An Honest Review of the Doona Car Seat, Stroller, Trikes and More
Modern parenting is infinitely more hectic than what our parents dealt with. Today‘s always-on world leaves little room in our schedules for even basic errands, let alone cumbersome stroller breakdowns and car seat installations.
With tired, frustrated parents longing for stress-free mobility for their little ones, brands like Doona aim to simplify baby transport through clever designs that consolidate and streamline.
But do these slick products deliver on their lofty promises of convenience and quality? In this exhaustive Doona review, we evaluate every nitty gritty detail across their full range of gear to determine if the premium prices are justified.
A Brief History of Disruption
Doona‘s origin story echoes that of many great product innovations – born from personal frustration mixed with entrepreneurial vision.
New father Yoav Mazar struggled through the difficult early months transporting his infant using awkward, disjointed baby equipment. Sick of fumbling with his existing stroller and car seat combo during each trip, he envisioned a single, integrated mobility solution.
With backing from investors, Mazar first brought his vision to life in 2015 with the best-selling Doona Car Seat and Stroller. This revolutionary 2-in-1 design condensed a full-size stroller and infant car seat into a single, compact unit for seamless portability.
Buoyed by rave reviews, Doona rapidly expanded its premium assortment to include trikes, accessories and apparel. Today its sleek, modern aesthetic screams quality and convenience for the overwhelmed parent.
But slick branding and pedigrees only go so far. Below we methodically scrutinize Doona‘s core offerings to determine if the reality lives up to the hype…
DOONA Car Seat & Stroller In Depth
In our in-depth Testing of The Doona Car Seat and Stroller, we find it to be an incredibly intuitive infant mobility system with equally impressive safety certifications and manufacturer perks.
Shop The Doona Infant Car Seat/Stroller
Primary Features & Benefits:
- Fully functional infant car seat AND stroller in one integrated unit
- Sized for infants 4-35 lbs and up to 32 inches
- One hand conversion from car seat to stroller and vice versa
- Super compact fold – small enough to be airline carry-on luggage
- Easy vehicle installation using included base or seat belt
- 5 point safety harness with side impact protection
- Multi-stage shock absorbers for smooth ride
- Versatile accessories – rain/bug cover, storage bag, cup holder
- 7 stylish colors – black, blue, orange, gray, khaki green, sand and red
What Sets The Doona Apart?
The brilliance of the Doona lies in its uncommon versatility. By integrating a full, safe car seat with a nimble stroller, it eliminates the hassle of moving baby from one to the other upon arrival at your destination. It‘s also airline regulation-sized when folded, sparing parents from gate checking cumbersome gear.
Doona‘s sleek, gender neutral aesthetic blends premium materials and thoughtful accents like ergonomic handles, easy maneuverability and custom accessories. Safety first designs include side impact protection, a 5 point harness and multi-stage shock absorption.
Doona‘s sturdy integrated wheels and compact fold make air travel a breeze. No more awkward gate checks!
After extensively using and evaluating the Doona with parents across months and environments, we found it to excel as an infant mobility solution and recommend it to savvy, on-the-go moms and dads.
Doona Trike Strollers: Cool Wheels For Older Tots
As junior ages out of their Doona Car Seat and Stroller, Doona offers a trio of Truly Innovative Trike Strollers with clever designs sized for toddlers and young children.
Like all their gear, the focus remains portability and functionality for frazzled parents. Let‘s review the key features of Doona‘s three trike models.
Doona Liki Trike S5
The award-winning S5 caters to older toddlers aged 10 months to 3 years seeking independence. With roomy seating, 5 point safety harness and UV protection canopy, parents retain control while active kids explore the world.
Clever touches we love include a patented one hand, flat fold into the size of a suitcase, an adjustable push handle, and a washable seat cover. Assembly takes just 5 minutes with the included tools.
The Fine Print
- Ages 10 months – 3 years
- Folding trike toddler bike
- Can be pushed by parents or pedaled independently
- 5 point safety harness + padded seating
- UPF 50 canopy for sun protection
- Easy one hand fold into ultra compact size
Our Take
The S5 strikes a nice balance between toddler freedom and parent oversight thanks to integrated safety features and smart folding capability into a compact, portable size. We dig the modern styling too. Well suited for travel or frequent car use.
Doona Liki Trike S3
Similar in spec to the S5, the Doona Liki Trike S3 dials down the price in exchange for a few convenience tweaks. Still a fully functional folding toddler trike, but loses the one hand collapse and self-stand abilities when folded. There‘s also no canopy or basket.
A solid bang-for-your-buck choice for parents seeking an uncomplicated trike for toddlers and youngsters. Choose from blue, orange, gray or green color options.
The Essentials
- Ages 6 – 36 months
- Folding trike with parent push handle
- 5 point safety harness
- Padded seat
- No canopy or storage basket
Bottom Line
For a simplified but high quality folding toddler trike, the S3 gives you the core functionality without the bells and whistles. An easy pedaling experience for mini adventurers that folds for portability and storage.
Doona Liki Trike Midnight
Lastly, Doona‘s Midnight model offers the same convenient features as the S5 but dials up the style with an all-black colorway and posh accents like faux leather grips and diamond stitching. An excellent blend of form and function.
If you dig the understated cool vibe of the Midnight but want to save a few bucks, the nearly identical Doona Liki Trike Onyx delivers the same look for less.
No matter which you choose, you‘ll enjoy handy parent assists like a one hand quick fold chassis, adjustable handlebar, safety harnesses and washable seat pad. Well suited for travel or frequent car use thanks to its flat folding design.
How Does Doona Compare To Competitors?
In the world of high end baby travel systems, few rival Doona‘s reputation for quality craftsmanship and convenience. But the iconic Babyzen YOYO2 Stroller gives it a run as a parent favorite.
Below we compare specs between the two to help you determine the best option.
| Doona Infant System | Babyzen YOYO2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Car seat/stroller combo | Yes – integrated | Yes – separate pieces |
| Weight | 16.5 lbs | 13 lbs |
| Fold size | 27.6 x 17.3 x 8.7 inches | 21 x 17 x 11 inches |
| Ideal Age Range | Newborn to 6 months | Newborn to toddler |
| Add-ons Available | Rain cover, bug cover, storage bags | Newborn insert, rain cover, storage bag |
| Travel-friendly | Fully certified for air travel | Meets carry on size limits |
| Customer ratings | 4.8 / 5 stars across 6,000+ reviews | 4.8 / 5 stars across 2,500+ reviews |
| Price point | $$ / $$$ | $$ / $$$ |
The Bottom Line:
The Doona Infant System holds a rare advantage as an integrated car seat and stroller approved for air travel. So if airplane portability is important to you, it can‘t be beat. Size-wise though, the YOYO2 folds down slightly more compact.
When baby outgrows the standard Doona, you‘ll need to purchase a separate stroller. The YOYO2 allows you to use infants inserts then later transitions to a full toddler stroller.
While both deliver ultra smooth rides and are comparably priced, the ability to use the Doona as an FAA-approved aircraft seat gives it an edge while baby is small. But the YOYO2 saves you money down the road by stretching from newborn through toddler years.
Availability & Buying Guide
As a young company catering to premium baby gear shoppers, Doona smartly distributes through trusted juvenile retailers and ecommerce giants.
We suggest purchasing directly from Doona‘s site to take advantage of regular sales, speedy fulfillment and customer support access. Otherwise online availability includes:
Brick and mortar retailers:
- BuyBuy Baby
- Nordstrom
- Bloomingdales
- Williams Sonoma
Deals & Promos
Doona occasionally offers direct discounts around major holidays and clearance events. They also price match select authorized online retailers.
Sign up for Doona‘s email list to receive advance notice of seasonal offers.
And pro tip: add items to your cart then leave the site and Doona may send a personalized offer code to encourage purchase!
Shipping, Returns & Warranties
Expect speedy fulfillment plus white glove delivery on all Doona orders over $75. Signature is required upon arrival.
Doona provides a generous 30 day return window for refunds on unused products in original packaging.
All gear ships with a 1 year manufacturer warranty against defects. Extend coverage to 2 years total by registering your product via their site.
Key Questions and Concerns
We get lots of common questions from parents about Doona gear during our consultations. Below we provide helpful answers to the ones we hear most.
Is the Doona Infant Car Seat too heavy?
At 16.5 pounds the Doona does weight slightly more than average infant car seats. But it‘s integrated wheels and one-hand folding helps immensely with real world portability.
Does Doona accommodate premies & small newborns?
While exceptionally compact, the Doona meets the same size standards as full size infant car seats. So no, it does not work for micro preemies or babies under 4 pounds. Many parents of smaller newborns use a secondary insert or seat until baby grows into the Doona‘s weight range.
What is the expiration timeline? Do I need to buy the new Doona+?
Original Doona Infant Car Seats have a 6 year expiration while the updated Doona+ model lasts 9 years from the manufactured date before requiring replacement . So no need to rush out and upgrade if your existing one is still valid.
Does it fit my car?
The Doona is standardized to fit all full size sedans and SUVs. As with all car seats, always double check your vehicle manual for any special considerations.
Can I take the Doona on an airplane?
Yes! The Doona is fully TSA and FAA approved as aircraft infant seating. No more gate checking hassles!
What‘s the difference between the Black color and Midnight?
Beyond the names, no difference. Doona recently updated the color name of their deepest black offering to Midnight instead of Black. But the product itself remains the same between old and new.
Is there financing available?
Yes! Doona offers Affirm financing with rates between 10-30% APR over 6 months or longer terms to ease spending.
The Last Word
While premium in price, Doona gear delivers a seamless mobility experience for design-focused parents overwhelmed by infant paraphernalia. Their innovative combos consolidate the essentials for escaping the house while reducing pieces to haul.
Car seat regulations and little one‘s rapid growth does mandate transitioning to new equipment over time. But families embracing travel will get ample mileage from Doona‘s clever, convenience-centric designs crafted to directly address parenthood‘s steepest learning curve – mastering the madness that comes with leaving home base!
After evaluating the complete range of their offerings, we believe the extra spend over traditional baby gear delivers meaningful quality of life enhancements. And shared moments escaping together confidently are the ultimate return on investment.
To shop Doona‘s full collection with our highest endorsement, visit www.shopdoona.com.
