4moms Breeze Review and Giveaway

There are a few types of baby gear:  the kind that will do the job for now, and there’s the kind that works well AND makes things a little easier.

And then, there’s 4moms, the baby gear company that’s shaking things up with products that are changing the marketplace.  Their latest innovation, the Breeze play yard, is shifting the whole paradigm…with just a push of a button.

4moms Breeze

Parenthood, at least for me, isn’t about the most stuff, or even the flashiest stuff.  For me, it’s about well-designed products that are safe, efficient and are built to last.  Throw in a little innovation and I’m sold!

By now, you may already know that our family is quite fond of 4moms.  We’re continually dazzled by the Origami’s power folding abilities and super cool dashboard.  And without getting the waterworks started, the mamaRoo is just as functional, as it is special to us. I’m fortunate enough to see and experience the latest in kid products, but when it comes to merging efficiency and innovation, 4moms is absolutely making their mark.

And when I think of convenient and efficient baby gear, rarely does a play yard come to mind.  Otherwise known as a Pack n Play or playpen (if you’re old school,) 4moms has redefined the play yard concept with the Breeze.  After unfolding, the Breeze is put together in less than 30 seconds.  With a simple push, the entire play yard locks into place and is ready for baby’s nap, or if you’re my kid, roly poly time up and off of the floor where cat hair and dust breed before my eyes.

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The Breeze is so Easy my 4 Year old Can Do it(?)

I wanted to say that the Breeze play yard is so simple my 4 year old could do it, but A) the kid willingly helps with the laundry after watching me all the time B) his arm isn’t long enough to reach into the Breeze and C) the 4 year old thing just isn’t a good example at all.  Nevertheless, the Breeze is so easy, people;  all baby products should be this breezy.

And speaking of 4 year olds, he was my director and camera man while I filmed these videos.  We did quite a few takes, so you might be able to hear him saying “cut,” many thanks to my awesome editing. We had fun chatting it up about the Breeze, so be sure to check us out in action!  Please excuse the shakiness, a sometimes crying babe and my child begging to go to the beach.

I’m so excited for the Breeze! I’ll let the video do the talking, but just a few things I love about it that I don’t think I mentioned are, the sleek aesthetics, clean lines and cool aqua/black color scheme.  It complements my modern/classic decor without being offensive. I used to swear that baby and kid products wouldn’t overrule my living room, but to be quite honest, the Breeze may take up a good amount of space, but thankfully, goes beyond cutesy patterns.  As for the overall physical presence of the Breeze, the frame is solid once its locked into place, yet its not too rigid. I love the convenience of the bassinet feature and changing pad; it’s streamlined without becoming a bulky addition.

As with any product, there are always a few caveats, and the same goes for the Breeze.  At about 30 lbs, the Breeze is heavier than what I was expecting. And because it’s so new, sheets aren’t accessible yet, but thank goodness for the waterproof padding. I tried to use a Target brand pack and play sheet, but it didn’t fit.  Having used their other products, I’m certain 4moms products are safe; however, because the Breeze is still so new, like all most products newly released to market, safety ratings aren’t available right away. (Reminder: I’m not a safety professional) And finally, pricepoint is something I can’t not include.  At $299, the Breeze is more expensive than mid-range play yards, but it is true when they say, you get what you pay for, and the Breeze would most certainly last for multiple children, whether it’s siblings or passed down to friends and relatives.

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How my love for the 4moms mamaRoo came full circle

I’ve been trying to write this post for the past few weeks, but the tears and heartache continually get in the way.  It’s been one month out, so hopefully, I can hold it together long enough to finally string together a few sentences to sum up where, exactly, I’ve disappeared to yet again.

As a blogger and writer that mainly focuses on baby and kids’ products, like some of my colleagues, I get to experience many of the latest products, sometimes even before they hit the shelves.  And with Joshua’s birth earlier this year, getting a sneak peek at the latest baby gear was no exception. I had the pleasure of reviewing not one, but two great products from the forward-thinking company 4moms out of Pittsburgh.  The mamaRoo and the Origami, both incredibly techy and sleek, are two baby products that not only change the baby product marketplace, but inevitably changed my family’s world, eerily foreshadowed in a piece I wrote for the family-centric tech site, Techlicious.

I reviewed the latest version of the tech-enabled infant seat over on Techlicious, revealing that “The new mamaRoo model ($200-$240 on 4moms.com) boasts faster speeds, new colors and patterns, a locking toy bar and a one year warranty.”

But in my original piece that was tightened for space/relevance, I touched upon how the mamaRoo has been used in hospitals to benefit babies. I wrote in my review about how the mamaRoo has been known to be used in hospitals in NICUs and other scenarios where sick babies need a little extra comfort.

The smartest aspect that I found about the mamaRoo, hands down, is that they’re being used in hospitals to comfort babies in the NICU and other situations.  As stated on the 4moms’ site, according to Pam Schanwald,

RN and CEO of The Children’s Home and Pediatric Specialty Hospital of Pittsburgh, the mamaRoo’s “movements are therapeutic and calming for babies, particularly our Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome patients.The mamaRoo soothes them so they can spend their energy healing and growing instead of fussing and crying.”

While writing that piece, little did I know that I’d be finding out how important the mamaRoo truly is, when used in a hospital setting.  And for those who didn’t already know, last month, at just 4 months old, Joshua suffered a series of seizures within a short time frame.  Because of the nature and pattern of his seizures, it was, undoubtedly, one of the scariest times of our lives.  And here’s how it all went down:
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