I love premium products. As I said in my “About” section, I really do believe that for many children’s products, you get what you pay for. However, sometimes the pricey items are not in your budget, but they are something you love or the style you want. The good news is – there are honestly quality solutions for all budgets. Sure, it may not be the item you wanted.. but it will look and often function quite similarly. Sometimes they are even made by the same companies.
For instance, the Nook Pebble crib mattress. It’s gorgeous and innovative. It’s free of harsh chemicals, not to mention soft and comfortable.. (Yet still safe and secure for baby!) Their bright colors and fabulous features come at a steep price point, though. ($395) Many people scoff. However, Nook Sleep Systems designed a crib mattress with most of the same features (Some of the limitations include only being 1-sided and white being the only color option..) but roughly half the of price.. ($195) The CloudSleeper is available only at Target.com. It’s still slightly more expensive than your typical plastic covered, hard-as-a-rock crib mattress.. but again, you get what you pay for and the price difference between the CloudSleeper and a traditional crib mattress is minimal.
Another brand with options in multiple price market’s is Britax. Their infant car seat, the Chaperone, is well loved and envied by many.. though some couldn’t (or didn’t want to) spend that much on an infant car seat. ($229.99) So, Britax released a second infant car seat with a lower price point, the B-Safe seat. Same Britax safety, same Britax styles.. slightly more affordable. ($179) They even make that specific car seat in BOB Stroller fabrics. ($199.99) Very nice.
Then we venture to other brands that don’t have multiple price tiers for their gear… for those items, you can often find other brands who make very similar products within a more affordable price range. As I’ve stated multiple times, I am in love with the Stokke Tripp Trapp. It’s highly functional, has multiple uses and grows with your child. In my opinion, it’s fairly priced.. ($249.99) but I understand that fair does not always mean affordable. There are a few other high chairs on the market with close to the same style and the same “grow with you” idea. The Keekaroo Height Right ($189.95) is a similar idea with a slightly more affordable price. The Badger Basket Embassy Wood high chair with tray is another one at a significantly lower price than both of the above. ($139.99) Again, fairly similar.. Personally, I would still go with the established quality of the Stokke Tripp Trapp.. but if you want the look on a budget, these are some options.
Cribs are another vastly priced market. The modern style is super trendy right now, but the price tags on many of them make even me cringe. Take for instance the Oeuf Sparrow. Gorgeous. Modern. Would work in just about any nursery. The price, however, wouldn’t work in most of budgets. ($760) For a similar look for about half the price, you can find the Babyletto Hudson 3-in-1. ($379)
The process even works in reverse.. Lets take bouncy seats. We all know of the crazy selection of decently priced bouncy seats. In the basic market, my favorite is the Graco Simple Snuggles Bouncer ($54.99) — but what if you want something nicer? You may be more interested in the Chicco I-Feel Rocker. ($99.99) Still not enough? Perhaps you are more drawn in by the Baby Bjorn Baby Sitter Balance. ($199.99) Close.. but perhaps not modern enough? There’s still a bouncer for you. The Bloom Coco Plexistyle is the perfect posh accent. ($350)
If you have a style in mind or find a product that you absolutely adore but can’t necessarily afford, do some research. There may be something very similar but at a more wallet friendly price. If there is a product you desire, but want something a little more premium… there are options for you as well. Research is critical — You never know what you may find!!
Is there a premium baby product out there that you wish you could find a cheaper version of? Which one? Are there premium products out there that you would never buy a cheaper version of?
I’m a pretty well seasoned mom. In 8 years, I have had three little boys. Sure, I haven’t been through the teenager years yet, and I have no idea what it’s like to send a child off to college, but I know enough to raise good kids. I also armed myself with the knowledge I need to make informed decisions for myself.
When I was pregnant with my first son I was 23. I was the first of my friends to have kids. In fact, most of them are just now starting to have kids. The decisions I made regarding my children were mine to make. With none of my close friends having children, none of them tried to tell me how they thought I should or shouldn’t raise my own. There came a time where I needed the support of other moms, though. People who were going through the same things I was. Growing and learning this new adventure of parenting. As I ventured out and attempted to find “mommy friends” what I saw was disheartening. Moms who felt like it was their place to judge, critique and comment on the parenting decisions that other moms were making – even without being asked.
Is it really so much to think that, perhaps, we can simply support one another in this crazy roller coaster of motherhood? Yes, even if we don’t personally agree with the decisions others make. We should be able to know that there is a community of moms who, regardless of their own personal beliefs, will support you along the way and give you a lift when you need one, a pat on the back when warranted and a shoulder to cry on when the days get tough. We should not always have to feel like we are on the defensive because of the personal parenting choices that we have made.
There are so many controversial topics about parenting. Breast or bottle. Puree’s or diced first foods. Cloth or disposable. Pierced ears and circumcisions. You know what, though? Regardless of your choices or my choices.. none of those choices impact anyone else. My choice (and ability) to breastfeed effected myself and my sons. No one else. My baby’s first food had no impact on anyone other than my children, the washing machine and occasionally the carpet. What does have an effect on you, me and all other parents? The constant scrutiny of each and every one of our decisions. When we look for support, we find judgement. When we look for a life raft, we’re pushed back into the raging water. For things that really shouldn’t matter to anyone else. We need to stop judging others. We need to stop assuming that our choices are right for everyone.
My views on parenting are no different than my views on baby gear. There are so many choices out there. They are your choices to make. If you ask for my opinion (or in the case of the blog.. come looking for my opinion..) I will give it to you.. but it’s strictly my opinion and my experience. I do not expect you to.. nor will I assume you will.. do things the way I did. I want to lift you up. Support you in this crazy parenting experience. Not make it more complicated. I want you to feel comfortable asking me questions or confiding your fears and worries to me– not run away fearing that I will attack your choices. I expect the same in return.
Lets stop the judging. Lets stop the pushing. If someone asks for your opinion, give it. If they simply ask for support, be there. Make no assumptions. Make no judgement and stop gossiping. Remember that your choices are your own.. and my choices are my own. We can co-exist, believe it or not.
We have always been baby wearers. While I love strollers and definitely believe there is quite a useful purpose for strollers, there is always a time when my children want nothing more than to be held or carried. Usually when I’m trying to get something done or need both of my hands. Finding the right carrier has been a nightmare. Just when you think you find the perfect carrier, that moment comes when you are required to wear it for more than 30 minutes and instantly realize how terrible it is. With our youngest son, we realized quickly how important a good carrier was going to be.
Our youngest son has some gross motor delays. He has laxity of the ligaments in his hips and ankles as well as hypotonia. He’s 22.5 months old now and his little legs give out after 30 minutes of being on them. He still can’t run and he prefers not to wear shoes as it seems difficult to lift the weight of the shoe. Combine all of this and together you get a toddler who requires being carried or in a stroller a lot.
This is where a good carrier is so critical. If he is tired or doesn’t feel well, his legs just refuse to work. Then he gets clingy. I often need to wear him around the house just to manage to get anything done or spend time with my older kids. He also has to go to physical therapy weekly and afterwards is worn out. The carrier allows us to still accomplish things even after a long physical therapy appointment. As you can imagine.. with all of this carrying going on, it takes a lot of effort to find one that can comfortably work. I was given the opportunity recently to use theBoba Carrier 3G. I was very excited to try it out! The first day I used it I was a little nervous. It definitely had more adjustable clips than my other carrier. I put it on, adjusted it to fit me just right and then grabbed our son. He wasn’t feeling well and his legs were particular bothersome, so I strapped him in onto my back. I was instantly impressed by how easily I could get him onto my back and adjusted by myself. I have some practice with this from other carriers, but I usually find myself having to wiggle and jiggle him into it properly. However, with this carrier it seemed quite natural. The height of the carrier also supported his back nicely and the width of the seat made sure that his legs were in the appropriate position. I also immediately noticed how easily the chest clip was height adjustable. It slides up and down on the piping of the carrier. Very easy to adjust. Within 10 minutes of being in the carrier, he was sound asleep and not flopping around at all. I carried him around in it for about two hours and didn’t have any shoulder discomfort or back pain.
We have used the carrier a lot since receiving it. Around the house. To the park. A two mile family walk. We even used it to get him to and from his recent MRI’s. Because of his age, his MRI’s had to be done under general anesthesia, so once he awoke, he was very clingy, tired and weak. I put the Boba Carrier on, snuggled him into it on the front position and he calmed down quickly. It managed to get a lot of compliments from the nursing staff, too. Our Boba Carrier is the “Tweet” print and it was definitely popular. There are a lot of features about this carrier that I think are extremely useful! For instance, it comes with these optional foot stirrups that hold your child’s foot. This helps them not feel like they are “dangling” and gives them a place to put their feet other than on your hips. I also love that it can be an infant carrier without the use of an insert! While I don’t have a small infant right now, that would definitely be useful. Add to that all the fun prints, (I really want to get my husband the Diaper Dude Special Edition Pinstripe!) it’s quite an amazing carrier.
Another thing that makes this carrier fabulous is all the zipped storage. There is a zipper pocket that holds the hood, and when the hood is out it makes a fabulous place to store things in. At the bottom of the carrier, on the lumbar support there is another zipper pocket. This made the best place to put my drivers license and debit cards. Nothing bulky, for sure, but it allows me to not bring our whole diaper bag when I take him to physical therapy.
After about a month of using this carrier, I can’t find anything really bad about it. It is comfortable to wear for long lengths of time. It adjusts easily and gets a near perfect fit because of all of it’s individual adjustable straps. The excess straps roll up neatly and are well secured by a fold over elastic cover. My only downside is this: It is not recommended to be machine washed. Spot cleaning is preferred. Normally this isn’t a huge issue for a carrier, but there are times when you really just need to deep clean them. Either it’s covered in dirt or it falls on a bathroom floor. (Not that I did that last one or anything.. Nope.) That said, for reasons I will not admit to actually doing.. (read: bathroom floor.. shhh!!) I did throw it into the wash on a hand wash cycle and air dried it. It washed well. The straps actually managed to stay in the positions I had adjusted them to and the fabric washed really well! It even dried quickly! So, while not recommended.. it is possible to wash if you must.
The Boba 3G accommodates a wide range of people. It fits heights from 5’0-6’3 and has a waist band range from 25″-58″. As I stated before, there are so many adjustable areas to achieve the perfect fit for you. The body of the carrier also rises 2-3″ higher than most other brands, as well. This means it supports babies better and for longer. It also has high grade military buckles, so you can rest assure that even if you are carrying the maximum 45 pound weight, your child will be safe. (The carrier also starts at 7 pounds! That is small enough for most newborns!)
All in all, I really love this carrier. I love the height of it. I love the quality of it. I love the comfort of it. It was equally comfortable in both front and back carrying positions and for long term wearing. I highly recommend this carrier.
How many of you use carrier’s on a regular basis for your babies? What made you decide to purchase the carrier that you use? How many of you own Boba carriers? What is your favorite feature of the carrier?
Enter for your chance to win a Boba Baby Carrier, a Boba Wrap or a Boba Air! All products can be seen at www.bobafamily.com. With Boba products it is easier than ever to enjoy Freedom Together as a family and Boba wants YOU to get a chance to use their products. To enter to win, “Like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Note: Boba Carriers provided the Boba 3G in “Tweet” print for me to review. This is not a paid review and the opinions expressed are my own. The giveaway is provided to you by Boba Carriers, NOT by The Diaper Bag Confessions.
As usual, my house is full of clutter. More and more things come in.. less and less things go out. This is a vicious cycle, but with 3 growing boys, a husband and a shopping addiction, that’s just how it is. (Did I just admit to having a shopping addiction? No. I admit nothing!) So, while in my closet folding clothes I started thinking about our changing table. We haven’t used it in some time and right now it is just the place that I dump the clean clothes waiting to be sorted and then the folded clothes waiting to be returned to their proper location. I’m sure there are ways I could re-purpose the changing table. Perhaps in a more useful way than a clean laundry station. (Or, perhaps not.. perhaps just a more official clean laundry station?)
So, I took to Pinterest. The logical place to turn for those DIY project ideas that you may or may not ever actually create.. but like to think you could possibly manage to do one day. There are so many ideas for re-purposing a changing table. Someone turned it into an outdoor gardening station, another person turned it into a drink cart. (While alcohol isn’t the first thing I think of when it comes to re-purposing my baby gear.. to each their own? Haha.) I am actually quite inspired. Sure, this may end up being one of those typical Pinterest projects that I never actually get around to doing.. but anything is better than huge pieces of baby furniture with no home, taking up priceless space in my closet. (I could put a sewing table in that corner of the closet.. now that would be a much better use of space!)
How many of you re-purpose things in your home? Have any of you re-purposed your old baby gear or baby furniture?? Tell me what projects you have done. You may inspire me to take on more projects this summer. (Read: Inspire me to give my husband instructions on projects he will be doing this summer..) Also, if you use Pinterest, what are some of your favorite finds?
So, my youngest is almost two. I look around my house and realize that we have a lot of things that he no longer needs. My task is now deciding what, if anything, is worth keeping. You see, I am what I like to call “reproductively challenged.” It’s a game that my body seems to think is entertaining. We were blessed with two “Surprise! You hit the jackpot!” babies and one very expensive “Congratulations! Your investment paid off!” baby. So to say that we don’t know if our family will be expanding is really an honest answer. This does not make going through baby things very easy for me.
As I glance around, there are many things that I think would better serve someone else rather than collect dust in storage. Things that I wouldn’t mind simply replacing should we hit that jackpot once again. And then there is that one thing. Every time I glance at it, tucked away in our closet, I am brought back to that time of having a tiny little baby and my heart wants to burst out of my chest. The thought of ever getting rid of it? I just can’t even imagine it.
What is that thing, you ask? My Moses Basket. Yes, I bought a Moses Basket. People thought I was crazy. “What are you going to use that for?? Why not just buy a bassinet?” Honestly.. we’ve done the bassinet thing before. It was alright. We also did the bassinet attachment to a play yard. It worked. But this tiny little basket.. it snuggled my baby so perfectly. It was light weight and portable. I could bring it downstairs for his nap, bring it upstairs for bed, throw it in the car and bring it wherever we were headed. It was the perfect first bed for my tiny little baby, and I just cannot bring myself to let it go.
This is not really a waste, though. Should our family not expand any further, there are many ways to re-purpose that little basket. I could fill it with all of my son’s stuffed animals. Use it as a toy bin. Save it for him to use one day for his own child. (Come on.. Moses Baskets are timeless!) For now that Moses Basket has a cozy place in our closet.. and it’s not going anywhere!
What things do you have for your baby that you can’t imagine ever getting rid of? Do you invest in things that you know you’ll want to hang on to forever, or things that you are just fine getting out of your house once your baby doesn’t need them anymore?
I feel like I’ve written this post a million times and honestly, I probably have. Everyone asks about them. The cute and brightly colored leg warmers that I put on my kids. “They make those for boys..?” They ask. Yes, yes they do. “They are so cute! What are they?” — the question that almost always follows the first. What are they? They are BabyLegs legwarmers. They make them for both girls and boys and their selections are constantly changing. I love these adorable splashes of color.
We have been using the “original size” BabyLegs for our boys for many years. They are very functional, especially in our Northwest climates. Even in the summer months, our temperatures can vary dramatically from the morning to the evening. Our days tend to start out cold, heat up.. and then drastically cool down. BabyLegs have helped me add and subtract a layer without much effort. They have also helped facilitate potty training.. allowing my boys to roam pants free, while still providing some coverage.
Sometime between when I had my middle son and my youngest, BabyLegs released “Newborn BabyLegs” –which I had to stock up on once I got pregnant with my youngest. He was born at the end of July and as much as he was born in a “hot” month.. he was still a newborn and still needed some added coverage. They proved to be perfect for that, covering up his tiny little legs while he relaxed in a onesie. They also worked very well paired with our favorite diapers. I look back at them now, folded up nicely in his drawer of socks, and I can’t even remember when he was so tiny. Now that he is out of them, I will sometimes slide my iPhone into one to keep it protected from scratches. It works perfectly.
Making our collection of newborn babylegs seem miniscule is our collection of the standard leg warmers. All of our children wear them. All of our children love them! Our oldest is 7, while he hates that they are called BabyLegs, he really loves to wear them. He tends to like wearing simple polo shirts in varying colors, so he often adds BabyLegs in a complimentary pattern to keep his arms warm when it’s a little colder outside. He refuses to wear them on his legs, but he doesn’t really need them on his legs anymore. He enjoys being able to pull them on and off as he feels he needs them, and they look like nothing more than a long sleeved shirt layered under a polo. They give him the opportunity to add a little personality to his daily wardrobe, too, which is critical for a little boy who loves to express himself. He also loves the holiday specific BabyLegs that come out frequently.
Our middle son loves BabyLegs regardless of what they are called. He wants to wear them on his arms and legs sometimes multiple pairs on one limb. This has prompted me to buy multiple pairs of the same pattern. As much as he would love to wear green and brown argyle with some bright blue fish, I just can’t always let him leave the house like that. He also has severe eczema which often leaves his arms looking rather wounded. He hated to go out in public because people would look at his arms and hands. He may only be 4, but he is well aware when people are staring. (Take note, people: It is not okay to stare at a child. I don’t care what you think is wrong with them!! They notice.. and you make them more self-conscious than any child should ever be!) He figured out that if he put BabyLegs over his arms, people didn’t notice his “owies” — and he was right. He no longer hated going out. While he liked that it took the attention off his arms, as his parents we loved that it took his attention off of scratching his arms. It created a bit of a buffer between him and his fragile skin.. giving it a bit more of a chance to heal.
The youngest of the group is also a huge fan of the BabyLegs. Like I said above, he has been wearing them since he was a newborn. With him, the biggest advantage they have given us is that he has a hard time pulling them off! He has a habit of removing his socks the instant they are put on his feet. However, if I put a pair of BabyLegs over his socks.. not only can he not get the BabyLeg off.. but he also can’t manage to get the sock off! (Most of the time, that is..) He is also hypersensitive to the cold, so BabyLegs have allowed us to give him an extra layer under many of his clothes without over heating him. For this we like to use their thinner, more breathable BabyCool! BabyLegs. His favorite pair of BabyLegs is currently his giraffe print pair (Or, to him.. his “PhiePhie” legs) — Not only does it add to his outfits and keep him a little warmer, but they keep him entertained. He loves PhiePhie, so dressing like a PhiePhie is more than thrilling to him.
You should all go check out BabyLegs! I don’t know any parent, of a boy or a girl, who uses them and hasn’t loved them for one reason or another. They make great “knee protectors” for crawlers. Provide children (and adults, even..) of any age with an extra layer of coverage from the cold or from the sun. They have many different options. From a bug repellent style to team colors. UV Protection to coordinating socks, even. You won’t be disappointed. Add a little more color to your child’s wardrobe. A little more flare.
After you go check out the BabyLegs site, come back and tell me what your favorite pair is and why!
Note: This is my honest opinion. I was not paid to write this review. We love BabyLegs and have for many years. We hope that you will love them as much as we do!
If there is one thing I have purchased more than strollers, it is car seats. Oh my goodness. We have owned our fair share of car seats. Between the transition from infant seat, to convertible seat, to booster.. between 3 kids, it has been quite the investment and quite the process of finding just the right one for us.
With our first, it was a process of elimination. We started out buying the most common brand of infant car seat on the market at the time. Our research showed it was safe and we liked the print. That’s enough, right? Wrong. We used that car seat for 6 months. After some trial and error, intense research and a few returns, we found a brand that was cutting edge at the time. Some of the highest safety ratings, fairly stylish.. a little more expensive but not so much to make you want to run the other way laughing. We loved that brand. We loved that brand so much that for many years following, we always went straight to that brand.. never really questioning it. Then the baby gear industry started getting smart and informative about toxins in baby products. That brand we loved so much? Well, it was less than stellar in the realm of toxins. (Though, they are now getting better!) So many car seats on the market use Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR’s). These Flame retardants are shown to be toxic to humans. Our children and babies are breathing these in? They are in so many children’s products from car seats to mattresses. It’s sad, really. When researching new car seats, I realized that there are better options out there. I did not have to put my children in chemical laden car seats. They did not have to inhale toxic flame retardants every time I put them in their car seat.
Eventually, we replaced all of our children’s car seats. We didn’t go replacing all of their car seats simply because I was made aware of the harsh chemicals that covered them.. but we were rear-ended last fall and had no choice but to replace all the car seats. Being aware of the chemical issue made our choice a little easier. We went with car seats that are safety recommended, good quality, and free of BFR’s. We replaced both of our convertible car seats with the Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2. Our two youngest children are small for their ages. Our 21-month-old is not even 20 pounds and our 4-year-old is 32 pounds. This means that they will be in whatever car seat we choose for them for a long time. The Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 has a weight rating of 15-35 pounds rear facing and 25-65 pounds forward facing and up to 53″. This seat was perfect for my children. Technically, my 4-year-old could still rear face, though, we have him forward facing.
I am happy to say that, even though our two children are of greatly varying sizes, both of them fit into this seat perfectly. They are both comfortable. They are both happy. They are both secure and safe. The Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 was easy to install, for the most part. We do not own the Orbit Baby Stroller G2 and we don’t have to switch the car seat in and out of our vehicle at all, so getting the base was not necessary. (You can use the Orbit’s signature rotating base for a rear facing Toddler Car Seat G2 and even use the car seat on the stroller frame! It’s a great feature.) Even without the ease of using the base, the car seat’s latch system attachment didn’t require that much effort for my husband. The seat was easy to figure out and the harnesses were easy to adjust even after installation.
The Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 is not wide, either. The last car seats we had were incredibly wide, which is nice for the child inside, I guess, but it’s not very friendly for everyone around the car seat. Haha. We have both of our Orbit’s installed in our mini van’s center row bucket seats and they do not eat into the aisle way at all. This is critical, as our oldest is seated in the 3rd row and has to get into and out of our van on a daily basis for school drop off and pick up. Not being wide is not a downside for the child in the seat, though. There is still plenty of room in the seat. At least for my children. They sit well. They don’t feel squished or crammed into the seat.
The fabrics on the Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2 are amazing. A nice durable base fabric with a plush microfiber upper fabric, headrest and side wings. Not only is the fabric nice and plush, but it has been incredibly easy to clean, too. Our 4-year-old has had a few instances of getting sick in the car and you’d never know it! For those who really want to ensure their car seat is clean, and naturally so, Orbit Baby also makes a Baby Gear Spa Kit.
Bottom line, once we found the Orbit Baby Toddler Car Seat G2, we had found what we had been looking for for many years. Safety. Quality. Stylish Design. Non-Toxic. This car seat has made me very content with my purchase and very at ease about putting my children in them every day. Price-wise, it may not be the cheapest car seat on the market with a price tag of $380 MSRP, however it does compete with some of the other convertible car seats that don’t manage to provide you with the non-toxic features that you receive from the Orbit. This product is well worth it. Should our family ever expand again, the Orbit Baby Infant Car Seat is number one on our list of car seats.
Tell me.. were you aware of the amount of chemicals in our children’s products? Was this an issue or a deciding factor in any of your purchases? What are some of your favorite “green” brands?
Note: This is my honest opinion. I was not paid to write this review. I bought this product and I loved it, so I wanted to share that love with you.
As you may have seen in my previous blog post, I was having a stroller dilemma. While I loved my stroller dearly, it was becoming common place and well, this mama doesn’t necessarily like being common. After I wrote that post, I was presented with an amazing offer from the wonderful people at Stokke. Inspired by my post, they offered me the fabulous Stokke Xplory with a Sibling Board! I was stunned. Amazed. What an exciting opportunity from such a prestigious company.
When the stroller arrived, I turned into a near-replica of my children on Christmas morning. I think my smile reached from ear to ear and my heart was jumping out of my chest. My husband took the opportunity to point out that I am officially a baby gear nerd. I prefer the term guru.. he argues that. “You know how you used to give me a hard time about all the tech gadgets I buy? Wanting the newest.. latest and greatest? Well, that is you now. Only, with baby gear.” What?? No. “Wait!” I said, “This is for the kids! Not for me!” His reply was true. I hate to admit it.. “This is for you. You want this. The kids just get the reward from it..” Ugh. Why did he have to be right? He’s not supposed to be right! However, I knew something he didn’t know. He was about to geek out over this stroller just as much as I.
We got the boxes home and immediately unpacked them. How could I have this stroller sitting within my grasp and not set it up right away?? So we moved the boxes into our living room and my husband began assembling. The assembly was not difficult. In fact, it was relatively straight forward and easy to follow. Attaching the Sibling Board was extremely easy as well.
Our first observations of the stroller were the quality. This is definitely a product that is worth its price. It’s durable and sturdy. Not at all flimsy or cheaply made. The fabrics are outstanding. I have had many strollers since becoming a mom over 7 years ago, and the Xplory has, in my opinion, the best quality of fabrics that I have ever seen. It is also gorgeous fabric. The Xplory they sent was Black Milange. The color option that I was in love with from their site. It did not disappoint. It’s gorgeous. When you also consider that it is completely removable and washable/replaceable fabric, it makes it even more wonderful. If you are not new to this parenting business, you know that kids get strollers dirty. Often very dirty. And they do not make strollers easy to clean. Except this one. They even make different fabric options that are seasonally appropriate. A summer and winter kit. That’s how easily removable their fabrics are.
Another plus for the Xplory is their branding. While they definitely have their branding on the stroller and it is visible, it’s not plastered all over the stroller in a distracting sort of way. It adds to the style and design of the stroller rather than detracts from it. Just enough branding to call out what it is. They also use their branding in a resourceful way, as well. The branding on the seat hood is reflective. This is extremely useful.
So, outside of the form of the Xplory is the actual function of it. We put our toddler in the seat. He immediately loved the lap bar. In fact, he started using it as a drum. Self entertainment. Woo! He fit into the seat well. It hugged in the right places, had enough room for much more growth. He loves being able to face us, but he didn’t mind facing forward, either. The best test of its maneuverability was inside of a Gymboree store. For being a infant/children’s clothing store, they sure aren’t very stroller friendly! However, this stroller managed to move between the tables and racks smoothly. The hood can unzip to allow additional airflow and it also has an extension on it that can be pulled forward to make the hood cover more area. It’s all quite functional.
While the ease of movement is an amazing part of this stroller, the height-adjustable seat is probably the best function about it. It really does have a wide range of height options. From a low, fairly standard stroller level – to a high, nearly eye to eye level. The highest level is my favorite, as well as our toddler’s favorite. I think he enjoys being able to see a lot more of the world around him while walking around. I enjoy how the height of the seat makes it easier to see him, entertain him.. and it even makes it more effective inside stores, as it clears the table displays a bit easier than other strollers. I haven’t yet tried pushing it up to a table, but I can definitely see how it would be a nice options for use when out at restaurants. Especially if you don’t want to have to park your stroller elsewhere. It wouldn’t take up any more room than a restaurant highchair and would probably allow your child to reach the table with more ease. I will try this soon. Likely at a Starbucks. Haha.
The Sibling Board also has great form and function. Like I said earlier, it was easily attached to the stroller and just as easily detached. When attached, it folds up nicely when not in use and is secured by a strong magnet to the stroller frame. I’m impressed. The magnet keeps the board securely fastened while the stroller is in use, the only time the board “falls” is if gravity pulls it towards the ground. Like, when loading the stroller into the car. Haha. Nothing to complain about at all, though. The board has plenty of foot space for a child’s feet and doesn’t take up much room. Our 4-year-old loves the Sibling Board as well. He calls it his “Brother board” and loves that he can easily hold onto the handle bar while riding. Even with our 4-year-old on the Sibling Board, the entire stroller moves with ease. It pivots nicely and is quite narrow. The only real downside about the sibling board is that it cannot be used while also using a cup-holder.. but that is a small price to pay if it means not listening to a 4-year-old complain about their tired feet. The board does stick out a little farther than the board on our other stroller.. but not in an awkward sort of way. When I first saw it I thought to myself, “Well, that might be a little difficult to walk behind..” but oddly enough, it was more natural than I thought. I haven’t kicked it yet!
I was slightly concerned about the lack of basket space underneath. After all, I am known for my shopping habits and I often shop without my husband. Where on earth will I put all of my bags? Well, let me tell you. I was skeptical when my husband attached the shopper bag onto the front of the stroller. See, the Xplory doesn’t have a basket, but it comes with a zippered bag that sits on the front “foot” of the stroller. The shopper bag looked decent in size and had nice magnetized pockets and a was completely enclosed by a zipper — but would it really manage to hold enough? When we took it out shopping, my skepticism ceased. I’m amazed at how much that bag can hold. And because of the zipper, it holds it securely. The shopper bag is also easily removed, so if we did have to park the stroller for some reason, we could leave everything inside the bag and just take the whole thing with us. That is genius. Now I really wish we’d had this stroller with us in Disneyland.
So, the bottom line. Stokke definitely got this one right. The Xplory does not disappoint. It is just as functional as it is stylish, which is amazing for something that is setting the bar for modern style in the stroller market. It’s not bulky. It’s not heavy. Though, it is sturdy and durable. This stroller is beyond simply adjustable, I would almost say it has “customizable positioning.” The high quality, easily cleaned or replaced fabric options add to the modern style and chic nature of it.. and let me be honest, the fact that I don’t see them every time I turn around makes this stroller a favorite by far. There was one time while out shopping we saw another Xplory, a green one, and that couple seemed just as shocked to see ours as we were to see theirs. Haha. That says something.
I understand that the Xplory is not within everyone’s stroller budget. It is a premium stroller with a very premium price point. That said, if it is within your budget – it will far succeed your expectations. Thank you, Stokke.. especially Charlotte, for this amazing and unexpected opportunity. I can’t wait to see all the places our Stokke Xplory can take us.
What do you all think of the Xplory? What about the other Stokke products?
Note: This opinion is all my own. While the Stroller was given to me by Stokke, I was not paid to write this review. It is my honest opinion about the stroller. My family loves this stroller and we want to share that love with you.
As you all know, I aim to obtain the best possible items for myself and my children. This tends to result in slightly more expensive.. and slightly more prestigious brands. This usually means I won’t see them everywhere I go. At least, that’s what it once meant.
Lately, my love for Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags has become less of an obsession, and more of just a love for the brand, simply because they are everywhere now. Don’t get me wrong, this is fabulous for Petunia. I could not be more happy that a fabulous brand is doing so well and I do continue to buy their products. Only, now I find myself buying more of their other products and less of their diaper bags. I don’t want something that every other person has. It’s just not my style. Am I still loyal to them? Yes. Just perhaps in less-than-typical ways. This same “sheeple” moment came to me in regards to my beloved stroller.
We recently took a multi-family vacation to Disneyland. With us came our Baby Jogger City Select stroller. While its function at Disneyland will be featured in another, more helpful.. less vanity-induced, post… The stroller in and of itself is the subject of this post. The decision to purchase that stroller two years ago (!!!) did not come easily for me. I researched high and low, compared and contrasted all of its uses.. heck.. I even owned a competing stroller simultaneously before finally settling on the City Select as my “it” stroller. Not quite my perfect match.. but pretty darn close.
So, there we are.. Unloading our stroller from the hotel shuttle. About to embark on an amazing vacation with friends. My husband gets it all unfolded and set up and we begin to walk towards the park entrance. I look left. “Oh, hey look! Someone else has our stroller! They even have the second seat!” I said to my husband. That was pretty cool, right? Then I looked to my right. “Ohhh.. look at that. Another one. I don’t like it in red. Glad we got black.”
We weaved our way through the gate and I again, to my right, see another one. This time in the diamond color. I hadn’t seen that color yet. “Pretty cool, though.. my children would have that fabric stained in 2 minutes,” I thought to myself.
Then it hit me. Every time I turned around. Looked left or right.. there it was. Most of them in the same simple black color. Most of them with the second seat attached. I found myself switching up the seat configuration just so I could easily determine which stroller was mine when parked in the sea of strollers outside each ride. Just as I am with Petunia Pickle Bottom, I am SO thrilled for Baby Jogger. When we first bought ours, no one had really heard of it. People would stop and ask me about it all the time. So seeing them in such an abundance? The love was starting to wear off for me.
As I glanced around.. there were two other strollers almost as populous as our City Select. Those being the Britax B-Ready (The other modular stroller we once owned and is now owned by the other family we vacationed with!) and the Joovy Caboose. By the end of the 2nd day in the park, I looked at my husband and said “It’s time for a new stroller.” He knew what I was getting at. There are other brands of strollers I have wanted for a while, so I found myself looking around to see how many of them I saw and how they looked in function. What better place to look at strollers than Disneyland? It’s a less creepy form of people watching, right? I started observing.. how do they maneuver in the sea of people. Was it stable? How much *ehem* crap can it hold? (I have three children for heavens sake. It takes a lot of stuff to keep kids happy for several hours on end!)
These observations have now put two strollers on the top of my list for possible purchases after the new year. You know, when my bank account recovers from Disneyland and Christmas.
One of those strollers I have mentioned on this blog before: The Orbit G2. I watched someone set their Orbit stroller up after getting off a shuttle.. whew, it looked so easy. That alone ignited more lust for it than I had before. I saw a few of them.. but in contrast to the other three brands, it really wasn’t many. I even saw one with a color kit on it which was fabulous. It maneuvered the crowd of people pretty well.. I spotted one with their Side-Kick board and side panniers. They had a lot of stuff in those side panniers! Perfect. The stroller bag underneath easily comes off to be removed for safe keeping of personal belongings when getting on rides. I was impressed with it’s usefulness. And let’s face it.. for it’s lack of over-population. Add to that the fact that we currently have two Orbit Toddler G2 car seats, it would be a nice possible investment for us.
The other stroller is not new to my lust-list.. but it is new to my current list of stroller obsession: The Stokke Xplory. (Oh heaven help my husband!) When I saw that stroller easily being maneuvered through the crowd after the infamous Disneyland fireworks, I was quite impressed. It’s one of the few times I have ever stopped what I was doing to stare at a stroller. I only saw two of them while we were there. I’m sure there were more, but the fact that I only noticed two means they weren’t nearly as infiltrating – and trust me, if you saw one you’d notice it. It’s gorgeous, sleek and modern. It stands tall, but not too tall.. Which, for short people like us.. is nice. The last thing I want to have to think is “Hey, does this stroller make my legs look short?” hahaha. After seeing its ease of use in the park, I looked into it more back at the hotel. Would it be a reasonable purchase? Would it hold enough stuff? Would it be practical with a preschooler as well as a toddler? What sort of extras are available? Is it as customize-able as the Orbit? How travel-friendly is it? (Uhh.. again, I will address this in another blog post.. but my Baby Jogger may be less-than-travel-friendly…) My research found that they, too, have a stand-on/boogie-board type attachment for the Xplory (perfect!) and the storage bag seems to hold quite a bit and is also removable. It looks to be quite versatile in it’s function modes. (Two wheeled and pulled behind you??? Awesome!) Plus — it’s rarely discounted price tag still keeps it in quite an elite market. I like that. I also am in love with the Black Milange fabric option. It’s gorgeous and classically modern.
So, there you have it. The ugly side of this elite-baby-gear addicted mama. I can’t help it. While I do ever-so-love my Baby Jogger City Select, and I’m so thrilled that they took off in a big way.. I can’t help but be turned off from its newly found commonness. It does, however, go to show that more and more parents are choosing to invest in more premium strollers. Even in this economy. It’s a wonderful thing for high end baby gear companies as well as those stores that sell them. I’m excited for my next stroller investment, too.
Now let me hear it. Have you ever been turned off from a more premium product because of its sudden popularity? (Coach bags, anyone?) Does vanity ever control your purchases?
I am currently at that dreaded point in my baby’s life that I have to begin to search for the next stage of car seat. He’s 15 months, however, he is roughly the size of a 6-9 month old baby. Or — that is what the tag on the inside of his only-recently-fitting clothes says, anyway. (What gives? Babies much younger than mine are towering him in size. He is the mini-me to their Incredible Hulk!) So, at 15 months, he still has a lot of room to grow in his infant car seat, however, not needing the “convenience” of the handle and “carrier” style of the car seat, it’s time to move on.
Knowing that it will likely take me a while to decide, I have been looking into the latest convertible car seats for a while. Now that I’ve narrowed it down to 3-5 that I really like, it comes down to safety, longevity and best value for the price. (Note: this does not by any means mean cheapest. It means, am I getting the most feature for my money?)
My other two kids have always ended up in Britax car seats. The baby’s infant car seat is a Britax Chaperone, but that doesn’t mean that I will stick with Britax necessarily. Yes, Britax is known for their fairly advanced safety features and quality. They also offer me a wide variety of models that can leave my baby rear facing for many different lengths of time. These models also offer many different price points for me to choose from. Keep in mind, you get what you pay for with Britax. Their seats are very fairly priced and the increase in price from model to model definitely represents the increase in features and longevity. The Britax at the top of my list is the Boulevard 70-G3. This seat will allow him to rear-face to 40 lbs, which is more than my nearly 4-year-old weighs and barely less than my almost 7-year-old. After that, it forward faces to 70 lbs. He could be in this for a long time! It’s designed to optimize head safety, which is a huge plus. It’s also a good value for the features, currently ranging from $240-$320 depending on where you find it. They have other models above this one that I looked at, however, the size range is pretty much the exact same, but their prices were more, so this model outweighed the other’s simply because of the value.
Outside of Britax, a few other brands have caught my attention enough for me to look into them. A few have made my list of possible seats for my tiny cargo. The first; the Orbit G2 Toddler seat. And no, this did not just make my list because I lust after the stroller. (Though, the toddler car seat can be used on the stroller! Optimal for travel and car-sleepers!) I love that unlike a lot of car seats on the market, Orbit is not swarming with harmful chemicals that our children are forced to inhale. It also gives you the option of using it rear-facing with a base, allowing it to come in and out of the car with ease, and rotation to make loading baby in and out simple as well. This seat can rear-face from 15-35 lbs which for some kids isn’t an extraordinary amount of time, but my almost 4-year-old still falls into the category of fitting this seat rear-facing. It also forward faces to 65lbs and 53″ which, again, even my nearly-7-year-old would still fit in. (Though, I have heard that the seated height is not very accommodating for children with taller torsos.. however, this is not an issue for my children.) With it’s rarely discounted price tag of $380 without a base, and $500 with a base, it does make me weigh its features a little more. It’s “green” status definitely solidifies its worth and its price, to me at least. Having the option of paying more for the convenience of the base is a great perk, though. I don’t have to buy the base and can save a bit of money that way.
Then comes the Clek Foonf. Ohhhh, any car seat with a German name deserves my attention! (They also have one named Oobr. Virtual high five to Clek!) Outside of it’s completely awesome name, what caught my attention was this seats width. Under 17″ at it’s widest point, and 13″ at the base! They were posting a variety of pictures of their seat in countless models of cars, 3 across, safely! What?!? And the range of size for rear-facing is phenomenal. 25-46″ and 14-50 lbs??? Not only could my baby and almost-4-year-old rear-face… but so could my almost-7-year-old?!? Insane. It then can forward face to 49″ and 65 lbs. Height wise, not the longest when forward facing.. but well within reason for my vertically challenged children. (Point of reference, my oldest is nearly 7 and roughly 45″ tall.) The Clek Foonf is also a “green” car seat, with outstanding safety features. However, my one (and only.. really) big snafoo with this seat is its price. Between $474-$499 depending on color/print. (As much as I love the Paul Frank print.. I struggle..) Worth the price? I’m fairly certain it would be. Does it’s price outweigh the similar price on the G2 with a base? I don’t know for sure, but one thing I do know that makes me lean towards saying yes is – Clek decided purchase 100% of their materials from North American suppliers. Including final assembly. Amazing. I do have one hesitation, and that is the fact that, while Clek’s booster seats have been on the market for a while now, this car seat is not yet released. (Due to release this October, 2012) The lack of long-term usage information is slightly (very slightly!) weighing on my decision.
So… Now you’ve gotten inside my mommy-shopper head. You can all feel bad for my husband now. He has to listen to these purchase debates on a regular basis. His answer has, so far, been “I don’t know. I’m sure whatever you choose is a good decision. Can I watch Grimm now?” He’s trusting, you see. Well, trusting and smart. He knows my decision will win regardless. (He learned quickly after naming 3 little boys..)
We’ll be making this purchase in the next month or two, so watch for a post with my decision.. and how I settled upon that particular seat. As you can see, it’s going to be a doozy of a decision. Haha.
What car seats are you considering? Does your purchase process look like mine? Don’t forget, you can always go check out Lela.com for more car seat recommendations and reviews!
Note: I am not a car seat expert. Just a mom, shopping for a car seat the best that I can with the safety and well being of my children in mind. Most of us moms are not car seat experts, so we weigh the information that is provided to us. I recommend doing your research and selecting the best car seat you can with the information that the manufacturers provide to you. Best of luck in your purchases!
