Important Information From Valco Baby

Dear Valco Baby Customers,

Valco Baby is a family owned and operated brand that has been manufacturing and distributing baby products for more than thirty years. Our products are designed for your children as well as our own and we take tremendous pride in developing the highest quality and safest products for all of them.

When we received word from Consumer Reports (published online April 16 2010) that lab tests indicated that the front napper bar of the Tri Mode Single ATS did not meet the current voluntary ASTM safety standards and posed a potential safety risk, we immediately went to work with our factory to pinpoint the origin of the problem and design a solution. We plan to announce the solution and have the fix available as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, we want to stress that Valco Baby has not received reports of injuries related to the front napper bar and assure our customers that the problem is strictly related to the front bar and not to the design of the stroller. If you are concerned by the possible risk, there are two immediate and simple steps you can take to provide a short-term solution: 1. Remove the front bar and 2. Always use the Tri Mode's five-point safety harness. Valco Baby's five-point safety harness is designed with safety in mind to make it easy for parents and nearly impossible for young children to unfasten.

We promise to keep you up-to-date on our efforts to resolve this problem and we welcome your inquiries. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to send us an email at customercare@valcobaby.com or call us at 800-610-7850.

Sincerely,

The Valco Baby Team

ERGObaby Statement After Reccent Baby Carrier Recalls

ERGObaby has worked hard to promote Babywearing because of the tremendous benefit to our global family. Education is paramount in helping parents make the best decisions for themselves and their babies and it has always been a part of our mission. We are very saddened by the loss of babies over the years from suffocation in bag slings. It is our responsibility as a manufacturer to stress the incredible benefits of keeping our babies close to us in a safe and secure manner.

ERGObaby is taking the following steps to respond to the negative press:

1. One of the greatest gifts anyone can be given is the opportunity to be a parent. I remember when my son was only a few days old, sound asleep in his bassinet; my strong desire to pick him up and hold him close to my heart dominated any other need. My mothering instinct to keep him safe, secure and content has always been my driving force, and when I started ERGObaby, my intention was to create a product that would promote and enhance the ability of parents to safely and comfortably keep their babies close to them as often as possible. Eight years later, my research into the science behind babywearing has affirmed my mothering instincts. I know, beyond a doubt, that bonding with and nurturing our babies from infancy with the help of babywearing is absolutely the best way. read more...

2. We have clearly defined the three categories of carriers: Soft Structured Carriers, Wraps and Slings.

3. We are bringing to the forefront our significant research and certifications.

4. We are highlighting our perspective on safety issues with an essay on safety and information on correct positioning in slings.

We hope you find this helpful in answering any questions you might be receiving regarding the recent warnings.

Click this link to learn more about the ERGOBaby Carriers.

Bugaboo statement on Graco® SnugRide® 35 Infant Car Seat

Bugaboo has discovered that the latest Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat does not have a smooth fit with the two Bugaboo car seat adapters for Graco. Although the Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat fits onto the adapters, it requires more force than Bugaboo considers to be user-friendly and to properly click the infant car seat onto the adapters. Bugaboo is designing new car seat adapters that will give the most user-friendly connection between all Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seats and the adapters. The expected launch of these adapters is scheduled for Summer 2010. In the meantime, Bugaboo’s current adapters for the Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seats can still be sold. Consumers who are using Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seats in combination with Bugaboo adapters must at all times make sure they hear a click as proof of proper attachment, as described in the user guide. If these clicks do not occur, the Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat might not be safely attached to the Bugaboo stroller.

Question & Answers

Does this affect the Bugaboo car seat adapters for all strollers? It does affect the car seat adapters for the Bugaboo Cameleon/Bugaboo Frog and the Bugaboo Bee. The adapter for the new Bugaboo Bee + will have the revised design.

Do retailers have to swap their stock? No, the current Bugaboo car seat adapters can still be sold. Consumers who are using a Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seat in combination with Bugaboo adapters must at all times make sure they hear two clicks as proof of proper attachment, as described in the user guide.

Will consumers having purchased the current adapters for use in combination with the Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat be able to exchange it with new adapters? No, the current Bugaboo adapter can be used in combination with the Graco SnugRide 35 Infant Car Seat if properly attached by hearing two clicks. There is no need to exchange this adapter.

Which Graco SnugRide Infant Car Seats require more force than normal to click onto the car seat adapters? The Graco SnugRide 35 and the Graco SnugRide 32 Infant Car Seats require more force than Bugaboo considers to be user-friendly. The Graco Snugride 22 Infant Car Seat does give optimal consumer-friendliness.