Let’s talk crash tests: the Graco 4Ever (the previous version, before Graco added the Extend2Fit) scored “Best” on Consumer Reports latest third-party crash tests—that’s impressive. Sometimes, the simpler the baby product, the better. Case in point: Fisher-Price’s Soothing Motions Bassinet. Basically, this is a simple bassinet with mesh sides, swing motion, vibration and lullabies. It came out tops in our testing for ease of use and overall quality. Here’s more: What We Liked Hats. Believe it or not, you’ll still want a light cap for your baby in the early months of life, even if you live in a hot climate. Babies lose a large amount of heat from their heads, so protecting them with a cap or bonnet is a good idea. And don’t expect to go out for a walk in the park without the baby’s sun hat either. When it comes to keeping children entertained, a little imagination goes a long way, so to help keep kids inspired for hours, look no further than B&M’s incredible range of toys and games! Receiving Blankets. You’ll need these small, cotton blankets for all kinds of uses: to swaddle the baby, as a play quilt, or even for an extra layer of warmth on a cold day.

The EveryStage is a big seat—we measured the shell at 32″ long when used in a rear-facing recline mode. Yes, folks that is nearly THREE FEET. Hence, we see complaints from parents that this seat either doesn’t fit or is a tight fit in small to mid-size vehicles. However, this is an issue with all all-in-one car seats, which need larger shells to accommodate those older kiddos in booster seat mode. As a comparison, the Evenflo EveryStage is at 19″ wide at its widest point with the cupholders; the Graco Extend2Fit is 20″ wide. Also: if your teething baby decides to munch on the crib rail, the finish will most likely come off. It isn’t a health hazard (the paint is non-toxic), but this has alarmed more than a few parents. (If teething is an issue, you can use a cloth rail cover). Rear-facing to 40 lbs. It is safest for infants and toddlers to ride rear-facing as long as you can—and this seat’s 40 lb. rear-facing limit allows extended rear-facing use.

Table of Contents

Sweaters. How many? Most parents will find one sweater is plenty (they’re nice for holiday picture sessions). Avoid all- white sweaters for obvious reasons! Sounds/lights turn off after 30 minutes. This is a battery saving feature, of course. But it also means kiddos can wake up when this stops! Invest your money in hotels and houses and watch the cash roll in as players land on your property! The big headline with Evenflo’s All-in-One Convertible seat, the Evenflo EveryStage, is the in-seat recline. While the seat is being used rear-facing in infant car seat mode, the in-seat recline angles baby to the appropriate angle internally. There is also an external five-position recline when the seat is used facing forward as a convertible seat. In our testing, this was impressive and easy to use.

Easy pour. Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Can you get the formula from the dispenser into the baby bottle without banging it around to get the last little bits? Twist test. Does the lid twist easily to the next compared to competitors? You don’t want to develop carpal tunnel syndrome from your formula dispenser. How many? Since these are really play clothes and small infants don’t do a lot of playing, we recommend you only buy two to four coveralls for babies less than four months of age. However, if your child will be going into daycare at an early age, you may need to start with four to six coveralls. Easy to trip over legs. For stability reasons, this bassinet has long legs on its base—and those are easy to trip over in the middle of the night.Legs can be a tripping hazard. The exterior poles of this travel crib extend at an angle from the base—and you can trip on them if not careful.