Review & Giveaway: Balboa Baby Shopping Cart Cover

One of the most germ infested surfaces is grocery carts.  A four year study by the University of Arizona’s Environmental Research Lab ranked grocery cart handles third among the nastiest public surfaces.  I won’t even say what their swabs found (ew!)  Stores have started putting complimentary  disinfectant wipes near the cart return so that they can be wiped down before use which is nice, but I don’t want the chemical residue in my child’s mouth either.

When my first born first learned to sit up, I dreaded having to take him out of the comfort (and cleanliness) of his infant carrier to put him in the grocery cart.  Babies love to put everything in their mouth and I would get so distracted trying to keep his mouth off of the shopping cart, I’d forget half of what I’d gone in for.  Apparently I wasn’t the only one with this concern because now there are products made especially to keep baby safe and comfortable while shopping.  Grocery cart covers cover the germ infested surfaces with soft, clean, padded material.  Many varieties include pockets and loops to attach toys to keep the little one entertained.

I recently had the opportunity to test out a Balboa Baby shopping cart cover.  I have to say, I am usually a minimalist when it comes to baby gear.   I prefer “minimalist” to “lazy” which is actually closer to the truth if I am being honest.  I’ve got my hands full with two little ones as it is and unnecessary gear is usually the first to go.  I was surprised to find that I liked the cart cover enough to make the effort to bring it along.

First off, see the pic of my daughter up there?  Doesn’t she look comfy?  The Balboa Baby shopping cart cover is plush and padded but not too bulky.  It actually rolls up small enough to fit in a diaper bag (I just keep mine in the car though).  The other day I had to make stops at three different stores.  By the second store, my daughter was practically falling asleep and she was comfortable enough she probably could have.  I only needed a couple of items at the third store and decided to just run in and get them without using the cover.  By then McKinley had perked back up and was grabbing at everything and putting her mouth all over the cart handle.  I wished I had grabbed the cover!  It only takes a second to put on and is totally worth the small effort it takes.  The elastic corners slip right over the cart handle and back of the seat for quick and easy installation.  A couple of toy loops are conveniently placed so that small toys can be attached to keep baby occupied while you shop.

I LOVE the pattern and colors of the fabric on the cover I have.  It’s gender neutral so I’ll be able to use it with with my next baby whether is a boy or a girl.  It’s machine washable too!  Oh!  I almost forgot to mention- this cover does double duty as a high chair cover!  I haven’t used it on one yet but when we go out to eat, sometimes the highchairs are downright disgusting.  I’m happy to have the Balboa Baby shopping cart cover on hand when we need it.

A complimentary product/service was provided for this review however all opinions expressed are our own. We were not compensated in any other way for this review. See Mommies with Cents disclosure policy for more details.

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