For a fussy newborn at home, Konny's pick is FLEX SoftBreeze, an adjustable sling that goes on like a T-shirt and holds your newborn upright and snug on your chest, where you can keep their face in view. There are no rings and nothing to clip. Tuck your baby in, wrap the outer sash, and both your hands are free for small tasks.
If you're still choosing a carrier type, see Best Baby Sling Carrier: How to Choose by Type.
Before you start
- Size FLEX to yourself. Go by the clothing size you wore before pregnancy, not your baby's age or weight. If you weigh over 22 pounds (10 kg) more after giving birth than before pregnancy, choose the larger size. Dads use their usual T-shirt size. Konny's Size Guide has the chart.
- Follow the instructions that came with FLEX. CPSC advises following the carrier's own instructions, warnings, and age and weight recommendations.
At every step below, keep your baby's face in view. For slings, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says "your baby's neck should be straight and their chin not pressed into their chest."
How to put on FLEX SoftBreeze
- Set the size adjuster. Pick a setting from 1 to 13 while FLEX is still empty, so it fits you before your baby goes in (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC).
- Pull FLEX on like a T-shirt. Bring the back panel down as far as it goes and center it on your back. Spread the two shoulder sashes wide and evenly over both shoulders, like a shawl.
- Check the size before your baby goes in. Pull the front of the empty carrier away from your chest. You should be able to fit two to three fists in the gap. If not, change the size adjuster setting and check again.
- Tuck your baby in. Lift your baby in with FLEX already on. For the first 30 days, use the newborn hold. Keep your baby upright and centered on your chest, knees higher than bottom (the M position). Konny's newborn hold video shows the hand motions.
- Wrap the outer sash. The outer sash is the band that goes over the shoulder sashes. Wrap it across your baby's back and tie it at the front, as in photo 3 above. Konny's How to Wear video shows each motion.
- Check the size again with your baby in. Tip your head down. If you can't easily kiss the top of your baby's forehead, use the size adjuster until you can.
- Look at the shoulder sashes. Both should lie flat on your shoulders, and under your baby they should reach from thigh to the back of each knee.
- Check your baby's face. Keep it in view, and keep fabric and your body away from their nose and mouth (AAP).
Warning: "Infants born prematurely or with respiratory problems should not be placed in backpacks or other upright positioning devices, as the positioning in these devices may make it harder for them to breathe" (AAP).
Warning: "The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns about the suffocation hazard to infants, particularly those younger than 4 months, carried in infant sling carriers" (AAP).
Glance down often to check on your baby while you work (AAP). To run the full fit check each time you carry, see How to Check Your Baby Sling or Carrier Fit: The T.I.C.K.S. Checklist.
Common mistakes
- Wearing FLEX loose. A loose fit can be dangerous and hard on your back. Tighten it to a snug fit.
- Bending at the waist. Bend your knees when you pick something up. Bending at the waist can tip your baby out of the carrier and hurt your back (AAP).
Get a fit check from Konny
If you're not sure the fit is right, send Konny's team a photo of yourself in the carrier through live chat, and they can check it. If you got the wrong size, you may exchange it within 30 days of receipt. Konny's exchange policy lists the conditions. To compare Konny's carriers, see Find Your Carrier. For carrier types, see Best Baby Sling Carrier: How to Choose by Type.
FAQ
Is Konny FLEX a sling or a wrap?
Konny calls it an adjustable sling. It keeps your baby snug, much like a stretchy wrap, but without a long length of fabric to wind around yourself or drag on the floor. And unlike a ring sling, FLEX sits over both shoulders.
What if my baby falls asleep in the carrier?
Move your baby to a firm, flat surface on their back as soon as you can.
Can my partner and I share one FLEX?
Yes. If you fall between sizes (women's US dress size 6 to 8, men's jacket size 40 to 42), XS-XL works for sharing with a slimmer partner. Choose M-4XL if your bust is over 37 inches (95 cm) or your partner is larger.
Credit: The safety points cite the carrier safety tips of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the carrier tip card of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Sizing follows Konny's Size Guide. The fit checks follow Konny's FLEX product page and its T.I.C.K.S. fit check.