Go-Go Babyz Kidz Travelmate
by Go-Go Babyz
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List Price: Our Price: $79.95 You Save: $9.05 (10%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Go-Go Babyz Kidz Travelmate
Customer Review: Go-Go Babyz Travels to Mexico!
Summary: 5 Stars
Top Line: Well-built platform made traveling with our car seat easy, and its low profile allowed it to remain on the seat throughout our travels.
The details:
I bought this a week before our trip to Club Med in Mexico, after looking for a wheeled way to transport our toddler's car seat, a Britax Marathon. It turned out to be a great purchase, making travel with the car seat (and our baby and carry-ons) much easier. It garnered many approving comments from other parents in the airports. Here's how we ended up using it.
I attached the TravelMate securely to the car seat before we left, using the convenient rachet-strap. I took a bit of time studying the pictures and the car seat to figure this out, using the quick-start guide. I found that the more detailed instructions in the larger user manual were much more helpful.
Once I attached it, I never removed it until we got back home. I was able to secure the car seat+TravelMate to all airplane seats and taxi seats, popping off the wheels when necessary. Note: I was impressed by the heavy-duty wheels, but it took a few attempts to figure out how best to put them on securely once taken off. Also, one of the bearing rings repeatedly came off the wheel when detached - almost lost it on a plane.
Our daughter did not ride much in the seat - she likes to walk - but the car seat on wheels was great at hauling the carry-on bags around the terminals. Also, the TravelMate is very sturdy - to carry the car seat up and down stairs, I retracted the handle and used it as a carry handle - easy.
Note that our car seat (and most, I suspect) are too wide to roll down airplane aisles, so expect to take baby out of the seat before boarding the plane, and to carry the car seat to your airplane seat.
Bottom Line: We feel this sturdy roller platform was a great purchase and made traveling with the car seat easier. They just need to more tightly secure the bearing rings to the wheels.
Customer Review: Could (and should) be so much better...
Summary: 2 Stars
Pros: (1) Functions well enough that it was _feasible_ for me to travel alone while taking my 13 month-old on an airplane trip (for which he was a ticketed passenger and needed the seat) and also taking 2 carry-ons, 1 checked duffel, and a baby carrier (a sling, in my case).
(2) I haven't found anything better (but wish I could).
Cons: (1) Not nearly as easy as it _should_ be to install and/or remove, even on our Britax Roundabout (for which it was supposedly designed). And it would be _soooo_ easy to re-engineer the fastening device for ease-of-use. This device is clearly the product of a poor imagination or a lazy mind. One is left wondering... Did the designers and manufacturers actually ever try to _use_ the device in the real world? Sheesh!
(2) Not OK to leave wheels attached during travel. This wouldn't be such a big deal if not for Con #1, discussed above. Besides the manufacturer's CYA statement in manual, which cites the lack of crash-test data, the wheels alter the carseat angle, pitching the seat forward a bit whether rear-facing or forward-facing. Thus, baby cannot recline and nap comfortably.
(3) Telescoping handle does not extend and retract very easily--often failing to catch and lock in an extended or folded position when it should--consistent with the general problem of cheap construction. Take the worst, most cheaply constructed folding luggage cart you may have ever seen (thinking back to the days before roller bags became a common sight at the airport) and you have the idea.
Here is my suggested alternative, which I now regularly use myself having kicked the TravelMate to the curb after getting fed up with it... Bungee the car seat to a small carry-on roller bag (one that fits under the airplane seat); stack diaper bag on top of the carseat (secured with seat straps); and carry your child in a backpack-style carrier. Carry ID and boarding documents on a string 'round your neck. Check all other luggage.
Customer Review: Don't fly alone with this!!
Summary: 2 Stars
I took the recommendation of a friend and purchased this for a long day of flying alone with my one year old. I am also pregnant, so I wanted the easiest thing possible. Well, this wasn't easy by any means!! It is a GREAT idea, but it is very difficult to assemble alone. The adjustable strap is not user friendly at all and it's so hard to put on with child in car seat. I had to sit my child on the floor of the airport each time I had to put it on. It DID fit through the x-ray machine in ATL thankfully, if I turned it upside down. After getting it assembled and through security, I was proudly strolling it through the airport with tons of people stopping me and asking me about it and telling me how wonderful it was. Then... when I got on the plane, a different story! I turned to go down the aisle and it DID NOT fit! The flight attendants were so annoyed with this thing. They said they wished people wouldn't use them b/c they don't fit down many aisles. So, since I had my arms full, the poor little female flight attendant lifted the whole seat with my baby in it and carried it on for me. I was humiliated. Then, I didn't have room to remove the GOGOKidz as it was too cramped and everyone was getting on the plane. Not to mention my baby was screaming. Then the attachment didn't fit in the overhead bin. So, they had to store it somewhere for me. Luckily, I sat by another mom who had sympathy on me and she was able to help me off the plane after landing since I had a very close connecting flight. The flight attendants basically told me that they were too busy to help me deplane- I think they were too annoyed with the stupid GOGOkidz. The next flight I had to do everything myself. I just took the GOGOKidz off before boarding and carried the seat on and off with baby in it. It was exhausting and not the best idea while pregnant, but I didn't want to hassle anyone else to help me. Bottom line- I would have been okay had my husband was with me, but DO NOT travel with this alone!!!Customer Review: Great product used in all aspects!
Summary: 4 Stars
I have used this product for almost 2 years now. We have travelled to two countries in Europe, Mexico, and other U.S. states. I can't imagine what I would've done without these wheels!
They are attached with two long screws, as some people have mentioned. Fortunately, once the carseat is seated on the plastic tabs at the bottom, the screws will easily and quickly spin into place. If you don't have the ability to line it up right then you will be up for a fight... but try to be smarter than the simple design! I took it off on the plane, back on after. Wheeled it through the security check (it only fit through the xray machine a couple places, otherwise had no problem with them hand-inspecting it). We also had a few instances when our daughter flew on our lap where we could use it throughout the airport then just gate check it to receive right after the flight (HANDY!)
It is so perfect for the airport with smooth walkways and such. We also used it as a stroller throughout London and Holland for hours straight (yikes with the cobblestone streets!) I thought I would break it for sure but it is in mint condition! No bends or cracks! A very durable item that seems to last through anything. No extra stroller needed.. plus you can keep your carseat with you so the airport doesn't even have a chance of losing it! The handle has a little wobble (as any telescoping handle) but is very sturdy to push or pull and adjustable to any height (perfect for my wife at 5'5 and can go too tall for me at 6'2!)
We get compliments on it left and right in the airport ("that's brilliant!" or "look what a great idea that is!") These comments especially come from the poot suckers with 3 suitcases, carseat, stroller, and kid! It is not flawless, but it's benefits FAR outweigh its flaws. Price is a bit steep, but certainly a quality product that will last. Small price to pay for the comfort of your child and convenience of not carrying extra things!
Customer Review: Great product, could be better
Summary: 4 Stars
My wife and I have used the GoGoKidz on multiple trips. If you use a car seat on the airplane, then this product will make your life much, much easier and is worth the purchase. This is especially true is you are facing a long hike to make a connecting flight. The unit is too big to wheel down the aisle of the plane, so you'll need to attach/remove it from the seat in the gate area. This can be a pain, and if you are traveling alone with a child would be a lot to deal with while preventing your child from running off.
Although it is a good product, there are a few issues to be aware of:
1. Size. Attached to our seat (a Cosco Alpha Omega), the unit is quite big. We've travelled through multiple airports without a problem. If your airport has scanners that are too small, just ask for a hand screening. At MSP, only one scanner is large enough and I needed to go wait in line again to get the seat scanned. To be fair, this more a result of today's larges car seats, rather than the TravelMate.
2. Attaching the unit to the seat:With our seat, a strap is required to be fed through the back of the seat. This strap then attaches to the unit via to large screws. This is a pain, but does take a few minutes and would be difficult to do if you were traveling alone and had a toddler to watch. The problem is the fine thread on the screws. It takes many, many turns to get the strap tight. Coarser threads or perhaps a latch system would be much better.
3. Easy opening handle: The handle is telescoping. Unfortuntately, it opens very easily. It is not uncommon when carrying a kid, a seat, the TravelMate, and a carryon bag (as you would be getting when getting on/off the plane) to accidentally knock the switch and have the thing open up fully on you. This is a big, big pain and especially so if you are unfortunate enough to be in a crowded coach aisle.