sling idea, but recently I have researched carriers and found another option that works much better than the Baby Bag.

The Baby Bag is stylish and seems convenient, but it's construction causes pain to the shoulders and neck, due to the buckle and to the design. This carrier places all of baby's weight on the neck and shoulders, which is a horrible strain on mom and dad. Although rated to hold children up to 55 pounds and 18 months, I cannot see how anyone could carry a larger toddler in this sling--it would be pure torture.

Want my advice? Do some research, borrow some friends' slings, and discover what really works with your child and body. There are many carriers out there that do a much better job displacing baby's weight over a larger portion of your body than the Baby Bag. It can take some work to research all of your options, but investing in the right sling is an investment in the bond between you and your child.


Copyright 2006 Angela Parker