1. What an eye-and-eye round sling is
An eye-and-eye round sling is a roundsling with a reinforced eye sewn at each end. The body is a load-bearing core of high-tenacity polyester yarn wound into a rope-like bundle and enclosed in a protective fabric sleeve; the eyes at each end give the crane hook, shackle or master link a direct point of connection.
That construction is the whole point of the type. A roundsling body conforms to curved and irregular load surfaces and spreads the contact pressure, so finished surfaces are not marked by stitch lines. The eyes then turn that soft body into a sling that connects to hardware the way a chain or wire sling does, without reeving the load.
It is one of two standard roundsling configurations. An endless round sling closes into a continuous loop and wraps the load, which suits basket and choker work where rotating the sling spreads wear. An eye-and-eye is chosen when the lift connects through hardware at both ends. Both types are covered by the same product standard, EN 1492-2.
2. What EN 1492-2 defines
EN 1492-2 is the European product standard for textile roundslings. For the buyer it settles five things at once:
A 7:1 design factor, so the minimum breaking strength of the sling is seven times its marked WLL. WLL expressed in metric tonnes for a straight pull. Colour coding by WLL, so capacity is recognisable at a distance. Marking requirements covering the manufacturer, the WLL, the length and the serial identification. And material and temperature scope: the standard covers polyester roundslings for use in a range from −40 °C up to +100 °C.
Australian supply is a separate reference: AS 4497 (round slings of synthetic fibre) applies there, and projects outside the 7:1 series are made to an agreed specification rather than to the standard rating.
What EN 1492-2 does not do is rate your hitch for you. The standard gives the vertical rating and the mode factors; the capacity of the assembled lift follows from the configuration and the rigging plan.
3. The colour code
The sleeve colour of an EN 1492-2 roundsling identifies its vertical WLL. The code is fixed across manufacturers, which is what makes it useful on a busy site: a rigger can separate a 3 t sling from a 5 t sling without reading a label.
| Sleeve colour | Vertical WLL |
|---|---|
| Violet | 1 t |
| Green | 2 t |
| Yellow | 3 t |
| Grey | 4 t |
| Red | 5 t |
| Brown | 6 t |
| Blue | 8 t |
| Orange | 10 t and above |
Above 10 t every sling is orange, so colour alone stops being a capacity indicator in the heavy range. At those tonnages the tag, the serial number and the certificate are the only reliable identification, and capacities beyond the standard range are project-engineered rather than catalogue items.
Colour identifies the sling; it does not certify the lift. A faded or replaced sleeve, a tag that has washed out, or a sling outside the standard range all mean the tag governs, not the colour.
4. Hitches and effective capacity
The WLL marked on the tag is the straight-pull figure. EN 1492-2 applies mode factors for the other hitches, and the Hoisting Method & Working Load Chart lists them explicitly for every capacity alongside the vertical column.
| Hitch | Factor | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical (straight pull) | 1.0 | The marked WLL applies as printed |
| Choker | 0.8 | The sling grips itself, so 80% of the vertical WLL |
| Basket, legs parallel | 2.0 | The load is carried by two legs in shear |
| Basket, legs 0-45° | 1.4 | Leg angle reduces the effective figure |
| Basket, legs 45-60° | 1.0 | Equal to the vertical rating at the steepest working angle |
Two practical notes follow from that table. A choked sling loses capacity because it grips onto itself at the choke point, so the choke must sit on the sleeve body, not on an eye or a splice. And a basket hitch only earns the 2.0 factor when the legs hang parallel and the load is balanced; as the legs open towards 45° and 60° the factor falls back to 1.4 and then to 1.0.
Multi-leg assemblies add a further layer: the leg angles and the load distribution then decide what each leg carries, which is a rigging-plan question rather than a sling-tag question.
5. The eyes: connection and wear
The eyes are where an eye-and-eye sling earns its type. They connect directly to hooks, shackles and master links, which keeps the rig compact and keeps the sling seated on the hardware instead of sliding along the load.
The eye-to-body junction is also the most stressed part of the sling, which is why the eyes are reinforced and folded rather than simply gathered. In service, that junction and the eye interior are the first places to inspect: stress whitening, broken surface yarns or a flattened, hardened eye cross-section all indicate a sling approaching retirement.
Connection practice matters as much as construction. The eye should seat fully on the saddle of the hook or in the bow of the shackle, never on the tip of a hook, and the hardware should be wide enough that the eye is not folded over a tight radius. A nylon or polyester eye bent sharply over a small pin loses capacity locally long before the rest of the sling is worn.
6. Sizes and capacities
The standard range covers vertical WLLs from 1 t up to 1,000 t, with lengths made to order rather than held as stock sizes, and effective working lengths up to 200 m for engineered jobs. Width and thickness grow with the capacity grade, which is why the data tables list them per size alongside the weight per metre.
Capacities above the standard range are project-engineered and subject to technical review and testing rather than being an EN-standard stock range. Where a lift plan calls for a non-standard design factor, that too is made to an agreed specification and documented per order.
7. Inspection in brief
A roundsling is inspected through its sleeve and its tag. Check that the tag is legible and still states the WLL, length and serial; run the sleeve between the hands along its full length feeling for cuts, abrasion flats, glazing from heat, and hardened or stained patches from chemicals.
Withdraw the sling if the core is exposed through the sleeve, if the sleeve is damaged along a load-bearing zone, if the eyes show the junction damage described above, if the tag is missing or illegible, or after any overload event. Detailed acceptance and in-service criteria are covered in the inspection guide linked in Further reading below.
8. FAQ
What is the difference between an eye-and-eye and an endless round sling?
An eye-and-eye has a reinforced eye at each end and connects directly to hardware. An endless round sling closes into a continuous loop and wraps the load in basket or choker hitches, and it can be rotated between lifts to spread wear. Both are EN 1492-2 products; the choice depends on whether the lift connects through hardware or wraps the load.
What does the colour of a round sling mean?
The sleeve colour follows the EN 1492-2 code and identifies the vertical WLL: violet 1 t, green 2 t, yellow 3 t, grey 4 t, red 5 t, brown 6 t, blue 8 t, and orange for 10 t and above. Above 10 t the tag and serial are the reliable identification because every sling is orange.
What temperature can a polyester roundsling handle?
EN 1492-2 covers polyester roundslings for use from −40 °C to +100 °C. Prolonged contact with hot surfaces, welding spatter or steam lines causes local damage well below those limits, so keep slings clear of heat sources and inspect any sling suspected of heat exposure before it is used again.
Why is the choker capacity lower than the vertical rating?
A choker hitch grips onto itself, which tightens the sling but also bends and compresses it at the choke point. EN 1492-2 therefore applies a 0.8 factor, and the choke should sit on the sleeve body rather than on an eye or a splice.
Do roundslings for Australia follow the same standard?
Australian supply is referenced to AS 4497 (round slings of synthetic fibre), which also covers the 7:1 series. Projects needing other design factors are produced to an agreed specification with their own documentation, so state the destination market in the enquiry.