The Fascinating Features of the Doona Car Seat
Well… to start just one word for Doona Car Seat: A super practical mobility solution for the baby but especially for the parents. It might come with a price, just below $500, but with the push of a lever it transitions into a compact stroller. And from a practical point of view, as parents of a new born you can’t ask for anything more.
I wish this high quality and superbly designed innovative product was available when my child was an infant. As a new parent there are so many details you have to take care of when you’re on the go with your baby that having just one equipment that is a car seat and a stroller in one is the ultimate comfort you can maybe dream of.
You can also refer to it as Doona car seat stroller and it weights 16 lbs (around 7 kilos) making it a bit heavier than the regular car seats. This is due to its integrated wheel apparatus. But again thanks to its fast transforming feature you won’t need to carry it for long stretches.
Check out the video below to see its simple operation mechanism…
Let’s review further in details what this game-changing car seat will offer your baby and you other then unfolding into a stroller effortlessly. How is the Doona car seat different from any other car seat out there?
Multiple Uses
The main selling point of the Doona car seat is its versatility. You can use it as a car seat, as a stroller, and as an airplane seat.
- As a car seat.
The Doona infant car seat enables your baby to come along with you for a ride in your car while facing towards the rear. You probably know by now, rear-facing is the safest possible position in a car, which is why experts and doctors recommend that infants sit in this mode in cars until they’re 2 years old. And if you can keep them sitting this way past this age, then it’s actually much better.
Installing the car seat is no problem, although the installation methods will differ whether you’re in the US or in Europe. Either way, you get clear instructions and certified safety. It shouldn’t take you long to click the car seat in place. If you scroll down there is a 35 second video to show how easily it’s done.
- As a stroller.
With Doona once the car stops, you won’t have to pull out a separate stroller from the trunk. And instead of snapping your infant car seat onto a stroller or frame, you just click Doona out from its car seat base if you use one, spring out its wheels and get rolling right away.
Voila! Now you can with less complication and carrying efforts possible take your baby to wherever you’re going. You don’t have to bother with transferring the baby from one conveyance to another, which works even better especially when your baby felt asleep comfortably during the ride.
Not only that, if you’re a city mom and running ton of errands during the day with your little one, it’s super easy to hop into a cab when your baby is in her Doona. It simply allows you to move fast and efficiently in-between your stops while keeping your baby comfortable.
- As an airplane seat.
During the ride to the airport your baby will comfortably sit in her car seat rearfacing, and once you get to your destination you can just roll it to the check-in counter from the car. But you’ll be happy to know that the Doona is certified for air travel, and so that will make things a lot easier for you. You won’t have to check your care seat stroller in. Instead, you roll it into the aircraft, fold away the wheels, and then install it on the airplane seat. How comfortable is that?
Longer Period of Time for Use
With most car seats, you need some time for your baby to grow and some pounds to put on before you can bring them along with you for a ride safely. But the Doona is able to hold even very small babies, so you can start using it much sooner compare to other car seats. It’s rated to accommodate babies who weigh at least 4 pounds.
This makes this practical car seat an ideal solution for a premature baby. Not only premature babies though. Well in this century more twin babies are being born and sharing the same belly twins tend to be smaller even when they are born full term. It’s comforting to know that such small babies can be safely carried.
Once baby starts to use the car seat, they can use it for a longer period of time too. It can accommodate your baby until she weighs 35 pounds or grow past 32 inches in height, and that’s when your toddler in most cases is up to 4 years old. That’s just a fantastic life span for a car seat.
That means you can use the car seat and stroller for a very long time, and earlier and later than most other car seats around.
Superb Construction
The Doona is made by Simple Parenting, a manufacturer that has reaped awards for excellence. All materials are PVC and BPA free. It will also last for a very long time, which means you can use it again for your baby’s younger siblings. The materials used for the Doona are designed for extensive use, and you can use it daily for many years to come.
It also helps a lot that the designers of the Doona car seat stroller paid attention to its appearance. This stroller is cute. The black frame is offset by the colored fabric, and the yellow inside of the wheels present an interesting contrast. Although only black, grey, turquoise and red are currently launched in the US, here are the available Doona colors in a store near you or online pretty soon:
The handle feels nice and comfortable to the touch and the smaller wheels at the front of the stroller swivel properly wherever you want to go. The ride is smooth enough so that your little precious load can enjoy it awake or asleep while you won’t have back or arm aches while pushing it.
Safety Considerations
Doona car seats comply with the highest safety standards. Each product goes through stringent internal and external safety examinations to assure that it’s safe. In fact the company pays so much attention to safety measures and the products are tested to meet the most stringent standards.
Due to its unique dual functionality, Doona car seat has been tested and certified as an Infant Car Seat, a Stroller, a Reclined Cradle (EU), a Hand-held Carrier (US), and approved for aircraft both in Europe and in the US.
Furthermore, Doona’s handle can be positioned against the back of the seat of the car to provide the baby with exceptional Anti-Rebound protection. So in case of a collision, this Anti-Rebound handle will absorb the impact and prevent the car seat from rotating quickly towards the back of the seat.
In a Nutshell: Pros and Cons
Easy and fast transformation from one function to the next is a revolutionary feature. Along with the safety measures and quality of construction, this original design has managed to offer a great solution to two separate needs.
The fact that you can use it as a stroller or as a seat for cars or planes makes it a truly convenient travel tool. It saves you a lot of space for storage (inside your home and your car trunk) and effort for maintenance and cleaning.
It’s after all a lightweight carriage if you consider that it’s actually a stroller. Although heavier than most car seats it’s still portable, but of course you can just pop out the wheels and make the car seat carry the precious load from one place to another.
There is really no built-in storage space that we are accustomed to having in regular strollers but the company provides an excessive accessory line that is custom fit and that includes a snap on bag, an essentials bag, and an all-day bag.
Of course, it would have been nice that this two-in-one gadget costs like a single device, and not one-and-a-half or two. The price is truly exorbitant. Depending on your approach to baby gear it may even cost more than what an ordinary car seat and an ordinary stroller would cost together. Its price may be beyond what some parents are willing or even able to afford.
But the price is more for the convenience of having to bring along just a single conveyance than having to bundle along a car seat and a separate stroller. It does help to know that the Doona is safe to use, it will last for a very long time, it can be used by very small babies and larger kids, and it even looks great.
It has a European-style belt path for seat-belt installation, you also have the option of having a base installed in your car, which makes the use of this car seat even easier. It’s a matter of seconds to snap the Doona on and off. But the base is sold separately, so it’s an additional cost on top of the high priced ticket of the car seat itself. Although it will most likely add even more safety features to your seat, you can very well do without it too.
Watch this short video below to see how easy is to install it without a base.
Have You Decided?
I would like to conclude by saying that this seat is a very attractive product, and the concept is astonishingly amazing, but ultimately, we’re dedicated to finding the products that would make your life easier. And we feel that Doona really does it!
It’s a product that you can use for many years to come. The producers carry great accessories. The company is dedicated to your baby’s safety, and in practical life this car seat offers a ton of conveniences.
If you can afford it, it brings a lot of value to the table that will really make it worth your while.
You can buy Doona Car Seat Stroller on Amazon for $499, with free shipping and money back guarantee.