Families with young children need gear when they’re away from home. That’s a fact of life for family travel. The basics, like car seats, strollers and cribs or Pack ‘n Plays, are deal breakers — there can be no vacation without them. Consumables like diapers, baby food and drinks are daily necessities, but too bulky to bring along in large quantities and sometimes challenging to locate at vacation destinations, especially if parents have strong brand preferences.
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Do You Have Gear Stress?
Many parents can relate to the hassle of trudging through a busy airport with luggage, babies and bulky baby gear. Even thinking about it can be stressful — calling to mind images of “The Stroller Mom,” an unintentional social media star who recently wept her way into our collective parenting psyche after facing struggles simply trying to get her two babies and her gear on board a plane.
Hauling baby gear around the country is a lot of work and not the ideal beginning for a relaxing family vacation. According to a Mastercard survey, 89% of Americans are stressed out about planning family vacations. And according to the family vacation blog Clanventure, 80% of vacationing families they surveyed said their main vacation rental problem is lack of baby gear. Why so much stress over gear?
Baby gear provides comfort, convenience and let’s face it, much happier kids. Imagine a child’s excitement from discovering a giant bin stuffed with toys in their hotel room or a wagon filled with beach toys at their vacation rental. If parents could snap their fingers and effortlessly summon to their hotel or vacation rental equipment like infant swings and bathtubs, play mats and exersaucers, high chairs and booster seats — or even potty chairs for families with toddlers in training — wouldn’t they?
What Do You Need to Bring?
Quality baby equipment offers everyone, especially mom and dad, the conveniences and comforts of home while on vacation. Want to keep up with a daily running routine? Then a Bob stroller is a must-have. Committed to taking day-long hikes on local trails? Parents will want a high-end baby backpack that is comfortable for both child and carrier.
Even more importantly for parents, having the right baby equipment on a family vacation helps babies and toddlers sleep through the night and stay happily occupied during the day. When that happens, everyone gets to rest and recharge and truly enjoy their special family time together. That’s what vacations are all about — magical, stress-free family time and the making of lasting happy memories.
Thanks to the collaborative economy, parents can now pack ultralight and travel far and easy with their babies, relying on local folks to rent, deliver and set up all the clean, quality baby equipment they need to enjoy their vacation, and then return to pick it up on departure day. That’s a lot of convenience without the hassle of lugging it through the airport, not to mention the cost to check it as additional baggage.
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Gear You Can Rent
We have some good news for you! Parents can now easily and affordably rent it at destinations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Even better, in many cases this gear can be delivered and set up at a family’s hotel or rental property in advance of arrival. Here’s a list of what not to pack when travelling with little ones:
- Full-size wooden crib with a quality mattress and soft sheets
- Toddler bed, maternity pillow and video monitor
- Infant swing and baby bathtub
- Stroller, high chair and car seat
- Exersaucer, play mat and jumparoo for active little ones
- Diaper changing table, pad and diaper pail
- A step stool (for reaching the sink) and potty chair
- Diapers, wipes and toiletries
- Baby food, water, high chairs and booster seats
- Ride-on toy, wagon and baby backpack
- Bath toys, beach toys and indoor toys
- Games and books
Sometimes families renting baby gear at their vacation destination can fly with carry-on luggage only, because baby gear rental companies are addressing needs well beyond gear. Parents can purchase diapers, food and drinks, toiletries for themselves and their children, and rent child-sized dishes and kid-friendly cutlery on a baby gear rental platform. Sometimes even snow suits and other winter-weather gear can be rented.
Millennial parents are comfortable with the concept of borrowing vs. buying. They’re already avid users of the collaborative economy. They place the family dog in an animal-friendly home via Rover, grab a Lyft at the airport and stay at an Airbnb. Borrowing baby gear aligns with their beliefs about sharing and their focus on experiences over owning (and lugging) things.
Pack light and travel easy on your next family vacation. Focus on having fun together and making lasting happy memories. We’ve got you covered for baby gear.
This story was provided by Babierge. Visit the Babierge website to learn more about vacation baby gear rentals.