If you are thinking of buying the Doona stroller for your little one, but want to make sure it’s the best decision for your baby and your lifestyle, then you are in the right place!
Let’s get started.
I have been using the Doona for over 6 months and I use it daily. We have shared 17 flights with our Doona, both local and international flights, which means long custom ques, flight delays, the works. So I have really put it through its paces.
So what exactly is the Doona?
As I’m sure you know by now, the Doona is a nifty car seat, which converts into a stroller. It’s a great feature, especially when the little one is fast asleep and you don’t have to move them out of the car seat into their stroller or vice versa.
In South Africa it generally retails between R5999.99 – R6499.99
What made me want to get the Doona and sell my Stokke?
I have always been a huge fan of the Stokke stroller, so naturally when I found out I was pregnant with my son, the first thing I bought was a Stokke. I could already see myself pushing our little baby boy on the Dubai Marina on a Saturday afternoon, because that is where I was living at the time.
But then things changed, my husband got a job in Taolognaro, Madagascar, a remote part of the Madagascar island. We would also be required to travel often on and off the island every 2 and a half months. Doing all of this with an infant, the beloved Stokke stroller was not going to work very well with our new found lifestyle, it was just too big and not travel friendly.
What was my honest reaction when I first got the Doona?
It was so much smaller and slimmer than the Stokke and most conventional strollers. It seemed almost impractical. But it looked sturdy. Yes, it was basically a car seat with wheels, even though this much is true, when it was in stroller mode, it did not look or feel like a car seat with wheels added, it felt like a stroller. Aestetically it really looked sleek and modern, I loved it!
It was a hit with my husband, he enjoyed the hassle free movement from moving from car seat to stroller, without having to move our little baby, which really made him feel at ease with taking our son out by himself with no hassles. They get to to enjoy some bonding time and mommy so sleeping time. Bonus!
Daddy always off exploring with his baby boy.
What was my likes and dislikes of the Doona?
Dislikes:
With it being a car seat first and then a stroller, it has some stroller short comings.
The stroller can only face to the front, which is limiting, as my son has gotten older, he wanted to see more of the outside world but was stuck with my face, which is not bad but a little difference in view wouldn’t be bad thing either.
There is no storage place on the stroller where you can put a nappy bag or a few toys and blanket. You can however purchase the Snap-on storage which clip on the back of the stroller but its a bit pricey and you have to remove every time you fold stroller back into the car seat.
There is no place for a cup holder where you can keep your baby’s bottle for easier access or even your beverage when on the go with your baby.
My biggest dislike of this stroller is that the position of the seat cannot move, it is permanently in the car seat, slightly reclined, position. As my son started becoming stronger and sitting up, he didn’t want to always be in the slightly reclined position when in the stroller mode and he would get a little frustrated. Also when he was asleep, the seat is unable to recline fully for him to sleep comfortably, so he could only sit up and sleep.
The Doona states a max weight of 13kgs and 81cm height limitation, which means the Doona seat and stroller can take your from birth to roughly 1 and half years of age, in theory. However I found that a baby of average height will outgrow the seat at the age of six months, which is unfortunate. So if you do buy this stroller, you will most likely need to buy a second car seat and stroller that can fit and grow with your baby for the upcoming months.
Likes;
Convenience, convenience. The fact that I do not need to move my son from the seat to stroller or vice versa when he asleep is already a big win in my book.
You get to save on boot space because you don’t need to carry a pram in it anymore. Which makes the Doona system especially great if you have a average to small vehicle, with fairly limited boot space.
Because we fly often with my son we make use of uber, hired cars, etc so just knowing he is always in his own safe car seat, is a great peace of mind and relief for me. And because its so much sleeker than the average stroller its so easy to move around in small or narrow spaces, especially in lifts, which is real plus, especially at airports.
Another great feature of the car seat is that it is aviation approved, so you can secure the car seat on an airline seat and you can push the stroller easily through the aisle. I did however notice that some airline staff might not be aware of this feature and could possibly not allow you to bring the seat on-board, and you will only be allowed to push it up until the aircraft door, where the staff will store it for you.
Which brings me to the main feature, the car seat. The Doona offers all the safety a normal car seat offers, with the adjustable handlebar that also acts as an anti-rebound bar inside the car, as a great additional added safety.When securing the seat to the car seat you can either use the regular seatbelt or use the Doona LATCH car seat base, to easily latch seat in and out of your car.
When you buy the Doona it comes with a great newborn insert, it fit your little newborn safe and snug, which is removable when they out grow it. My son outgrew this insert very quickly though, but it is great for this first few weeks.
The seat cover can be removed and hand washed with a mild detergent, which is a wonderful plus.
Nice and comfy in the newborn insert.
Who is the Doona perfect for?
The Doona is perfect for the parent that tend to be out and about running errands with their baby often, it is so convenient, easy to move from car seat to stroller mode. And its sleek design makes it easy to move around in small or narrow spaces.
If you know you will most likely have to board a few flights with your baby then the Doona is a great buy.
The Doona is a great first car seat and stroller system for your baby, as you will most likely need to buy a car seat and a seperate pram when your baby gets bigger, so if you don’t have any issues around that then go for it.
Interested?
If you love having a Doona, you can purchase from these stores;
Takealot (online store)
The stores do not generally have stock on hand when you purchase so you will have to wait a day or 2 to get your Doona, but they do have the demo in store so you can go and play around with and check it out!
I really hope this review was helpful to you. If you have any additional questions about the Doona, just comment below and I will gladly respond.
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Babyish
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