How to Choose a Lifting Sling
If you are unsure about which lifting sling is best for your application, contact our knowledgable sales staff Monday thru Friday 7:00am - 9:00pm at 800-404-7068 and they will be glad to help you! Your call will be answered promptly.
1: Determine the weight of the item you are lifting. In this example, the load is 1000 lbs.
2: Determine the angle of the sling legs to the object (noted in the diagram as 60°).
3: Find your angle in the load factor chart (in this case it is 1.154).
4: Multiply the weight of the load by the load factor (1000 x 1.154 = 1,154 lbs.)
In this example, the lifting sling weight rating you would need would be 1,154 lbs. in a basket hitch rating. Keep in mind this is a basic lift example; more complicated loads, such as one that requires multiple lifting slings for one item, should be left up to a professional for more precise information.
If you have questions or are unsure what your sling requirements are, give us a call at 800-404-7068.
Choose your lifting sling based on:
Choose by material
Nylon Slings
- Most widely used multi-purpose sling
- Flexibility of the fabric prevents it from locking up on a load
- Strong, easy to handle, and relatively inexpensive
- Unaffected by oil and grease
- Resilient to aldehydes, ethers, and strong alkalies
- Not suitable for use with acids or bleaching agents
- Stretches approximately 8-10% at rated capacity
- Should not be used in temperatures over 194°F (90°C)
Polyester Slings
- Flexibility of the fabric prevents it from locking up on a load
- Unaffected by common acids and hot bleaching agents
- Not suitable for use around concentrated sulfuric acids or alkaline
- Stretch approximately 3-5% at rated capacity
- Should not be used in temperatures over 194°F (90°C)
- Lightweight polyester material is easy to handle and store when not in use
Wire Rope Slings
- Offers high strength and flexibility in a smaller diameter
- 6x19 class is most widely used due to a good combination of flexibility and wear resistance
- 6x37 class is used primarily in larger diameter wire rope; large number of strands per wire make it more flexible but lessens resistance to abrasion
- 7x7x7 class utilize ultra-flexible and corrosion-resistant galvanized aircraft cables
Chain Slings
- Strong, durable, flexible; collapses for easy storage
- Available in Grade 100 lifting chain
- Often used in high temperature or under adverse conditions that would normally destroy or wear other types of slings
- Wide variety of hook end fittings available
- Price can be substantially higher than the other types
- Generally do not stretch at rated capacity (or very minimally), but can stretch 15-20% prior to failure
Choose by style
Click below to learn about and compare different styles of slings:
Eye & Eye Slings
Eye & Eye Slings
Choose by rating
| Load Factor Chart | |
| Leg Angle | Multiplier |
| 90° | 1.000 |
| 85° | 1.003 |
| 80° | 1.015 |
| 75° | 1.035 |
| 70° | 1.064 |
| 65° | 1.103 |
| 60° | 1.154 |
| 55° | 1.220 |
| 50° | 1.305 |
| 45° | 1.414 |
| 40° | 1.555 |
| 35° | 1.743 |
| 30° | 2.000 |
It’s important to choose a lifting sling with a weight rating capacity strong enough to do the job you need it to do.
This calculation process is meant primarily for basket hitch applications as the angles of the legs will not be a factor in a vertical or choker hitch.
1: Determine the weight of the item you are lifting. In this example, the load is 1000 lbs.2: Determine the angle of the sling legs to the object (noted in the diagram as 60°).
3: Find your angle in the load factor chart (in this case it is 1.154).
4: Multiply the weight of the load by the load factor (1000 x 1.154 = 1,154 lbs.)
In this example, the lifting sling weight rating you would need would be 1,154 lbs. in a basket hitch rating. Keep in mind this is a basic lift example; more complicated loads, such as one that requires multiple lifting slings for one item, should be left up to a professional for more precise information.
If you have questions or are unsure what your sling requirements are, give us a call at 800-404-7068.