Baby Scoop | Albums

The babyScoop’s Hot Product Picks on Canada AM

People often ask us about the hot new products for babies, or about the products that parents seem to love the most. We recently visited CTV’s Canada am to share thebabyScoop’s hot product picks for spring. In doing our research (and we searched the world over), we were struck by how many of the most innovative and forward-thinking products were designed by Canadians.

The big driving trends continue: products that are designed to fit into parents’ lifestyle (with a definite emphasis on style!), eco-friendly products that are good for both the environment and baby (and let us poor, worrying parents sleep at night). And, lastly, that the people we rely on most for the best advice and recommendations are other parents. Their experience, unabashed honesty (and product reviews, of course) are priceless.

The following 10 products are our top picks for spring 07 --we chose them for their innovation, functionality, and design style. But as always, what people really want to know is what other parents think of these items -- do they really work and, if so, for how long? Go on, tell us what you really think.

Babylon Highchair by Argington

The eco-friendly trend has definitely hit the baby category, making for products that are both better for the environment AND better for our children. The new Babylon highchair is not only a stylish addition to any urban interior (from what we’ve heard, dads particularly love it!), it’s also made of 99% wood from renewable forests and features a non-toxic finish. The cool thing is that it adjusts to 9 different positions from bar height to coffee table so you can use it for many years over.
www.argington.com

Parade Organic Baby Clothing

Ok, ok, we know there is a lot of cute baby clothing out there. But parade organics, a Canadian company, has taken it a step further with their line of pure and playful certified organic clothing for babies and toddlers. Not only is organic cotton super soft against your baby’s skin, but it is also far more durable than processed cottons. And even with a host of new, stylish products ready to hit the stores, we are still huge fans of the adorable original outfits with the nickname monikers like monkey, buttercup and little sprout.
www.parade.ca

Dear johnnies Hospital Gown

Not to be vain, but we can’t help cringing when we look back at those first newborn pictures taken in the hospital in those horrifying, sack-like gowns. Leave it to a mom to come up with a stylish “designer” version of the hospital gown in comfy cotton with full rear coverage and a flattering shape. Guaranteed, your dearjohnnies gown will be the first item that you pack into your overnight bag in preparation for that all-important delivery!
www.dearjohnnies.com

The Quinny Zapp Stroller

For today’s on-the-go parents, the Quinny Zapp is a great option when your baby is ready to move on to an umbrella stroller. As the world’s most compact-folding stroller, it is easy to stash in the trunk of a small car, the corner of your front hallway (along with all of the other gear and paraphernalia) – it even fits into overhead plane storage during a transatlantic flight. Plus, it’s super light to maneuver and has a unique design that people stop us on the street to ask about all the time.
www.quinny.com

Candeloo Lights by Vessel

Yet another Canadian designer (living in Boston) is responsible for these portable, low-voltage nightlights that bring function, form and fun together into a single product. Available in lots of playful colours, the candeloo lights are perfect for those brave, middle-of-the night trips to the bathroom.
www.vessel.com

Dwellbaby Crib Bedding

We love how Dwell has brought modern textile design and contemporary styling to the world of baby bedding. In addition to the cute boy and girl selections, many of the sets are unisex and fit incredibly well into the modern home (great if you want to start decorating but don’t know if you’ve got a girl or a boy on the way). Plus, stylish bedding is a great way to dress up an inexpensive crib, or simply refresh your nursery without a lot of intensive labour (no pun intended!).
www.dwellshop.com

Pee-pee Teepee

Sick of being showered by your baby boy at every diaper change? Protect yourself with the ingenious Pee-pee Teepee, a miniature fabric cone (fully washable and reusable) designed to fit comfortably over your little guy’s wee-wee. Another Canadian invention, this is a fun gift to give and one you can be sure will become a permanent fixture on every recipient’s change table.
www.bebabean.com

Kawaii Kimono by Lucky Wang

We think this adorable baby kimono offers a new take on the traditional christening gown. Made in colours for both girls and boys, the asian-inspired styling is so cute that we wish they made them in adult sizes. And, although we hate to admit that packaging can sway our decisions, we have to tip our hats to the adorable sushi takeout container that every kawaii kimono comes in.
www.luckywang.com

BabyLegs

With a nod to Flashdance, now your own “little Maniac” can be trendy and warm in a pair of funky BabyLegs legwarmers. Designed in dozens of patterns (a pair for each day of the week…), they have a ton of useful benefits from keeping little legs warm in winter, to protecting baby knees from scrape and bruises. And, one size can be worn from infancy up to 10 years old – how’s that for eco-friendly?
www.babylegs.ca

Pineapple Cove Diaper Wallet

WARNING: this product definitely isn’t for dad! Sometimes you just don’t want to carry a bulky diaper bag with you when you’re heading out on the town, but, you still need to bring along a supply of diapers and wipes. Pineapple Cove’s vintage-inspired clutches are ultra-feminine, practical and great for spring. Even better…when your baby grows out of the diaper stage you can continue to use it to stylishly stash your own stuff.
www.pineapplecove.com