Wee Travel Car Seats and Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) loves when a Sweetnothing arrives in our inbox. This weeks’ arrival was so full of useful traveling gear, that we want to share two of them with you.
Totseats, the washable, squashable highchair means minimal luggage with maximum impact. This chair-harness safely anchors a tot of between 8 and 30 months in almost any adult chair, like an instant highchair. It squashes into a pint-sized bag and is really easy to use - simply slip it over the chair back, adjust the length, clip it firmly and watch for the sighs of contentment from everyone. It comes in a range of funky fabric designs, and can be bought online for $35 US.
The Hoppop is gorgeous diaper bag and baby seat all in one! It’s a wee bit hard to describe, so we’ll let you check it out yourself, but lets just say this is one of the most clever things we’ve come across in a long time. You can buy it from many stores in Canada and the US for $99.
November 25th, 2007
Here is an important notice from Transport Canada:
Cross border shopping may be cheap and convenient, but when it comes to buying a child’s car seat or booster seat for use in Canada, Transport Canada warns consumers that it is illegal.
Transport Canada is receiving a significantly increased number of inquiries from parents and caregivers who have either purchased a seat, or are considering purchasing a seat from outside of Canada. The Department is also seeing an increase in the number of reports from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers and from certified child passenger safety technicians that seats purchased in other countries are being privately imported into Canada and are showing up at car seat clinics across Canada.
Transport Canada is concerned that parents and caregivers may not know that it is illegal to import and use in Canada a seat that does not comply with Canadian standards. Many consumers are looking south of the border and in other countries for the best buy without knowing all of the facts. Child seats and booster seats sold in the U.S. and other countries do not meet Canadian federal regulations and, under provincial and territorial legislations, are illegal to use in Canada.
Child or booster seats purchased outside Canada, including those purchased online from non-Canadian vendors, do not comply with Canada’s Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations (RSSR) and the applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), and thus do not carry the National Safety Mark. Every country has its respective child seat standards. Canadian regulations are rigorous and differ from those in other countries. For example, U.S. certified booster seats allow for a lower weight limit than Canadian standards.
The use of non-compliant child seats may not only jeopardize children’s safety and pose a serious danger to the public, but it may also result in repercussions such as:
- Confiscation of the seat at the border or after it has entered Canada
- Fines and/or demerit point penalties
- Reduced or voided insurance coverage for injury or death; and
- Possible criminal charges and/or civil litigation.
Additionally, if the seat is purchased outside of Canada and a recall notice is issued, the parent or caregiver may not be informed of the recall or have recourse against the manufacturer.
In summary, when purchasing a child seat for use in Canada, parents and caregivers should look for the National Safety Mark label attached to the seat, indicating that the seat complies with Canadian regulations and standards, and is therefore legal for use in Canada. When shopping online for a child seat, please ensure that the vendor is offering a seat that is certified to Canadian standards and carries the National Safety Mark.
Transport Canada takes this opportunity to remind parents and caregivers to always use a child seat appropriate for your child’s development, weight and height, and to ensure that the child seat is used and installed correctly in the vehicle in accordance with the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
For more information about child seats and child passenger safety, visit Transport Canada’s Child Safety Web page at www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/menu.htm, or call Transport Canada’s Road Safety Information Centre at 1-800-333-0371 (toll-free in Canada).
This consumer information notice was developed in collaboration with the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation (TSF). To learn more about BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation’s comprehensive Child Passenger Safety Program, please visit their Web site at: www.ChildSeatInfo.ca.
November 18th, 2007
So you’re traveling alone with two small children, and you’re wondering how to get around the Air Canada’s new Stroller Policy - you know, the one that says large strollers are subject to space limitations and there is a risk they cannot be accommodated in the aircraft. Wee Travel Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) has a great idea for you. Stroller Connectors!! These molded plastic connectors easily snap onto stroller tubes to turn 2 strollers into an instant tandem stroller. Sure, you may have to invest in two umbrella strollers, but isn’t that better than trying to tote 2 wee ones through the airport sans stroller (especially if you’re blessed with twins that don’t yet walk). A 3 connector pack retails for about $20.
November 11th, 2007
Wee Travel Car Seat and Baby Equipment Rentals (Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria) loves this innovative solution to the highchair challenge. If you have yet to experience this challenge, there will come a time when your little darling rejects the highchair and insists on sitting at the table with the rest of the family. The only problem is they aren’t quite tall enough to actually reach the table.
KABOOST is a compact and portable chair booster that raises the height of kitchen and dining room chairs so your child can sit at the table just like a grown up. It has four spring-loaded arms that fit snugly under the legs of kitchen and dining chairs, lifting the entire chair 4.5″ or 3.75″. KABOOST snaps onto the chair in just seconds, as its spring-loaded arms firmly grip chair legs into place, staying attached even when the chair is moved or repositioned. KABOOST’s non-slip, rubberized feet will not scratch floors. It folds compact and weights just 3.5 lbs, so you can use it at home or take it with you when you are out and about. It retails for about $40.
November 3rd, 2007
