Inglesina Brings AVIO Stroller to U.S. Market
It’s the stroller parents have been waiting for. Italian company Inglesina announced in a press release recently that their AVIO design, sold previously in Europe, will now be coming to American stores in January 2011.
AVIO gives parents a few advantages. As a stroller for nearly all environments, AVIO is made for parents always on the go. The design features ball-bearing wheels and a folding mechanism needing only one hand. Only 19.5 inches wide, the stroller can be taken to nearly any location without being cumbersome. Fit one in the back of a car, in a closet, or on public transit without blocking the aisle.
AVIO has many familiar Inglesina features: a hood, storage basket, cup holder, rain cover, shock-absorbing wheels, and adapters for bassinet attachments and car seats. Presenting an attractive appearance, AVIO does not have rivets and comes in several bold colors, and its closing mechanism is hidden.
So far, Facebook has been the only avenue for American parents wanting an AVIO stroller.
Parents essentially take their children everywhere, and as a result, a family often has more than one stroller: a sturdier standard or travel system design and a folding umbrella stroller. AVIO, with a narrow and easily collapsible frame, can be taken into stores and on buses without blocking the aisle, can quickly fold up when a parent boards a bus or subway, and offers more support and features than an umbrella stroller.
Many Inglesina strollers and accessories are available in American brick-and-mortar and online stores, such as Stroller.com and Designer Baby. As a designer and manufacturer, Inglesina is best known for pram-style strollers – those that look like old-fashioned carriages – and bassinets that attach to a stroller frame. Various umbrella strollers, such as the Trip, and standard models also round out the brand’s product line.
Perfect Holiday Baby Gifts
Filed under: Baby Clothes, Baby Gear, Baby Toys, Premier Baby Stores
It’s the holiday season, and you, like many others, have exchanged gifts with the same people over a number of years. But one of your friends recently had a baby, and although you attended her baby shower, you know she could use a few additional items for her child. If you’re thinking about getting her a baby gift, what should you do? Instead of settling on a green and red onesie, think about other practical options:
• Baby Toys. Children, no matter the age, love toys. If her baby is more than six months old, the child might already be developing gross motor skills – rolling, crawling, and using hands. Even though those black, red, and white mobiles are still kept by the crib, many more options are available. Many baby toys are designed for the child just learning to touch and hold things. In addition to several patterns on the surface, these toys are designed to make noises when touched and have varying textures.
• Baby Clothes. Although new parents are advised to have as many onesies and t-shirts as possible on hand, a few special occasion outfits are also nice. If you plan to buy baby clothes for a new parent, know the baby’s age or size first.
• A Diaper Cake. The quintessential item for any baby shower, a diaper cake is also appropriate for the holidays. Designers and retailers like Rattlecake even make specific holiday cakes. While some are decked out in red and green for the holidays, others come with a plush toy. Diaper cakes, as a practical item, have 80 to 150 diapers arranged in tiers, tied together with ribbon. Many cakes, adding to the decorative quality, come designed with various baby products, such as blankets, bath items, and small toys, on the outside. As parents always need more diapers for the first few years, a diaper cake is an appreciated baby gift for the holidays.
Ban on Drop Side Cribs Official
As we’ve reported on here, drop side cribs have been recalled by the millions since 2009, and a ban was proposed earlier this year. As of this week, however, the ban on drop side cribs is official. With 32 infant deaths since 2000 (and probably more before this point) and millions of products by major manufacturers recalled, this seems inevitable. But how will this affect the retailers and manufacturers of baby furniture?
According to the link above, manufacturers, retailers, and child care facilities have about seven months to remove the product. As the CPSC ban is definite, no more drop-side cribs can be sold in stores, and crib manufacturers can no longer make this product. We even discussed, a few months ago, about manufacturers considering different crib designs. No replacement has been discussed yet.
Before new cribs hit shelves, additionally, more safety testing will be done, according to the article. As loose parts are the main hazard of drop side cribs, more testing will be done and better labeling added to all future crib designs.
While this means that parents looking for a new crib won’t need to avoid these products at retailers, those shopping for secondhand baby furniture have more of a challenge. The CPSC decision also bans drop side cribs from resale. Essentially, flea markets, thrift and consignment stores, and online markets (such as Craigslist and eBay) should no longer be carrying these products. Nevertheless, as drop side cribs could be donated to a thrift store and still end up on shelves, parents looking to save money with baby products need to be vigilant.
The third target of the CPSC decision is childcare facilities. This encompasses all locations in which cribs for a child are found, such as daycare centers and hotels offering baby furniture.
Although this decision by the CPSC is immediate, retailers, manufacturers, resellers, and childcare centers have until June 2011 to remove all drop side cribs. Beyond this point, any of these entities can face a fine.