Get Ready for Summer Babywearing with Comfy Joey! (Review)

            Hey folks! Spring is finally here and it's time to get outdoors with the babes! Looking for a lightweight carrier to use during warmer weather this year? Read on!

             Comfy Joey specializes in linen ring slings and water slings. Founded in 2005 by a mother of 4, Comfy Joey's products are made right here in the U.S. In Boise, Idaho. Even cooler, they are completely owned and operated by moms!

             Before I dive into my review, let's talk a little more about their slings.

*Per the Comfy Joey website

*Can be used from 8 to 35 pounds

*Can help soothe a fussy or colicky baby

*Can fold compactly to fit in a diaper bag

*Can be used while nursing on the go

*Our 100% linen fabric, airy and supportive, though a bit stiff at first, will soften with wash and use. Linen slings are good for newborns or toddlers, and excellent for summer heat.

I decided to go with a Medium, in case you are curious. ;)

             Comfy Joey was kind enough to send us one of their linen ring slings to try out. I have to admit, even though I had been tossing around the idea of trying a ring sling for reasons I'll talk about below, I was still leery. After all, how the heck do you keep the baby from falling out?! As it turns out, using a sling is not nearly as scary as I thought. Here are some more thoughts and notes I took on our Comfy Joey ring sling experience.

*Comes with informational DVD on how to do different carries and other important noes on how to use a ring sling. Very handy for noobs like me who have absolutely NO idea what they are doing! (Although I still recommend watching videos online as well.)

*Great choice for all sizes of wearers. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am on the bigger side. I am not skinny by any means! With a lot of other carriers, us fluffy girls have to worry about whether they will even fit us or not! That is not the case with Comfy Joey slings. They offer a wide variety of sizes (and have a really nifty size chart on their site to find the perfect size of carrier for you!) and are easy to adjust so you get the perfect fit, regardless of what size you are! (Which is also handy if you have multiple people using the sling.)

For those of you out there that are hardcore babywearers, you probably noticed in the post image at the top that I didn't quite have baby froggy legged enough. I just wanted to show you that we did get it corrected! :)

*Very comfortable! Seriously, I have had such a hard time with carriers being uncomfortable in one way or another in the past. The Comfy Joey ring sling alleviates even shoulder pain with the way they are designed. The shoulder spreads out quite a bit, which avoids getting any pressure points while wearing. It is now tied with my other favorite carrier! Plus, it also seems comfy for baby because...

*It definitely helps calm fussy babies! Gillian cannot be in this sling longer than 5, 10 minutes tops, without falling asleep. In fact, sometimes it's the only way I can get her to go to sleep during the day when I know she needs to stop fighting it! It came in very handy at a canvas and cupcakes party I recently attended when she was ready for a nap, but wouldn't sleep in her car seat. But, I'll get to more on all the places/situations I've worn her in the Comfy Joey so far in a minute. ;)

 

She's a happy bunny, even if the lighting does make her look like she's balding on top. 😂

*As far as comfort for baby, she also seems to like this carrier better than the stretchy wrap that I usually just use when they're tiny like she is because she can move her head around more. All of our children have had freakishly strong head and neck muscles from early on (probably have to so their necks don't break from their giant heads!) and Gillian has been a cross between our two older daughters so far: She likes snuggles, but she also likes to look around. (aka try to fight sleep even more) The stretchy wrap just seems to tick her off compared to this one. BUT, if you do have a tiny babe who still needs the head and neck support, you still get it. Just pull up the top rail (edge) higher and/or roll it to support baby's head! Oh. And speaking of that stretchy wrap...

*The Comfy Joey ring sling doesn't slip like the stretchy wraps that a lot of people wear their newborns in! Seriously. I can't tell you how annoying that is. It's nice to not have to worry about readjusting now!

*I will admit: This carrier has the biggest learning curve out of any styles I have tried...But it's worth it once you get it figured out! I didn't find the stretchy wraps too hard to get the hang of. Mei tais are basically the same, so it was a breeze. But, personally, I found ring slings a bit tricky getting “just right”.

*I like that there are tons of different ways to carry babies in this, depending on what age they are, but I'll also admit I have only tried one so far. I've also been meaning to try it out with my toddler, but just haven't gotten around to it...And I'm not sure she would go for it. But, the options are there and I absolutely love that this is a “one size fits all” for babies through toddlers. Not many carriers can boast that, and especially not for the reasonable price! (Hooray for being economical too!)

*As I said, I was leery of trying a ring sling for a long time, mostly because A) It looked complicated and B) I was worried baby would fall out somehow. Now that I've finally tried one, I wish I had tried one sooner since it's such a great option for being economical and its ability to use from birth to toddlerhood, as I just mentioned. PLUS, so long as you're getting baby positioned correctly, of course, it really is more secure than it looks once you get the hang of it.

*I highly recommend practicing a lot at home with the Comfy Joey until you get comfortable with it before attempting to use it in public. Otherwise, you will have lots of adjusting to do! I thought I was ready to take it elsewhere, but got confused when I tried to use it the first time we all went to the park because I wasn't as familiar with it as I thought I was. lol

*I have worn the Comfy Joey sling doing quite a few things so far, such as walks in the woods, playing hide and seek with the older two kids, going to the park, doing farm chores (though that was a bit tricky and hasn't happened since! Haha), while painting, and shopping.

*Another thing I really love about this carrier is that you can just roll it up and throw it in the diaper bag. It takes up hardly any room, especially compared to our soft-structured and hiking carriers! When you're cramming three kids and all of their stuff into your car, this is more important than you may think!

*Last, but not least, this sling is easy to take off or use for nursing. I haven't attempted to use it while breastfeeding yet because I'm un-coordinated enough as it is, BUT, I like that I can easily take this on and off. This aspect of it is a real game changer when I have to nurse in public, plus I can use it as a nursing cover! What's not to love?!

             Comfy Joey also makes toy slings for your budding babywearers to practice with their dolls! Also, if you are reading this from Canada, Comfy Joey now offers shipping to our friends up north as well as offers a manual in French!

             Be sure to stay up-to-date with Comfy Joey on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Mixed Bag Mama received free product in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.