Product Spotlight: Travel Accessories

rivercitynik

This is a place for FTMs to ask questions about, S+TMs to share their prior experience with, and everyone to share what they're eyeing in the world of maternity, baby and postpartum products. Each week we'll spotlight a new category of product to help streamline and make it easier to refer back. This week we are discussing Travel Accessories!

To view past Product Spotlights or the upcoming schedule, see here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DzmfbSu7toufv3p1VWNu1XOXDaU-tbI5FEfV8av46pc/edit?usp=sharing

WishesSheCouldCook

I like the shower cap style car seat covers for winter. You’re not supposed to have things go in around the straps because of safety concerns. 

JJ Cole Car Seat Cover, Grey Herringbone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P1BDGEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_42BTEbNWDXJZV

A snap and go or travel system to easily pop the bucket seat into the stroller without having to transfer a sleeping baby 

[Deleted User]

@WishesSheCouldCook we loved our jj Cole cover, too!  Will definitely be reusing with this babe.

We found ourselves needing to stay in hotels when baby was still small, and the snuggle nest was very convenient, small, lightweight and wonderful for keeping baby close.
<div class="Spoiler">https://smile.amazon.com/Baby-Delight-Snuggle-Nest-Surround/dp/B01476ZJBW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=snugglenest+co-sleeper&qid=1588986208&sprefix=snugglenest&sr=8-3
</div>

ziggymama06

@WishesSheCouldCook I just added that same exact one in pink to my registry this am bc it came up as an ad on fb lol.  It looks nice and warm and snuggly.

emiliadkay

We don't have a slumber pod, but borrowed one from a friend when visiting and that thing was amazing. Paired with a good sound machine, it lets you roomshare with baby without tip-toeing around them. Would have been a total game changer for hotel travel or even visiting family, when the bedroom is often the only place available to escape to and a sleeping baby can make that off limits. We're buying one as soon as we have reason to think we'll ever be able to go anywhere ever again

Even more important than dedicated travel accessories is making sure your everyday items work well for travel, if you think it's something you'll be doing regularly. An infant car seat really helps (especially if compatible with your stroller, as @WishesSheCouldCook suggested), as does a baby wearing solution you're super comfortable with. A nursing cover, if that's something you're using, a battery-powered breast pump, and maybe a portable sound machine. We've always used our regular stroller and pack n play when traveling, and both are a bit clunky but get the job done. If we traveled more than we do, I would have considered investing in a more light-weight, carry-on friendly version of both.

tara4910

A couple recommendations for Infant and toddler travel by plane items:
- We flew with our uppababy Cruz several times and it was relatively easy. We never got a lighter stroller than that, but an umbrella stroller would be ideal if you fly a lot. It was nice to use as a travel system when we flew with her infant seat. I even could fly by myself with her, the car seat, stroller, and a baby carrier. It was also good to have a place to secure DD once she was too big to wear but still not great at following directions. We never bought an expensive travel bag, but I do recommend a cheap stroller bag. The JL Childress one on Amazon is super affordable, it’s not padded but gives a little extra protection and has a strap for easier loading in/out of cars and gate check carts. 

- We got the Cosco Scenera as our travel/back up convertible car seat. DD outgrew her infant seat at 10 months and we got this for travel, grandparents cars, etc. It’s affordable and super lightweight.  We each have a Clek in our car and that thing is so heavy there is no way I’d fly with it. 

[Deleted User]

Seconding the Cosco Scenera Next for a backup / MIL / travel carseat. 👍👍

emiliadkay

@tara4910 +1 for the Cosco Scenera as travel seat! Also, we used the JL Childress carseat bag for our infant seat when we were still traveling with that, and no complaints. We don't bother with a bag now that we have the Cosco; that thing can take a beating.

sarah0985

I traveled pretty extensively with my daughter as an infant including long haul flights solo. 

One accessory I haven’t seen mentioned is wet bags with different patterns. I sorted all my daughters stuff by needs into different wet bags so I could grab exactly what I needed. All her feeding stuff was in the elephant wet bag. Toys were in rainbow. Diapers were in owls. Etc. 
those made travel so much simpler!