droolicious : consumer reports

Consumer Reports Picks 5 Baby Gifts Never to Buy Again

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Sling carriers! Oh, how we speak of them here at Droolicious. And while we're talking new baby products, we've also covered our share of bath seats, bumper pads and sleep positioners -- all items that, thanks to a new blog post from Consumer Reports, we may never look at the same way again.

In the post, titled "Five products not to buy for your baby," CR focuses on the potential safety hazards behind all of these commonly purchased items. While some of the products -- bedside sleepers, for example -- were singled out because of specific death-related safety recalls, the false sense of security many such products give to new parents ended up being more the focus with others.

Take, for example, this eye-opening excerpt about slings: "Over the past past five years, at least four babies died and there have been many reports of serious injury associated with the use of sling-type carriers. The incidents include skull fractures, head injuries, contusions and abrasions." Granted, a majority of these injuries occurred when the little ones slipped out of their slings, but the post brings up an interesting point about the need for widespread sling-carrier safety standards.

You tell us: Does this news have you cautious, or are you keeping that sling and bath seat on your registry? [Consumer Reports]

I Could Eat These Shoes

elizabeth leach — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:30:00 GMT

I have no words for Umi Shoes. (But I have to find the words because I am reviewing them.) We've written about Umi Shoes and how Consumer Reports sited them as one of their top recommendations for a first shoe. So, we know they are flexible and comfortable but, as you can see, they are also mouth wateringly adorable. Umi's new shoes for Fall and Winter are at the top of my list for scrumptious shoes for babies and kids.

When my friends say they want a little girl because they are so much fun to dress they are talking about Umi Shoes. But, don’t fret. Umi’s boy shoes are just delicious. Take a peek at these and I guarantee you will smile.

The above photo is the Bluebell Shoe, which comes in black or ruby patent leather for $55. The below photo is the Cowboy Shoe, which comes in navy leather for $58. Both come in European sizes 19 – 24. Umi also has pre-school and grade-school sized shoes. Shop Umi.

Keep Crocs From Eating Your Children's Feet This Summer

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:04:00 GMT

[Photo: CityNews.ca]

Moderndaydad's recent "7 Days of Summerwear" post about Crocs -- which, full disclosure, I also endorse for their convenience, comfort, and non-toxic construction -- came at a good time, because while the shoes may be great for warm weather, they're also raising serious questions about when and where else it's appropriate to wear them.

From the CPSC's carefully worded May 13 warning about "popular soft-sided flexible clogs and slides" to this more specific story from last Thursday (complete with not-suitable-for-mealtime-viewing video), to a pending $7 million lawsuit against the company, Crocs are as infamous for posing a potential danger to children's feet as they are for having questionable aesthetic value. The reason: Escalators' moving parts seem to have an unhealthy, potentially grisly attraction to the popular soft-soled shoes.

Oddly enough, Crocs seems to be taking an "Ignore it and it'll go away" stance on the problem, at least on its online FAQ: You can get answers to questions such as "Can I boil and then eat my Crocs shoes?" (not recommended) and "Can I microwave my Crocs shoes?" (ditto), but not for something as basic as "How can I keep my kids' feet from getting mangled in an escalator while wearing Crocs shoes?"

Well, fear not, because Consumer Reports has compiled this handy list of 11 tips for keeping your kids' Crocs from meeting certain doom, some excerpts of which follow:

To avoid the sides of steps where entrapment can occur, stand in the middle of the step. Always face forward and hold the handrail.
Step over the comb plate. Always pick up your feet and step carefully on or off the escalator. Never drag or slide your feet off the edge of the escalator.
Stay clear of moving parts. Keep your hands, feet and clothing clear of the side panels of the escalator. Remember: loose shoe laces, rubber boots and baggy clothes can get caught in the moving parts of the escalator. Make sure you have no dangling clothing or loose shoelaces that could get caught.

Of course, the simplest way to avoid Crocs-related escalator injuries is not to let your kids wear the things on escalators in the first place, but as the tips above show, such injuries aren't just limited to recyclable, rubbery footwear. Any loose-fitting shoe, as well as dangling laces, baggy apparel or stray limbs, can pose just as big a risk, so use some common sense and teach the kids to dodge that comb plate -- or, you know, take the stairs.

Consumer Reports' Child-Safety Mega-Guide Hitting Stores May 13

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:03:00 GMT

It's a big, scary world out there, and it becomes even scarier when you start having kids, as everything from an open window (falling hazard!) to that wonderful end table your grandparents handed down to you (lead paint!) takes on new life as a potential danger. Hitting stores this Tuesday, the Consumer Reports Guide to Childproofing & Safety collects 600 tips for averting everyday hazards, starting with the nursery and ending at the neighborhood swimming pool. Among the tips, highlights of which CR will also be making available online (though, fair warning, the site's not live yet):

Is Your Sitter Safety Savvy? A checklist for helping to pick the best, most safety-conscious caregiver for your child.
Playroom Pitfalls: Toy-safety checklists (from stuffed animals to play food), and how to identify hazards, including lead, in the playroom.
Top Summer Fun Tips: How to spot unsafe equipment and toys in the playground, and how to identify poisonous plants and flowers that should be kept out of little ones' reach.
Safe Surfing: Seven Signs Your Child May Be at Risk: Keep your kid on the safe side of the Web, and identify risks and predators before they infiltrate your home PC.
Nursery: How to choose the right crib and mattress, along with other nursery essentials, and how to spot potentially health and safety hazards when you're decorating.
Everyday Objects That Can Harm Your Child: Get some surprising tips about the potential dangers behind everyday household objects.

The Consumer Reports Guide to Childproofing & Safety is available for just under $11 (normally $12.95) at Amazon.

5 Ways Not to Kill Your Children With Baby Products

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:15:00 GMT

Born Free glass bottle: one of many safe alternatives.

As I type this, I'm eating lunch from a curiously soapy-smelling plastic container that I've just pulled out of the microwave -- physician heal thyself, indeed. When it comes to what my kids ingest, however, I'm far more cautious -- and, no doubt like you, I'm becoming overwhelmed by news stories about hormone disruption, lead poisoning, choking hazards and other potentially deadly undersides to what've long been considered staples of parental consumerism (read: affordable plastic baby crap). Here, then, a round-up of five sources to help you understand why some old-fashioned methods of feeding, washing and playing with your child are becoming increasingly dangerous.

Baby Shampoo Awash in Chemicals? (WebMD): While you're trading your plastic sippy cups for glass bottles, you might want to check the baby powder, lotion and shampoo in your cupboard, as well: More and more pee-analysis studies are showing a correlation between the use of such plastic-bottled products (to say nothing of plastic toys) and elevated levels of phthalates in little ones.

Recent Magnet Ingestion and Lead/Lead Paint Press Releases and Recalls (US CPSC): Complete with a function that allows you to search back to October of 2001, this list is a convenient, if terrifying, way to stay up to date on the latest in lead and choking-hazard recalls, as well as a sound argument for boycotting Chinese-made products, Olympics and corporate cost-cutting be damned.

9 Child Safety Products That May Cause Harm (MSNBC): So you've thrown away your #7 plastic cups, bought stock in glass baby bottles, and resolved only to buy wooden toys made by Haba. Great -- now turn an eye to your plastic outlet covers, crib bumpers and other child-safety/childproofing implements, as they may be just as likely to turn fatal.

Baby's Toxic Bottle (Center for Health, Environment & Justice): Download a PDF of the study that's helped to make bisphenol-A a household term, and when you're suitably mortified, head to Consumer Reports' site for a primer on safer baby-bottle purchasing.

Keeping Baby's Food Safe (Consumer Reports): When your little one's finished with her YoBaby, do you put the uneaten yogurt back in the fridge for later? And what about that homemade baby food you're making -- have you properly cleaned the food processor beforehand? While not quite as scary as the other sites here, this overview of how and what not to feed your baby is still worth committing to memory.

If you're curious about safe alternatives to some of the above, check out our recent 7 Days of BPA-Free Plastics for a great jumping-off point.

Recall: Evenflo Yanks 1,000,000 Car Seats

Aaron Burgess — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:16:00 GMT

A year after Consumer Reports urged it to do just that (and then curiously retracted its findings), Evenflo has recalled 1 million of its Discovery car seats (models 390, 391, 534 and 552) made between April 2005 and January 29, 2008, because of a potential safety hazard that causes the seat to dislodge from its base during a crash. To find out if your seat is affected, flip over the seat and check the white label for one of the aforementioned model numbers.

If you're affected by the recall, report it ASAP with Evenflo either at 1-800-356-2229 or through the company's website: You'll receive a free dual-hook fastener that will anchor the seat to its base. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, which tested the seats in conjunction with Evenflo, says it's okay to continue using your seat despite the recall. No, that's not a typo.

Evenflo isn't alone: Generally speaking, car seats are plagued by safety issues. Have you found a seat that you trust implicitly -- one that secures your precious cargo and lets you get through a trip without having one eye fixed on the rear-view mirror? Let us know in the comments.

Whirlpool Scores Consumer Reports 'A' for Best Air Purifier

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:02:00 GMT

Between keeping windows closed, sniffing pollen from Christmas trees, and recirculating germs brought home from daycare, winter is prime time for bad indoor air. And while there are prettier and pricier air cleaners on the market, Consumer Reports recently gave some of its highest marks to the $230 Whirlpool Whipsure 450 (pictured).

Unlike some higher-end models, the true HEPA-filter Whipsure emits no ozone, and in Consumer Reports' tests, it wiped the floor with Oreck's and Sharper Image's $700 and $500 models, respectively. Of course, there are also some no-cost steps you can take to clean the air before forking over for a purifier, and Consumer Reports lists some of those, too.

How are you keeping the air clean in your home this winter? Let us know in the comments.

When Clamshell Cases Attack: Consumer Reports' Oyster Awards Call Out Sadism in Packaging

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:02:00 GMT

[Above: Bratz Sisterz, unshackled.] Bad news for those of you with an unopened set of Bratz Sisterz dolls waiting beneath the tree this season: Along with an Oral-B toothbrush that took over three minutes to wrench out of its packaging, the popular dolls topped Consumer Reports' Oyster Awards list earlier this year.

According to CU, which bestows the annual dishonor on packages that are generally impossible to open, bad boxing is the least of the Sisterz' issues: The testers, which took nearly nine minutes to free the dolls, had to make it through some 50 restraints to do so. Kind of makes you yearn for the days of homemade gifts, huh?

Oral-B, oddly enough, also topped CU's "good guys" list for easy-to-open packaging, as did the Polly Pocket Trendy Pets Paw Spa -- which, in a feat to which all toy manufacturers should aspire, contains not one twist tie, band or stitch despite having 33 separate pieces.

If you do have to wrestle with clamshell cases this season, spare your teeth and put down those butter knives: The $10 OpenX (below) slices and dices through the toughest plastic packaging, and if anything ever goes wrong with it, you can score a free replacement, no questions asked. Unfortunately, you can't say the same for mangled dolls.