The folks at Britax recently sent me their new Britax Boulevard CS to check out. The CS stands for Britax’s new Click and Safe snug harness indicator, a smart new feature which helps address one of the big problems with the misuse of child car seats. There are two factors that will make a safe car seat unsafe and those are improper installation and having the harness belt too loose. As I have discussed on many occasions, Britax seats are the easiest on the market to install. With the CS, Britax has now addressed the issue of the harness. The Click and Safe feature is an audible aide to help determine when the harness is secure by clicking when the harness straps are snug; it’s very simple and effective and helps parents ensure that their child is secure. Basically, when you hear the click, you know you can stop tightening. Kudos for Britax for adding this feature. If you have the room in your car, The Britax Boulevard CS is the best bet for a seat to carry your kids from a backward facing seat through to a traditional booster while keeping them in a five point harness, thanks to its high weight limits.

Compare Britax Convertible Car Seats or read the Britax Boulevard Review

The stroller market has gotten very competitive with new models showing up on the street all the time. We already have quite a few strollers in the rotation, so when the folks at Bumbleride asked me to test out their new Indie Stroller, I was curious to see how it differentiated itself from the competition. After a few months of real-world testing, the review is in and I am happy to report that the Indie is now my favorite standard stroller. The Indie is a great option for parents who need a stroller that can do a little bit of everything and also has a great universal infant seat attachment.

Read the Full Review

The best baby gift is something original that you can give to all your friends and relatives without having to worry that they already have it. For years, when our friends have had second kids, my wife has given them matching T-shirts embroidered with the children’s names. These have always been a big hit, so we were excited when the folks at Fill In The Blankie offered to send me a sample customized blanket. Back in the baby blanket market with baby No. 3, we were happy to hear that their blankets come in a variety of colors and fabrics personalized around the border.

The blanket features so much text that it reads like a story, making it one of the few gifts I have seen that is both functional and a keepsake at the same time. In addition to the name, birthday and weight, the blanket can also incorporate information about siblings, parents, etc. The order form is simple and easy to use, so you can be done with your order in minutes. Also, the blanket comes very nicely wrapped with instructions, making a great first impression. I want to thank the folks at Fill in the Blankie.

If you are the creative type and want a great personal gift that is wearable for either the baby or older siblings, Threadsmith.com is another great option. They recently added a line of American Apparel baby clothing, which can be customized in real time from scratch or from one of their many templates. Shipping is fast and their Flash-based design tool shows all of your work in real time so you can see how the product will come out.

With these great options from Fill in the Blankie and Threadsmith, there are no more excuses for lame baby gifts.

The New Safeguard Hybrid Booster is my favorite new product for 2008. Car seat shopping is complicated by products that try to be all things to all people, which inherently involves sacrifices. Infant seats are in a class of their own, but what comes next is a rear-facing convertible, a front-facing convertible (with varying weight limits) and then a booster. Hybrids attempt to cross two of these three stages, which is about as much as they can do well.

The new Safeguard Hybrid Go Booster is a great product which serves as a hybrid convertible/booster. It’s a great option for parents looking for the safety of a five point harness with the smaller size and mobility of a booster. This Safeguard is a great product which parents will love.

Read the Full Safegaurd Hyrbid Go Review

I have been asked on a few occasions about adding a jogging stroller to my list of baby gear reviews. Given that we aren’t big joggers, this was not something we had in the stable. However, after talking with many friends, asking Bobby’s Best vendors about their best sellers and testing out a few models, I have added the Bob Revolution Jogging Stroller to the Baby Gear page. The Bob Revolution is the best balance of both price and features for parents looking for a jogging stroller.

Read the Bob Revolution Review