Ensuring that baby's needs are met for a trip, it's easy to reach your limit – before you know it, the trunk is full or you're exceeding airline baggage regulations. There may not be room for a stroller, crib, or playpen, let alone the swing, gate, potty seat, or extra toys. Besides baby's comfort, her safety is another travel consideration.
When they first began site inspections, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, in conjunction with the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, found unsafe cribs and play yards in 80% of hotels and motels visited. According to Shane Onufrock, owner of Breezy Baby Travel Co, "All of our equipment is JPMA certified, sanitized, and safety checked after each use. Since we deliver to hotels, motels, and resorts, we have had customers who have felt more comfortable using our cribs instead of hotel or motel porta-cribs because, in many cases, the porta-cribs are not safe for their baby's age and weight."
Baby Gear Rental Agencies
Fortunately, many vacation destinations now offer rental services for up-to-date, safety-checked baby supplies upon arrival. These great services offer a jumpstart on arrangements to make trip-planning less stressful.
Perhaps the largest, Baby's Away is a baby supply rental franchise operating in 30 states with over 70 locations nationwide. Locations deliver equipment straight to customers' accommodations. The franchise's web site provides contact information with links to local travel information.
For visitors to Washington DC and the Northern Virginia suburbs, Breezy Baby Travel Co. (
877/273-3994) features a wide variety of baby equipment and accessories. Breezy Baby delivers to and picks up from hotels, resorts, residences, and the area's three major airports.
Serving the Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale areas of Florida is Baby Borrow Rentals (954/489-0081) which stocks a variety of useful furniture and gear. Visitors to Cape Cod, Massachusetts can check out Auntie Vi's Children's Rental Center (877/677-2742), a long-time supplier of essentials such as bedding, in addition to infant gear. Auntie Vi's site also lists a variety of children's activities to try on Cape Cod.
Bring The Baby! (866/301-BABY or 214/520-0324) is a Dallas-area rental service started by a former travel agent. They offer full-size cribs, port-a-cribs, strollers, high chairs, car seats, swings, safety and baby-proofing items, name brand bouncy seats and more, all sanitized and ready to go. You can request a parcel delivered to your destination, or have this company of moms set up everything before arrival.
In the Phoenix/Scottsdale region where golfers love to take their babies, contact Anything For Baby Inc.(480/515-9783; 877/515-9783), who package all the essentials -- the top name brand crib, car seat, high chair, stroller, as well as two accessory items of your choice -- for $99.95 per week.
Planning a trip to Alaska? Tiny Tourist (907/696-2821) welcomes visitors from the lower 48 as well as international locations to Anchorage by offering free pick up, set up and delivery of everything from baby backpacks to cribs, to strollers and toys for infants and toddlers. Their items are cleaned, sanitized, and inspected for defects after every rental, and Tiny Tourist will try to accommodate any special requests for items not on their list.
Traveling with your baby to LaLa Land? The Traveling Baby Co.(800/304-4866) delivers high quality equipment that meets all current safety standards straight to your Los Angeles, California hotel or relative's home. Recent locations have been opened in Colorado, New Mexico, Washington and Washington D.C. And in their hopes of even further expansion, The Traveling Baby Co. plans to serve Florida, New York and Utah as well.
Vacationers to the South Walton area of Florida will welcome the services of Babies-n-Town (800/294-6388 or 850/267-2346) whose rental items are certified by either JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Assocation) or ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). Top of the line items range from high chairs to cribs and strollers (including jogging strollers), and other basic baby gear. Rental bicycles are available for both kids and adults (including those toting toddlers), all of which come with free helmets. Rentals are structured on a weekly basis and items are delivered to your accommodations before you arrive, so all you have to do is relax.
Baby on the Move (877/572-BABY) helps make a trip to the Canadian Rockies a breeze. Choose to pick-up/drop-off your gear at the Calgary International Airport or the company's offices, or opt for delivery to your hotel or host's home. These choices make it convenient to get all your equipment for sleeping, plus feeding, carrying, bathing, strolling, safe-keeping and entertaining your tiny travelers. All items are newly purchased, manufactured in the past year, cleaned and sanitized. The owner's credo is that they rent it only "if I would let my kid use that." Visit their site for more information and a helpful guide to kid's activities in Calgary and the Rocky Mountains.
Finally, for babies traveling both domestically and abroad, visit www.thenewparentsguide.com for links to baby supply renters in several states and countries. Check individual sites for specific product availability, since renters provide an amazing diversity of items!
Other Baby Gear Resources
JetSetBabies (866/990-1811) is a baby product delivery service which ships baby food, diapers and toiletries to a destination in advance of your arrival. Products in a wide variety of brands can be ordered through their website. JetSetBabies is currently working with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Stellar Villas Inc. to supply the needs of the younger traveling guests.
Another newcomer to the field is Babies Travel Lite (888/450-LITE), which delivers your choice of baby supplies, toys and gear, for a fee, to any destination in the US. Their website is simple to use and offers pre-packed bundles (see left - baby not included) as well as individual items.
Families heading abroad certainly will appreciate similar services from Bebebel (0034 661 575 532) a company based in Spain that sells a large range of UK and internationally branded baby products, including allergy-free and organic food items, diapers, swim diapers and more, that can be delivered to any European destination. In addition, basic baby paraphernalia for sleeping, feeding and playing can be rented through Bebel for certain locations. Visit their site to learn about their offerings, plus shipping costs.
And don't forget, if none of these fine services work for you, ask your hosts (relatives, friends, or hotel concierge) to give you phone numbers for a local party supply company. Often, you can rent baby gear and car seats that meet current safety standards from them.
After all, Ms. Parker adds, "Parents on vacation should be able to relax and know that their child is sleeping in a safe crib, with safe bedding."
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