Floppy Seat Shopping Cart Cover -- One big, floppy pain in the rear.
Written: Oct 28 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Washable, protects child from those horrid germs
Cons: Um, waste of time and money. Silly. Unnecessary. Wasteful.
The Bottom Line: If you really feel the need to protect your child from germs...by all means, throw $40 at this seat...otherwise I wouldn't worry about purchasing the Floppy Seat Shopping Cart Cover
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| gatorgirlie's Full Review: EZ Carry Floppy Seat Shopping Cart Seat Cover |
I'm not one of those super-sanitary, OCD, baby-proof my entire house type moms. I'm the one who tends to look astray at ones who glow about spending $750 "baby-proofing" their homes with the latest technology (knowing full well that their beloved little boy will bang his head on something simply because that's the nature of little boys). I also know what kind of damage a compulsive cleaner can do to a child (thank you, mom, for my horrid immune system, by the way). Now, don't get me wrong... I'm far from dirty. In fact, my husband does make a pretty good case for me verging on being neurotic about clean (I am the one who tends to clean her kitchen floor twice because the first time left chemicals, so the second should just be clean water).... but I'm far from OCD.
Seeing as the preceding paragraph is the truth, I'm still not sure why I bought this product.
Sounds great... what is it?
Essentially the Floppy Seat is a large, sort-of-rectangular cushioned piece of fabric that fits over shopping carts. I purchased it in a blue fabric with patterns on it (what they are, I can't remember), though I know that Babies R Us also sells a pink model and other stores online have a variety of patterns. I paid $39.99 at Babies R Us. Anyway, the seat cover is so large that it fits over the entire front section of the shopping cart (where the baby sits). It has straps to connect it to the cart and a seat belt to strap your child in.
Here are some specifics:
*Completely washable
*Fold N Carry design -- it is its own carrying case
*Can fit any public high chair or shopping cart
*Has a number of loops to attach toys or pacifiers
*Has a small pocket for a bottle
*Very fluffy design means comfort for your child
*Age range: 6 months to 4 years
The good
Well, the first thing I did when I opened up this impulse purchase (only done because my son, who was then around 8 months old, started gnawing on the Babies R Us shopping cart) was throw it in the wash. I was still in the "got to wash everything first" phase and figured this would be a good test to see if it shrunk. It didn't. The Floppy Seat came through the wash with flying colors and still fit on any shopping cart. It really does cover the entire cart and the edge is elastic, so I'm sure it can fit over any cart.
It is extremely sanitary as well, for those who remember to wash it more than... oh... say once a month. It does do its job well and it will protect your child from the unsanitary cart or chair he/she is occupying. The safety strap makes it just as safe as riding without it and I'm sure the cushion adds a slight amount of added comfort. In the cold weather it might be nice to have a warm cushion (though cold shopping carts could be solved by simply getting a cart that's inside... just like I spare my son the inconvenience of scorching hot shopping carts by doing the same).
Yes, I'm reaching.
The inconvenient
Look, I'm all about convenience. If it's not convenient, I'll simply never use it. I don't even know where to START with how inconvenient this thing is.
Ok, let's start with the obvious. It takes longer than just plunking my child into the chair. When I first started using it, I couldn't figure out what to do with my squirmy 8 month old -- what, let him crawl around on the floor while I assembled the silly seat on the cart? So I held him and put it on. The safety belt is hard to maneuver with just one hand but it can be done. The issue I had was the ability to thread the cart's original belt into the Floppy Seat. Since I stopped using this a year ago, I couldn't even imagine trying to put the silly thing on with my two-year old running around (which can be the reason I NEVER see moms of toddlers using this silly contraption... or... it could be that we're so used to our children picking up random crap and sticking it in their mouth that we're immune to the thought of germs). It really isn't that hard, maybe taking an extra minute or two out of your trip... but really, that's an inconvenience to me. Yeah, I know... why did I buy it? I can't figure that one out.
Ok, so you've got it on the cart... now what? My bottles were too big to fit in the bottle holder (thanks Playtex!), so I had to hold them. The toy loops are a good idea but I don't really have that many toys that can be attached to loops (besides fake keys), so their use was really lost on me. The cushion wasn't really that thick so I can't believe it really helped (here's a good analogy... put a comforter on a metal seat... there, did that help? No? Didn't think so.
Lastly, lets get to the most obnoxious part about this... the one thing that prompted me to discard this after only a few weeks. While it is its own carrying case, the stupid seat refuses to fit into the opening. It takes me a good five minutes to stow the silly thing and that's obnoxious. For the few weeks I did use it I stopped trying to fit it back into its case and just left it open in my trunk.
Overall?
Honestly, my son (besides the horrible two weeks I spent trying to use this) has always been exposed to germs... it's a fact of life... and he's only been sick a few times in his life (most occurring recently due to two year olds and snot exchange). I guess I'm just not that concerned about the germ content of a shopping cart (and if I was, that's what sanitizing wipes are made for). If you're that careful (read: neurotic), then this seat might actually be beneficial to you... but if you just can't see yourself spending $40 on something you'll have to remember to wash often (otherwise it kind of loses the whole "sanitary" positive), put on every single shopping cart every time you go out and really doesn't fit back into its carrying case, then you can live without it. It's an irritation to put on a shopping cart every time you shop, it's an irritation to put back into its case and the Floppy Seat is simply a big blanket with loops attached (that I never used). It's just another unnecessary purchase foisted on mothers who have a lot of disposable income and a fear of germs. In the grand scheme of baby purchases, $40 isn't that much but really, who needs to be throwing away good money on something that's just unnecessary?
I'm giving this $40 paperweight (and space-taker-upper) a measly Two Stars since it does wash and perform the whole "protect your baby from germs" thing well (as long as YOU wash it often), but I'm not going to recommend it. Even though I'm done writing the review, I'm still trying to figure out why on earth I purchased it!
PS: If anyone can remotely figure out why I bought it, kindly let me know.
Pros:
*Washable
*Carrying case is built in
*Can be found at major retailers like Babies R Us
*Fits on shopping carts and high chairs -- it really does protect your child from the horrors of shopping cart germs
*Safety straps keep your child safe
Cons:
*Doesn't fit back into its carrying case
*$40
*Inconvenient to throw on a shopping cart every time you go out
*Must remember to wash it often to maintain the whole sanitary vibe
*Toy loops and bottle holder essentially useless for me
*Cushion isn't that special
Recommended:
No
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gatorgirlie
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Location: Orlando, FL
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