By Nicole Kitzman: Baby Gear Product Expert and Director of Lead Gen & Community at BabyQuip
Along with making memories, millennial parents are seeking solutions that make travelling with babies and small children easier.
As the #1 baby gear rental service, BabyQuip rises to the challenge with 66% of customers saying that renting baby equipment literally saved their vacation! This isn’t a surprise as our business eliminates the need to pack and haul bulky baby items.
Top 5 Most Popular Baby Gear Items
The top five most rented baby gear items include full-size wooden cribs, strollers, car seats, high chairs and toys. Keep reading to find out why these items are so popular!
1. Full-Size Wooden Cribs
Our #1 most popular rental item is the full-size wooden crib. Unless families are travelling by U-Haul, it’s virtually impossible to bring a crib on vacation. Because of this, many parents opt for pack ‘n plays thinking their child will sleep just fine in the smaller quarters.
Unfortunately, this is rarely the case and parents and baby end up sleep-deprived and cranky in the exact destination they thought they would be able to rest, relax and recharge.
BabyQuip often gets calls from frantic parents the second day of their trip saying they tried to get their baby to sleep in a pack ‘n play borrowed from a hotel, resort, Airbnb, or a friend but the baby wouldn’t sleep and they desperately need a crib.
When a baby doesn’t sleep well on vacation, no one does! Recreating the comforts of home while on vacation is the key to having a fun and restful experience.
Babies and toddlers don’t adapt well to sudden changes in routine or surroundings making a crib (among other items) an imperative part of travel planning.
Sticking with a schedule that’s already in place at home (like bedtime or naptime) can make or break a family getaway.
2. Strollers
Renting a stroller on vacation is a wise decision. Strollers can be expensive items and parents don’t like the idea of their gear getting tossed around by airline staff and potentially damaged.
Strollers are also bulky and cumbersome to drag through airport security when flying and take up precious trunk space when travelling by car.
3. High Chairs
Enjoying a meal without a child on your lap is every parent’s dream…especially on vacation. Having a high chair provides mealtime peace, but not every hotel, resort, or vacation rental property has one available.
When they do, oftentimes they are older and have been heavily used by previous children.
BabyQuip Quality Providers are required to follow strict cleaning protocols. All baby gear is meticulously cleaned after each rental and lightly cleaned again before the next one.
4. Convertible Car Seats
There are many baby gear items that parents can do without while travelling (and still get by), but car seats are typically not one of them. If vacation plans require travelling by car, a car seat is an absolute must for little ones.
While each state and province have different laws, they all require babies, toddlers and children to be securely fastened in safety seats located in the back seat of a vehicle.
Car seats rented through BabyQuip are purchased new, have never been involved in accidents and are never past their expiration date, so every child that uses one is safe.
5. Toys
Since toys aren’t easy to travel with, parents and grandparents are always thrilled to learn we rent toy packages to keep kiddos happy and entertained during downtime. Packages are customized to the age and interests of the child(ren).
Unique Baby Gear Offerings
Although beach gear rentals don’t make the top five most rented items, they are very popular along the coasts and worth mentioning. Families can rent umbrellas, chairs, towels, wagons, toys and even coolers from BabyQuip.
Some QPs will even deliver right to the beach and set everything up for you. Talk about an easy way to enjoy a perfect family day at the beach!
Quality Providers go beyond the beach and get creative with the rental options they make available. Some niche offerings include camping gear, holiday decor (such as Christmas trees for an Airbnb while on holiday away from home), soft play party equipment (think first or second birthday parties!) and even pet gear.
Most Rented Baby Gear Brands
Dream on Me, Graco, Baby Jogger, B.O.B Gear, Joovy and Fisher-Price are the top rented brands across all of our rentals. BabyQuip Quality Providers (mostly moms, who rent and deliver the baby gear), rent the brands they know and love the most.
Some Quality Providers carry mainstream brands, like those listed above, that appeal to the masses while others carry premium brands like UppaBaby, Nuna, 4moms, BabyBjorn, Clek and more.
BabyQuip is Growing
BabyQuip is excited to expand its rental services beyond the US and Canada and now have rental services in Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Estonia and Germany. BabyQuip is the absolute best hack for parents travelling with little ones!
