Little Everett has been sitting unassisted for a while now but he is definitely not to be trusted, especially on hard surfaces.  When he was a wee tot I ran out and bought a used Bumbo for him and he loved it.  Unfortunately, he grew out of the darn thing!  His thighs got so chunky that we had to wedge him in and use the Jaws of Life to remove him.

A week after I retired the Bumbo I received the Prince LionHeart BebePod Flex Plus for review because I am part of the Elite Writer’s Group.  I had my doubts since I assumed it was similar to the Bumbo.  Fortunately it isn’t.  And it fit him!  Happy Dance! I plopped him in after unpackaging it and did a mondo load of dishes, all while he played with the neato toy that clips into the tray.  That was a major mommy win. It was a lifesaver during the Flats Challenge last week.  While I was handwashing diapers or wringing them and drying them out I had him in the BebePod Flex Plus.   I felt much safer if I had to leave the room since he couldn’t scoot backwards or fall over and hit his face.  I’ve even watched as he leaned over to get a toy and expected it would tip but it never has.

Award-winning, pediatrician approved bébéPOD® Flex Plus is the best, FIRST infant seat for feeding, play and travel. With its dual-strap system, the bébéPOD® Flex Plus converts from a FLOOR seat to a CHAIR MOUNTED seat in a snap, perfect at home, at restaurants and visiting family. It is comfortably soft, non-toxic and easy to clean with an ergonomic design that provides optimal support in helping Baby learn to sit and eat – Adjustable Upgrade Tray, placemat and learning toy keeps baby engaged!
• Soft, durable, non-toxic and easy to clean
• Ergonomic design provides optimal support in helping baby learn to sit
• High back helps promote proper posture
• Pommel helps keep Baby snugly in place
• Leg openings designed for comfortable positioning and support
• Designed from Award Winning bébéPOD®
• Comes with placemat, adjustable tray and toy
• Available in watermelon and kiwi
• Recommended age: 3-14 months

Now I’m a little sad that we didn’t have this seat earlier.  The good news is that because of the extra features and the more generous thigh openings, it will last longer than our Bumbo did and we will still get use out of it.

The BebePod Flex Plus has a harness to secure the baby into the seat, as well as straps that attach the seat to another chair.  Guess what?  That makes it a booster! This was super exciting for me.  I’ll never forget the time I was out to eat with my hubby and son and I saw a family feeding a baby purees in a Bumbo while he was on the table.  It looked ridiculous but the baby was quiet.  Everett hasn’t started solids yet but I see us using this for his mealtimes because it is so comfortable for him.  It is lightweight and portable enough to bring to a relative’s home or babysitters so they have a place to be fed and a safe seat.  The surfaces is smooth with no crevices which also makes it very easy to clean.

There is also a tray that attaches to the chair.  A mat can be placed on top (with cute fruit themed images) or you can remove the mat and insert the included carousel toy.  Hallelujah! I have a suction cup toy similar to this which I love but it always comes unstuck from the table surface.  Everett loves spinning it.  Sometimes I leave it off and put others toys there and he equally loves banging those on the tray to make as much noise as possible.

Aesthetically I find the BebePod to look nicer than the Bumbo.  It is shiny, has contrasting colors with the white knob in front, and the toy isn’t too obnoxious to look at white it is attached.

If I were to change anything about the BebePod Flex Plus I would like some way to keep the buckles from falling into the seat.  I’ve gotten a little annoyed at having to hold 19 pounds in one arm while sweeping the buckles out from the seat only to have them slide back in before I get my guy in.  I’d also like an option to buy other toys built for the tray.  Toys that can’t be swept off the tray are miracles.

If you are deciding between a Bumbo and BebePod Flex Plus the tray is a major factor.  I have the tray for the Bumbo and never used it, ever.  It was a pain in the butt to put on and it was bulky.  The tray for the Bebepod Flex Plus is easier to put on, although I have to admit since Everett is chunky I can only get it to click in once.

It looks to me that the Bumbo works with smaller/younger infants better but I can’t say for sure since I didn’t have the BebePod Flex Plus to compare during that stage.

If you are trying to decide based on price, there is no competition.  Both are about the same price, and if you upgrade to the BebePod Flex Plus with the tray, that price increase is the same as adding a tray to a Bumbo (sold separately)

We’ve been very happy with the BebePod Flex Plus and hope to get many more months of use out of it!

Where to buy: The BebePod Flex Plus can be found at your local Target or on Target.com.

One lucky DDL reader will win a Bebepod Flex Plus from Prince Lionheart!  This is a US Only giveaway, sorry Canadians.

(1 entry) Mandatory Entry: Sign up for the Prince Lionheart Newsletter. Please leave the email you used in the comment for verification and contact purposes. Leave it as a comment.

For extra entries do any or all of the following.  Leave a comment for each you do.

(1 entry) Follow @KimRosas on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, “Enter to win the Bebepod Flex Plus from @KimRosas and Prince Lionheart.  http://tinyurl.com/3r58mb2 Ends June 16.” Leave a comment with a link to your status.

You can tweet once a day for the duration of the contest. Leave a comment with your status for each tweet. 1 entry per day.

(1 entry) Subscribe to my blog via email through feedburner. Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) Subscribe to my monthly newsletter. Leave a comment.

(1 entry) Follow me through Google Friend Connect or via a reader. Leave a comment.

(1 entry) Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a comment.

(2 entries) Blog about this giveaway and link to it. Post a link in the comment.

(2 entries) Get Creative: Post about this giveaway on a messageboard or forum. Leave a comment with a link.

(1 Entry) Click “Share this” and share this giveaway on your Facebook page. Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) “Like” Prince Lionheart on Facebook. Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) “Like” Dirty Diaper Laundry on Facebook.  Leave a comment.

(1 Entry) Subscribe to my YouTube Channel. Leave a comment.

Giveaway ends on June 16. Winner will be chosen using And the Winner Is. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn. *Open to US only* A Bebepod Flex Plus was sent for the purposes of the review.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% genuine and my own.