Gear Vendors Strive to Offer Versatility
Kids Today Staff -- Kids Today, 1/28/2011 4:00:26 AM
WHEN IT COMES to baby gear, the key word these days is flexibility. Whether in strollers, more and more of which include options to expand from a single to a double; car seats, designed to grow with your child; diaper bags, which double as mom's purse; or carriers, which offer myriad ways to wear your baby - today's moms want options.
What started years ago with New Zealand-based Phil & Ted's has gone global: Most of today's higher end strollers offer parents the flexibility to start with a single and convert at a later time, if needed, to a double.
Netherlands-based Bugaboo, itself an innovator in stroller design and a leader in flexibility, launched its latest offering, the Donkey, at the October ABC Expo.
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Baby Planet's Endangered Species line includes the Lemur Leaf Frog, pictured here, with new styles in 2011 to include the koala, sea turtle, camellia and black panther. www.baby-planet.com, 630-668-6900. |
Teutonia's T-Linx stroller is a luxury crossover stroller that grows with a child and is an infant stroller, car seat and toddler stroller all in one. www.teutoniausa.com, 610-884-8654. |
The Bumbleride Indie combines the off-road ability of a multi-terrain stroller with the agility of an urban jogger. The stroller is available in five colors, including Seagrass. www.bumbleride.com, 800-530-3930. |
Klaasen said one thing she sees parents struggling with is the amount of stuff they need to carry, so she saw a need for serious storage in a stroller, as well as the need for flexibility. The Donkey easily converts from a mono to a duo stroller, and offers options for forward- or rear-facing seats, as well as carry cots. But it also offers an impressive storage bag to be used in the mono setting, as well as additional ample room underneath. The stroller converts from a single with storage bag to a double sideby- side with three clicks that expand the width of the stroller.
Klaasen said at both Kind + Jugend and ABC, reaction to the Donkey was "really amazing."
"People really understood it," she said. "When they saw how it extended with three clicks, that was the moment when people said ‘wow!'"
Klaasen said in product testing, many consumers with two kids often found themselves using the stroller in mono mode for a quick trip to the market with one child because of the ease of convertibility. Bugaboo is still finalizing price points for the American market, but the Donkey will be available at retail in spring 2011.
Regal Lager debuted the newest stroller in the German Cybex line that the company has been distributing since 2009. The Triton, which will be available in the United States in August 2011, can be used in a variety of different ways, including single mode, sibling mode and twin mode, with two carry cots, two car seats or two stroller seats. With a retail of $599 for a single seat and options to add a second later, the Triton is effective as a single stroller, according to Jeff Durkee, director of sales for Regal Lager, as well as a great double stroller.
"It's got fantastic lines, it's very sleek from the side and robust from the front. It can face either direction, recline in four positions, can be used with a carry cot or the Aton infant car seat, is very maneuverable and features a huge basket," he said.
"When we showed that expandable footprint, the jaws dropped," Durkee said. "There's a tremendous buzz (about the stroller)."
There was also a tremendous buzz at the ABC Expo about 4 Moms' new stroller, the Origami, billed as the world's first power-folding stroller.
"The idea is that you shouldn't have to get down on your hands and knees to fold a stroller," said Emily Cappo, director of public relations for 4 Moms. With the push of a button, the Origami folds itself.
The stroller also features a LCD screen that features a thermometer, a speedometer, a lifetime odometer, a battery life monitor and a weight sensor, so the stroller cannot fold when there's a child in it. The Origami recharges itself as you push, and will also charge a cell phone. (For retailers, 4 Moms provides a docking station that recharges the stroller while it's on display.)
"We thought about how we could make the stroller even better," said Cappo of the LCD screen. "So we included all the information you might want to know."
Shipping in April 2011, the Origami retails for $799, and Cappo said she's expecting the stroller to do well at retail.
"Consumers are looking for products that are best for their baby and are going to make life easier for them," she said.
Response to the stroller, said Cappo, was "overwhelmingly positive."
"It's so much easier," she explained. "Dads get especially excited about it. They like the technology; it's not like anything else."
DIAPER BAGS
In the world of diaper bags, three bedding giants stepped into the game recently: Crown Crafts, Cocalo and Kidsline. Each of these textile manufacturers debuted a new line of diaper bags at the ABC Expo in October, bringing sophisticated looks and fashion to the category.
Crown Crafts has partnered with German manufacturer Okiedog to distribute its extensive line of diaper bags in the United States. The line includes designs in tote, messenger, messenger/ backpack and travel bags - one with wheels. Five designs are available, and all bags include two quick pick loops so small things like pacifiers don't get lost. Clipix universal stroller accessories make it easy to attach the bags to any stroller, and Okiedog's parent zone features a dedicated pocket for cell phone, keys, wallet and more, so the bag can double as a purse. With shipping beginning at the beginning of 2011, price points range from $90 to $129 for diaper bags, and $199 for the travel bag with wheels.
The Apple stroller from UK-based iCandy is a multi-mode system available as a four-wheel stroller or an all-terrain three-wheel jogger - purchase the jogger wheel as an accessory for both options. www.icandyuk.com, 877-422-6391. |
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The Scover, new from Smally, is a rain cover that fits all standard strollers and features a flat plastic window with no wrinkles - better for baby's view. Retail is $80. www.smallyinc.com, 201-592-1177. |
Bugaboo has just introduced the Donkey, which converts from a single stroller with side luggage bag to a double stroller. The Donkey also features a large underseat bag, self-adjusting shoulder straps, one-hand adjustable handles and air-filled tires. www.bugaboo.com, 800-460-2922. |
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The Aprica stroller brand is back and reinvented, with three different models in four colorways, including the Presto, an ultra lightweight stroller featuring mesh padding, an elevated seat and seat ventilation. Retail is $199. www.aprica.com, 888-927-7422. |
The new Britax B-Ready stroller can be used 14 different ways, including as a travel system, a double stroller, a regular stroller, a bassinet stroller or a stroller with two car seats. It retails for $499 for a single, and $149 for an additional seat. www.britax.com, 704-409-1700. |
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4Moms' new power-folding stroller, the Origami, features an LCD display includes temperature, speedometer, trip odometer and a lifetime odometer. The battery charges as you push. Retail $799. www.4moms.com, 888-614-6667. |
Regal Lager debuted the Aton infant car seat, which weighs 7.7 pounds, is compatible with the Cybex stroller and is available in 11 colorways and two fabrics. www.regallager.com, 800-593-5522. |
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The Boy Meets Girl stroller from Valco Baby is the perfect solution for moms of twins or siblings of different genders. Retail is $800 with footmuffs. www.valcobaby.com, 800-610-7850. |
Kidsline's new diaper bag collection features almost 20 different styles with three to five colors per style. Price points range from $39 to $79.
Cocalo Couture diaper bags include three styles with six designs and coordinating accessories such as bottle holders, diaper changing three-piece sets and outdoor travel blankets. The styles, named Kayla, Chloe and Alex, were designed with three different types of Cocalo Couture customers in mind.
CAR SEATS
The first priority of a car seat is, of course, safety, and manufacturers' new offerings focused on easy installation and flexibility to grow with a child.
Britax's new booster seat, the Parkway SGL, is a belt-positioning booster that can also be used with the LATCH system, and installs in seconds with two clicks and a pull, stabilizing it during a crash and preventing it from being a projectile when not in use. The company brought a minivan to the show to demonstrate just how easy installation was with the LATCH system. The Parkway SGL also features Secureguard anti-submarining technology, which helps prevent the child from sliding under the lap belt (or submarining) during a collision. For children from 40 to 120 pounds and 38 to 63 inches, the Parkway SGL retails for $150.
Graco's new Smart Seat is a car seat that can be used for all three stages: infant, toddler and booster, and fits children from 5 to 100 pounds. The base is installed once, is used in all three stages, and features color-safety indicators. A six-position height adjustment ensures it will grow with your child, and both the base and seat have steel-reinforced tubing. Retail price is $329, with additional bases available for $99.
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Cocalo introduced a new line of Cocalo Couture diaper bags, available in three different styles and six designs. www.cocalo.com, 714-434-7200. |
The Azalea diaper bag from Amy Michelle, shown in olive with raspberry pink lining, features shoulder straps to convert to a backpack and a changing station with removable wet bag, www.amymichelle.com, 303-279-0690. |
Crown Crafts recently brought in a line of European diaper bags, Okiedog. Available in tote, messenger, backpack and travel bags, the line will retail between $90 and $199. www.crowncrafts.com, 800-433-9560. |
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This new Paul Frank licensed design from Clek creates a hip retro feel for a booster seat. www.clekinc.com, 866-656-2462. |
Boba has added the Tweet print to its line of baby wrap carriers, available in organic fabric for $125 retail, or classic, for $100. www.bobacarrier.com, 888-567-9727. |
Regal Lager showed its new Solution X-Fix high-back booster at the show, also part of the Cybex line. The Solution X-Fix features an 11-position height adjustment wherein both the head and shoulder positions move as the child grows. It also has a three-position reclining headrest designed to prevent children's heads from falling forward and becoming unprotected if they fall asleep.
Regal Lager also debuted its new Aton infant car seat, another part of the Cybex line. The Aton has been huge in the European market for several years, said Durkee, and at 7.7 pounds is one of the lightest infant seats on the market, due in part to the fact that the release mechanism is part of the base, so the shell stays lightweight.
"It's easy to get a secure installation," Durkee said. "People could not believe how simple it was."
The seat also features a hidden canopy, which Durkee called "sleek and sexy," and is available in two different types of fabric and 11 colorways that coordinate with the entire line of Cybex strollers. The Aton will retail for $199, and the Aton Plus, in a more plush fabric, for $219. The Aton will be shipping in February.
Durkee said he sees quality as the most important factor in baby gear. "Now that the economy is tough, it's more important than ever," he said. "We don't see that people are shying away from higher price points if there's value there. We've strayed away from our disposable mentality. As a parent, you want to spend wisely."
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