Baby Must-Haves for the New Year! Our Buyers’ Picks for the Best Baby Gear of 2015

Jill in action at the ABC Kids Expo.

UPDATE 10/9/15: THE CYBEX ATON CLOUD Q IS EXPECTED TO BE AVAILABLE IN FEBRUARY 2016.

UPDATE 3/16/15: THE CAR SEAT BASE IS INCLUDED WITH THE DOONA, BUT DOES NOT HAVE A LOAD LEG. ALSO, DOONA WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE IN CANADA. SEE UPDATED INFO AND PLACE YOUR PREORDER HERE.

UPDATE: THE DOONA INFANT CAR SEAT IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-SALE. PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY!

Every baby in the world wants the same things: warm snuggles, a bounce on your lap, a belly full of milk, a clean diaper, a cozy swaddle, and a lullaby as the light is fading at dusk. Parenting priorities are universal as well: babies must be fed, and babies must be safe. And every parent, everywhere, loves to show off their newly-minted offspring to the world.

As with all of the baby gear we sell, our top picks for the next year help you meet all of these important priorities with ease and with style. What makes these products special? Our head buyer, Jill, selected these hot products as the best of the best because, simply put, they perform all of the expected functions just a little bit better (and a few of them perform a LOT better) . Read ahead and you’ll see what I mean!

STROLLERS

Bugaboo Runner Jogging Stroller Extension
We introduced the Bugaboo Runner back in September, straight from the release party at the ABC Kids Expo, and we can’t wait to introduce it to you in person!

Bugaboo’s first entry into the athletic world is a jogging frame that works with any Bugaboo stroller seat, so you don’t have to buy a whole other stroller in order to jog with your child. Of course, since it’s from Bugaboo, it brings exceptional quality, engineering, and new innovations to the table: you can jog with your child rear-facing as well as forward-facing, it has a speed-control brake on the handlebar, a tracking control enables you to correct sideways drift, and of course, built-in suspension and huge air-filled tires give your child an exceptionally smooth ride.

We expect the Bugaboo Runner to be available in April or May of 2015. Want updates? Sign up here!

Baby Jogger Vue Lite Umbrella Stroller 
The Vue Lite is the even-lighter update on Baby Jogger’s Vue, which was the first umbrella stroller with a reversible seat! The Vue Lite weighs only 14 pounds, and the design has been tweaked so it’s even easier to use (reversing the canopy is now much simpler). We love the fresh new colors, and $179.99 is a great price point. We expect the first Vue Lite strollers to hit our shelves around January or February – sign up here for updates!

UPPAbaby G-LINK Double Umbrella Stroller 
Customers have been asking us for years: UPPAbaby makes some of the best fully-featured umbrella strollers on the market, but when are they going to offer a double? The wait is almost over: the UPPAbaby G-LINK, a twin version of the beloved G-LUXE, is coming this summer!

The G-LINK is expected to weigh about 20 pounds, but packs a ton of features into that itty-bitty package: flat independent reclines, independent height-adjustable canopies, high-performance wheels, a standing fold, a removable cup-holder… basically, this is the double umbrella stroller that you WANT. Hear about it first by signing up here!

Orbit Baby O2 Jogging Stroller 
2015 seems to be the year that major stroller manufacturers are diving into the world of joggers, but Orbit took exactly the opposite approach of Bugaboo: while the Bugaboo Runner optimizes jogging with a frame that’s meant for jogging and nothing else, the Orbit Baby O2 is designed with the goal of making a better jogger that also works as a better city stroller. They’re both great ideas – and like the Runner, the O2 lets you jog with your child facing you, a feature we never saw in any jogging stroller before this year. Kids who don’t like wind in their face can watch Mom jogging instead, and kids who want to see the world can do that too. Cool, right?

You can read more about the Orbit Baby O2 Jogging Stroller here. We’re not absolutely sure when in the spring or summer of 2015 it will be appearing, but you can sign up for updates here!

(Oh, and one more thing: I don’t have a good picture to demonstrate this, but Orbit reps and other observers at the ABC Expo agree with me that in jogging mode, the O2 looks a bit like the Batmobile. We have yet to encounter a toddler who wouldn’t think that was awesome.)

CAR SEATS

Cybex Cloud Q Infant Car Seat 
Now here’s a serious piece of innovation for you: this 2015 update on the Cybex Aton Q is an infant car seat that effectively turns into a carrycot or bassinet, with a completely unique lie-flat mode, so that when your baby is out of the car but still in her seat, she’s optimally positioned for comfort, spinal development, and growth. Watch Eli demonstrate it here! A bit of genius: it’s not actually possible to put the Cloud Q back into your car while it’s in lie-flat mode, whether you’re using the base or not, so sleep-deprived parents won’t absent-mindedly put it back in wrong.

Plus, the Cybex Cloud Q has all the same premium safety, comfort, and convenience features as the Aton Q – the Linear Side Impact system, a load leg, automatic seat depth adjustment with a no-rethread harness, easy installation with or without the base, an extra-large canopy, luxurious fabrics, and some of the coolest styling you’ll see on any car seat anywhere. This is pretty much the definition of a hot new product! We don’t know when we’ll be getting our first Cloud Q, but you can sign up here so we can send you updates when we have them.

Doona, the Infant Car Seat That Turns Into A Stroller
If you’re a regular follower of Spilling the Beans, then you already know about the Doona, since we’ve talked about it a lot, and for good reason: it’s the first infant car seat with integrated wheels, taking the “system” out of the travel system! By transforming into a stroller, the Doona car seat eliminates the extra frame from the travel system, which is going to be especially useful for air travel. If you’re going places with baby, don’t leave Doona behind!

While we’re incredibly eager to sell them, we’re glad that the Doona company is taking such care to perfect the product before they release it. The version we’ve seen is already extraordinarily good: it functions exceptionally well as both a stroller and a car seat, with a smooth push, an easy install, and great safety features. The most recent release date we’ve heard estimates that the Doona will appear around April of 2015. For up-to-the-minute updates, sign up here!

BABY CARRIERS

Lillebaby CarryOn Toddler Carrier
As she’s written here on Spilling the Beans, our head buyer Jill is a big fan of Lillebaby carriers, and she’s just one of many moms psyched to start using the CarryOn, which is optimized for carrying toddlers! Lillebaby’s awesome lumbar support will help you carry more weight, and the roomy torso and wider seat will provide plenty of room for a growing baby. The Lillebaby CarryOn is expected around January or February of 2015, and will retail from $139.99.

NURSERY

Bugaboo Stand 
Along with the Runner extension, the Bugaboo Stand is another new innovation from Bugaboo that extends the use of your stroller seat: it doubles as a bassinet stand (so baby can nap anywhere in the house, and sleep in your room at night) and, with any Bugaboo stroller seat, as a high chair. It makes it easy to scoot your child right up to the dinner table or a restaurant table, it folds nicely for storage, and it’s super-sturdy and easy to set up. The Stand should appear this spring – sign up for updates here!

Aden + Anais Toddler Bed in a Bag
Utilizing the same super-soft cotton muslin and gorgeous patterns as your favorite Aden + Anais swaddling blankets, this bedding set includes an innovative “combo sheet” that combines a fitted and flat sheet into one, plus a toddler pillow, toddler pillowcase, and toddler Dream blanket. It will be available in 8 print options, both organic and non-organic. These sets should appear on our shelves around February 2015.

4moms Mamaroo Baby Bouncer with Bluetooth
Control your Mamaroo’s motion and sounds from your phone! This way, you don’t need to tiptoe into the room and risk waking your baby (and oh god, never wake the baby!) in order to switch the settings. Just another high-tech innovation from the geniuses at 4moms! The new Mamaroo also has a refreshed look and new fabrics, and should appear around January 2015.

Monte Design Rockwell Bassinet
Oh my goodness, isn’t this bassinet gorgeous? Made with an incredibly sleek and elegant combination of walnut and chrome, it is truly “synonymous with ultimate modern luxury.” As with all Monte premium nursery furniture, it’s handmade in Canada with sustainable, high-quality materials. We’re hoping to start selling the first bassinets this coming spring or summer.

Nuna Leaf Wind Accessory 
The Nuna Leaf Floating Baby Lounger is already a top-rated, best-selling baby product, and amazingly enough, the folks at Nuna found a way to make it even better! While the Leaf sways gently side-to-side for up to three minutes with one push, you may need to leave the room or attend to other business while baby wants to be rocked, and that’s where the Wind comes in: this simple device rocks the Leaf for you, with 6 adjustable speeds. Easy and breezy! We expect it to drift into our stores this spring.

Oeuf Fawn Bassinet to Crib 
Convert your gorgeous Oeuf bassinet into a crib in a few quick steps! This is optimal for parents who want the option of keeping the baby in their room for the first few months, and don’t want to buy a separate bassinet and crib, and it has that Oeuf look that we love, with beautiful clean lines. We expect it to be available in birch and white finishes, and to appear starting in spring or summer 2015.

BATHTIME

Boon Soak Bath Tub
As handy as a baby bathtub can be, most of them are only useful for a short period of time. Not the Soak: this nifty 3-stage convertible tub adapts to fit a newborn OR a toddler! Non-slip foam and an adjustable bump help to keep baby safely positioned, the tub fits into most double sinks, and the drain plug changes colors to gauge temperature. You’ll see it on our shelves starting around March 2015.

FEEDING

Wow Gear Baby Cup
Skip the sippy and go straight to the Wow cup! The spill-free lid helps toddlers develop the coordination to transition to a regular cup sooner, and prevents potential orthodontic issues that can come along with straws and spouts. The ergonomic handle design makes it easier for babies to grip and drink with confidence.

Oh, and about that spill-free lid? See it in action in this gloriously dorky retro commercial! (This detailed review also shows you how it works.)

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