Transportation | Inhabitots

Bumbleride Natural Edition Indie Baby Stroller Offers Go Anywhere Ease

by Jennifer Chait, 09/20/11

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7 Ways to Keep Your Child Safe in Honor of National Child Passenger Safety Week

by Jennifer Chait, 09/19/11

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Introducing Frii, A New Recycled Plastic Bike by Dror Peleg

by Desmond Williams, 08/29/11

Cute in a way that only those who love modular design will appreciate, the Frii tri-color recycled plastic bike is an injection molded, snap-together marvel that is light weight yet durable. Dror Peleg, the mastermind behind the bike’s concept design, intends it to be used for “quick trips through the city streets” and hopes that interested governments will see it as a way to usefully recycle landfill-destined plastics. All of the cumbersome design details can be found at knstrct after enjoying these pretty pictures.

New Tailpipe Controls Do Little to Improve Air Quality Inside School Bus Cabins

by Lori Zimmer, 07/12/11

When you’re shuffling the kids onto the big yellow school bus every morning, the last thing you should be thinking about is air pollution. While we trust bus drivers to get our kids safely to school, the diesel-guzzling busses spew toxic tailpipe emissions into the air. And even though some school districts have taken the pollution seriously, and are installing catalytic converters in their vintage fleet of vehicles, these tailpipe controls only help the air pollution levels outside the bus, not inside where children are riding and breathing the air on the way to school. In fact, a new study found that the ratio of pollutants inside the bus cabin can be three to 15 times more emission-heavy than outside city air.

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New Car Seat Rules Keep Kids Rear Facing Until Age 2

Image abbybatchelder

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Yesterday, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Administration updated their recommendations on car seats including keeping toddlers rear facing until age 2, and having kids ride in car seats as old as age 12. I have always felt that many parents were allowing their children to ride in a vehicle without the proper seat belt – once they reached a certain age. I have also been accused of making my son use a car seat when others feel that he is simply too old for one (he is almost 10). However after reading the new car seat recommendations on how long children should stay in one, I smiled. I just knew that keeping my son in a car seat was a safer option, and I am glad that the recommendations have been changed. Read on to learn the new recommended guidelines on car seats.

74 Year Old Man to Journey Across America in a Solar Powered Stroller

With its multiple rearview mirrors, motorized axel and fold-out tent, Bruce Maynard’s solar powered stroller seems like baby gear on steroids — but 74 year old Bruce didn’t retro fit the motorized baby stroller dubbed ‘Sam’ for his grandchildren… he’s planning on using it himself to trek diagonally across America from Washington State to Key West, Florida.

Thanksgiving Goodness: 88 Bikes Foundation Gives Children in Developing Countries A Lift

The art of spreading joy translates to all cultures and peoples, and really has no limits when it comes to locale or economic conditions. 88Bikes Foundation is heroically going the distance to share this message with its global “buy a child a bike” initiative. With the goal of providing a sustainable and empowering form of transportation to young people in developing countries (typically “in situations where children have been challenged to be their own heroes due to war, conflict, poverty, disease, or other regional hardships”), 88Bikes is making a real difference in the lives of kids who otherwise have a very difficult time experiencing the freewheeling spontaneity of childhood and good time fun.

Madsen ‘Bucket’ Bike Totes Precious Cargo… and More!

Madsen Bucket bicycles are arguably the first urban bicycles designed to transport groceries, laundry, surfboards and kids (though not all at the same time). “After hauling six neighbor kids around in a wheel barrow bucket bolted to the front of our first prototype, we started to realize what a bicycle can really do,” say the folks behind the development of the Madsen kg271/BUCKET bike. Their end product is a stylish mode of utility cycling, perfect for green minded parents looking to combine urban errand running with fun kid hauling!

Wheely Bug Ride-On Toy

Is there anything cuter than this wooden, eco-friendly ride-on Wheely Bug? Our only problem with it is it doesn’t come in grown-up sizes. Your ankle-biter, on the other hand, faces no such impediment, and is free to coast forwards and backwards, scoot from side to side, and spin round and around on the toy’s four multidirectional casters.

An Early Rider for Easy Riders

There’s a new wooden bike on the block. And with features such as embossed flames, an embroidered chopper-styled seat, and a fat black-walled rear tire, it’s bound to quickly race to the head of the pack. According to the website, Early Rider mini cycles are the “most stylish, perfectly made and safest bikes available.” While there really isn’t a quantifiable way to prove that last bit, just one look at these bikes confirms the first two claims.

Kayaks for Young Adventurers with Lighter Footprints

Parents could use a hand when it comes to finding great, green gear for their miniature outdoor enthusiasts, who are small in size but big on adventure. Over the course of the spring and summer I will be investigating, reviewing and reporting on various eco-friendly or otherwise low-impact outdoors options for children who happily don DEET-free bug spray after shedding their city garb, to get out and enjoy the wilds of nature. In this post I get my feet wet by learning more about kayaks.

Power Folding Origami Stroller to Roll Out in October ’09

Choosing a stroller for your new baby requires a great deal of thought and research, given the plethora of options on the market. From the uber expensive trendy strollers to the practical, less pricey prams, there’s a wide gamut of possibilities when it comes to wheeling your bundle of joy around town. The upcoming Origami stroller by 4moms is the first in its class however. This futuristic stroller is packed with mom inspired, innovative perks; and designed to make a parent’s life easier by folding itself compactly with the simple touch of a button.

Snacktime Goes Green with Reusable Cloth Snack Bags

One thing all kids have in common is a deep love of snacks. They’ll snack in the car, on the couch, in the yard… I think they’d snack in their sleep if we let them. All this munching typically requires a ton of plastic snack baggies or quite a few bulky containers. Ditch the plastic and the disposables for true snack-time ease with a flair; and choose a better, eco-friendly choice, such as the reusable cloth snack bags from Plum Creek Mercantile.

Automotive Pollution and Our Kids’ Health

When my son was younger, I always wondered if I was affecting his health by using a stroller. This had nothing to do with how green the carriage’s manufacturing process was, but everything to do with his stroller-bound proximity to vehicular exhaust systems. As I watched other parents using more lofty modes of transport (back carriers, front carriers and slings), I wondered if their children were less at risk of directly inhaling automotive pollutants than my son, whom I was shuttling around closer to the ground. Yet could the few feet of airspace a piggyback affords its passenger drastically reduce exposure to the breathable pollution belched by passing or idling vehicles?

Wishbone Pre-Bike: The Mean Green Wishbone Machine

First, there was the PedoBIKE (a rustic and rugged simple machine), then came the Like-A-Bike (sleek and smooth, it features minimalist design), and now, taking the innovation even further is the Wishbone ‘pre’ Bike. Answering the call for cutting-edge, sustainable options for kids, the guys at Wishbone Design Studio put together a convertible trike/low rider/big runner that is manufactured using 60% post-consumer recycled plastic, sustainably managed woods, eco-friendly bonding agents and non-toxic paints.

INHABITOTS REVIEW: Our Favorite Baby Carriers

When a new baby is born, it seems as if life as you know it will never truly be the same. Gone are the days of heading out on the town, or even shuffling around your house, without your precious cargo in tow. Babywearing is great for babies and parents alike. It brings convenience (not to mention a workout) to parents, and bonding time for babies, which is so important for development.

Here at Inhabitots, we’ve got your back…and your front, and your hips, covered with our in-depth review of the most popular baby carriers and slings.

The Great Bike Seat Debate: Which One is Right for You?

In the front, in the rear, trailing two feet behind, pedal-pushing parents have various options when it comes to pillions for their tiny passengers. As a result, these options raise a host of questions for first-time purchasers of child bike seats.

This Wooden Bike Rocks (Nad-Ofan Concept)

The explanation I found for the concept behind this wooden bike is a bit convoluted: “A balance bicycle that can be transformed into a rocking horse. The cycles are being folded into the wooden body of the bicycle and are used as breaks (brakes) which prevent from the child to turn over while swaying.” Huh? I assumed the bike’s coolness got lost in translation…

PedoBike: Witty Sustainability on Wheels

The PedoBike will seem familiar to most readers because, let’s face it, it looks a lot like a LIKEaBIKE – that other popular wooden push bike. The PedoBike is also a likable bike. It’s slightly less expensive than its competitor, and it boasts modular craftsmanship, varied accessories, and a sustainable manufacturing process. Besides, according to the distributor’s website, PedoBike is actually the “original of all wooden walking bikes for children”.

UPPAbaby Eco Stroller

UPPAbaby, the purveyors of high-end though affordably deluxe baby strollers, offers some elegantly designed vehicles to transport baby around town, all the while remaining actively eco-minded. The Northeast-based company really goes the distance by recycling materials from old and used strollers, donating functional strollers to charity, and operating a warehouse bi-coastally to reduce emissions and gas-guzzling travel by delivery trucks. They even encourage ‘work at home’ opportunities to help decrease emissions from what would have been commuting employees. Look no further if you are hoping to stroll in sustainable style as well as lighten your footprint as a green family on-the-go!