Doona - Doona (Original)

I didn’t get the Doona at first because I thought it was too small for a stroller and too heavy for a car seat. I used to joke about people pushing that tiny thing around like a real stroller. Well, I took a one-month trip back to my home country and ended up buying a second-hand one from a friend—just for the trip, or so I thought. Now? I haven’t touched my regular car seat + stroller combo since. The Doona goes *everywhere* with me. It’s hands-down the most convenient, easy-to-use baby item I own. I swear by it and totally regret not getting one sooner! And now that my daughter is *almost* outgrowing it, I’m already dreading the day we have to say goodbye to our Doona.

I’ve been in the childcare industry for several years and when the Doona first came out I thought it was stupid and a complete rip off. I couldn’t wrap my head around why anyone would spend $500 on an infant car seat when they are in it for such a short period of time. Working in this field you are exposed to all different types of baby gear and quickly learn that 80% of it is useless. While the Doona is definitely pricey & heavy I’ve changed my tune on it. I absolutely love it now! The baby I currently Nanny for has this car seat and it’s super easy to install into my car with the seat belt. It makes running errands a complete breeze because you just take the car seat out and go vs having to assembly a travel system each time. The Doona definitely isn’t light especially with a heavier baby but the thing is you’re never carrying it for long anyways, you just pop out the wheels. I went from thinking it was a silly waste of money to definitely getting one for when I have my own kids.

I can’t hype up the [Doona Car Seat & Stroller ](https://www.reviewni.com/product/B07HML1BT5)enough. It was honestly a total game changer for us. We ordered it on Amazon, and it got delivered basically right as our baby was born, so we got to use it to bring him home from the hospital. We actually walked home (felt very New York, lol) and he was super comfortable. From that point on, it became our daily go-to for everything. The transition from car seat to stroller is mind-blowingly simple, it’s just one click and you’re good to go. Eating out? We could easily slide the Doona next to us at the table or set it up as a mini seat; it’s compact so people don’t trip over it like with clunky strollers. Ubers and taxis? Drivers were always impressed by how fast we popped it in or out, no annoying fiddling with bases or separate pieces. We took it EVERYWHERE like beach, ferry, doctor, airport (even through TSA, it fits right in the X-ray, wild!) and even movies. Plus, that silly “rocking chair” trick when the wheels are retracted? Our little one loved it. For 15 months it made our life so much easier. We still miss it! If you’re on the fence, just go for it. It will actually make your life with a baby out and about so much easier.

There's no easy answer, yes you want to make one purchase last but there's drawbacks to everything. The doona is an amazing starter stroller cause you don't need to struggle to fit a stroller in a car and a car seat, unless you have a SUV and or pickup then you struggle for trunk space with groceries. But once they grow out of the doona it's the same problem anyways so there's that. Any normal sized stroller becomes too unwieldy for single parenting. Yes great for pushing around but getting it in and out of the car plus up or down stairs is a huge pain. So much so you end up getting a lightweight stroller for those situations. (Especially traveling (airports)). I really wish there was a one size fits all but you're going to end up making a decision and then succumbing to a second stroller sooner than you want or cursing your way through the downfalls of only having one stroller or swapping it out later, everyones lifestyle is different it's very hard to tell you what will work for you or not, we read all the reviews and watched all the videos and we ended up with 3 strollers before child 1 outgrew them all.

We also have the Doona. But baby overheats in it. It’s heavy. Baby is squished in there. Etc. good for short trips. Not vacation imo

I HATE the doona. That thing is so stinking heavy and you can’t even have the wheels down at all times. They also outgrow it way too fast to justify the price. I also dislike some of the Nuna seats too which is a hot take for sure. As a shorty the umbrella ones are good heights for me but they suck to use. Why do they get stuck on a singular leaf?

We have one and primarily used it for travel as it was easier to have just one thing instead of 2. Also it installs without a base which is convenient when we were traveling with rental cars (but more options out these days for that, esp the nunas).

i love my Doona, for my babies first year i had to commute to work with him so it was a real lifesaver. i also used it when i traveled cross country to visit family. i still use it for short trips and if he needs to nap! ours was free from a friend and i cried when my husband brought it home

You have to take a typical travel system apart and put the stroller base in the trunk. With the Doona there's no need to do that.

Best feature outside of the ability to uber home is this. If you have a car and your kid falls asleep on the way to a place, it’s very convenient to be able to pop the stroller out of the car seat base and stroll them to say lunch without risking waking up a napping baby. How much would you pay to have dinner or lunch at a restaurant while your baby naps? How many meals does that have to happen before the stroller pays itself off, especially if you bought it used for like $250?

Good point. I guess the only advantage is that you save trunk space. So it more trunk space vs longer lasting stroller I guess?