New Mom Review: 4moms moxi + car seat

Theresa – Gugu Guru’s head of design and new mommy to adorable Robbie – was so excited to be able to try out the moxi stroller and self-installing car seat from 4moms.  If you don’t know 4moms, we think of them as Apple computer-like innovators for parents.  4moms’ gear is thoughtfully designed with some of the coolest tech around. Read what Theresa calls out as the pros and cons for the stroller and car seat below (and although Theresa received these products for review from 4moms, all opinions are her own.)

moxi stroller ($699.99)

Pro: Just Downright Cool Technology
This carriage has a cell phone charger port – totally handy! It will also tell you how fast you are going, distance, etc. I really love that the stroller features lights if you are out walking at dusk (trying to get baby to snooze) – super neat!

Pro: Self Charging! (most of the time)
The carriage has a generator in it so it does not require batteries for any of its awesome features! (Caveat: the generator will only last if the carriage is used frequently, if not, you have to plug it in and charge it to use all its cool technology.)

Pro: Easy to Open and Close
It was so easy to open and close the carriage for travel.

Con: Little Pouch for Belongings
The little pouch for your belongings is open. I didn’t totally love this because if my phone or wallet is in it I felt uncomfortable walking away from the carriage, even a little, while out in public. Editor’s note: 4moms really designed this to make your phone easily accessible, hence no zipper.

Con: Converting The Seat To Accommodate An Older Child
The infant carrier and the regular seat for older baby are two separate pieces (separate from the carriage base itself). Even though the regular seat is not hard to attach, it has to be completely converted to work. So if you have two kids, one older one infant, you can only use the carriage exclusively for one or the other in a single outing.  Editors note:  We spoke to 4moms about this and they said that their test parents have found this process to be very easy – clicking/unclicking two belts on the backside of the seat and turning the seat around. The three configurations are meant to grow with the child – so normally, you wouldn’t be switching back and forth regularly for two different children – although you certainly could.

Self-Installing Car Seat ($499.99)

Pro: Extra AWESOME Technology
The 4moms app will not only self-install the car seat as promised, it will also adjust positioning and tension as your baby grows. It will let you know if carrier is in correctly and it will also alert you if you leave the carrier (and baby) in the car. Pretty cool! Plus the software that runs the car seat base can regularly be updated with new features and functionality right through your smartphone.

Pro: Infant Fit
The car seat comes with an additional infant insert to be used for 4-11 pounds and really helps baby sit comfortably and securely – especially when baby is on the smaller side. Also, the bottom buckle is more rigid, verses just a fabric piece, so it makes it very easy to get baby in the seat (without them sitting on it.)

Con: Requires Eight (8) D Batteries
All the the extra technology that you get with the 4moms app will only work with the addition of the batteries in the base. When baby was only 6 weeks, the batteries died. (Who has time to run outside and change batteries in the carseat once a month?!) Editor’s Note: According to 4moms, this may have been an issue in some of the first units, but today, that issue has been resolved. By downloading the new update (version 4.16),  the battery life will be significantly extended. The battery life should last the life cycle of one baby in the car seat. New baby, new batteries.

Con: A Couple Technology Fails
A couple of times the base alerted that the car seat carrier was not in correctly when it was. One of the times we were an hour from home and listened to it ding and false alarm the whole way home. We couldn’t fix this until we could take it out and reinstall which we couldn’t do being an hour away – a little annoying. Editor’s Note: We spoke to 4moms and they said if the carrier is not detected, as described, the issue can often be resolved just by lifting the carrier out, and placing it back in the base. Typically, a re-installation of the base is not needed. 4moms is launching another software update that will further improve the user experience and reduce the occurrence of false alarms, such as this one.