Review: Lir Slings Realt Aodh

Brand: Lir Slings
Type: Realt Aodh
Blend: 50% Irish linen, 50% cotton.
Size: Ring sling, gathered shoulder.

I am always intrigued when I hear about a new wrap company, so when I read about this new Irish company and saw their debut design, I couldn't resist ordering a ring sling from Lir Slings, especially as its pretty snowflake design is perfect for using during the winter/festive season.
Lir Slings are designed and woven in Ireland, and are cut and stitched to order, so I had to wait a few weeks for my ring sing to arrive. It was totally worth the wait! The design is really beautiful and the gentle grey and white colours are perfect for the snowflakes, and in some lights there is almost a slight shimmer, giving the grey a silvery look. The weave on these wraps is very dense and has just a little bit of diagonal stretch. The linen blend needs a bit of breaking-in, but my ring sling is already beginning to soften up. I wouldn't say Realt Aodh feels particularly thick, but with the dense weave and use of linen, it is incredibly supportive. The seams and ring sling conversion have been neatly stitched, and the whole things feels like a luxurious, quality item.
The only thing that I would change about this beautiful ring sling, is that the taper is incredibly steep, meaning that even though the long taper measures just over 2 metres, the short taper is only 1.55m. Once the ring sling is adjusted and in place, the shorter taper is absolutely fine, but I'm finding it slightly more difficult to adjust the shorter rail, as there is less fabric to grab hold of and pull. A parent who is bigger built, and carrying a larger child may struggle a little with this. However, this does not particularly detract from how much I am enjoying this beautiful ring sling, and the steeper tapers would not be a problem on a wrap. 
Overall, I am very impressed with Lir Slings' debut design, and have already received compliments when out and about wearing Realt Aodh. Having seen pictures of a couple of the beautiful and unique designs they have in the works, I would say that Lir Slings is going to go from strength to strength.