14 Sep, 2007
The Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat represents excellent value for money. At 55 dollars, the Evenflo Tribute provides all of the features and meets all of the safety standards as seats costing 4 to 5 times as much. The seat supports the LATCH system that can be found on newer vehicles. The car seat’s modern design and stylish, neutral color scheme will also complement the interior of any vehicle. The padding is also machine washable.
The only weakness is that is can be time consuming when fitting and removing the seat from a car. However, this will only cause issues if you need to be able to move the seat between mulitple vehicles.
Features
- Two-Position Recline
- Adjustable Harness and Safety Bar
- Removable Machine Washable Pad
- Rear-facing 5- 30 lbs and forward-facing 20-40 lbs
- Recommended Weight 5-40 lbs
Strengths
- Extremely good value for money
- Extremely good value for money (yes, it is worth saying twice!)
- Machine washable padding
- Supports LATCH system found on newer vehicles
Weaknesses
- Can be time consuming to fit and remove from a car
The Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat is available for $55.
This baby car seat is highly recommended for anybody looking to spend less than 150 dollars (it actually can compete with more expensive seats). It represents such great value for money, it could easily be sold for 2 or 3 times as much and still be a best seller.
Highly Recommended
14 Sep, 2007
We have come across an amusing video of the new Bugaboo Bee stroller. We are not sure how much money the video cost or its intended purpose, but it does show off some of the cooler features of the Bugaboo Bee, including the very fast and compact fold.
We previously comments on the Bugaboo Bee, and hope to bring a full Bugaboo Bee Review soon.
14 Sep, 2007
Its been a busy week at BabyRecommend. We thought we would give you the opportunity of reviewing anything you may have missed.
If there are any news stories, articles or products you would like us to cover, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We always welcome your feedback, both positive and negative. Please leave comments on the respective articles or for more general feedback, please send us a mail.
13 Sep, 2007
[Update] Please note that there are only a couple of days left in the Britax sale at BabyAge.com. It is rare to see such discounts being available for Britax baby car seats and baby strollers, so if you are shopping for Britax, it is worth checking them out. Click on the banner advert to take advantage of the discounts.
Whilst we aim to keep advertising to a minimum on BabyRecommend, we thought we would share an offer with you from BabyAge.com.
It is rare to see Britax car seats and strollers being discounted, especially by as much as 20%. This is particularly good value for money for those who are shopping for a Britax car seat or stroller.
For our recommendations on Britax Convertible Car Seats, please see our review. Two of our most popular car seats are from Britax, the Roundabout (5 Stars) and Marathon (4 Stars). Both offer very high safety features and support children from birth to 40 lbs.
All styles and colors of Britax car seats and strollers are on sale! Also, if you find a cheaper price, BabyAge.com will match it!
This is a one week sale only beginning on Sunday, September 9th and will end Saturday, September 15th.
13 Sep, 2007
The Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack is a classic toy that many parents will remember from their own childhoods. The Rock-A-Stack features five durable, multi-colored plastic rings that fit over a central 8 inch cone. Each ring is a different size and color, and when stacked forms a pyramid shape. The top ring has 3 colorful beads that swirl around on a shiny metalized surface for a cool reflective and colorful display.
The Rock-A-Stack teaches colors, coordination, and balance to your child and is suitable from 6 to 36 Months. Initially your child will be interested in the bright colors of the rings and the ability for the pyramid to rock when pushed. As your child develops their motive skills, they will become more interesting in stacking the rings and forming different stack shapes and patterns. The rings can also be used on their own as a toy your baby can hold and shake.
The plastic rings are made from a very durable plastic, with no small parts, and are easy to clean. Please note that the rings do have tiny holes in them and water does get in when they are submerged.
One of the great things with the Rock-a-Stack is that is provides its entertainment and development for your child without using lights, sounds or batteries. Fisher-price could have ‘modernized’ the Rock-a-Stack too much, but it is nice that they have kept to the classic design.
The Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack is available for $6, which is currently a 38% saving at Amazon.
Highly Recommended
13 Sep, 2007
We have found a story from Reuters that may be of interest to our readers.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Retailer Toys “R” Us said on Wednesday that it is expanding its efforts to inform shoppers of the latest toy recalls after a slew of Chinese-made toys were recalled this summer due to unsafe levels of lead paint.
The retailer said it has launched a toy safety Web site that includes information about its safety procedures and specific recall information. Toys “R” Us also said it is introducing an e-mail notification system for recalls and adding bilingual recall notices.
Toys “R” Us is owned by a consortium that includes Bain Capital Partners LLC, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and Vornado Realty Trust.
(Reporting by Nicole Maestri)
The toy safety Web site can be found here.
We previously commented on the number of recalls of Chinese made toys.
12 Sep, 2007
We previously reviewed the dwellbaby Soft Blocks and found them to be one of the best block sets we have used. We received a few emails regarding another set of blocks we should look at, a set that was claimed to be even better.
The Kids II Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks is a set of 4 soft and squeezable 3 1/2-inch square blocks. Each of the blocks features a different color, with the names of the colors embroidered on the appropriately colored block. Each of the blocks also include different patterns and images, and a peek-a-boo flap hides a baby-safe mirror on the yellow block.
One of the first things you notice is how soft the blocks are. They feel softer to the touch than the dwellbaby blocks. The edges can be easily picked up by a baby, but it would have been nice to see a more defined edge for a baby to grab.
As the block set is from Baby Einstein it is very focused on developmental learning. Each block features different textures and colors, and each block performs a different function. The red block will rattle, and if you pull the frog’s leg the block will vibrate.
The Kids II Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks is available for $13.
We were very impressed with the Baby Einstein blocks. Not all products from Baby Einstein live up to their reputation, but we feel the blocks are one of their best products. We can see how these blocks will provide constant enjoyment to our baby, and help them to develop their mental skills.
Highly Recommended
If you think there are other products that we should be sharing with our readers, please do not hesitate to contact us.
12 Sep, 2007
We are a big fan of Lamaze baby development toys, and the Lamaze Musical Inchworm is one of our favorites. The Inchworm is make from a high-quality velour fabric, and each segment has different textures and fabrics.
The worm includes rattles, squeaks, crinkles, and jingles from the various segments of the worm. The underside of the worm includes a measuring markings along its 24 inch length. When the worm is hugged, it plays “If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands”. It can sometimes be hard to get the song to play if you do not squeeze it just right, but it is not something that we would fault.
The Inchworm can be used from birth, where the worm will be longer than your baby!
The Lamaze Musical Inchworm is available for $15. Many baby toys are more expensive than they are really worth, but at $15, the Inchworm is surprisingly good value.
Highly Recommended
11 Sep, 2007
In the quest for the perfect stroller, many parents will end up eventually buying more than one baby stroller. The first (and typically their main stroller) will be purchased around the birth of the baby, perhaps the best selling Maclaren Techno XT Stroller
or the fashionable but expensive Bugaboo
Cameleon Stroller
. These baby strollers can provide a single-stroller solution for many parents. However, it is becoming increasingly popular to also buy a more lightweight stroller for shopping, day trips, etc. A lightweight stroller can also be kept permanently in the trunk of the car.
Lightweight baby strollers are typically not appropriate from birth as many will not be able to fully recline the seat. However for a 6 month plus baby, they can offer a convenient and lightweight solution. However, there is a balance between strength, practicality and weight.
When looking for the perfect lightweight stroller, we looked at the following key features.
- Lightweight - easy to hold and carry
- Small size when folded - can easily fit into a typical sedan trunk
- Low cost - offers value for money as a second stroller
- Strong - being light should not compromise the strollers quality
Please keep in mind that our ratings are based upon these criteria, and its use as a second stroller.
- Jeep All-Weather
$28.75 (discounted price on Amazon.com)
- Graco LiteRider
$53
- Chicco C6 $60
- Chicco C5 $90
- Maclaren Volo $100 to $130
- Britax Preview Onyx
$140
We have tried to cover a wide price range, helping to determine if the very cheap strollers are actually good value, or spending a few dollars more will get a significantly better stroller. We have identified standout stroller from our testing, and 2 close runners-up.
Read the rest of this entry »
11 Sep, 2007
Following on from our review of the Kipiis Bib Clips, we have come across a very cool and affordable range of bibs.
The Bibbity Rinse And Roll Bib by Kiddopotamus is a soft and flexible bib that is comfortable for both baby and toddler covering the 4 month to 3 year age range.
The bib is particlarly handy when feeding solids as it includes a large scoop that can hold fallen food. The Bibbity also rolls and folds into the scoop for easy storage and transport. This is a really good idea, especially considering it is a solid bib (rather than fabric), and means that it can be stored in a diaper bag without taking up too much space. The bib is made from a durable material that feels like it will provide years of use; no Phthalates, PVC or latex is used.
The neck strap is adjustable to provide a comfortable fit. The material is less flexible than a cloth bib but we did not find any issues of it irritating the baby when testing. We also liked how wide the bib is. It covers the full width of our 5 month test subject (our son, James!).
Being a plastic bib that can be easily wiped clean, it means no more piles of bibs to launder every day!
I think this bib is better than the similar Baby Bjorn bib. The plastic is more flexible and does not seem so rigid around your babies neck. We felt that the Baby Bjorn bib could easily irritate a baby and not provide enough flexibility to allow the baby to move unrestricted. The Bibbity is also a few dollars cheaper.
The Bibbity Rinse And Roll Bib by Kiddopotamus is available for $4.79. The Bibbity bib comes in 4 colors, Blue, Green, Yellow and Pink.
Recommended
