Metal or Nylon Rings?

Which is better? Metal or Nylon Rings? Many people call us and ask which is better, the metal or the nylon rings. Everyone has a different preference, we hope the following information will help you make your decision.

As I was searching for rings to make the sling with, we started with metal rings because they were easier to find. The metal rings we supply have a 2" inner circle and are a 1/4" ring welded together. These rings are made for handling livestock. An average baby colt weighs 600 or so pounds, so this ring will definitely handle the weight of your 10-30 lb baby. They are very very strong and will not break. The only disadvantage of the metal rings is that they bang in the dryer. They are less expensive than the nylon, but we cannot ship them to foreign countries because of the heightened security measures. They set off the metal detectors!

As we continued to sell our sling pattern, many moms called and requested nylon rings. We finally found a manufacturer to supply these. The nylon rings we carry are designed to hold riggings on sail boats, so they are also very strong. They have a 2" inside diameter, but the core is 3/8" wide so they look a bit bigger than the metal rings. They are available in both white and black.

We were concerned about safety with the nylon rings, so we tested them before we started selling them. To test it, we did everything we could to try to break it. We couldn't break it under any normal means. Finally we wedged it between two boards so that it was standing up vertically and put a board on top of it and jumped and jumped on it with about 200 pounds of weight. In this way we were able to crack it, but not break it. After our testing, we felt it was a safe product. The only way you will be able to break this ring is by severely abusing it. We have sold them for over 4 years and not one customer has ever reported a problem with it

. A few years ago, a customer wrote and wanted specific weight to load ratios on the nylon rings. Her husband was an engineer and he was worried about the rings breaking. We told him our story from above, but told him we didn't have specific mathematical figure on how much weight they would bear. He decided to test the rings for his peace of mind. When the mom called us back she laughed and said her husband tested them and they were able to hold a load which far exceeded any stress that would be place on them in normal use. He was very impressed and he gave his permission for her to use them. Overall we feel satisfied that both the metal and nylon rings are safe products to use in sewing your baby sling. Choosing one over the other is just a matter of personal preference.

	Another GREAT advantage of nylon rings over metal is that you don't have to remove your sling - and sleeping baby - when going through security checks at an airport. Feel free to share with your customers! Angelina Kendra Baby-wearing traveler

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Nylon Rings in Different Sizes and COLORS!
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