Anatomy of a Baby Sling or Carrier

shoulder (padded or not) - sits spread over either shoulder.

pouch or pocket - where the baby lies/sits.

rails (padded or not) - are the top edges of the pouch.

knot or rings - hold the baby sling closed and are to be in the front of your shoulder where you can reach them.

tail (sewn or not) - is the fabric that hangs from the knot or rings and is used to adjust the sling. if there is a long enough tail, it can be used for breastfeeding privacy ( . . . if that matters to you. don't be shy on our account!).

this one is very simple, but it stills helps sometimes to have it spelled out. Most wraparound style baby carriers (Girasol, EllaRoo Wrap, Didymos, Hug-a-Bub, Baby Bundler, Ultimate Baby Wrap) are just one long strip of cloth, 18-30" wide, made of different types of fabric. the only variation i have seen on this is a set of nylon rings at one end of the ultimate baby wrap, which replaces the knot usually used to secure these baby carriers.

this style of baby carrier varies quite a bit in the details, but has the same basic components, shown above. variations include: padding in shoulder and/or waist straps, angle of shoulder straps, width of straps, buckles. examples of this are: EllaRoo Mei Tai, Ergo, Packababy, Sutemi, Lifter, Sakara, Kozy.