5 Major Baby Gear Trends We Spotted at the ABC Kids Expo

Boasting a slimmer profile and smaller footprint than their larger counterparts, midsized strollers might just be the Goldilocks choice for many families. We found the new Chicco Bravino and the Uppababy Kona strollers to walk the line between lightweight and full-sized—without sacrificing parent- and caregiver-friendly features. Both are compact and adaptable, and easy to fold, with travel-system compatibility, a flat recline for use from birth, large canopies, and a massive storage basket. These new entries in the stroller derby are both highly functional and ideal for daily use, and won’t take up a ton of space in your trunk or entryway. 

Baby gear companies are turning their focus to grow-with-you products. A higher volume of multistage gear was on full display. Bouncers that transform into high chairs, car seats that become strollers, bassinets that merge into full-sized cribs and toddler beds (and beyond). From a sustainability perspective, the rise in baby gear with a longer lifespan is a big win—and could benefit families on a budget, offering more value over the product’s lifecycle.

We’ve already seen some of these highly convertible items come into our labs, like the Chicco bassinet that doubles as a changing table, the Elvie Rise that converts easily from bassinet to bouncer and back, and the Maxi-Cosi Moa high chair that turns into a step stool and toddler table. We’re also seeing a range of new strollers designed to be used from birth—sans infant child car seat. The Uppababy Kona and Chicco Bravino both come with pop-up pramettes that can lie flat to be used for a baby under 6 months. The built-in adaptability helps parents get more years of use out of the gear they buy—and often results in better-made products, as they’re designed for years of use.

Here’s a look at the grow-with-me products we’re interested in getting a closer look at in the Consumer Reports labs in the months to come: 

We spotted a few new breast pumps that seemed to fulfill the assignment: to show up for pumping parents with features and accessories that are truly useful. The new Momcozy Wellness W1 pump incorporates a heating element with massage to encourage letdown. The Australian brand Lacevo debuted an all-black pump (no pink in sight!) that comes with a chic case to store six sets of flange sizes—because your breasts may change significantly throughout your pumping career. And a collection of new breast pumps from Boon (you likely know their grass-themed bottle drying rack), known as Modo, is designed for pumping across a range of pump types depending on what you need: a portable pump with a ring-shaped motor you can wear around your wrist, an in-bra wearable you can control with a remote, or an in-bra manual pump for quick sessions. These kinds of versatile, helpful features are taking breast pumps in the right direction.

Bottles for babies with colic can help limit the amount of air a baby takes in while feeding, reducing gas in the process. But the common problem is usually the sheer number of parts to clean. The category seems to have gotten a makeover recently, with brands addressing the problem in new ways. The Spanish brand Suavinex showcased its Zero Zero Anti-Colic Bottle, representing “zero colic” and “zero nipple confusion.” Designed with a medical-grade silicone pouch inside the bottle, the pouch collapses as the baby sucks, reducing the amount of air within. An asymmetrical nipple and variation in nipple shades are designed to help avoid nipple confusion. Safety 1st debuted its first-ever line of baby bottles at the ABC Expo, featuring a vent in the base to help minimize air intake during feeding. The bottles use only a few parts, designed for ease of cleaning. 

Options for rotating car seats have increased exponentially across every category: There are now rotating infant car seats, rotating convertible car seats, and even rotating all-in-ones designed for use from birth to booster. We saw variations on the theme at this year’s expo, with newcomers like the Britax Galaxy 360 Slim, a convertible car seat that revolves around a steel ring, designed to be smoother and sturdier over time compared with a plastic rotation mechanism, and built-in tether tensioning to help caregivers achieve a tight installation. The Galaxy360+ will come with a load-leg base, too. We also saw updated car seats like the Cybex Callisto T 360 (CR has tested the Cybex Callisto G 360), now with a spring-loaded harness that snaps back after you unbuckle it, making the process of getting little ones into and out of the car a bit easier.