The Problem:
Everyone knows how dreadful even the idea of traveling with a toddler can be. With summer's encroaching arrival and the travel we had planned, I set out in search of strategies to get through the inevitable chaos.
“I started thinking about that journey from our house, through the airport, on the plane, through another airport and to our final destination”
The Research:
When I got pregnant, I started following the ABC kids expo on Instagram (the show in Vegas where all the baby and kids companies get together to show their products… 80K people not including the general public). I found lots of items I ended up purchasing before I delivered including our crib, and the keekaroo changing pad.
The Find:
Anyways, about 6 months ago I saw a nifty ride-on-suitcase by Mountain Buggy, a high-end stroller company from New Zealand. I started following Mountain Buggy, intrigued by this product and curious to see how it would be received once it went on sale. They started re-posting pictures of people using the case and my interest peaked. Then, we booked a week-long trip for the 4th of July holiday. And I started thinking about that journey from our house, through the airport, on the plane, through another airport and to our final destination -grandma's house. It was time to pull the trigger. If the price was right, and boy was the price right. $100! From a company that normally sells strollers for $600+, I was floored. This was one of those immediate purchases without hesitation (amazon prime of course).
The Real Deal:
Fastforward to putting Maddy on it for the first time at the airport - it was like we had just discovered a magical wand for the airport. We gave him his favorite book to hold on to and we wheeled him from curb to gate. We got all of the admiration from fellow travelers that I read about in reviews and in comments on social media. The same ease came when we landed and strapped him back in at the arrival gate (with a few moments of resistance that often comes with toddlers being strapped into a stroller). But it was so nice to have him secured, (rather than running a muck), and not have a stroller to fold and manage. Plus, it was transporting some of the mass amounts of crap you inevitably have to travel with when you have a baby or toddler. The only cons for this gadget would be that there isn’t a top handle for lifting, minor issue since there is a side one, and I’m not sure the seat for the baby would work if you had one. And because of the design of the extra 2 wheels that pop out, there’s a little less space inside the case. I would highly recommend this device for the price and function.
“it was like we had just discovered a magical wand for the airport”
RECOMMENDED:
a secure place to keep the kid while moving through the airport. No stroller needed!
storage for *some* of the mass amounts of crap you are required to travel with when you have a toddler
great price
- ease of use