Deciding what stroller and car seat to buy can be a big job, and it helps to do a little bit of diggin’. Here’s the Doona: pros and cons from a first time mama!
When I first became pregnant, I heard about an amazing car seat from my cousins, then saw it in action as they wheeled their baby around in it.
It was called…
THE DOONA!
What makes this car seat so special? Well, my cousin told me that it was a car seat AND stroller, all in one, and that it was the best purchase they had ever made. They said that it was the next big thing, very popular, and absolutely amazing.
I know! It sounds like a dream.
Sure enough, this product exploded and I started to see it everywhere. My husband and I talked about it, and we decided to buy it when our baby was born.
My little boy is ten months old now, and we have used it almost every day since we purchased it. But, was it worth the hype?
This post is all about the Doona: pros and cons.
THE DOONA: PROS AND CONS
PROS
In my opinion, here are some great aspects about the Doona.
Safety:
The company has made sure that the Doona car seat has passed all the tests when it comes to potential car accidents. The Doona scored a high 5-star rating when it came to frontal collisions.
You can read more about their safety features here on their website.
When looking for a car seat, safety is a priority for your little one!
Saves space:
Because of the 2-in-1 stroller-car-seat combo, I had waaaay more room in the car. When my baby was first born, we were driving a Kia Optima, so we didn’t have much room to begin with. With very little trunk space, the idea of stuffing a stroller in the back seemed impossible (especially with my emergency preparedness tendencies).
Not needing to haul around a separate car seat AND a stroller was such a space saver, not only in the car, but also in our little 800 square feet apartment.
So, the Doona definitely delivers in the space saving department.
Convenient:
This product is extremely convenient, making life easier for me as a mom! When you have places to go and errands to run, it’s awesome to be able to get up and go in no time! The Doona allows this to be a possibility, and has saved a lot of hassle and time.
Great for travel:
We have only taken the Doona on a road trip, and it was perfect for what we needed. However, I have heard about how nice it is to take on planes (which I always thought you had to check the car seat in with your bags). But apparently you can just plop it on the seat next to you and buckle it in!
Because I haven’t ever taken one on a plane myself, I can’t say for sure how this works. I’m just being the middleman 😂
CONS
In my opinion, here are some less great aspects about the Doona.
The Weight:
The Doona weighs about 16.5 lbs, which is 4-7 lbs heavier than a typical car seat. Obviously this makes sense, because it has a few more awesome features than a typical car seat.
Still, lifting it can feel difficult, especially when stairs are involved or you are lifting the seat into a car that’s higher off the ground.
If you have experience with other car seats, then you will notice a difference, but if this is your first baby then maybe you won’t know any better 😛 (This is my first baby and I only noticed a difference because my mom picked it up and mentioned how much heavier it was).
But the thing has wheels! So, ideally, you’ll hardly be carrying it at all, and maybe this won’t even matter.
Only faces one way:
When it comes to the Doona: pros and cons list, the one thing I have had the most difficult time with is the fact that, as a stroller, it is strictly parent facing.
Once my baby hit around 4 months, he was wanting to look out at everything else around him, not just look at mom.
I like strollers that allow babies to face out towards the rest of the world, so they can see all that’s going on. It’s much more entertaining for them.
So the fact that this stroller can only be pushed one way got old pretty quickly.
And like I said, my baby got a little annoyed with this aspect as well around 4 months old, sooooo… As a car seat, we are still using it. But using it as an actual stroller, you could argue that it only lasted about 4 months.
Safety:
As with all car seats, there are safety concerns with using a car seat as a stroller in general due to the position your baby is in. They shouldn’t be in a car seat for a long period of time, especially as a newborn. Newborns are unable to adjust themselves if they are having trouble breathing.
This isn’t Doona specific- this is a safety risk for all car seats, but I thought I’d still throw this in there. I actually was unaware of all of the risks of a car seat as a stroller until after purchasing the Doona, so this is pretty new to me, too.
So if you are like me and were unaware, well, now you know and maybe that can help you make a decision.
Weather mess:
Because the wheels are attached to the car seat, you bring outdoor weather into your car. The wheels get covered in mud, snow, water, etc., which of course is expected. It’s just that instead of containing the mess in the trunk area, you bring it into the seating area.
This, of course, can be solved by wiping the wheels down with a towel of some sort, but, coming from a moms perspective, how realistic is that? I don’t know about you, but I know I’m not going to be wiping that thing down every time it gets any outdoor elements onto it.
This may bother some, and may not bother others.
Expensive:
The Doona costs quite a bit of money. It runs between $550-700 depending on the model you purchase. There are also accessories that you can buy, which is an added fee.
Looking online, depending on the brand and the features of other car seats and strollers, you can actually get a separate stroller and a separate car seat for $300 or $400, potentially saving $250 or more.
Maybe that’s pocket change for you, but for me? That’s a ton of money 😂
Only for one baby:
For those of you who only have one baby, the Doona is a good choice, as it is made for only one child. But if you have multiple children or twins, it might be better to invest in separate car seats, along with a stroller made for multiple kids.
And maybe the Doona is great for you now, but in two years you might need to plan on an upgrade if you decide to have another baby.
Some people like to plan for the future, purchasing something now that will benefit a larger family down the road.
Other people only wanted what they currently need in the moment, and don’t mind upgrading as their family grows.
Handle-Bar Adjustment:
Okay, at the base of the handle, on either side, there are gray buttons you push in order for the handle-bar to adjust forward or back. Something I found to be a disadvantage is that you need to press both of the buttons simultaneously.
Maybe I’m being petty, but I hate pressing both buttons. There have been SOOOO many times when I have had my hands full (whether I’m holding items, groceries, or even my baby), there’s not really a place to set anything down, and I need to adjust the handle.
Usually, I am able to free one hand, but because I have to push both buttons at the same time, it doesn’t matter if I free one hand, because I need both. So I give a big sigh and I rejig my arm-load of things and I awkwardly figure it out.
Yes, I am alive, but sometimes I am a princess hahaha and I wish that the handle only required pressing down the button on one side instead of both sides.
(I am aware that this is really just a human-error, but a con for me from a more personal standpoint).
No storage:
Many strollers have storage underneath the baby seat.
Not the Doona. The Doona does not come with any built in storage, however, you can buy accessories that add storage to the stroller/car seat. There are attachable bags or an attachable drink holder. These are an extra fee, but it’s possible to add a little storage if you want to.
This can be a pro or a con, depending on the person. Some people like the minimal approach and maybe the sleek look of less clutter down below.
I, however, view this as more of a con. I usually carry around my diaper bag anyways, and sometimes it would be nice to be able to put these products below in a storage space instead of carrying them myself.
It can get tiring carrying everything sometimes, and the idea of built-in storage space sounds refreshing.
Not always a smooth ride:
The wheels aren’t made for different terrain. If you are pushing it along a smooth sidewalk, smooth road, or smooth trail, it’s perfect. But as soon as you encounter some terrain, it becomes quite a bumpy ride.
I do my best to avoid wood chips, sand, pebbles/rocks, etc. During instances like this, I switch to a baby carrier instead.
Ideal for shorter people:
The Doona is quite low to the ground, and the handle does not extend very high. Me, being 5’6”, have found that I even need to bend often or squat to the ground as I tend my baby.
So, if you or your husband are 6’ tall, you might find yourselves slouching to reach the handle-bar, and this product might not be best for you.
Final thoughts:
Honestly, I am still torn to this day as to whether the Doona is worth it or not. Looking at the Doona: pros and cons list above, there are way more cons than pros. Yet some days the pros outweigh the cons. I go back and forth all. the. time.
There are moments when I absolutely love it and it’s an absolute life saver! Then there are other moments when I’m convinced it wasn’t worth the money. It just depends on the day.
I will say that my husband thinks it’s the bomb.com (he is 5’9’’).
So, take my pros and cons into consideration if you are wondering whether or not to make this purchase. It’s up to you to decide what aspects are most important to you and what your individual preferences are.
What stroller and carseat will you decide to buy and why? Let me know in the comments below 😀
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