Best Buy - Bundle Me

BEST BUY: Stroller Blankets - The JJ Cole BundleMe

Since my last Best Buy posting was about a carrier, I thought I should even things out by addressing strollers.  I have not chosen to review strollers yet because, frankly, I own five strollers and each has its own value and purpose, and none have yet struck me as superior to all others (although I do want to put a good word in for the Combi Twin Sport, which is a very easy-to-use and light-weight double stroller).  Instead, I want to address stroller blankets, which have been on my mind since the weather turned cooler.  When everyone in our family is healthy, we walk daily (I have three dogs to exercise!) and while my son, at almost three, usually runs ahead of us, my daughter is still stroller- or carrier-bound.  As the risk for ice (and slipping) becomes more pronounced, I carry her less and rely on the stroller more. Keeping her warm in the stroller has been a challenge, however, since she kicks off any blankets I put on her (they cannot be effectively wrapped since she is strapped into a five-point harness), and spending a half-hour every day to dress her in a snowsuit and jacket, hat, scarf, and gloves, resizing the stroller restraints, etc. is not only a waste of time, but it guarantees that my children will be cranky before we even get started.

So, when the weather was just down to the lower 50s, I began looking for an alternative.  There are many such brands out there, including the awesome-looking Warm as a Lamb, the Cozy Cub, Baby Trend, and the JJ Cole Bundle Me, as well as several brands that are particular to specific stroller brands.  I compared prices, reviews, and my own needs, and decided against the Warm as a Lamb, although it has the most enthusiastic reviews, because of both price and the fact that a different item must be purchased if you have a single or a double stroller.  As I stated, I own multiple strollers, including a side-by-side double stroller (the Combi), two Tandem strollers, and two single strollers.  The next two most highly-reviewed buntings within my price range (under $100) were the Cozy Cub by OneStepAhead and JJ Cole's Bundle Me.  I chose the Bundle Me because the Cozy Cub has holes for a child's arms.  I can certainly see the value in this design, especially for an older child like my son, but my daughter, at just 14-months old, does not need her hands out and is more likely to get cold, lose gloves, etc. with that option.

The JJ Cole Bundle Me comes in five styles - the Lite, the Urban, the Original, the Original Weather-Resistant (which is new), and the Arctic.  All styles come in both an Infant version (designed to fit over the carry-along carseat) and a Toddler version, estimated to last from 1-3 years of age.  They fit (with some adjustment) on my Graco Travel System as well as the Combi Twin Sport, but although they do fit on the Contours Options Tandem stroller, they slide down so badly that I do not recommend them for use with this stroller.  They fit my daughter with plenty of room, and my son, at 2 and a half and in the 90th percentile for height, also fits in them quite comfortably.  They zip up to the shoulders of my son and the neck of my daughter, meaning that I only need to provide a warm hat for my daughter and she can go entirely jacketless.

The Bundle Me Lite is perfect for cooling autumnal weather.  With a soft inner layer and a water- and wind-proof outer layer, it resembles a full-body windbreaker.  The Bundle Me Urban is the next heaviest blanket, with some filling, very soft micro-suede on the inner layer, and a water- and wind-resistant outer layer that feels like the same material from which nice sleeping bags are made. We have been using this bag in our now-mid-40s weather with much success.  The Original is very thick and warm, but not water- or wind-resistant, which was not only disappointing to me but also to many of the reviewers on Amazon.com.  If you intend this blanket to be for car-seat use, the Original may be the perfect choice, but for those of us wishing to walk with it, it is not functional in a lot of winter weather.  I have personally rectified this problem by doubling up - my daughter fits very snugly in the Original, which is then tucked inside the Urban.  I do not recommend this solution, however, since JJ Cole has since released their new Original Weather-Resistant Bundle Me, which they boast has all the warm snuggliness of the Original with a water- and wind-proof shell.  The Arctic Bundle Me is a combination of all of the others, with very thick padding and a heavy canvas exterior that is water- and wind-proof.  The Arctic also has a removable top to help prevent over-heating, and a hood to help block the wind.  This is probably the best choice for those in very cold climates (many of the Amazon reviewers were from Michigan and Minnesota), but at over double the price of the Original, I found that purchasing the Urban and the Original and doubling up was actually the cheaper option.

The Bundle-Me's wash well, but the zippers are notoriously difficult to use, as they are a bit cheap and also get caught in the material.  I try to avoid unzipping them much, which in turn prevents having to zip them up much.  These are approved for use in a car-seat (UNLIKE YOUR CHILD'S WINTER JACKET - Please click here for more information about NOT using a coat in car-seats!), but I think this makes more sense for infants than toddlers, because strapping them into the Bundle Me is just another hassle when you can just use a couple of heavy blankets over your child.  However, if you do not have a garage or your car otherwise gets extremely cold, this might be warmer than blankets for your child.