BabyRecommend.com

We previously reviewed the Evenflo Tribute 5 Baby Car Seat, awarding it 5 stars.
Another popular Evenflo baby car seat is a larger version of the Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat. The Evenflo Triumph DLX Convertible Baby Car Seat can be thought of as its big brother. It is wider than the Tribute 5, and may not fit smaller vehicles, especially if positioned in the middle seat, where it can extend out over both side seats. The side and head padding is very supportive, and can be easily removed and machine washed. The Evenflo Triumph DLX features a modern looking design, with a blue color scheme that should complement most vehicle interiors.

Features

• New Easy-off pad
• BuckleRight Buckle gives visual verification buckle is secure
• Rear-facing for children 5-30 lbs, Forward-facing for children 20-40 lbs

Strengths

• Supportive side and head padding
• Removable and machine washable padding
• Includes a cup holder!

Weaknesses

• Larger (wider) than the Evenflo Tribute 5, so check the fit if you have a smaller vehicle

The Evenflo Triumph DLX Convertible Baby Car Seat is available for $140.

If you require the extra size and padding, then the Evenflo Triumph DLX offers great value for money. However, it is nearly 3 times the cost of the Evenflo Tribute 5 and does not offer 3 times the features. For those looking to spend less than 150 dollars, we would seriously consider the Evenflo Tribute 5 Convertible Baby Car Seat, as it offers extremely good value for money.

Recommended

The Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Baby Car Seat provides a good range of feature at an affordable price. One of the selling poingts is that the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite can be used as a booster seat, supporting children up to 100lbs. This is a great feature for Cosco to include, and may swing the decision for parents looking for a seat that can be used beyond the typical lifespan of traditional car seats. Padding is soft and comfortable and strong EPP foam is included for additional side impact protection.

However, one of the biggest issues with the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite is that the seat does not fully recline as much as with other baby car seats. Even when fully reclined, the babies head can easily flop forward, especially worrying when a young baby is still strengthening their neck muscles. I have read many reports of this issue, so it is not just something that we have found. Another issue is the short crotch strap, where the strap buckle will rub against the babies legs, rather than being higher up. For the average baby size, the strap length is okay. However, for taller babies, it is too short and uncomfortable.

Note that the Eddie Bauer Convertible car seat is also made by Cosco, so these comments also apply.

Features

• LATCH equiped for 5-35 lbs Rear facing; 22-40 lbs Forward facing; 40-100 lbs belt positioning booster
• Removable, full-wrap tailored fabric pad
• Padded head rest: Infant insert
• Extra-wide roomy seat with comfort support seat
• Up-front harness adjustment

Strengths

• Sturdy EPP foam for increased side support
• Well padded
• Can also be used as a booster seat to 100lbs

Weaknesses

• Does not recline as much as other seats
• Crotch strap is too short and the buckle can dig into babies legs

The Cosco Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Baby Car Seat is available for $139.

We have only given this car seat 3 star as we feel that the lack of a fully reclining seat makes it less ideal for parents wishing to use the seat from birth. If you are planning on using a car seat from birth, we would only give it 2 stars. There has been numerous reports of this issue, so it is not just something we observed. If you are planning on using the seat after your baby is a few months old, then the Cosco Alpha Omega Elite has a lot of good features. The standout feature has to be its use as a booster seat, supporting children up to 100lbs. However, there are better car seats available for less money.

Average (Poor if using the car seat from birth)

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

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

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.

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

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.
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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

The dwellbaby Soft Blocks is a great way to help teach your baby the ABC’s and 123’s with this set of six soft blocks. Each block includes a different numbering and lettering with different shapes and patterns.

Most soft block sets just include the number and lettering designs on each block. The dwellbaby’s are different, as some of the blocks rattle and others give a little jingle sound when shaked.

The set of blocks come packaged in a chocolate dots drawstring storage and travel tote. The chocolate dots pattern can also be found on a number of other dwellbaby items, such as bibs and blankets.
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The Kipiis Bib Clips allows you to turn pretty much anything into a bib, such as a napkin, cloth diapers, kitchen towels, etc. This seems a particularly cool idea considering how expensive some bibs can be, and as they are only used to capture spills and get dirty, using spare items you may have makes sense.

When you first use the Kipiis Bib Clips you are amazed that the idea has not been thought of before. There are now a few copycat products available on the market, but as far as I know, Kipiis was the first. I have not had a chance to use any of the other brands, so not able to comment if they have improved upon the design.
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