There is so much baby furniture out there that it’s often hard to decide what your baby really needs. Often, the temptation is to just buy everything in sight and ask questions later. Yet, we have to think about the safety of your baby as well as your budget. This piece will guide you through what your baby most needs, so you can make informed decisions.
Car seat
Many new parents are tempted to get a convertible car seat, because it can seat even the smallest babies and be adjusted to fit the baby even upto the time a baby is a toddler. Yet, there are significant downsides to a convertible car seat: first off, they are frequently very bulky so that removing it from a car when your baby is napping becomes very difficult. You are likely to wake up the baby every time you need to remove it from the car. Added to that, many convertible car seats lack wheeled frames, which means that you will have to transfer your baby to its stroller whenever you are walking a significant distance.
Infants seats are superior to convertible car seats because they easily pop into and out of the car base. And if you often have to travel by cab, they can be installed easily with a seat belt. Make sure to get the kind with a handle so that you can easily grab hold of it. Many infant seats come with a big sunshade. Take it for a spin with a stroller and see if it feels comfortable.
A word of warning: do not use used infant car seats because they can be damaged in subtle ways if they have been involved in a car accident.
Stroller
Strollers get worn down a lot with use so you want to get a new stroller or as new to one as you can get. When you are shopping for a stroller, make sure that everyone who will use it has a feel of the stroller to see if they are comfortable with it. Try and get one with adjustable handles, but if that isn’t possible, try and get a stroller whose handles are at a comfortable distance from everyone’s hands. The bigger the stroller, the better. Furthermore, you want a stroller that is easy to use and access for when you need it.
At some point, you may want to let your baby sleep in the stroller. In that case, you want a stroller that is at a 45 degree angle from the ground, and that is easily adjustable without waking up your baby. Unless you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the clouds, you will, on occasion, have to take your stroller through bumpy, uneven sidewalks, so look out for strollers with air tyres, which make for a much more smooth ride for the baby than plastic tyres.
If you live in an apartment, see if your stroller is collapsable and easy to carry. Lightweight umbrella strollers, which come with straps, are very easy to carry.
Cribs
It’s tempting to get a charming vintage crib, but, in reality, cribs older than 10 years old should not be used for babies. A good crib comes with fixed, rather than drop-down sides, slats which are, at most, 2.375 inches apart and the stamp of approval of the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association, which tests cribs for safety and quality. Cribs come in different sizes so you want one that makes it easy for you to reach into and get the baby. If you are budget conscious, look out for a crib that is convertible into a toddler bed. You can find good, quality cribs at Franklin and Ben Baby Furniture, as well as other quality items for your baby.
