Shoulder Slings - The Biggest Comfort Factor

There are many different components in a shoulder sling and subtle changes in each will alter the way it feels when supporting the arm.

One variable that does not change is the weight of the arm. A shoulder sling is designed to take the weight of the arm and the strap coming up over the opposite shoulder and around the neck takes the majority of this weight. 

A simple feature to look at the determine how comfortable the sling will be is the width of the shoulder strap. Thin straps cut into the neck and are quickly painful. Anything less than 1 inch is likely to be a problem for medium to long term use.

The above strap is likely to be uncomfortable to wear.

Some shoulder slings have an additional pad that is positioned at the shoulder to make it more comfortable.