StrollerLife Blog

What do you get when you put a hungry monster and equipped it with wheels and an umbrella? – You get a stroller monster that bites off finger tips with its hinges.

In the last couple of months, we’ve seen major recalls by Maclaren and Graco due to many finger tip amputation accidents caused by the hinges and this begs the question of the design of umbrella strollers in general. If we take a look at umbrella strollers from different companies, like Britax (who also was recalled) and CYBEX as well, they also possess similar hinge dangers of fingertip amputations.

It’s an unnerving situation for parents as the question remains, what is safe for our babies if the stroller that was meant to keep them safe is not? Stroller accidents seemed to be on the rise due to the fact that many strollers are built to break down fast. While companies are working to get problems fixed, it is important for parents to be updated and know what is going on.

Strollers can be very similar to cars. Though not as complicated, the dangers are the same. No one wants to get their fingers clipped by the car door. So if you have a stroller that has hinges, make sure no fingers are around when moving the hinge.

A lot of times, we take for granted that products are always 100% safe but nobody is perfect, just as no product is perfect. There will always be improvements needed to make a product better. As consumers, we cannot always assume that everything is always at its best. But I am also not saying to be paranoid either. What I am saying is that be aware. Awareness is always the best tool one can have against unwanted accidents.

A lot of parents do not usually check when they move the hinges, hence, not noticing that baby’s fingers can be placed right there when the hinge move. So make it a point and a habit that when you want to maneuver the stroller and its parts, keep your baby in sight so that accidents can be avoided.

This applies also to moving the stroller over bumps or trying to carry the stroller up the stairs with the baby in it (Something you should never do). Be sure to use your safety senses: Slow down, Check the baby and Giggle with Baby.

Repeat to yourself:

Slow down, Check the baby, Giggle with Baby…

Slow down, Check the baby, Giggle with Baby…

Slow down, Check the baby, Giggle with Baby…

That being said. I am just glad that there are organizations like CPSC that helps check for products that can be detrimental to the safety of our precious little ones. So parents, be aware, use your safety sense and stroller safe.

Over the past few weeks, we have been hearing news after news of efforts to help Haiti. Debts were cancelled by the G7, celebrities offer their help, and many more efforts are put into pulling Haiti out of their disastrous situation. The help and love is enormous.

However, one issue caught our attention and it is by now no means any less seen or heard on the media – the kidnapping of children in the name of compassion. Without needing to go into whether we think what is right or wrong, we only want to help out Haiti children. We do however agree with Louise Fulford of Save The Children that keeping the children with their people, culture and ethnic group should remain the top priority.

So if you want to help the children of Haiti, here are some places that you should go to:

Haiti Children

Save The Children

Unicef

Hope for Haiti’s Children

World Vision

One of the philosophies that we follow closely here at StrollerLife is kindness. Kindness goes a long way for babies, infants, kids and parents where when we pay close attention to being kind as parents towards your children and others (strangers), you will likely see a good cultivation of kindness in your child’s later years.

But here is an interesing one. We stumbled upon this website call mamabears.com and they sell these really interesting “Kind Signs“ that basically tell people in a nice way to not “touch my kid.” Of course, one can take this in a rude way but if you read the sign, you will understand why this sign can be a useful one.

They are cheap too at $7.95! They also come in 3 different colours – pink, blue and orange. So be sure to check out these signs at www.mamabears.com and hang it on your stroller. One up for useful “chic-ness”!

We at StrollerLife.com would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! And because we love videos, we like to share this nice little video with you.

Have A wonderful Christmas!

Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a major recall warning for Maclaren Strollers. About 1 million of these are affected. If you own a Maclaren Stroller, stop using it is what CPSC has said.This marks one of the biggest stroller recalls since the millennium.

The Problem: Apparently, the stroller’s hinge mechanism has caused 12 accidents involving children putting their fingers in the hinger mechanism and having their fingertips amputated.

What is recalled: The strollers that are recalled are as follows.

• Volo
• Triumph
• Quest Sport
• Quest Mod
• Techno XT
• Techno XLR
• Twin Triumph
• Twin Techno
• Easy Traveller

The Solution: Parents please contact Maclaren USA immediately at www.maclaren.us/recall or call them at 877-688-2326, Mon to Fri 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Eastern Time for a free repair kit.

For Canadians: There has been no news from Health Canada in regards to stroller recall in Canada. However, you can also contact Maclaren USA for the repair kit and they should have no problems sending it to you.

The CPSC has issued an immediate voluntary recall for about 22,500 Bugaboo Bee strollers after receiving 121 reports of the stroller’s brakes failing although there are no injuries reported so far.

The strollers have an item code 580210 on a label on the back of the seat and item code 50100 on a label on the plastic support under the seat.

If you have a Bugaboo Bee stroller, stop using it immediately and you can contact Bugaboo directly to get a free repair kit.

Here’s more information from CPSC:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09233.html

Here’s the link to the online form to get the repair kit from Bugaboo:

Link for Bugaboo Bee Stroller Brake Repair Kit

Bugaboo Frog

For years, there has been rumours of the Bugaboo Frog being discontinued and it did happen in the UK. But now, it seems like it might just be official that the Bugaboo Frog will be gone forever from the international market.

The end of the Bugaboo Frog in the UK signified a new entrance of the Cameleon, which a lot of parents have found to be better than the Frog mainly because it is loaded with more features.

However, we should not forget that the Frog revolutionized the stroller world with its slick design and still much better features than a lot of modern day strollers.

If one is strapped for budget, a Bugaboo Frog is still a much better choice than a lot of cheap strollers out there whose life expectancy and features are barely worth mentioning.

So here is the good news. Now that the Bugaboo Frog might be discontinued, prices have also been slashed! What used to be $759 is now $629.

So a toast to that! So enjoy the Bugaboo Frog while it lasts.

I just can’t help it but post it up on our blog when I saw this picture. Yes, times might be harder than before but that does not mean we cannot afford a little laugh.

But if you are really strapped for cash and really need this homemade stroller, may I suggest at least putting some “shock-resistant” wheels and maybe some padding on the side as well?

Come to think of it, malls will probably be more appreciative if your stroller looked like that!

Actually, we do have something like that, its call the Kids Wagon!

Enjoy the laugh, everyone.

Research study carried out by
Dr. M. Suzanne Zeedyk
in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust

The impact of buggy orientation on parent-infant interaction and infant stress

New research published by Talk To Your Baby in November 2008 shows interactions between parents and infants are significantly increased with face-to-face buggies. The research was carried out by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, developmental psychologist at the University of Dundee.

The report concludes that life is emotionally impoverished for too many babies in buggies facing away from their pusher. Therefore, TTYB calls on manufacturers and retailers to create more affordable two-way facing buggies. Parents with such models should utilise the face-to-face option as standard, so that young children and their carers can talk and listen to each other as they are out and about.

Download the Report from National Literacy Trust

We are now 6 weeks before Christmas! And what a wonderful Christmas this will be despite everything that has been going on with the economy. No one should be sad for Christmas no matter what the economy does.

That being said, if you are planning to give a stroller as a gift, this is the time to start working on getting the right stroller and have it as a surprise on Christmas!

While buying a stroller seems a lot of work, it really is easy and can be done within a day or two. Most importantly, if you follow the 12 tips we have here, you can rest assure that you can gift the stroller to the family and surprise them for Christmas!

Here are some tips before you purchase a stroller.

1. Be sure to ask the family about their current stroller, since you already know they need a new one. What do they like or dislike about their stroller? What is the stroller lacking that they need?

2. Check on their lifestyle. You don’t want to give them a heavy stroller if they are active types that rather run with a jogging stroller.

3. Ask the family about colors. What kind of colors do they like in a stroller? For example, while pink is widely acceptable nowadays, some families may not like their baby boy to be in a pink stroller.

4. If they have a car, ask them if they bring their stroller in their car. If they do, they will need a light-weight and car-friendly stroller like the Bugaboo. *This also applies if they bring the stroller when traveling by air.

5. Make an effort to go out with the family. Offer to push their stroller and check what they put in their stroller – diaper bags, handbags, grocery bags, etc. This will tell you if you need to buy a stroller with a large, small or no basket. This will also give you the chance to test drive their stroller.

6. Research and Shop early! We cannot emphasize more that it is important to do your research early so that you can buy your stroller early. While a lot of strollers always in stock, you never know if the one you like can go out. Also, Christmas season is a very busy period so stores online and offline will be busy as well.

7. Always compare prices. If you are a guy, all the more you SHOULD NOT skip this. Ladies have a precious quality to not buy in a hurry and compare prices. Although I will simply tell you to shop with the merchant we feature on our website, but it is essential you do some research on prices. By doing that, you can sometimes save $50 – $100.

8. Do some research on the stroller you are buying. I will check on users reviews like the ones we have on our site. Videos are also a good resources. Go to YouTube and check for the review of the stroller you are buying. Here is an example from our site.

9. Always check shipping rates when buying online. Bless the stores that provide free shipping! While most online retailers provide free shipping, there are still those that charge you shipping fees even though their prices might be lower. Do a final calculation including shipping to see if you are actually paying more. The merchant, CSNBaby that we feature on our website provides free shipping.

10. Check shipping times. This is one of the reasons why you should shop early. Can you imagine how many people are buying gifts online near Christmas? So yes, if you are smart enough, buy your stroller early and avoid any shipping delays.

11. Return, Refund & Exchange Policies. This is perhaps the most important thing that we look for when buying a stroller. Being able to return and get a refund is not enough. Retailers should provide you with excellent return and refund service or make your exchange as easy as possible. We have heard and experience horrors that is not worth the time and frustration. What I will do is if you have decided to buy a stroller, do a Google Check and read some reviews of the store. For example, this site provides buyers’ reviews of CSNBaby.

12. Beware of scams. This actually applies if you are thinking of buying from Ebay, especially from a private seller. Remember, if something like the Bugaboo is selling for dirt cheap on ebay, something is definitely wrong because Bugaboo don’t go on sale. There have been cases of people getting scammed of their money because they bought a stroller from a private seller. While places like Ebay are very strict and careful and we do love their service, the odds of a scam artist can also be high and unpredictable. I will therefore rather you buy from stores like CSNBaby or any other more reputable stores.