February 10, 2012

Oh Baby! UppaBaby Accessories!

For those of you who have the UppaBaby Vista, let's talk accessories. I've had the pleasure of purchasing a few and here's how they rank. For those of you who love ColdStone I'll pay homage to them and use their system: 

Like It!:

Bassinet Rain Shield: I personally think that the stroller should have come with this one, but since it didn't we bought it. We used the bassinet for 3 months out the possible 6 and maybe got caught in the rain a couple times. Did I really need this? No. Did I feel safer having it on my walks? Yes. And for that peace of mind, I suggest you get it too although it will hardly be used. (Also note rain shields also double as great wind shields)

BabyGanoosh: This accessory protects baby from the cold by providing a sort of sleeping bag for them. It is very warm, water repellent, and fits on the stroller nicely however I have a few critiques: a) It should be longer and wider as I am sure James will be too tall to use it again next winter. b) it doesn't cover all the way to the chest. (the roll up part doesn't cover the sides) c) it should be compatible with a car seat. An alternative is a JJ Cole Bundle Me which I have purchased for the car seat after learning the hard way about c). The bundler is baggier so i can add blankets, etc in there plus it zips all the way to the head for full protection. However I am glad I have both because I rather not keep attaching/reattaching this every time I need the car seat or stroller. 

Love It!:

Cup Holder: Ok, I'm sure you are thinking a Cup Holder, really you need to write about this! Well yes I do. This isn't just any cupholder, it holds beverages very well and prevents spilling. I've had the Jolly Jumper Stroller Caddy on the stroller thinking this is awesome, it holds 2 drinks and has a pouch for my wallet, phone, etc. Well this was not a perfect accessory. If the stroller is facing out and you have a drink in the cup portion it pushes the cup over causing stains on my stroller! I knew there was a better way and this is it because it does not interfere with the handle so there is no way I can spill my drink unless I go over a huge bump in which case anything would spill!

TravelBag: My family and I travel a lot and I got tired of our stroller getting beat up and dirtied by airline gate check and the elements. Therefore we purchased this travel bag. When looking at the picture it seems great and easy to put in, however it's not that easy. You have to first collapse the stroller with the seat facing out, then remove the wheels (yucky, we carry gloves for this part) and place them in a pouch, next put the stroller in the bag, remove the bar and place in the bar section and put in pouch with wheels. Next comes the tricky part, zipping up the bag. It is a snug fit so I suggest you practice a few times before trying it out at the airport. Trust me your plane will leave without you. The first time I had to use it when James and I flew by myself and that was a little difficult but I made it because I practiced at home. The best part about this bag is that it has a "TravelSafe" warranty so any damage caused to the stroller while in the bag will be covered by UppaBaby. After our last flight we noticed that one of our brakes no longer works, we called UppaBaby and they are sending us a replacement frame free of charge!

Gotta Have It!:

Infant SnugSeat: This is my all time favorite accessory! We upgraded James to the "big boy seat" (toddler seat) at 3 months. However he was too small to be held in my the harness or sit properly and balance his head well. So I MacGyver'ed the seat by adding support with 4 receiving blankets: 1 at each side of his body and head. This was a pain because my diaper bag was already overflowing from carrying 2 or 3 of everything, especially clothes from those famous blowouts! LOL! Well it was my lucky day when I spotted a baby in this cradle contraption in an UppaBaby stroller. I immediately asked the parents where they got this and purchased it right away. The best part about it is the head support for when the baby is sleeping and that it's machine washable and dryer safe! James is almost 11 months old and I only recently removed the head part of it so we'll use the seat part until 1 year. If you have this stroller and a child under 1 you must get this!

What Else!:

As James keeps growing and seasons keep changing I'll look out for new accessories. There are many more on the website, so if you've tried any others leave a comment below to let us know what you think! I'm eyeing the SnackTray next! 


Here's a picture of the stroller, just in case you aren't familiar with it!



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