Bumbo Chair( the awards winning baby seat)

I have bought one for Ilyaas. Never heard of this chair till my SIL told me bout it. So, like all of you, after hearing about a product, we sure will google it first before making further decision to buy or not to buy.

This is what I found out when I google Bumbo Chair (I think this is helpful in explaining bout this chair):-

THE BUMBO STORY

The Bumbo Baby Seat, the innovatively moulded foam seat that enables babies to sit upright at a critical stage in their development, is more than just an extra pair of hands for Mom. It’s a fascinating and wide-ranging success story; one that has changed the lives of people of all ages.

In the beginning...

It was 1996, a spring day in Pretoria, and grandfather Johan Buitendach was on baby-sitting duty for 7-week-old grandson Daniell. Little Daniëll was a curious child and wanted to be able to look around; to engage with his surroundings. But he wasn't yet able to sit upright. So he pulled and tugged on Grandpa's fingers, and Grandpa propped him up with some pillows. A great solution, until little Daniëll tilted to one side. And then, Grandpa Johan - an inventor and toolmaker – had a brainwave.

Using a large piece of polystyrene, Johan crafted a freestanding seat with a circular design, featuring leg mouldings, a gently rounded crotch bar, a backrest and side handles. This seat, placed on the floor, made it possible for Daniëll to sit perfectly upright, with no risk of falling over or tipping out.

The Bumbo Baby Seat was born.

Bumbo and baby

Why is the Bumbo such an important part of baby development? "Well, it enables and encourages babies' interest in their environment, which, until now, has been problematic for moms (who, contrary to popular belief, only have one pair of hands). And this interest, a crucial element for stimulating brain development, profoundly affects Baby’s intelligence over the long term." Said Donald Pillai

Equally suitable for indoor and outdoor use - TV room, lounge, kitchen, beach, park, playground - the Bumbo is easy to pack into the trunk of any car. Bumbo features a simple, practical design that facilitates interaction between mother and child. But more than that, it allows parents and caregivers the freedom to let their babies satisfy their inherent curiosity with confidence.

The actual facts

In 2001, Johan Buitendach established Bumbo (Pty) Ltd, to address the need for functional, visually appealing and affordable baby accessories that began with little Daniëll and soon extended to the design, development and testing of South Africa’s flagship baby seat, the Bumbo Baby Sitter.

Although not dissimilar in structure to Johan's original polystyrene baby seat, today's Bumbo is made of moulded polyurethane. Its coated surface is hygiene-friendly, easy to clean and free of sharp edges, uncomfortable straps or bracing clips. It is also sturdy and 100% freestanding.

Other products in the Bumbo range include an attachable play tray, toilet trainer, a 'crawl ball', Baby bath and a pushcart, whimsically titled the 'Bumbo Mobile'.

Google also give me a shock when I found out that Bumbo Chair have had a recalled. All products manufactured in Year 2003-2007 need to be recalled due to some warning issues not shown on the chair.

During late 2007, there were reports of accidents due to negligent use of Bumbo Baby Sitter seats that necessitated the withdrawal the product and the company decided to issue some precautionary warnings and fresh user instructions.
Bumbo Company have now put on the warning sign now. Of course I checked mine before I bought to make sure it has the warning sign. The warning consist of pertaining to the faulty designing of the seat as when positioned on a table, countertop, chair or any other raised surface, the seat becomes unsafe - more so, when children stretch their backs, they can slip out of the seat and fall on the floor sustaining severe skull injuries.

In my opinion, the faulty of Bumbo Seat is not 100% Bumbo Company's fault. It is the nature of parenting you should know and have to make sure your child is safe anywhere he/she is. So, commonly, Bumbo Chair CAN NOT be placed on a high surface. Thus, I have bought Ilyaas' Bumbo Chair last two weeks at OneBabyWorld, Gombak.

I put Ilyaas on this seat when he wants to watch Baby Tv, eat (till now, he has had 4 meals since I introduce solid), or when he feel bored laying on his mattress.