Doona - Doona i

My kids lasted to a year. It depends on how long your babies are.

CPST here- do not get a doona for a 10 month old. Get a Chicco fit2 with a chicco frame stroller. You’ll get a year of use from it. And it’s a better car seat and a better stroller.

The doona is hard to install correctly and most people do it wrong. I’ve installed it at least 50 times, never once have I seen a family install it correctly. It has no storage so people attach stuff to it which is unsafe. The Chicco frame stroller has a huge storage basket. Also the fit2 is outgrown at 35 inches, the doona is outgrown at 32 inches. Without knowing how tall this child is, there’s a far lower chance of the seat being too small if they go with the higher limit seat.

We are in south east Asia too but originally from uk. We use a Joie I-gemm car seat, it attaches into the car using just a seatbelt so it easy to switch from car to car. You don’t need a base and you can buy attachments so it clips onto the yo-yo. :) The doona is also a good option. The only thing you need to be wary of with the doona is that really they shouldn’t be in it for more than 40 minutes at a time because it’s not a good position to sleep in :) Maxi cosi pebble and cybex cloud Q also attach to the yo-yo with an adapter and can be attached into a car with just a seatbelt :)

I’m going to go against the grain here and say I’ve done it, only once, usually I have the car seat with me for taxis but this time was an exception (had already shipped the car seat back home and needed to get to the station to get home - and was struck with a rainy day and couldn’t walk it. I live in a country where public transportation is the main way, cars are secondary. I’ve been on a bus with my child several times; sometimes standing (child in stroller), and I can’t imagine that’s so much safer than a taxi. I had him in a front carrier facing me and I buckled my own seatbelt. It is probably not nearly as safe as a car seat, and of course wouldn’t recommend it, but probably more safe than walking with him on the shoulder of a road that cars go down fast in poor weather conditions. Everything is relative. I think the biggest safety feature in countries that aren’t automobile-pervasive is that there are so many fewer cars on the road to begin with, and that 90% of the time we aren’t actually riding in a car at all. That being said. I had a Doona and for this kind of travel is was the best purchase I ever made.

I got the grace 3 in 1 rotate. I have the doona too. I don’t use the doona anymore because it feels small now. Son is 15 months. I love the graco and the way it rotates. It makes my life easier. I just read a TON of reviews.

I understand the frustration but to be frank, there are dozens of airplane models across dozens of manufacturers across dozens of carriers and none of them are building/buying their plans with fitting every type of car seat in mind. We took our Doona on the last trip with our 13mo old and booked him his own seat. The Doona is listed at 17” and Air France economy bulkhead is 17”. It just barely fit and then the seat belt also just barely stretched enough over to buckle. Our kid spent maybe 2hrs of the 9hr flight in his seat. If you’re set on using a car sea and spent thousands of dollars on flights already then your best best is probably just spend a few hundred bucks to buy a Doona and take that instead of the Cosco Scenera Extend. Regardless of the travel struggles, enjoy your trip with the kid. It’s awesome to watch them learn about the world while traveling to new places.

Are you willing to carry around your car seat and possibly stroller all day? I went on trip lugging both around, it was such a hassle that I eventually rented the Doona overseas.  You could consider renting the Doona just for your trip too. My baby is around your baby’s length and it was only slightly cramped. (Our longest car ride was 1 hour, it wasn’t that bad for baby.)

Buy a car seat that is designed to be used with or without a base. Doona is one option but they are expensive. Uber drivers in NYC are accustomed to families with babies; in my experience they have been patient while I take 2-3 minutes to strap the car seat in.

Yeah I’ve just got one so I had done some research :) I’m excited to use it here in Prague!

Wife and I had a “stroller off,” and I wanted the Doona, and she wanted to get a uppababy whole shebangabang… So we bought both. Uppababy Bassinet on wheels was great with a newborn/infant… but once baby grew out of bassinet/didn’t care for it, we basically use nothing else but the doona… If I were to do it solo, I’d have been perfectly happy with the Doona… she still thinks we really benefited from the bassinet part of the uppa… but I don’t think so… it was a silly pointless luxury. Anyways… food for thought.

It is the perfect stroller. We travel often, and it’s been the best thing ever. It’s a stroller! It’s a car seat! It goes in a plane!

It’s very pricey but the Doona sounds perfect for you. It’s great for walking then you can just fold it down into the car seat if you need it. It’s compact which would be great for public transport. There are some knockoffs or dupes for it I’m sure.

We use a Graco snugride 35 with a Baby Jogger city tour 2 and adapters for the car seat. Altogether the system is around $350 if I recall. The car seat can serve the same role as a stroller basinet the first few months until the baby has the head control to sit in the stroller directly. Installing it in a taxi is trivial since it can be secured with a standard seatbelt only. We use the included base when we have a rental car. I'll echo what others said. You'll want something that works with your stroller because carrying the car seat is not practical once you get to your destination. Clipping it into the stroller is a must. I've used the Doona before too. It's an excellent system as well, but the infant will outgrow it faster than a stroller that allows for a car seat adapter.

Yeah, the Doona is problematic for several reasons. But, the worst part is it is very very very heavy. If I could go back and do it all over again here are a few options I would do if money were no object I have a Cybex Balios S Lux with Aton G Swivel car seat and Cot a Lux Bassinet. I love them! My mom group has an Uppababy Vista V3, Mockingbird Single to Double, Uppababy Cruz, Bugaboo Fox 5, and Babyzen Yoyo. I personally think that my Cybex setup is nicer and smoother than any of their strollers. However, we travel a lot and the Balios is on the larger side and the Cot s Lux is big. But, it is not bigger than any mentioned above besides the Yoyo. Because they're bulkier, there isn't a bag you can put the frame with or bassinet attachment with and it would be near impossible to fly with, in my opinion, because they'd get damaged. So, I went ahead and got a compact travel stroller to use when I'm out and about with the baby by myself and when we are traveling. I also got a secondary car seat for air travel that is lighter. I went with the Joolz Aer 2 with the Nest 2 Seat (bassinet basically) and the Nuna Pipa Aire. It's got a one hand fold, very light, very compact (overhead bin approved), nice feel, easy to use, etc. If you ever go jogging/walking on trails/live somewhere with uneven sidewalks (which I do), it is worth noting that you need a "jogging" stroller (3 wheels, all larger). Even the Balios, Vista, etc. are not going to handle these conditions very well - especially not until baby is 6+ months and can use the seat instead of the bassinet option. I wish I would've gotten a jogging stroller too for when I want to do these things. I've tested several and am looking into getting one. If I had to go back and do it all over again with no budget, I would do this: 1. Nina Pipa Aire Car seat 2. Joolz Aer 2 with Nest 2 Seat OR Uppababy Minu V3 with Minu Bassinet 3. Thule Urban Glide 3 (there is a bassinet attachment and it has car seat adapters for Nuna) Basically, I do don't think it's possible to have a travel system that "does it all" so it comes down to what is important to you. But, I promise at some point you will want a more compact and lightweight option because WHEW things start getting heavy as they get heavier and there's nothing worse than your child screaming in the car while you struggle to collapse and breakdown their stroller and put it in the back.

I live in NY with my high percentile baby. Doona is clutch. I definitely wouldn’t come without a car seat. Carseats have expiration dates so I wouldn’t buy one that’s expired. And of course as others have mentioned, you don’t know where it’s been. I bought my doona secondhand but it was like-new. I trust the person I bought it from but YMMV. Is there anyone you could borrow a doona from? It really is the best option for nyc travel with an infant, Imo.

see Sarah’s link above to Doona. Certified for air travel, US, EU, UK, Middle East, many parts of Asia.

Absolutely love our Doona

At two years old - it really depends on the kid. We used a doona until around 2 (\~16 flights with it before 2 when we would fly to our vacation home). But at 2, he didn't want to be confined to a car seat for the entire flight and he wanted to move around. So while everyone here will say yes car seat - at that age, it is very tricky as they want more freedom and aren't potatoes anymore. For a 5 hour flight at 2 years old, I would not do it if it were my kid. Plus my kid never wanted to be pushed around in the stroller in the airport. It depends on the kid. Try strapping them into a car seat for 5 hours and see how long that lasts.

I loved my Doona, best of both worlds. I’d consider that until it’s outgrown and just do convertible after. You can use your existing strollers for bigger outings.

I believe the following is the case: Doona sells 2 separate car seats: a US and an EU car seat. The EU version cannot be shipped to the US. From their website: "Chest clips are not a requirement in the US, but we included them on the US version because chest clips are found on many US car seats. Whereas chest clips are illegal in European car seats (certified R44), so an EU Doona cannot have one." "If you are traveling to Europe for a short trip, then it is perfectly acceptable to bring a US Doona. But if you are relocating to Europe, even if it is not permanently but for an extended period of time (like, for example, the lifespan of the Doona usage), then we recommend buying the EU model of the Doona. This goes for all car seats. The safety standards adhere to only one country and not multiple standards."

Nuna pipa + nuna trvl I don’t get the love for the doona. it’s very short so if you’re remotely tall you’re going to be uncomfortable. And it’s significantly heavier than other car seats so something to consider when swinging in the back seat of a cab

I have the UB Aria and love it. It’s so light. I also love the sunshade in it. My baby is 4 months and currently 80th percentile in weight (almost 16lbs) and 95th in height (25 in), and was 9lbs at birth. I think we have probably 2 more months we can use it! And honestly, I can’t imagine using it longer than that outside of a car setting. She prefers either being held or the rumble seat to the car seat anyway. We also have a Doona that was gifted to use. It is useful in certain situations, but is SO heavy. I almost can’t use it without my husband to lift it into the car. We have the Cruz 2 stroller and love it as well. The connection points are really easy to use. We are looking at the Minu for something slimmer as she gets older.

For Ubers in a big city I cannot recommend the Doona enough. I’m in Chicago without a car and it was totally worth it

We got a doona from my husband’s cousin (we knew the history, only reason we did secondhand), and while it was super convenient, I wish I would have looked into other car seat strollers and dual growing strollers. As I probably would have gone with one of those knowing we would have more than one kiddo. I do, however, love our graco extend2fit!

highly suggest the doona. car seat and stroller in one, no need for a base. easily go from train to uber to walking in a matter of seconds (this is not sponsored lmao i just really love it) goes up to 35 inches and 30 pounds

If you’re staying in the south of France and taking private drivers to events, the cost of a Doona shouldn’t be an issue for how much easier it will make your trip. If you don’t need it when you return, you can sell or donate it. They’re great for planes as well - always better to have a car seat on a plane. Even if you didn’t book a seat for the baby, the flight attendants can often put you next to an empty seat and you can put the car seat in the empty seat, which is much easier and safer.

Buy a Doona. Seriously, buy it. We got one for our 6 month 22 pounder for a trip to Korea and it was incredible to jump in and out of taxis (all drivers were shocked that it folded down and didn’t need to go in the trunk), on the buses and trains and just strolling around. Also buy a bike lock so when you get places you want to ditch if you can lock it up and go. We did that a ton outside of restaurants or inside cultural areas where it was better to carry the baby. It’s so efficient and easy!!

Doona!!!!!!!! Especially if you travel. You don’t need anything extra.

Extra pieces of advice: 1. Get an [FAA approved car seat ](https://www.safeintheseat.com/post/what-car-seats-are-faa-approved)and the lightest one possible, especially for the older one. We got an Evenflo one that weighs less than 11 lbs, and then got a rolling carrier for it. 2. I think the more difficult one is the 1 year old, because car seats for 1 year olds that can be rear facing are going to be harder to find in options that are light. If you can splurge, this is where something like the Doona would be worth its weight in gold.

I didn’t have a c section, but I did have 9lbs+ babies, and didn’t find it overly heavy until they were almost too big for it. I found it so much more convenient with other kids than having to lug both the seat and stroller out separately. It’s also great if you do any airline travel for just installing on the plane. It rolled down the aisle.

If you do a lot of traveling, I think the Doona is worth it. I would never use it on a daily basis at home because it’s very low. But it’s very convenient for the airport and means you avoid bringing both a car seat and separate stroller. However, it is going to be a short-term investment because baby will grow out of it by a year. Then you would probably want a specific travel stroller. So you could consider a travel stroller with a lay-flat option or bassinet attachment now, you’d just also need to bring the car seat. For daily use we went with the Uppababy Vista and love it for our lifestyle. We use it primarily for walks around the neighborhood and nearby trail system, to bring to the park, etc. It is bulky and not as easy to bring in the car. Now that my son is older we actually use our travel stroller (Joolz Aer) a lot if we’re just going to the mall. For infant car seats we chose the Nuna Pipa Rx Lite and I’m so glad we went with a very lightweight option.

Doona is great. Didn’t have it with my first, did for our second and it’s a big upgrade.

We used the doona. It made coming home so much easier.

I got a Doona to make my life easy until I absolutely need something bigger. It’s amazing!