Junior Icons: The Bumbo Floor Seat
In the first of our new series looking at iconic brands and inventions that have changed the landscape of parenting, we take a closer look at the Bumbo Floor Seat and we have a special giveaway...
Country of Origin: South Africa
Launched: 2001
Design Mantra: Simplified, Elegance, Functionality, Quality and Care
Philanthropy: Bumbo have given more than 10 million dollars to help families in need in Pretoria since 2005 through their non-profit organisation Bumbo Cares
The Bumbo Story:
As with most successful parenting inventions, the Bumbo Floor Seat was born out of genuine family need. In 1996, doting grandfather Johan Buitendach noticed his highly alert baby grandson, Daniel was happy to be in his family's arms but really didn't like being put down (sounds familiar?). He also realised that his grandson was super keen to pull himself upright so that he could look around and engage more fully with his surroundings.
With his engineer mindset at the fore, Johan set about creating a bank of pillows to support his little grandson, which worked for a short time until the inevitable pillow avalanche. On a mission to create a more permanent, safe and supportive ground-level chair for his grandson to sit in, he put his mind to creating what is now called the Bumbo Floor Seat. According to Johan's son Joe Buitendag, who worked with his father at their small family engineering business, he came into work, announcing his latest idea,
A baby seat that no household should have to cope without!
If you're a parent, chances are you know about this distinctive, compact floor seat with built-in restraint belt that has been designed to support babies on floor level, holding them in an upright position. The non-toxic, soft foam seat holds baby in an upright hug, giving them a change of scene and parents a set of free hands. The seats are also wipeable making them super easy-to-clean and maintain, meaning they stay in great shape and are perfect for passing down to siblings and friends.
The Bumbo brand is still a family business and is now run by Johan's son Joel, exporting seats and several other baby-friendly Bumbo inventions around the world. The factory located in South Africa produces 100,000 seats per month and continues to export them all over the world.
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The Bumbo Floor Seat, £58.49, Bumbo
- Suitable from 3 -12 months - a baby must be able to hold up their own head to use the seat.
- The Floor Seat was inspired to help little ones sit up and be able to enjoy being part of the family.
- Contoured non-toxic foam
- Seamless and wipeable making it comfortable easy to clean and hygienic
- Compact and robust
The Bumbo Multi-Seat, £65.99, Bumbo
- Suitable from 6 months - 3 years
- A later addition to the Bumbo collection, the Multi-Seat evolved from the Floor Seat and was designed for children who can already sit unaided.
- A 3-in-1 seat that supports growing toddlers.
- The adaptive seat can be used as a floor seat, feeding seat or booster seat.
- It is the perfect size for saving space and therefore travel too.
Why Junior loves it: The multi seat is great for helping children to feel involved in activities happening around them in a more inclusive way; and we know this is a big reason why parents are so fond of the floor seat. The deep seat and high-leg openings position a baby towards the back of the seat supporting them as they enjoy the world around them. The rounded, padded and comfortable choice of material is paired with a safety buckle for security. READ MORE>> Junior Design Awards Best Highchair Design
>> Bumbo also produce several other pieces of baby and toddler equipment including their Booster Seat, Highchair, kneeling pads, Step Stool, Toilet Trainer, Changing Pad, Step n Potty and more. You can find all Bumbo products here >>