Can you believe it? An entire year has gone by since Pam and Melisa told me that they were looking for a baby gear expert…and I enthusiastically recommended myself! That was at last year’s ABC Kids Expo, which is the largest baby gear trade show in the US. The entire industry comes out to show off (and scout out) the hottest new pieces of gear for the upcoming year. Here are some of my favorite new products that I spotted at this year’s show.
The biggest talk of the show by far was that UPPAbaby completely revamped their entire stroller line for 2015. The most notable changes are on the Vista, which sports a sleeker design, easier fold and fantastic new rumble seat—check out my video demonstration.
Vista Stroller from UPPAbaby (available late November/early December)
4moms upgraded and refreshed their popular mamaRoo bouncer. I like the new sleek, white matte finish on the base that makes it look much more modern (similar to their rockaRoo), and I love the fact that you can control the functions of the new mamaRoo with a smartphone app!
mamaRoo from 4moms (available January 2015)
As for smaller items that caught my eye, I’m impressed by the new take on the Boon Frog Pod. I have always loved this clever, efficient and fun storage system for your bath toys, but I always thought that it was too big. The refreshed design is smaller and more compact, making it an overall easier-to-use product.
Frog Pod from Boon
I’m a huge fan of aden + anais—my customers can’t get enough of their famous muslin swaddling blankets, so I’m excited for their new, super-luxe Merino muslin swaddles, available just in time for the winter.
Merino Muslin Swaddles from Aden + Anais
Skip Hop Playspots are wonderful foam tile mats that allow you to customize a soft surface for your baby to crawl around on. They’re both stylish and practical, and Project Nursery readers are going to love the new gray chevron Playspots!
Playspot from Skip Hop
I was also excited about the Cybex Cloud Q. Cybex car seats have a superior installation system and enhanced Side Impact Protection, and the Cloud Q adds another innovation we’ve never seen anywhere before: you can recline it so that your baby can lie flat when the Cloud Q is attached to your stroller—here’s a closer look at this amazing car seat.
Cloud Q from Cybex (available early 2015)
Project Nursery got an up close and personal look at the Britax ClickTight Technology this summer, and I finally checked it out in person at the show. Three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly, and correct installation is key for keeping kids safe in the car. The ClickTight system makes it so much easier for parents and caregivers to easily install their car seat using a seat belt—and to get it right! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to install—check it out!
Marathon ClickTight Car Seat from Britax
Last but not least, the Magic Beans team was invited to an exclusive party to launch the new jogging stroller extension from Bugaboo! The Runner is a smart, well-designed running stroller frame that works with any Bugaboo stroller seat (Chameleon, Buffalo, Bee or Donkey).
Runner Jogging Stroller from Bugaboo (available Spring 2015)
My favorite brands keep churning out cool new innovations time and time again, and I expect it to continue for many years to come! Now I want to know what you think—have you been following the products coming out of the ABC Kids Expo? What products are you excited about?
Comments
PamGinocchio
Wowza, what a fantastic post ABC gear round up Eli! You have a great eye for trends my friend. See, there was a reason we jumped at the chance to bring you on team PN as our gear expert! Looking forward to getting an in-person peek at that new Bugaboo jogger soon.
Beth_PN
So glad to have you on the team, Eli!