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Boosting Travel with the Bubblebum Inflatable Booster Seat.
Suitable from ages 4-11 years, the Bubblebum booster seat is a cost-effective, portable and lightweight solution for travelling with children. Measuring 13 x 13 x 4.5”, The Bubblebum booster seat rolls up neatly inside a small bag for carrying and when required for use can be removed from the bag and inflated with ease. The Bubblebum folds flat enough to fit into the average sized handbag or changing bag. Due to it’s compact size, the Bubblebum is ideal for using in cars, taxis, buses/ coaches, school trips, car pooling or travel abroad (this item should not be used whilst on-board an aeroplane as the Bubblebum booster seat is designed to be used with a three point seatbelt, not lap belts).
The UK law states that every child under the age of twelve years and shorter in height than 135cm must travel with a child seat or a booster seat, in order to help avoid serious injury in the event of a traffic collision. The Bubblebum inflatable booster seat has been approved under the United Nations ECE Regulation R44/04 for safety for both Groups 2 and 3. It is designed to use with a standard three point adult seatbelt that has been approved to the ECE Regulation 16 or equivalent.
Mums Baby Magazine put the Bubblebum (v2) inflatable booster seat to the test whilst travelling. We were surprised by how small and lightweight the Bubblebum booster seat was whilst in its drawstring bag. The Bubblebum booster seat was very simple to inflate and took just under a minute to blow up to full size, the mouthpiece features a twist nozzle to ensure to secure airflow. Bubblebum states that after the booster seat has been inflated more than twice that it attempts to self inflate (from deflated) when the nozzle is released, it is therefore advisable to ensure the nozzle is twisted closed at all times (other than during inflation). It is essential that adults carry out inflation not children. To deflate the Bubblebum booster seat, simply twist the nozzle, roll the Bubblebum booster seat until deflated and twist the nozzle so that it is secure.
The Bubblebum Booster seat can be used by children who are:
- Between 4-11 years of age
- Between 15-36 kgs
- Measure up to 135cm in height
It is however advised to keep your child in the lowest sized car seat until they reach the maximum measurements for that particular seat. When children outgrow their forward facing seat (usually when they weight between 15-18 kgs) they should ride using booster seats in the back seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly (the lap belt should lay across the bony part of the pelvis/hips and the shoulder belt should go across the chest, never across the face or throat). Children should use a booster seat from around 4 years of age (as most children over the age of four weigh over 40lbs which is the recommended starting point for booster seats to be used) until the vehicle seat belt fits correctly, which is usually when they reach 4 feet 9 inches.It is recommended that children should always be placed in the rear seats of a vehicle and therefore it is not recommended to use this product in the front seat of any vehicle.
The Bubblebum Booster seat is brightly coloured and made from soft fabric thus comfortable for young children whilst seated. The Bubblebum booster seat can be sponge washed and air dried. However, the cover should never be removed for washing or ironed as it is part of the seat itself and machine washing/ ironing this item could interfere with the products performance.It is possible to fit three Bubblebum booster seats across the back seat of a car provided that the car has enough three point seat belts. The Bubblebum Booster seat can be fitted easily by threading the lap belt section of the three point seatbelt through each side of the Bubblebum using the red safety catches and then clicking the seat belt into its holder, it’s simple! The Bubblebum Booster Seat V2 now includes a belt positioning clip which holds the seat belt against your child’s shoulder and away from their neck to prevent them from tucking the seatbelt under their arm (a very dangerous habit which many children seem to carry out during travel).
Mums Baby Magazine were so impressed with the simplicity and ease of the Bubblebum Booster Seat that we gave it 10/10. The Bubblebum Booster Seat is a must have for parents who are regularly on the move or finding themselves having to remember to remove or insert car seats on a regular basis due to transporting children. The Bubblebum Booster Seat is available for £29.99 from www.bubblebum.co.uk Travelling with Tots
- Candy Damask Diaper Diddle £16.90 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- Bobbo the Bear Qatch My Travel Toy £20 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- Choc Buds Large Monkey Foot Wet Bag £16.00 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- My Carry Potty £24.99 (www.mycarrypotty.com)
- Red Polka Dot Miracle Changing Bag City Range £37 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- Tipu Tiger Trunki £34.99 (www.trunki.com)
Cute, contemporary and cuddly. The Qatch ‘My Travel Toy’ is the ideal bedtime buddy for travelling tots!
Contemporary, Cute and Cuddly. Luno the Owl is one of six characters featured in the ‘My Travel Toy’ collection from Qatch. Each Qatch travel toy has a character on the front and a plain side made from velvet soft velour for cozy, comfort whilst sleeping.
Mums Baby Magazine put the Qatch ‘Luno the Owl’ My Travel Toy to the test, we found that was he was an instant hit with our toddler. Firstly, the size of this toy/ pillow is ideal for travel (36cm x 22cm x 12cm). Secondly, the pillow itself is made from soft bamboo and organic cotton velour which has natural hypoallergenic properties and therefore is suitable for little children’s soft skin.
The My Travel Toy isn’t just cute and cuddly, it’s also vibrantly colourful, Luno wears a lime green jumper made from 100% cotton, upon the jumper there are three felt applique shapes, each one varying in colour and shape. Luno the owl is certainly a night time buddy, owl’s are notorious for their night time activities and Luno’s shapes (a flower, a star and a moon) represent the night time.
We were impressed with the design and quality of this toy. The material mainly used to create this product (bamboo velour) is anti-static, anti-fungal and antibacterial. This particular material tends to keep little ones cool when the temperature is raised and warm when the temperature is cooler, thus this item is suitable to be used in any climate.
The My Travel Toy can be washed on a 40 degree Celsius cycle and should be dried naturally. The material (bamboo velour) retains it’s unique hypoallergenic properties even after washing.
Mums Baby Magazine were greatly impressed by the My Travel Toy, we were that impressed that have even added this product to our online shop! One particular element which we like is the decorative stitching around the facial features and shapes upon the jumpers of these toys. The design for the My Travel 
Toy collection is contemporary and unique, these toys/ pillows are characters which we think children and parents alike will love!
Mums Baby Magazine give the Qatch ‘My Travel Toy’ 10/10. Suitable from twelve months onwards, the Qatch ‘My Travel Toys’ are the perfect gift for young children. Each toy/ pillow is beautifully packaged and are currently on sale (down from £22 to £18!) at www.4littletots.co.uk
‘A Simple Way To Teach Your Baby To Love The Water’, Little Dippers ‘Water Babies’ DVD brings water safety home.
Introducing your child to water can be a daunting experience for both parents and child, there are now a variety of swimming programmes designed for parents and babies to attend. ‘Little Dippers’ was founded by Lauren Heston and is now available in a range of locations throughout the UK.
Many parents find it difficult to attend sessions at the pool with their little ones for a number of reasons such as:
- day/ time unsuitable due to work/ family commitments
- no transport
- no lessons available locally
- high prices of sessions
- worry/ anxiety over introducing little ones to water
- worry/ anxiety over taking little one to pool alone
With many parents and children planning vacations this summer, it is worth considering building life saving, water based skills with your little one now before introducing them to water in an unfamiliar location. Almost one third of drowning incidents occur after victims slim or fall from land or structures (built over water). The majority of accidents in water occur at inland locations. A common reason for drowning incidents is the panic response. If little ones are able to learn to relax in water they are less likely to drown.
The Waterbabies DVD enables parents to watch lesson guides from the comfort of their own living room. Filmed by the award-winning ‘Waterbabies’ film team, ‘Waterbabies’ is a step by step guide on how to introduce your little one to water. Featuring Lauren Heston ‘Waterbabies’ uses a fortnightly lesson guide on how to develop your little ones confidence and skills in the water. Although this DVD is designed to last twenty one weeks, it will more than likely take much longer than this depending upon your child’s response and development during the training course.
The DVD begins with a rolling screen of safety information which is hard to take in due to the speed of the text roll, all the safety information is now clearly printed inside the DVD case. It is important to read and follow this information before beginning the Waterbabies course.
- Never leave your little one unsupervised by/ in water.
- Warm up before sessions by using revision and exercises from previous sessions.
- If your child is ill go back a few weeks to rebuild their strength and confidence.
- Ensure that your child is well enough to take part in sessions.
- Stop if your little one is ever displaying signs of stress or fatigue.
- Your child should never be submerged more than eight times.
- Never spend more than thirty minutes in the pool.
The Waterbabies ‘Little Dippers’ course builds ‘Self Rescue’ life saving skills such as
- Building confidence with the sensation of being in water.
- Back Floating
- Holding onto the side of the pool/ a bar
- Turning under water
- Swimming unaided
- How to deal with submergence
- Relaxing in water.
The Waterbabies Course uses ‘Word Association’ as the key stimulus and prompt for learning. Parents are encouraged to adopt a firm and positive voice, throughout the DVD parents are reminded to remain positive, responding to their little ones with reassurance, cuddles and praise.
Throughout the course your little one is aiming to build the four key ‘Self Rescue Skills’ which are:
- Landing in water
- Turning in water
- Coming to the surface and taking a breath
- Holding onto the side
Spending time in the water helps to build children’s lung capacity and increase the strength of their heart. Water based activities are therapeutic for little ones and can also help to improve coordination, confidence and self esteem.
The Waterbabies DVD encourages parents and little ones to have fun in the water together, spending time together in the water is an excellent way in which to bond. Many parents (both Mums and Dads) are featured on the DVD sharing their feelings and thoughts upon the Little Dippers course as they progress. Also featured on this DVD is an interview with Lauren Heston (the founder of Little Dippers), coverage of how the DVD was made and a photo gallery.
Waterbabies is a ‘shared adventure’ which with patience and a positive approach is fun for all involved. It’s never too early to introduce your little one to the water, this DVD offers parents a clear and concise programme which they can then use with their child to develop critical life saving skills.
Available for £18.99 from www.littledippersfilms.co.uk, the Waterbabies DVD teaches you how to turn your little one into a ‘waterbaby’! Alternatively this series is available to download from http://www.littledippersfilms.co.uk/order.php
Taking your Baby Outdoors
The safest environment for your baby is the confines of your own home. Amidst familiar surroundings and under constant supervision, your baby is safe and secure at home. However, there are occasions when you need to take your child outside. After all you cannot have your child locked up indoors all of the time. On those particular occasions, you need to follow a few, simple, precautionary steps to ensure the safety of your child. Especially if you are visiting a place that you have never been to before and are not familiar with, you need to be all the more careful.
Going out in the Car
Since your journey starts with the car, let us first deal with the safety precautions you need to focus on right here. A rear-facing child seat is absolutely mandatory for safe travel as well as for legal compliance. Take care while opening and closing the car door to ensure that the child’s fingers or limbs are not anywhere near the grooves to avoid accidentally jamming them. Once the child is securely placed in the rear-facing seat, remove any loose object in the rear seat, which they might unknowingly pick up and put into their mouth. Loose objects can also fly around and hit them in case the car comes to a sudden halt.
Once you reach your destination, always remove your car keys from the ignition before getting out. There have been instances where car thieves have driven the car off with the toddler when the parent got out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition. So make sure that the car keys are safe with you inside your hand bag before getting out.
Once you are inside the premises of your destination, try as much as possible to keep the child indoors. If you have to stay outdoors, ensure that the child is always under adult supervision. Also look out for dangerous spots like an open pool or a ditch and stay clear off them. Carry the necessary food that your infant is used to as much as possible. If the child is a little older, make sure the food served at the venue would agree well with the child’s constitution. When in doubt, politely decline and choose the food that you are sure would be okay for the child.
If you plan to be out in the sun for a long while, make sure that the infant’s skin is covered with an appropriate sunscreen lotion. Choose the right SPF appropriate for the child and provide adequate protection from the sun.
Sometimes parents are overly protective of their children and never let them have fun whatsoever. You don’t want to go to that extreme either. There is a fine line between being overly cautious and being too careless. You do have to maintain a fine balance between the two to ensure that your child is safe but at the same time is having good fun.
Mums Baby Magazine would like to thank Christian Hill for submitting this article.
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