This review is written by CMA Babywearing Team member Maria. Since her review, the Sakura Bloom Classic sling has been updated to the Sakura Bloom Basics – single layer sling. The two slings are made from the same linen, but the Basics has been prewashed for additional softness! At this writing, we have both the Classic and Basic slings available – choose your favorite color!
Ring slings have always been my go-to for newer babies under 5 months but I was never able to get into using them past that because then my kid would get more mobile. The ring sings I’ve tried in the past seemed to be uncomfortable from the get-go, hard to adjust, and just not the quickest “uppie” for my energetic children. I would lose my patience with trying to adjust and readjust with Eli and Iliana in a ring sling, and just never spent much time with trying to make them work.
Now that my kids are bigger, I have fallen in love with wrapping and the easiness of a soft structured carrier for my toddlers. So, when I was sent a Sakura Bloom Classic ring sling to test out with my rambunctious duo (AND I’m pregnant), I was a bit panicked.
When the Sakura Bloom arrived, I immediately felt a difference in just the fabric from other ring slings we had tried in our household. The linen was so soft and not as bulky as some of the cotton fabrics we had tried. When picked up, it was lightweight and I could just feel how breathable it’d be when put on. After feeling it and threading it, I knew I’d eventually have to put one of my crazy kids in it and I cringed. Eli was my first volunteer for our first trip with the ring sling. He’s going to be 4 next month and weighs about 27 pounds. As I put him in it, I was very surprised how little adjusting I had to do and how it wasn’t so bulky all around. After a few finishing adjustments, I was able to walk around our neighborhood with him in it for twenty minutes very comfortably and not feel all the pressure on my shoulders that I’d get when I tried with previous ring slings. Then I tried to put him back down and he began to whine. That’s when I knew: this sling was a game changer for us!
The Sakura Bloom Classic is only one of many fabrics offered by Sakura Bloom. The Classic has a single linen layer which makes it lightweight and breathable in almost any weather. We received it at the end of summer and have worn it well into the cooler fall months, and it wasn’t ever too hot or was “too breathable” for the kiddos or me. And although it only has a single layer of fabric, it was so very supportive! I was able to wear each of my kids in it quite comfortably for long periods of time and with very little adjustments throughout our wearing time. (I even used it to wrap my 27-week pregnant belly a few times, and gosh did it feel awesome!)
I’d definitely say the Sakura Bloom Classic is a great ring sling for the beginner or experienced Babywearer. It provides great support for both the babywearer and the babies/toddlers being worn and is wearable in different climates. This ring sling has opened up the door to my own babywearing journey with giving ring slings another shot past 5 months of age for my kids. I can’t wait to continue with trying out some other ring sling fabrics from Sakura Bloom!
For more on the Sakura Bloom Basics line (and how it compares to the Classic Maria reviewed) go here.
Shop Sakura Bloom Single Layer Linen
