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The past few years have seen a large number of changes in the carseat industry, and we are expecting a few more in the next year.  Federal standards and policies on carseats have changed quite a bit of what we are seeing on the market and what we expect to see, and all of these changes are TO THE BENIFIT OF THE CONSUMER because you will find some new technology as well as new testing that is going to provide parents with more peace of mind and safety features at their fingertips.

The battleground where the biggest campaign on infant carseats is being waged is in "lightweight" and "featherweight" infant buckets.  Previously this category was held tightly with very little competition by Nuna and their Pipa Light & Pipa Light LX products.  New regulations mandated that all carseats that ship with a carseat base must be able to be installed without the base.  This new regulation meant that Nuna needed to redesign their 'Lite' product.  Their redesign is now available as the Pipa Aire & Pipa Aire RX both new for 2024 (we will be comparing the Pipa Aire in this article).  Uppa baby, purveyors of great strollers had, until this year, only offered the Mesa family of infant carseats, that are know for their ease of installation but quite heavy and cumbersome in comparison to the ultra light products from Nuna.  This March Uppa unveiled the Aria, which by weight is going to be the lowest weighing carseat on the US market as of now.

Both of these seats price out at $350 including the base.  Both seats feature a Load-Leg, which we feel is a safety component that should be on all carseats if at all possible.  Both seats feature Greenguard certification and both are communicating ABSENCE of chemical flame retardants. Outside of their similarities both seats have their pros and cons and both merit some hands on from consumers to make sure you are getting the best fit for your family.

Install with the Lightweight Infant Carseats:

This is our single most important qualification on carseats.  If it is likely to be installed correctly in the real world applications by parents and grandparents then it is more likely to protect the child in an accident and is more favorable to our staff for that very reason.  Things that are cumbersome, difficult, problematic, or confusing on the install are going to likely not be installed correctly and for that reason less likely to be protective.  Because safety is the goal, the ease of a consistent and CORRECT install ranks high with our staff and usually with our customers as well.  We have found that the Nuna Pipa Aire wins in this category with their rigid latch install this is a very quick and straight forward install (they receive high customer satisfaction marks on how easy this install is).  The install on the Uppa Aira is a bit more complicated with the ratcheting latch clips it is easier than most, however this seat is very upright in the base and there is a narrow window for the proper recline of the seat to meet recommendations.  Changing the angle of the seat recline is accomplished with release of the foot pedestal in the base and we have had to make several adjustments during installation to get this right. Additionally, the manufacturer indicates that use in the vehicle when traveling requires a specific position of the carry handle which is not the natural position of the handle when carrying the infant bucket.  This requirement to reposition the handle when in the car is likely to not be adhered to by families that are unaware of the requirement. We feel that with respect to the installation that the Nuna Pipa Aire is more likely to be installed correctly by more people because the install is quite a bit less cumbersome.  We do need to note that there are a handful of vehicles (some BMWs and some other cars with deep bucket seats) that this pipa base presents a problem accessing the latch points due to the design of those vehicles latch position.  The solution for those vehicles is the RELX base from Nuna which ships with the more expensive AIRE RX seat or to purchase the RELX base for the vehicles that need arises.

The Last component of installation is securing your child in the seat.  This similar for both seats in that both feature 5 point harnesses.  The Aria by Uppa has a no rethread harness so on the fly adjustments of the head support and shoulder harness position is very easy in this product.  The Aria has a few inserts that come out as the child grows: there is a lower insert comes out at 9 pounds and a back-positioning insert intended to help with keeping an open airway by positioning the shoulders forward and allowing the head to tilt back to encourage the open airway and reduce the potential of head tilt (this is recommended to remain in use up through 4 months and "Child is not slouching and has good head and neck control".   The Pipa Aire has a single insert intended for children under the weight of 12 pounds.  There is no back positioning insert in the Nuna Pipa Aire because the seat operates in a more reclined position when installed in the vehicle.

Lightweight Carrying:

Both seats present a very light infant carrying bucket compared to most infant seat on the market.  Side by side out of the box the Aria by Uppa is less weight by some ounces.  Both seats have carry handles that are ergonomic for most carrying activities.

Travel System Use

Both the Aria by Uppa Baby and the Pipa Aire by Nuna are going to function exceptionally well in travel system setups that are WITHIN the brand, by this we mean if you have an Uppa Stroller the Uppa Carseat will relatively simple to use and no special adaptors will be necessary (The same for Nuna Carseats with Nuna Strollers).  Where we see a significant difference in options is in “cross platform” product use.  The Nuna Aire carseat utilizes a Maxi-Cosi type of connection for strollers (one of the most common connections world wide) and because this type of connection it is supported by many more stroller manufacturers than the connection for the Uppa Baby carseats, you will find that utilizing the Pipa Aire on a stroller that is not Nuna is going to be much easier that accommodating a Uppa Carseat on a ‘non-uppa” stroller.

The big takeaway on the Lightweight Infant Carseat Battle:

• You should ALWAYS READ YOUR CARSEAT MANUAL
• If you are not sure about your installation visit a professional (public safety officer or car seat check location)
• The Uppa Aira requires a bit more diligence and time in proper installation and has a few quirks that you need to be aware of while in use (like handle position) and multiple inserts but both  Uppa Aria and Pipa Aire are going to provide great protection for your child in an accident as long as installed correctly
• The Nuna Pipa Aire is compatible with a larger number of strollers sold in the US than the Uppa Aria

Baby Furntiure Plus Kids offers free shipping nationwide on carseats and local customers can get assistance in installation and live demos at our Columbia South Carolina Location

Browse and Shop these Seats:

Uppa Baby Aria Lightweight Carseat

Nuna Pipa Aire Lightweight Carseat

It is Hot.  Not just a little .... but mind draining body beating hard to breath kind of hot this year.  If you think this heat takes your breath away and wears you out, just think how that little metabolic engine know as your new infant feels out and about in this heat.

Babies all tend to run a bit warmer that the adults that care for them.  The are just little engines that are burning food, building bone & muscle and all that metabolic energy gives off heat! We tend to think that we need to protect our little ones and dress them up, often over-dressing for the weather.  Given the extreem heat in the south (and throughout the country this year) you should be extra careful to dress down your little one.  Lightweight fabrics and minimal clothing should be the go to so your little metabolic engine is as comfortable as possible.  Dressing down the little one will help them when facing the 90 degree plus weather we can expect for the next few months.  Many many parents know this and do a great job of keeping the little ones comfortable in their home, but then venture outside and make some choices that are less wise.

As any parent can tell you, random strangers are often suprisingly familiar with little babies.  Most new parents are shocked how many people just walk up to your new infant child and start touching without asking.  It is for this reason that the car-seat cover has become an important part of the parent's 'out with baby arsenal'  Parents often use a cover over their carseat to function as both protection from sun and wind as well as strangers that want to reach into the carseat carrier and give the baby a little squeeze.  Carseat covers and carseat canopies are great products but have some draw backs as well.

enclosed stretch knit carseat cover

fuzzy minky blanket carseat cover

Most carseat covers are just blankets of some type that have been sewn to neatly wrap around or over an infant carrier type of carseat.  They come in a myriad of styles and types.  A majority of the most popular carseat covers are made of a stretch knit fabric that wraps around the entire seat, leaving the baby protected and the handle free for carrying.  The problem with stetch knit is it is just not that breathable.  The inside of the carseat and the baby therein can start to overheat.  Recently there have been more and more warnings from health and safety professionals about taking care wit respect to blankets and covers on carseats and strollers in the hot summer months. 

The solution is Muslin:

Muslin.  Yes the lightweight open weave fabric that is all the rage in the baby industry is probably the best answer to how to cover the carseat.  This fabric is super breathable since is is so thin lightly woven together.  Muslin is slightly tigher weave than cheesecloth but not much and allows supieror breathability.  It is the fabric of choice in swaddling blankets for this very reason.  Because it is so breathable it allows the heat to flow out quickly and not build up inside a swaddled baby as well as in a carseat if using as cover.  Muslin swaddle blankets are extreemly popular and pretty much everybody receives a few for the baby shower.  Muslin swaddling blankets can range from a few dollars to twenty-five dollars or more depending on brand and style, with most popular designer brands less than $20. 

At a minimum grab a lightweight muslin swaddling blanket and toss it over the carseat or stroller when out and about in this heat and leave the stretch knit or minky covers at home. 

Our Favorite Carseat Covers:

By far our favorite (and only product we sell in this category) are the dedicated muslin carseat covers from Little Unicorn.  They are single layer of super breathable 100% cotton muslin that is sewn to function as a carseat cover.  They have an elastic band sewn at the bottom to fit around the carseat and snaps at the top to attach to the carrier handle.... but the best part is that they have a magnetic closure so you can open them up without removing the entire cover to check on the baby.  Eventhough a simple muslin swaddling blanket will work as a good breathable carseat cover, these dedicated products do provide a fitted and easy to function approach.   All the lovely fashion doesnt hurt either.

Little Unicorn Carseat Cover

magnetic peek-a-boo window in muslin cover

magnetic peek-a-boo window in muslin cover

We will be updating this near the end of 2023 - there have been some new seats as well as some older products have now left the mix.

We think the infant carseat is one of the most important purchases you will make during your first year of child rearing.  We have discussed carseats in general here: “Straight Talk about Carseats”.

The stunning Nuna Pipa infant carseat has become the infant carrier carseat of choice throughout the United States in the last few years and there are actually now three different versions of this car seat. For many consumers the differences are confusing, so we want to help by explaining the three seats and their independent features.

Nuna Pipa Car Seat – the original revolution

The Nuna Pipa Infant Car Seat was released a few years ago and was a revolutionary piece of safety equipment because it combined several safety features found on other products into this single seat.  This essentially created one of the safest seats on the market. Specifically, the Nuna Pipa incorporated both a rigid latch installation with a load leg (both of which were not in widespread use) into a single seat; blowing away the competition. By adding additional features like the Okeo-Tex textiles (for a certified clean fabric component), the ‘Dream Drape’, and out of the box compatibility with a range of strollers the original launch of The Nuna Pipa was a revolution.

Nuna Pipa Lite Car Seat

We have detailed the launch of this seat with our review, “New PIPA Lite by Nuna - the 5 pound wonder!”. The major take away on this product versus the Nuna Pipa is that the weight of the carrier has been reduced a whopping 2 pounds without sacrificing the safety or aesthetically pleasing nature of the seat. Additionally a complete second seat liner in an GOTS certified organic cotton is included with this seat.

The one caveat to mention is that the standout cost to this innovation was the removal of the seatbelt pathway on the carrier portion of the seat. On the Pipa (original) there is a belt path on the carrier allowing the car seat to be installed without the base for emergency situations and for use in public transportation (Uber, Cabs, airplanes, etc) so you do not have to carry the heavy carseat base with you. For most families this is a non-issue because they are not utilizing public transportation on a regular or occasional basis (or plan not to during the first year of this new baby’s life). If, in fact, you utilize public transport on a regular basis it might not be the right fit seat for you.

Lastly, noticeably absent on the Pipa Lite is the presence of the Dream Drape that so many families love for the breathable sun protection.  We recommend these breathable muslin magnetic closure car-seat canopies from Little Unicorn as a replacement for the ‘Dream-Drape-less’ Pipa Lite.

Nuna Pipa Lite LX Carseat

The last and most fantastic of the three versions is called LX (for Lux). This overall function and construction of the seat is the same as the Pipa Lite (rigid latch, load leg, 5 pound carrier) However there are two distinct additions to provide that LUX moniker. First, the DREAM DRAPE makes it’s reappearance adding that coveted built-in canopy extension, beloved by most consumers. Second, and more important to many people, is the use of Merino Wool as the seat fabric. Wool is naturally cooling in warm weather and provides some warmth in those cool months. Wool is also one of the few natural fibers that boasts an inherent flame retardant property.

How do I choose which Nuna Pipa is right for my family?

We have a series of questions that can help:

1. Do you use or plan to use public transportation more than rarely over the next year? - if you answer that you use local public transportation (Uber, Taxies, Ride Sharing) on a weekly basis OR if you plan on Airline Travel with your child multiple times in the next year – We recommend sticking with the Original Nuna Pipa
2. Do you or any primary care persons have severe back, shoulder or neck injuries/limitations that will be affected by lifting a carseat? – if the answer is yes, we recommend one of the Nuna Pipa Lite or Lite LX
3. Are you a proponent of Organic and Natural fiber usage as an exclusive approach to your lifestyle? – if yes then we recommend the Nuna Pipa Lite LX

Browse and Shop all NUNA PIPA Car Seats

The new "Big Kid Quilts" from Little Unicorn are the best new 'baby blanket' around.  Sized for both an adult and child to sit and cuddle under, these new 100% cotton muslin quilts are quickly becoming the top registry blanket for new moms.  These super breathable blankets are just about perfect for any climate allowing cool comfort in summer and warm snuggly comfort in colder seasons.  Parents are moving away from traditional baby blankets in favor of more versatile products that can be used from day one and grow with your child.

Get straight forward information about single to double expandable strollers and how they might fit your needs for a family of multiples or family with children close in age. Don't be fooled - there is no perfect stroller. The particular configuration of the second seat has drawbacks and features and we detail those concerns so you can match the right stroller to your lifestyle and family needs. The often daunting offering of strollers that expand to fit multiple children is discussed with our recommendations for different types of families.

We detail the advancements used in developing the new Nuna Pipa Lite infant carseat.  Infant Car Seat carriers are a must have for busy parents and this new 5.3 pound carseat allows easy use while providing one of the safest seats on the market.  Features include a load leg and rigid latch installation.  We also detail the pros and cons of this new seat and who the Nuna Pipa infant carseat is designed for.

Nuna baby gear products have taken the US market by storm and everyone wants to know the who, why, and how of this amazing new brand that seems to have just popped up. I was lucky enough to attend the first Nuna USA summit this past week, along with another 10 retailers from all over the US. We were joined by the President of Nuna USA and several of the Global team members to discuss this amazing brand and their drive to provide the most well engineered and tastefully designed product in the world.

Who is Nuna?

Nuna is not the little up-start that they are often thought of. The brand is a division of one of the largest car-seat and gear manufactures in the world, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the entire global production of infant and children' carseats. The Nuna brand is just one portion of this global powerhouse. As a manufacture for more than thirty years, they decided to take their significant knowledge and expertise and roll out a brand of products that merged high fashion, the ultimate in safety, and simple clean design. Most gear producers take a solitary focus and run with either high design or safety or fashion. These products are usually touted as 'best of this' or 'best of that' but never excel in all three arenas. Nuna is different. Nuna thinks that you can achieve the safest and most reliable products without sacrificing the design of the product.

The people that make up the Nuna team are surprising. Because the team was hand picked from a roster of professionals steeped in history in infant gear manufacturing, design, engineering, and marketing. The team roster reads like a who's who of the industry. As an example, the Global Textile executive has a 15 year history choosing and programming the fabric selections of Graco (one of the largest US producers). She left for the opportunity to create something dynamic and different than any products on the market. Her story is amazing, and we hope to bring you some more information and possibly an interview about her process in the future. As an example of the dedication to the product, she told us a story of the long process of perfecting the exact color of the fabrics on the Pipa Carseat by actual hand dying fabric swatches until the perfect color is reached. What looks like just a tan colored fabric takes months to years to facilitate because the fabric is tested and produced to be free of toxins and chemicals (oeko tex certified) and the color study takes equally as long. Then the fabrics actually have to stand up to the rigors and stresses of ruff-n-tumble lifestyles. Lastly the textiles have to feel good. This is no easy task and Nuna is excelling.

The resources they have available are some of the best. Testing safety and security is vital for gear products. There are so many different standards globally that manufactures struggle to address all the different international, national, regional and even province or state requirements. NOT Nuna. They own their own testing facility including a full fledged crash simulator. By the time the products go to independent lab testing for certification they have been tested and improved and retested multiple times. Every buckle, strap, adjustment and clip are there to create the safest and most highly engineered products around.

Elevating The World of Nuna Baby Gear

When you touch and feel the product you know you are seeing something different: A high chair that holds 225 pounds easily but has the visual of a sleek modern barstool, a nursery swing/bouncer that can double as your 10 year old's gaming chair, a carseat that installs in seconds yet withstands the harshest of testing standards and elevates safety approaches that the rest of the world is quickly copying to catch up to. Touching and feeling these products speaks volumes about the commitment to safety and quality. Many of the products have also been awarded the most prestigious design awards on the globe including the coveted RedDot. There really is not a single brand of baby essentials on the market that is more flushed out with quality, safety, aesthetics, and taste than those of Nuna. We are proud to be a partner of this amazing line.

When does a diaper bag become something more akin to a lifestyle accessory rather than than just a diaper bag?

Well, when it is a fantastic piece of well constructed apparel that makes toting around a bunch of stuff effortless and easy. It has to be style neutral and feature rich. It would also be a good idea that this bag be constructed to withstand the rigors of both travel and poopies.
If you are looking for such a bag… look no further and check out the Slider and Messenger totes from Daddy & Co.
Recently Daddy & Co. procured the licence and the patent on the Go Gaga diaper bag line. These bags were pulled from the market a few years ago to the horror and sadness of millions of moms. Restructuring and changes to the buyers at several major big box stores (Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us) led to a product flow issue for the original designer and she shelved the product to pursue another career path. But the industry and many moms were devastated. Seriously, to this day, I see four and five year old versions of these bags on the shoulders of industry persons as they move about trade shows and travel to events in our industry, even after being off the market for three years. And you will still find people searching for the bags online.
Why would the industry people still carry a 4 year old bag around when they don’t have children in need of diapering and can get just about any bag on the market for their use? Well, it is pretty simple…. this bag rocks.

It is all about the strap:

First up is the patent. The bags feature a patented strap that disperses the weight of whatever is in the bag across your shoulder and back. You think you understand that this might be nice but until you actually put on a fully loaded bag and feel the difference this strap makes you will not grasp how revolutionary this strap really is. You will be blown away. The strap was designed with an eye to appropriate ergonomics. When a parent is carrying a heavy bag with a thin strap (even 2 and 3 inch straps are thin compared to this) the weight of the bag creates a lot of pressure on the shoulder and back and neck. We have all had this experience. Ever notice people in the airport transferring their bag from one shoulder to the other over and over as they walk down to the gate. A thin strap with a lot of weight just hurts. This strap alleviates most of the pressure and you find this bag comfortable from empty to full of heavy items. Recently I took this bag on a trip and loaded it down: two ipads, two 1 liter bottles of water (over 4 pounds of water), an air plane pillow, a large camera, two iphones, chargers for all of the above, two sets of large over ear headphones, a kindle, 2 books, and more. Seriously this bag was loaded to about 14 pounds, and it was comfortable throughout a long day of traveling.

Beyond the Strap:

These bags are produced by the same factory that makes much of the Patagonia product. So you find great attention to construction detail and the materials are wonderful. Every seam is finished and everything just feels like quality throughout. The bags are designed and constructed to last for years of abuse and people tend to repurpose them beyond just a diaper bag.
The styling is simple and ergonomic and modern. You will not find big trendy patterns or graphics all over these bags. They look like what a modern mom in a urban center would use, not what someone takes to the country club to show off their ‘trendy taste’. These bags are about function, use and longevity, not to display your knowledge of the difference between an icat and a damask.
Both the sling and the messenger totes feature exterior INSULATED bottle pockets. The design is so that a bottle can be reached easily but remain secure in the bag. I can easily fit a 1 liter bottle in each of the exterior pockets. Ice cold water in these bottles doesn’t sweat all over the contents of the bag and the water stays quite cold throughout the day. A couple of baby bottles will be a breeze to secure in the deep pockets. I’ve even seen a wine bottle or two being toted in these pockets. The inside of the bags are full of nice dividers and each of the bags also ships with a padded changer pad and a wipe holder.

The big picture

The Go Gaga bags by Daddy & Co are designed with function in mind. If you are looking for something to save your shoulders, provide great storage and features, easily adapt to babies and work and travel, something your husband will use and want for himself and something constructed to withstand the stressors of living in a modern world you should do yourself a favor and check them out. If all you want is a cute diaper bag to show off at the country club: don’t bother.

BROWSE THE BAGS

Protect your investments, Baby Furniture Plus Kids offers a great program for protecting your furniture and upholstery!

We often joke about our customers having the "perfect child" just because they shopped with us, however the reality is little hands can be quite destructive and accidents do happen.  One of our favorite products is Montage's incredible furniture protection plan.  This is not an extended warranty...   This is a protection plan to help protect and maintain the products you buy for your kids' rooms.  For five years, after the purchase, Montage will repair or replace product from:

• damage from wipe warmer
• burning by curling iron
• deep penetrating scratches from toys
• chipping from the vacuum hitting the leg of the dresser
• rips in upholstery on your glider
• broken glide mechanism
• stains from juice
• stains from lipstick
• stains from fingernail polish
• stains from fingernail polish remover
• stains from kool-aid, mustard, red wine (yours of course your child won't be drinking this, right?)
• ...and any other staining things your child can think of
• drawer fronts ripped off in a fury of slamming (yeah it can happen)
• drawers broken because someone stood in the drawer (also happens)
• REALLY the types and number of damages is mind boggling...and your three year old will know every single one

This incredible program is available on all furniture and gliders.  You must purchase the protection program prior to picking up your furniture and the plan stays with you and your furniture for the next five years (they don't call it the Terrible Twos and Terrifying Threes for nothing)