UPPAbaby

Once upon a time, Bob and Lauren Monahan lived in a different world. It was 2006, and the luxury stroller market had very few players. The couple’s unique design, product management, and marketing skill sets made UPPAbaby an easy-to-conceive idea that was very much in their wheelhouse. With a mountain of work, a little luck, and the eventual suffrage of parents everywhere, Bob and Lauren felt their idea was more than just a business idea--it was a calling.

Prior to UPPAbaby, Bob worked as a product developer, honing his design skills on iconic brands such as Reebok and Ford. Eventually, he worked at The First Years and Safety 1st. Due to his professional background, it was natural that he brought sourcing manufacturing, product development, finance, and operations management to everything he did.

Bob came from British Columbia to thAe USA, and in college, he played on the University of Maine’s club hockey team.

Bob’s wife, Lauren, a hockey-playing Yale graduate (then known as Lauren Schlesinger; she led Yale in scoring in three of her four seasons), also worked in Canton, Massachusetts, at Reebok. Lauren worked in the marketing and licensing department (where she met Bob). Prior to Reebok, Lauren, with her love for sports, worked with the NHL All-Star Game, Women’s World Cup Soccer, and more. 

As their own parenting experiences started to influence their thinking, Bob and Lauren devised what UPPAbaby was to become. Not only would the products be superbly designed European-style luxury at an affordable entry point, but the company would be unlike other companies. UPPAbaby would take the values and teachings of the business world, mix in a bit of the lessons from hockey, and turn that mixture into a work environment that would become an example to the world. The company stresses “the importance of each team member at UPPAbaby playing his or her role, being unselfish and showing leadership.”

Soon after forming the idea of UPPAbaby, the VISTA was introduced to the world. Interchangeable seats, luxurious construction using black aluminum alloy, and enough storage space to spend a day at Disneyland and want for nothing. At $599, it was the perfect price point to the perfect market at the perfect time. And thus, UPPAbaby was born. 

Within two years, Director of Design Trung Phung joined the company, bringing his experience from Polaroid and Ashcroft Design. In the years to follow, the MESA, CRUZ, MINU, KNOX, ALTA, G-Link, G-Luxe, and other UPPAbaby products would arrive and astound the baby market just as much as that first VISTA did. 

Reese Witherspoon, Mark Zuckerberg, Sofia Vergara, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Blunt, Mila Kunis, Christian Bale, Drew Barrymore, and more have walked the streets with their UPPAbaby gear. Word-of-mouth for UPPAbaby is as close as your nearest social media feed. Mom blogs are written and thrive on the backs of the company. UPPAbaby isn’t just an amazing stroller brand, but in the nearly two decades since its inception, it’s become a part of so many parents’ stories and treasured memories of being a parent.

Today, the company continues to hold the same values that were abundantly “UPPAbaby” as when they started. Their customer service team is in-house and not farmed out to third parties. And they have staff whose job is to take the customer feedback and pump it directly into the research and development teams--which is, in part, how the MESA car seat and G-LINK stroller came to be.

Bob and Lauren are still enjoying hockey; Lauren even served as co-president to Yale’s women’s hockey program. Their kids are a little older now. And UPPAbaby has grown up into a 100+ person company that sells in over 50 countries. 

UPPAbaby is luxury without being pretentious. It's a high-end design that’s purchased for the quality of the product, not the label attached to it. It’s not a status symbol, it’s a game-changer. It’s less complicated than other high-end baby gear companies, but it’s not made out of plastics and trendy-looking prints that are found with mass consumer brands. In short, iconic is the best word to describe UPPAbaby’s beautiful products.

MEET THE UPPAbaby FAMILY

What started with one hundred strollers at a trade show has turned into an entire family of baby products, all of which are designed methodically for the user, which is really what makes UPPAbaby so desirable. 

UPPAbaby FULL-SIZE STROLLERS 

The UPPAbaby VISTA V2

Meet the UPPAbaby stroller that started everything. The VISTA starts as a single stroller and expands to accommodate up to three children. You can choose to roll with two car seats, two bassinets, two stroller seats, or a combination of any two. With the PiggyBack Ride-Along Board accessory, a third child can hitch a ride, too. As your family grows, so does your stroller. 

Of course, there’s more than just the multiple-child feature. The UPPAbaby VISTA comes with a ventilated canopy that’s SPF 50+, an aerated mattress and base to keep your baby cool, a water-repellant inner liner to help make clean-up quick and easy, and more. The toddler seat is reversible. And did we mention the colors? The REALLY beautiful colors? 

The UPPAbaby CRUZ V2

The feature-rich UPPAbaby CRUZ is designed for some serious strolling. It’s compact (for a full-size stroller), which makes it perfect for busy city sidewalks and shopping malls, but it is so well-designed that you won’t notice anything missing. The spacious cargo area, multiple recline positions, and all-wheel suspension work directly with the MESA car seat to form a great travel system. Seriously, you’re going to go out for walks just because you love pushing this stroller around, but that’s the point, isn’t it?

The UPPAbaby RIDGE

They said they’d do it, eventually, but now UPPAbaby has finally come out with their all-terrain RIDGE jogger. This is a work of art. Never-flat tires, a two-stage advanced responsive suspension (viable coil springs), a disc hand-brake system, and a swivel-locking front wheel are just the start. This stroller delivers so much more and is worth your time exploring the features as you consider a jogging stroller. It’s even compatible with the bassinet, the MESA car seat, and other infant car seats (with the addition of adapters).

UPPAbaby LIGHTWEIGHT STROLLERS 

The UPPAbaby MINU

The MINU is notably lightweight and smooth. A shock-absorbing, all-wheel suspension and a roomy seat with multi-position recline make this stroller a dream for your little one. It’s so nice to push, to be honest, and UPPAbaby has still managed to include a large, easy-access basket. And, yes. It’s compatible with the MESA car seat or select Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, and Cybex car seats (with adaptors).     

The UPPAbaby G-LITE 

UPPAbaby’s posh umbrella stroller, the G-LITE, is unbelievably light and super portable, yet despite how light and easy this stroller is, it’s notably sturdy and rolls smoothly. It’s so light that it comes with a convenient carry strap, so you can just wear the stroller over your shoulder if you’d like. And yes, it wouldn’t be UPPAbaby if there wasn’t a large, easy-access basket that holds up to ten pounds. If you want to pull off your best Mary Poppins, this is the stroller for you.

The UPPAbaby G-LINK 2

The UPPAbaby G-LINK stroller, a luxury double umbrella stroller, is 100% Disney-friendly! Need we say more? Yes? Okay, well how about being several pounds lighter and two inches thinner than the previous G-LINK model while still featuring independent reclining seats, UPF 50+ sunshades, and a lightweight all-aluminum frame and carry handle? What? Not enough? Okay, try the double storage pockets on the back of the canopies and an easy-access oversized basket. How about the no-foot-required simple fold mechanism?

The UPPAbaby G-LUXE

Meet the feature-packed, lightweight umbrella stroller that moves with you. It’s equipped with easy-to-clean fabrics, an extendable SPF 50+ sunshade, a spacious storage area, a one-step brake, and it’s super easy to fold. 

The G-Luxe stroller is similar to the G-LITE, but the seat and fabrics are a notable difference. If you’re looking for an umbrella stroller that is ready for multiple nap times, then go with the G-LUXE. It’s just a touch heavier and more comfortable for sleep time.

UPPAbaby CAR SEATS

The UPPAbaby MESA INFANT CAR SEAT

The UPPAbaby MESA is a beautiful combination of safety and functionality that doesn’t cut corners on style and comfort. To put it bluntly, car seat safety is predicated upon the proper use of a car seat. When a car seat is complicated to use, the chance of improperly installing or securing the seat increases. UPPAbaby’s MESA makes it easy--it is one of the simplest car seats on the market. And that doesn’t just make it safer, it also keeps stress down for mom and dad, especially during a time when you’re exhausted and overwhelmed raising a new baby.

The MESA, when paired with VISTA or CRUZ strollers, creates a travel system that is the epitome of portability and safety.

The UPPAbaby KNOX CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT

Building upon the safe reputation of the MESA, the UPPAbaby KNOX delivers intuitive safety features. The seat uses Koroyd® technology, in which welded tubes crumple instantly and consistently on impact, absorbing maximum force in a controlled manner. 

The KNOX is easy to clean, and several versions come with naturally flame-retardant fabrics (merino wool). With all models, the fabrics are removable and washable. The multi-directional tether reduces seat rotation and stress on the child’s head and neck in the event of an impact. The seat also comes with a removable cup holder that can be attached to either side. 

The UPPAbaby ALTA Booster Car Seat

While many car seats “talk the talk” about a car seat growing with your child, the ALTA booster car seat walks the walk. The seven-position Active Support Headrest adjusts with your child, and this booster seat is created for kids from 40–100 lbs. and 38–57” in height. Mix in removable, washable fabrics and soft, specialized foam, and this car seat is supremely comfortable.        

UPPAbaby ACCESSORIES

The UPPAbaby product lines are complemented by a wealth of high-end yet affordable accessories that allow you to tweak your UPPAbaby experience to perfectly fit the specific needs of your family. From bassinets to leather handlebar covers, UPPAbaby has thought of everything one would need to make it easy to operate the baby gear needed to raise a child.

Is the UPPAbaby Stroller Really Worth It?

UPPAbaby products are moderately priced among luxury brands, which makes purchasing UPPAbaby gear more of a commitment than not. So why do parents continually choose to pay the added cost from the UPPAbaby product lines? Is it the way celebrities have flocked to the brand and made this one of the “it” companies for socialites? Is it their sound and superior construction, high-end materials, and comfort? Is it how easy they are to use? Is it the way the materials are naturally flame-retardant, as well as Disney-theme-park-approved? It’s a bit of everything, really, and it starts where all car seat and stroller decisions start--with safety.

Parents love the UPPAbaby product lines for many reasons, but first and foremost is that UPPAbaby has solved the problem of worrying about your little one. From easy-to-install car seats to the smooth ride of their strollers, UPPAbaby removes all the worry about using and trusting their products through deft engineering and remarkable ingenuity. But they don’t stop there--their products are cleanly designed, luxurious, and comfortable.

UPPAbaby builds their car seats and strollers with more luxurious fabrics, more durable materials, and more capabilities than competitors’ strollers. You won’t find plastic “shortcuts” on these models. 

What is missing from the UPPAbaby line of products? Nothing, really. It’s as good as people say it is, and especially worth the investment if you plan on having multiple children. UPPAbaby strollers and car seats are durable and built to last. Add in the beautiful design and contemporary details that make these products fashion statements, and really, how can you not smell what the UPPAbaby is cooking?