It’s been over eight years since the debut of the Doona, the single invention that has been the biggest game changer for moms. Is the Evenflo Shyft finally a competitor?
It’s been so long since the Doona debut, that there’s even a new generation that doesn’t even know of the in-and-out of car struggles that moms had before this era. And while we’ve covered some Doona-related topics over the years, like How to Turn Your Doona into a Double Stroller, or The Right 7 A.M. to Keep Your Baby Warm in the Doona (i.e. the Cocoon) or The Best Toddler Seats for after it’s time to retire the Doona, we’ve never seen anything that is comparable over the years.
Until now when we noticed this Evenflo Shyft arrive on the market. It’s not lower-priced than the Doona, so price wouldn’t really be much of a reason to buy one vs. the other. But are there features which would make it more attractive for some?
To find out, we asked our readers for their experiences using the Evenflo. The responses are below, but we summed up over here.
Based on responses below, we learned that the Evenflo might be a good choice, if:
– If you or your husband are very tall, as the handle bar comes up higher. Also, if you are tall and it’s likely that your baby will be a tall one too, it might last you longer as the seat is adjustable as your baby grows, so it can accommodate a taller/bigger baby.
– If the ability to add under stroller storage is important to you (i.e. you walk and shop in your neighborhood and need to be able to throw things under the stroller or don’t want the extra bulk of a diaper bag). Note that the under stroller carry-all bag needs to be removed before folding in the car.
– If the ability to use the infant seat without wheels (i.e. you want the seat to be lighter when you bring the baby into the house, or you want to put the infant seat in the supermarket wagon) is important to you.
– If the safety features that work with the APP, like the sensors which will tell you if you left the baby in the car, or if the baby is too hot or too cold, is important to you.
Stick with the Doona if:
– The above items are not so important.
– You use the infant seat as a stroller on Shabbos, as the sensor clip may be an issue.
Here’s some feedback from our readers:
“I just love it. I’m from Toronto and we can’t legally get the Doona here, so this was my only option. I do have a friend who bought the Doona in the U.S. and she tried mine and thinks it pushes a little smoother. I love that the base protects the car (so the dirty wheels don’t touch the car). I also think that the bar to push goes a bit higher (better for my tall husband). I’ve received a lot of compliments on it, it may even look a bit sleeker than the Doona.
It also has a cool feature that connects to an app and tells you the temperature of the carseat, to let you know if the baby is too hot or too cold. It also lets you know if your phone is too far away from the carseat (to prevent you leaving your baby in the car), if the baby has been buckled for more than two hours, or if the buckle comes undone while the baby is in there. I’ve personally never taken the wheels off and I’ve had it for 3ish months.
To be honest, I feel that the Doona is such a “thing” that if I had that as an option I would have probably gotten it, but I’m so happy with the Evenflo – I really love it!” –Avigayil K
“I have it! I received it as a gift. It’s more chic than the Doona and the handle bar is higher. I like quality of the material/fabric better. The quality is similar to the Doona. The wheels go the other way when folding. It took a day to get used to that. It also has a safety sensor on the straps that can link to an app.” –Rachel S
“It’s lighter than the Doona, the wheels come off, the handle bar is slightly higher, and all accessories come included. I like the quality. My friends have the Doona and tried my Evenflo. They were very impressed with how it rolls! It’s also less bulky.
I just moved to Israel so I don’t take the wheels off often but in America I would when coming into the house (over here, I go into an elevator, so it’s not worth the schlep).
It’s also important to note for those who also use this as an infant stroller–the clip can’t be used on Shabbos because it lights up. But, for during the week, we love the app and how it reminds us if the baby was left in the car and the temperature of the seat. We’ve had it for almost 5 months.” –Julie T
My sister in law has it and loves it – this is what she says:
“I wanted a car seat that has more storage underneath since I walk a lot. I also wanted the option of taking it out without the wheels when I grocery shop. I didn’t want to push around a stroller and a wagon. I was also able to get it discounted–it was 20% off when I bought it on Amazon, plus I put it on my registry, so I received another 15% off. I use the under storage bag as a diaper bag, so it’s nice not to have too much to shlep. I don’t take it apart from the wheels as much as I thought I would, but that has more to do with the fact that I go shopping with my 4 year old and she loves to push him around while I shop. –Sarah G
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