SlumberSling Safety August 1, 2013 13:57 14 Comments
UPDATED:May 13, 2014
The SlumberSling has been professionally crash tested by MGA Research, an independent company that provides crash testing services to major car seat manufacturers. MGA Research, having conducted the test with a child dummy in a current market car seat found that "All of the requirements for child seat testing
were met. The addition of the SlumberSling did not cause the dummy to fail requirements."
This is the validation that many of our consumers have been seeking - confirmation that the SlumberSling is in fact safe according to current car seat testing requirements. Please feel free to contact us at customerservice@ashandalysbabes.com with any further questions.
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Former post from 2013 regarding safety concerns:
We have been seeing increased interest in our SlumberSling in recent months, and are very excited about the positive feedback and enthusiasm parents around the world are showing in this product. In addition to the great reviews we are getting, we certainly also receive questions about safety. I wanted to say a few words about this.
Because this product is used on young children and as a car seat accessory, safety is typically the first thing a parent will question. There are a few factors that we have incorporated into the design of the SlumberSling to achieve safety.
First and foremost, the entire product is made of fabric and soft materials; the band that supports the child's head and loops around the car seat is elastic, which gives it a lot of flexibility and absolutely no rigidity. It is fastened with adjustable hook and loop fastener (i.e. Velcro), further ensuring the appropriate amount of 'give'. The child has plenty of freedom of movement when the product is in use given its design using only soft materials. Moreover, because there are no hard materials on the product, it ensures that if it were to come off or be stressed in an accident, there would not be any hard piece that could come off and hit the child or any passengers in the car.
Secondly, when a child is properly secured in a car seat, his/her shoulders are snug against the back of the car seat, meaning that the child's body can't lean forward in any way. Therefore, if the SlumberSling were to slip down from the forehead to the neck area, it would no longer be pulled taut, and would simply rest slack around the neck and shoulder area. When a child is properly secured, there is no possible way for his/her body to lean forward into the product and cause any pressure on the neck.
As you can see on the product page, we indicate that this product is not designed for nor suggested for use with reclining infant car seats, and is intended for use only on convertible car seats and booster seats. It is not intended to be used as a safety device, and as always, parents should rely on the advice of their doctor for all child related products.
We welcome ongoing feedback and can be reached at customerservice@ashandalysbabes.com with specific questions. We love seeing new reviews on the product, and take all of our customers' comments into consideration. We are a small, family owned business, and I created the product for use on my own children who have been using it for years. The photo below is of my oldest son using the SlumberSling years ago when we first launched it into the consumer market.
Safety is a top priority. Please stay in touch with us!
-Ashley
Comments
Sally on March 6, 2015 17:18
will you be making more of the owl design?
Ashley Allman on February 23, 2015 11:39
The crash test was conducted using a Cosco brand convertible car seat. The SlumberSling is not intended for use on reclining infant car seats, but the crash test results indicate what would happen in an impact if the product was properly in use on a convertible car seat. Please let me know if you have any additional questions and feel free to email me anytime at ashley@ashandalysbabes.com.
Cassie Lockhart on February 5, 2015 23:33
I’m curious to know which car seat(s) were tested. Surely it wasn’t tested on them all?
Ashley Allman on January 9, 2015 14:31
From what I know about nonods.com, their product has not been professionally crash tested, nor does it appear that they use organic materials, which we believe to be of the utmost importance when it comes to products for children.
It also appears that the product attaches to the sides of a car seat rather than loops around the car seat. This difference in how it attaches may impact the level of support it can provide to heavy heads.
Lisa on December 9, 2014 20:44
I think $21 is a small price to pay for your childs safety and comfort!!!!
Chris on November 27, 2014 02:42
How different is this compared to www.nonods.com head restraint.
kpeine on October 3, 2014 22:09
Just happened upon your sight. I have 4 children and 1 grandchild (age ranging from 23 to 3). I have said for 23 years that something like this needs to be made! If I would’ve had been an entrepreneur like you, I might have made this when my children were babies! Best of luck to you!!!
Joanna Taverner-Averkiou on August 13, 2014 15:32
I can’t believe people are moaning about cost! There is nothing else like it on the market at the moment. I can’t wait to try it with my daughter!
Ashley Allman on August 13, 2014 11:29
Hi Amanfa,
The SlumberSling closure is by velcro on the ends of the elastic band. The closure comes together on the side part of the car seat – there are no hard/rigid parts. We do ship to Brazil, and you can order through our website.
Thank you!
Ashley
Amanfa on July 25, 2014 10:28
Good morning! I really loved it the idea. But I have a concern about the way it’s closed in the back. Could you send a picture of it? Because on the pictures here I just can see in front of the slumbersling.
Can you post to Brazil?
Thank you very much
Cheers
Ashley Allman on July 22, 2014 00:21
Hi Leslie,
The product is designed for children ages 1 year and up riding in convertible car seats or belt positioning booster seats. It tends to work best for ages 1-4 years, but we have had some parents indicate it works as old as age six. For older children with heavier heads, the SlumberSling may need to be fitted more snugly than for younger children in order to cradle their head effectively. The product should work as intended for your younger child for a long time to come.
You may want to order only one to test it out and see if it works on your older child. If so, you can always order a second, and I’d be willing to waive the shipping fee for you under that circumstance. We do accept returns, but only on unused items.
Please feel free to email me with any further questions. I can be reached at ashley@ashandalysbabes.com.
Thank you for your interest!
Ashley
Leslie on July 18, 2014 10:33
What age is this designed for? I have two daughters, 18m and 3.5yo. In our state, they are required to use car seats to age 8. I like the idea, but at $21 each, I don’t want to purchase something that my oldest will soon outgrow.
Ashley Allman on May 28, 2014 19:38
Regarding cost, we are a family business, and the SlumberSling is currently in high demand. Producing any product at a high volume is extremely costly, given the operations costs for running a business, safety testing, supplies, labor, shipping, etc. We have our product fairly priced so that all parties involved with its production can make a fair wage and so we can continue to meet the demands of growing volume. We also hold high standards for the materials we use. The fabrics are certified organic cotton, which come at a higher price tag than fabrics treated with chemicals, and we only use high quality elastic to ensure product durability and longevity. We are committed to manufacturing locally on the west coast and keeping our operations in the US. All of these factors add to the ultimate cost of the product.
Jonathan on May 23, 2014 04:03
This looks like a comfortable solution to naps in car seats. Only why so much? 20 plus dollars???Get outta here with that. I’ll go to a Michaels for elastic, velcro, and fabric & put the wife to work on sewing machine for about $5. Should reevaluate your prices. Were in a recession for cryin out loud. Thanks again. Best of luck.