Will a Sling Bag Hurt Your Shoulder?

Sling bags are in style right now, and significantly so. Everyone is getting tired of keeping all the items we need in our pockets, especially phones and wallets, and sling bags offer a popular alternative, with benefits such as:

• Carrying all your items so you can keep your pockets free.
• Easy accessibility when you need it, without fumbling through a backpack.
• Ability to keep your items very close to you to protect from theft/hands.

They also just look cool, which makes them a great choice for carrying your items on a regular basis. You’re going to love a sling bag if you get one.

But there are those that worry that a sling bag will hurt their shoulder if they wear it too often. Does that happen, and what can you do?

Sling Bag and Shoulder Pain

Even though we offer sling bags that are hugely popular, we can’t pretend that they won’t cause shoulder pain at all. Any time you put excess weight on a single shoulder, you end up running the risk that you cause pain and discomfort to your muscles. Your body wants to stay in alignment and distribute weight equally against your entire upper half, and when pressure and weight are put on one side of the body – such as the muscles in the shoulder – it can lead to aches and pains.

BUT!

Just because something “can” cause pain doesn’t mean it will. There are some things you can do to protect yourself from experiencing shoulder pain, and some things WE did to make sure that this pain minimized as much as possible.

Let’s start with some things that you can do:

• Reduce Weight in the Bag

Sling bags don’t need to hold everything you own. You can keep your wallet in there, you can keep your keys, you can keep some cash and a few items, but try not to put more weight than you need to carry. (Hint Hint, our minimalist wallets also weight less and fit perfectly in the bags). 

• Switch Shoulders

Give one shoulder a break by switching to another shoulder. As long as you distribute it back and forth every once in a while, you won’t throw your back out of alignment and you’ll give your muscles a chance to recover.

• Keep it Close to the Vest

Your bag should fit firmly on your body, not pulling on it but also not waving back and forth. A snug but not tight fit can help spread the weight around and put less pressure and pull on your shoulder. 

• Choose the Right Bag

Perhaps not surprising, not all sling bags are created equal. You can don’t need a large, heavy sling bag for just a few items. Choose a light (dare we say, “minimalist?”) bag to give your shoulder as little weight as possible.

• Give Yourself a Break 

You can take your bag with you wherever you go, and keep it on you at all times when you need it. But of course, just remember to take it off when you don’t. If you’re home, even for a short while, give your shoulder a break and take off the bag.

Things We Did to Reduce Pain/Discomfort

Those are the things you can do to reduce your shoulder pain. But don’t worry – there’s a lot of things that we did to make sure that your sling bag from Allett is less likely to cause pain.

• We Made it the Perfect Size

We made sure to have no excess fabric and nothing extra. Everything we make is minimalist in style, and our sling bags are no different. We try to keep it as small as possible, but spacious enough for all of your needs.

• We Made it Fit

We took our time to make sure that our sling bags fit perfectly. We want to make sure that anyone that uses our bags finds them to be comfortable in addition to stylish. Our bags are here to fit perfectly for anyone that uses them.

• We Tested the Design

We tested every part of the sling bag, including the length of the sling. We wanted to make sure it felt comfortable with us so that we could feel more confident that it would be comfortable on you.

Sling Bags and Pain

Any time you wear any bag it can cause a little bit of discomfort, and so stretching, exercise, and minimizing how much you put in your bag will help. But we did design our bags to make sure they’re the perfect fit, and we’re confident that you’ll love these bags and wear them all the time. Learn more about our sling bags or order yours today, from Allett.