Highlights: The Baby Show 2014

There are certain challenges to bringing-up-baby in the city, whether it’s London, Paris, New York, Tokyo or Seoul – from negotiating your way around public transport to being able to sterilise on the go without having to carry around a plethora of bulky equipment, and even smaller space living. In our blog this week we’ll be taking a look at some of the smart solutions for the ‘Urban Baby’ featured at The Baby Show this year at London’s ExCel, and how the theme spans across categories from transport to feeding on-the go.

Navigate around the city
The Urban Baby – agile, compact, smart, stylish…
Nimble prams and pushchairs designed for city living combine compact footprints with lightweight frames making them easier to pick up when navigating steps, escalators and narrow streets. An elevated seat position raises baby higher away from dirt, dust and car exhaust fume level, while large shopping baskets means less juggling with bags. Safety and comfort remain the primary focus, but increasingly styling creates a major differentiator in what has become a saturated market. Bold colours and patterns focusing around contemporary fashion and tastes were dominant at the show, with mix ‘n’ match accessories allowing for personalisation.

Chrome and cocoons from iCandy, Mima, 4Moms and Silver Cross. Image credit: PDD

Form and materials reinforce performance
Cocoon and pod like forms give a feeling of protection and security, emphasised with chrome detailing on frames, bars and bumpers. Leather effect on handle bars and retractable hoods provide premium tactile touch points, while winter accessories provide maximum insulation for both mum and baby through water resistant thermal fabrics.

Image credit: Flexi Bath™ by Stokke®

Space saving solutions
Compactness and convenience was at the heart of product solutions for the Urban Baby. Flexi Bath™ by Stokke® is a nifty space saving solution for baby’s bath time. Made from Polypropylene with a Thermoplastic Elastomeric folding structure, the bath folds to just 10 cm wide making it compact and lightweight for storing even in space squeezed homes. The Newborn Support insert mimics ‘the support of a steady arm’ and is designed to fit the baby’s natural body shape.

Image credit: Milton comforter sterilisers

Cleanliness on the go
With cleanliness while ‘out and about’ being at the forefront of many parents minds, the Milton mini portable soother steriliser is a wonderfully simple low tech solution that allows sterilisation of a soother in just 15 minutes. Water is placed into the container followed by a sterilisation tablet and sponges. In the event of a ‘soother going overboard’ – as they so often do – it can simply be placed inside of the container with the mouth piece inserted into the hole in the sponge and left for 15 minutes with no need to rinse clean. A strap allows it to be attached onto a pushchair or bag for ease of access.

Teat and spout attachments for cartons and bottles. Image credit: Chillipeeps

Smart food solutions
Smart feeding attachments provide parents with ease and convenience of use while on the move. Chillipeeps teat and spout attachments fix onto ready-made formula milk cartons and bottled mineral water. The product was born out of a real need experienced by the inventor, Claire Mitchell, when she was out with her baby daughter, a carton of ready-made formula milk and an unsterilised feeding bottle. The reusable silicone teat features a ‘vari-flow’ for different flow rates (slow, medium, fast), and also come as a serialized version.

‘Clip-on’ spoon attachment for food pouches. Image credit: Baby’Clips

Combining convenience and learning
Baby’Clips ‘clip-on’ spoon attaches onto baby food pouches; food is delivered through a hole in the spoon direct from the pouch, eliminating the need for additional and often bulky bowls, spoons and jars. While the greatness is in the simplicity and re-usability of this attachment, the spoon is also designed to encourage the transition from bottle to spoon feeding though its design. The ‘stimulating feeding tip allows baby’s tongue to flatten [during feeding] thereby reducing the natural teat sucking action’.