Summer Travel with Baby, We've Created Your Shopping List!

With Summer holidays pending, as life after lockdown resumes, we’re all excitedly planning our Summer ‘staycation’. Nevermore than now have we appreciated the incredible scenery, sights, history and warmth our little green isle has to offer and let’s all get out and about to enjoy it. For many ‘lock-down babies’ and new parents, this will be their first-ever holiday, so to help prepare for a stress-free staycation with babies and children, we’ve organised our top tips and must-have items for your holiday shopping list. #1 Transporting Baby Car Seats Make sure you have a safe and comfy car seat at the ready, and depending on the age of your baby or child, there are lots of great options available. Rear-facing is the safer option for children for at least the first two years. If your car seat can accommodate longer rear-facing, this is even better. Stage 1 Age 0 - 4 years ( 45cm - 105cm) or ( Max 18kg). Max weight and max height varies per brand and model. Cybex Cloud Z & Base Z Cybex Aton B2 Uppababy Mesa & Base Bugaboo BeSafe Turtle Air & Base Cybex Sirona Z & Base Z ( this seat is also suitable from birth) won’t be suitable to dock onto a pushchair. Cybex Sirona S2 (integrated base) won’t be suitable to dock onto a pushchair. Group 2 Age 4years - 12 years (100cm - 150cm) or (Max 36kg). Max weight and max height varies per brand and model. For older children - these front-facing high back booster seats with side impact protection are a good option. Cybex Solution Z Cybex Pallas G Cybex Pallas S Other things to consider for longer trips a car seat that offers a reclining headrest for naps, a cup holder for their sippy cup or drinks, a cover to protect the seat from snack attack mess and keeping baby cool in hot weather! And for younger babies, don’t forget your car seat adapters, which will allow you to dock your infant car seat onto your pushchair frame. This will create an easy transportation solution for when your baby falls asleep on those relaxing car rides, and you can simply remove your seat from the car and attach it to your pushchair when you arrive at your destination. Learn more about choosing the right car seat with our handy guide here. Compact Stroller Travelling with little people certainly doesn’t mean light packing; with toys, beds, feeding equipment, clothing and everything in between, the car is sure to get jam-packed. Investing in a good quality compact stroller will save lots of space and still provide a compact wheel solution for years to come for those family holiday adventures. Here are our top suggestions; BABYZEN Yoyo2 A lightweight, super-duper compact wheel solution, and when folded, this neat little package even fits into the overhead luggage compartment on an aircraft. Learn more about the Yoyo2 here. You can also include various accessories to make life easier, such as rain covers, footmuffs, buggy boards, bags and more. GB Pockit + One-hand compact fold, for quick and easy storage, the Pockit is an excellent option for light, infrequent use for those family trips. Shop the Pockit + Stoller now. Carrier For hand’s-free walks along the Cliff’s of Moher, beach walks in Donegal or adventurous hikes through the Ring of Kerry, having a carrier handy means your staycation adventures won’t be limited by pushchair resistant terrain. Wearing your baby is also great for bonding time, development and generally makes the baby feel safe, secure and happy out! From birth to 12 Months ( Min. 7 lbs/3.2 kg, max. 25 lbs/11 kg) Babybjorn Carrier Mini Form birth to 15 Months 0 - 15 months ( Min 3,2 kg - max 12 kg) Babybjorn Move Carrier From birth to 3 years ( Min 3,2 kg - max 15 kg From 53 cm ) Babybjorn Harmony Carrier From birth to 3 years ( Min. 8 lbs/21 in (3.5 kg/53 cm) Babybjorn Air Carrier #2 Foldable Travel Cot Compact when folded and quick and easy to set up, two main things to look out for when selecting your travel cot. Opt for a model that includes a good quality safety tested mattress for comfy and safe sleeping. Great for newborns - 9kgs, The Bugaboo Stardust Travel Cot, includes a bassinet attachment positioned higher for easy access to your baby. Later remove the bassinet and use the travel cot up to 15kgs. One movement fold and unfold, the Babybjorn Travel Cot Light, is an all-in-one solution with no upper weight limit. It also includes a handy carry bag for easy storage and transportation. Add a night light and white noise to create the same familiar environment of home and to mask out too much hustle and bustle noise from the hotel. #3 Feeding Time! If your baby is already weaned, the Stokke Clikk Highchair can be unassembled in seconds, and you can pack it away in this handy travel bag for a highchair on the go. Add some cute dinnerware to keep your baby’s holiday mealtimes fun. Don’t forget to pack lots of bibs to save on multiple outfit changes during the day! If you are breast or bottle feeding, the bbhugme Nursing Pillows come with a handy transport bag. These pillows offer adjustable support for parent and baby when feeding; the cover is also removable and machine washable. #4 Bath Time! To make things a lot easier at bath time, bringing your tub will mean the baby can bathe in his/her familiar place; this also helps you to maintain their bedtime bath routine and without too much disruption. The Stokke Flexibath folds flat for easy packing. Or the Shnuggle bath is a low water solution taking just 1 litre to fill. #4 Keeping Them Entertained! Ok, so we know the Irish Sea water can be a little on the chilly side, so if you are staying in an Airbnb or holiday rental, these Liewood Pools are sure to provide hours of water time fun. Add some water toys, a beach bucket set, protective swimwear and a cute little hat for safe fun in the sun! Or for keen little gardeners, this wooden wheelbarrow set is just the ticket for budding Diarmuid Gavin’s. A popup tent can be taken just about anywhere and can even double up as a shelter from warm sunny days. For younger babies, a portable play gym and activity toys are ideal for keeping little adventurers entertained.