Shiny Object Syndrome

A Few Words About Shiny Object Syndrome

I often get asked what my favorite/best baby products are, and like so many moms I have many strong opinions and think I am an expert on the good, the bad, the too expensive, the ugly, and the unnecessary. I also now have the benefit of two children and knowing whch things worked for both, one, or neither. We live in New York, and when we purchased many of these items, we were in Cambridge, Mass. Most of my reviews are biased toward city living, which for me means we use our stroller (sometimes multiple strollers) every day. It is how we get places, almost exclusively. Second, our living and storage space, while bigger than I ever imagined we would have in Manhattan, is quite compact. I can imagine different preferences might take hold if we lived in a house with a garage and used our car every day. For example, even in Cambridge, I kept one stroller (the Maclaren) in the car for when we went places in the car and then used a stroller and one (the BOB) in the house - which we used for any walks (and occasional jogs) to and from the house. In New York, we keep everything in the apartment because we very rarely (1-2x/month) use the car. Baby products seem to be updated and improved nearly every day, so specific information about specific products may have changed since I posted about them. Please go directly to manufacturers' web sites for the most up-to-date information.

Graco Snugride Carseat (for infants)

It is actually probably silly to review a car seat because they are constantly updating the technology to make them safer, but this is the one we used with both children. Remember, never buy a used carseat.

At the time (2007), this was one of the lightest on the market. I made a lot of my decisions by weight since I have a bad back. Honestly, I have never heard any one complain about an infant car seat. Safety is the number one concern here, and luckily most people don't ever find out how safe their carseat actually is firsthand. Aside from weight and the all important pattern choice, and stroller compatibility (many strollers are compatible with Graco, but if you have a stroller already or one that you know you are getting, check its car seat compatibility before you buy a carseat), I would check consumer reports or similar to make sure you get the safest, most up-to-date version.

Yoga Ball

We already had one because I do yoga (sometimes), but they're cheap, and you can sit and bounce for days, which we did with our first in the first few months. They're super mobile so you can bounce wherever you and your baby wish. They do take up some space and are hard to keep from rolling around the house, particularly if there are older children around (if you don't want them playing with it or "bowling" toward their infant sibling. Our second baby didn't need much rocking or bouncing at all so after the first few weeks we rarely used it and due to the enticement of "bowling" for our older one, we actually deflated it for a while. If you need to bounce, rock your baby a lot or even a little, it's a great and easy way to do it.

BOB Revolution Duallie...and double stroller thoughts

Please note: BOB JUST came out with new, updated version of its stroller for the FIRST time. They do not appear to have made too many significant changes, but this review is of the old version.

We purchased the BOB Revolution Duallie (their double side by side) and used it for a good six months. We live in the city and the stroller for us is like our car. We take it everwhere. My children are just under two and a half years apart and my older child is very much a stroller child. That being said, now knowing that the Buggy Board (see next post) works with the BOB - even though I don't think it's recommended, I might have forgone the purchase of a double stroller altogether - strictly because of storage issues (and price - though ours was a gift from generous grandparents). We didn't use it much in the dead of winter b/c the sidewalks were much narrower with the mounds of snow. I have just started using it again primarily for playground and park visits, and I realize how much I still love it. If you do run/walk with your children for exercise on a regular basis, I'd imagine the double would be that much more important, and the double BOB, like the single, handles like a dream.

Double stroller thoughts...People do love the Phil and Teds front and back double as well. It's not quite as maneuverable as the BOB, but it's a good work horse. My husband was very opposed to one child in front of the other "blocking their view" and potential fights about the front/back seat, and little hands have been known to get caught in the wheels (they provide shields for the wheels now), so we didn't do it. There are other newer additions to the double category, including the City Select Double. I did a ton of research and we actually purchased this one first and had it for about a month before deciding it was much too difficult (for me) to drive with both children in it. The configuration was front and back and had a million different possible arrangements which made it a very exciting purchase, but I could not maneuver it well with both children. We do see plenty on the streets and have read great reviews, so it may have been me. There continue to be new strollers introduced in this category, including the new Bugaboo Donkey and the Britax B-Ready. The Uppa Baby Vista continues to be a strong contender as well. I might have considered that one if we had had it as a single. The Citi Mini single and double are also very popular in the city. Less frequently I see double Maclarens and other umbrellas, but I imagine they're more popular out of the city. There are also the sit and stand models like Joovi Baby, and super high end imports like iCandy. The list is nearly endless.

To date, I haven't heard of a double that doesn't have some issue (width, length, maneuverability, seat positions, folding, etc.). At the moment, we are most often using our single BOB and Maclaren with the Buggy Board, and/or with our nine month old in the Ergo.

BOB Revolution Jogging Stroller

Please note: BOB JUST came out with new, updated version of its stroller for the FIRST time. They do not appear to have made too many significant changes, but this review is of the old version.

Full disclosure: I'm not a runner or a jogger. I did, with our first, occasionally jog, and the plan was that my husband was going to run with our first quite a bit. He is was a runner. We had a true jogging stroller - an awesome Kelty (they now apparently make one with a swivel front wheel too) - at first but it didn't have a swivel wheel in front which was more important than I realized if you ever want to use the thing when you're NOT running. The BOB is a dream - on road, off road, beach, city sidewalks, snow, etc. Maneuvers awesome. Great to run (which I do a lot of now when I'm late), walk, everything with. Super comfy for them, great recline. Do get the drink/stuff holder and if you're going to be out in the rain/cold get the rain/wind cover. It's AWESOME. You can also get an attachment so you can snap the infant car seat right in when the baby is too little to go in it. Check out joggingstroller.com for more info - we got ours there. Free shipping and lower price than our local store. They often have sales on BOBs too.

Hotsling

Henry LIVED in the sling for the first 3 months. Brian was not a fan and used the Bjorn (we like that too, but if choosing between, do the Ergo) instead. I LOVED the sling. That being said, it's not great for your back, and Lucy could have cared less about it when it was her turn, even though I was convinced we would use it a lot more. Many of my mom friends of two said they used it even more with their second so they could have hands free for the first. And other mom friends said they bought it and their baby didn't seem to love it. If you can borrow a friend's or get it super cheap used or on sale I highly recommend doing that first. It was kind of cool to have the baby on me in that way, all smushed against me. You do lose your second arm mobility a bit though. As I write this (Feb. 2011) the Hotslings site is gone and they are on major sale online in some places. I'm not sure if the brand has closed down and if so, why.

Maclaren Quest Sport Umbrella Stroller

This one I learned the easy way. I called my sister, mother of three, from the baby store when we were picking out baby stuff, and said, "do I need to spend the money on a Maclaren or can I just get any old umbrella?" She said, "get the Maclaren. I didn't and I always wish I did." Now, there are other decent umbrellas on the market (e.g. Chicco, Jeep) that come at a significantly lower cost. I know people who have these and love them, but the Maclaren has a reputation for it's durability, maneuverability, light weight, quick fold and lock, and it comes through like a rock star in all categories. The Quest is their mid-level and include a good storage basket and nearly full recline. Rain cover is wonderful and included as well. It does not have a cup holder, but after three years, I finally added the universal Valco Cup Holder (this link is to the new and improved model that apparently comes off much more easily when not in use) and it works very well (though bumps into things and people in stores occasionally). One handed driving is possible but not easy with the Maclaren.

Ergo Baby Carrier

Expensive, but versatile and still use it with our three year old on occassion (switches to your back when they get older). We didn't have it with our first when he was a newborn, but had the Baby Bjorn, which is great too and slighly less money. The Ergo can go on your front (baby facing you only) or back (baby facing you only) and can be used from infancy from 8-40 lbs, comfortably. I have a bad lower back and it has been a life saver for me, particular in the city. The ONLY drawback is that baby can't face out. I have used it almost exclusively with baby #2 and she doesn't seem to mind and is now old/big enough to be on my back to see the world more easily. There is an infant insert - actually two different types to choose from, but they cost extra. We just used a folded up blanket at the bottom in the beginning. I'm hoping we didn't mess up Lucy's hips for life on this one but it seemed to work well. If you're going with one carrier, use this one, hands down. They don't often have sales on these, but you can often find used ones on Craigslist and I believe it is sold on Amazon as well.