This post is sponsored by Dorel Juvenile Group. All thoughts, experiences, and opinions are my own.
We get to meet our baby in just under two months!! Which means we are in full swing over here getting everything together for her arrival, including figuring out a car seat and stroller! As new parents, this was definitely the most overwhelming thing to research since it's one of the biggest purchases and we obviously want to have it for a few years. I had a lot of things on my “must-have” list: large under basket, easy turns, one-handed folding, rotating positions so baby faces forward or toward me, and cup holders just to name a few!
I am thrilled to be trying out the second of two strollers launched by Safety 1st this year! The RIVA Flex Travel System checks off all my must-haves and even some things I hadn't thought about! I do a full unboxing of the stroller in this video (it was the first time I ever put together a stroller!!):
What is Safety 1st's RIVA Flex?
It's a 6-in-1 travel system and the second stroller launched by Safety 1st this year! I'm a huge fan of Safety 1st products, including the humidifier I've been using since getting pregnant which you may remember from this post. The RIVA Flex is their latest lightweight and eco-friendly stroller manufactured and assembled with American and imported parts, and is stored at the company's zero-landfill factory in Columbus, IN.
Why choose a travel system stroller?
A travel system makes your life easy! Especially as a new parent. A travel system simply means that it comes with everything you need: an infant car seat (which you need to take the baby home from most hospitals), a car seat base for your vehicle, and a stroller. It makes it really easy to move a sleeping baby from the car to the stroller (or vice versa) undisturbed. What makes this travel system especially great, is that the stroller seat pad converts to a carriage mode, so you don't need to buy an additional carriage accessory. In one box, it comes with everything you could want really!
Why I'm loving The RIVA Flex Travel System As A First-time Mom
Obviously, all parents want the best for their children; but I think we can all agree that when you're a first time parent you may have a tendency to go down the rabbit hole of research a little more than with future kids. Like I said, I had a lot of things I wanted in a stroller and finding one that checked it all off felt like it may never happen until we found the RIVA Flex Travel System!
6-in-1 Positioning:
What makes RIVA Flex's travel system especially great, is that it's a 6-in-1 meaning that it has six different positions you can switch things up to.You can have the baby forward-facing or parent facing whether she's in the car seat, carriage, or regular stroller seat. Having the baby forward facing or parent facing was one of my non-negotiables when it came to a stroller.
We live in sunny south Florida near the beach which means we are guaranteed to face some weather challenges. I wanted a stroller that I could easily switch positions with the baby to protect from direct sunlight or crazy winds (which happen a lot on the coast). It also has a Smooth Recline for Downtime™ in carriage mode, where it allows you to transition baby from stroller to completely flat in carriage mode so you don't need to disturb her.
Sun protection and storage:
Aside from being able to switch the baby's position from direct sunlight, the travel system also includes a multi-position extended SPF 30 sun canopy! Plus flip-flop friendly brakes which save this Florida girl!
Large storage basket:
So I actually never carry a purse… that may need to change with a baby; but I legit usually just strap my keys and credit card onto my body somewhere and head out. I think that with a baby, I'm going to need a few more things when leaving the house though ?! With that said, I really wanted a stroller with a large storage basket that could hold everything I'd need from diapers to a change of clothes, and all the other things I probably don't even know yet!
Dual-use cup holders:
I bring my reusable cup for water with me everywhere. I mean, I even travel with my cup and aluminum straw! The cup I like the most doesn't actually have a screw on top, which means I can't just throw it in the basket of the stroller. So a good cup holder was key for me and the fact that the RIVA Flex has TWO – and it's top-rack dishwasher safe felt like a win!
Machine washable fabrics:
The RIVA Flex travel system comes with easy-off, machine-washable fabrics. You just zip them off the stroller and carseat and put them in the wash! This was again something I really wanted in a stroller since kids are messy! Beyond the baby blow out period, you want a stroller that will last awhile – you know beyond breast feeding to sippy cups and snacks – so having the ability to take off and wash the car seat and stroller was really important to me.
Lightweight and easy to fold:
TRUTH: I have the upper body strength of a kitten ? and some of the strollers on the market were simply not going to work for me. The RIVA Flex is one of the lightest travel system strollers in its class. It has a one-handed lift-to-fold function that makes things really easy. It's also self standing which was really important to me since we don't know where we'll be living and may end up back in an apartment where we'd want to save as much space as possible – and I don't need a stroller that keeps flopping open in our entryway!
Sustainably designed and made in the U.S.
The RIVA Flex is the first recycled stroller made in America! The stroller is made from a special blend of recycled materials, including recycled Safety 1st car seats! That was another huge surprise to me since entering this motherhood journey: how much plastic and waste there is! I was at a store in the customer service area and looked over and for the first time noticed a giant (like the size of dumpsters you see behind restaurants and stores) bin of discarded car seats! SO much plastic! So I love that Safety 1st is finding a way to re-use their car seats and recycle materials!
Price
Compared to many other travel systems the RIVA Flex is really affordable! Other brands that checked all these things off too that I looked at cost around $1,000 for their travel system! The RIVA Flex comes in at about a third of that price! RIVA Flex is available at Target online and in stores and also at select other major baby retailers!
RELATED:
6 Ways To Practice Self Care During Chaotic Times Of The Year
The Confused Baby’s Gender REVEALED + How I Actually Feel About It
Pregnancy Checklist: 15 Things To Do In The Second Trimester
Navigating Difficult Family Dynamics with Al Goldman
How To Talk About Finances With Your Significant Other
