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  1. #1
    psophia17 is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    Everyone who frequents this board, please add links and info about sources of baby gear in Canada, reviews of the products available in Canada, and any other baby bargain (okay, any bargain) that residents of Canada can benefit from.

    For Baby Gear:
    www.sears.ca
    www.toysrus.ca
    www.tjskids.com - make sure you change the currency to Cdn$
    www.bareware.ca - mostly natural parenting, a source of Fuzzibunz Pocket cloth diapers in canada
    www.canadiantire.ca - a source of everything you can imagine, all under one roof

    For Mamas:
    www.breakoutbras.com - free shipping to the US and Canada, although you do have to deal with customs
    www.bravadodesigns.com - the real Canadian nursing bra
    www.divacup.com - the Canadian menstrual cup - surprisingly effective, and one $40 cup will last 10 years (!)

    Others:
    www.save.ca - you can order coupons here, many of which are for Gerber products

    Things to know:
    Car Seats: You MUST use a car seat purchased in Canada, it is illegal to use one purchased in the States, as the two countries have totally different standards, and many car seat manufacturers opt not to test for Canada since the market base is so small here. Most of the top-rated convertible seats in the Baby Bargains Book are NOT approved for use in Canada.

    That's a start - has someone got a link for the Real Canadian Superstore? It has really good deals, and their store brand of disposable diapers is really great, elastic all around the waist, so fewer leaks overnight!

    Your turn! :)
    Petra
    Mother of Two
    Owner of BaDumBums

  2. #2
    JeanneD Guest

    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    More Baby Gear:

    http://www.babyproofingplus.com/ - Safety equipment, furniture, and lots more.
    http://www.tjskids.com/ - A wide variety of baby gear. They also have several stores in BC.
    http://www.macklems.com/ - Fancy strollers and other upscale gear. Their store is in Toronto.
    http://www.crocodilebaby.com/ - More fancy strollers, etc. Their store is in Vancouver.

    Real Canadian Superstore: http://www.therealcanadiansuperstore.ca/

    Also, I've been told that Walmart has a good selection of made-in-Canada baby clothes.

  3. #3
    Piglet is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    Here are a few more links:

    On-line stores that carry baby gear, maternity, etc.:

    www.hbc.com - a few online deals for strollers, baby gear etc., plus links to flyers for Zellers and the Bay.
    www.londondrugs.com - Avent products and assorted other great deals
    www.sierrablue.ca - a great selection of nursing (and non-nursing) bras
    www.hipbaby.com - baby gear from BC
    www.thebabymarketplace.com - baby gear from Alberta
    http://yesbreastfeeding.com:8080/yes...initContext.do - Nursing bras (like Bravado, but better)
    http://www.maternalinstincts.ca/onli...scomm/catalog/ - nursing, maternity and baby apparel
    http://www.canada.com/shopping/index.html - index of shopping links in Canada:
    http://www.canada.com/shopping/brows...spx?cat_id=208 is the baby section
    http://www.canada.com/shopping/resul...204&cls_id=281 is the maternity apparel section
    http://www.canada.com/shopping/brows...spx?cat_id=226 is the toys section.
    www.mec.ca - warm clothes, back carriers, BOB strollers and an "outdoor gear swap" that has lots of used back carriers, etc.
    www.ikea.ca - nursery furniture (and furniture for everywhere else)

    B&M stores:
    www.thymematernity.com - online catalog, but no online store (they are everywhere though)
    www.oldnavy.com - they now carry maternity in many stores in Canada

    Stores in the US with good shipping policies:
    www.hannaandersson.com - beautiful kids clothes, with shipping, duty, etc. calculated right at checkout (be careful, it is an addictive site)
    www.landsend.com
    www.llbean.com
    http://www.landofnod.com/ - will ship to Canada if you call them

    Other REALLY cool concepts:
    http://www.borderfree.com/consumers/index.jsp - will process orders from a bunch of US stores and will calculate total order amount including duty, shipping, tax, etc. (subsidiary of Canada Post).
    www.international-orders.com - same ideas as Borderfree, but operated by a different company (used to be called DoUWantit, but has since changed names)
    www.redflagdeals.com - online coupons, instore deals, coupons, etc.
    www.buysell.com - Bargain Finder from BC, AB, SK, MB

    Other non-baby related stores:
    http://caplanduval2000.com/canada/ - housewares, fine china, etc. out of Montreal (I have ordered twice through them and have been very pleased with the product, service, etc.)
    www.futureshop.ca - free shipping on electronics, CDs, DVDs, etc.
    www.amazon.ca - books, DVDs, CDs
    www.chapters.indigo.ca - same as Amazon

    I will post more when I find them...


    Mommy to:

    DS1 07/2001
    DS2 03/2005

    DD1 05/2007

    DD2 03/2014

  4. #4
    Piglet is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Default Baby Gear in Calgary

    Here is a listing of stores in the Calgary area that carry baby gear, maternity, etc.

    Bo Bebe - 3 stores in Calgary (Shawnessy, Market Mall and a big store in Crowfoot). They carry Phil and Ted's, Red Castle, Valco, Mountain Buggy, Peg Perego, Britax, Avent, Bravado and lots of nice kids toys. Some cloth diapering supplies as well. I think they carry Kidco gates and a fair bit of nursery furniture too.

    E-Children - on Macleod Trail S. They carry Bugaboo, Phil and Ted's, Peg Perego (including the P3 Pramette), Zooper, Bebecar, possibly Mountain Buggy. They specialise in nursery furniture and kids bedroom furniture.

    Kacz' Kids - near south Costco - lots of kids clothes, strollers, car seats, high chairs, nursery furniture, gliders, you name it. They carry many of the more mainstream brands as well as a good selection of Pegs, Zoopers, etc.

    Old Navy - Market Mall and Chinook both carry maternity clothes

    Baby and Me - 2 stores (Willowpark in the south, Northmount Drive in the north; independently owned). Maternity clothes and consignment. South location carries Petunia Picklebottom diaper bags (and possibly Fleurville).

    Once Upon a Child - 2 stores (Macleod Trail S. and Varsity Drive NW). Consignment kids clothes and gear galore. Very nice selection with lots of high quality used clothes.

    Growthspurtz - Kensington - new and consignment maternity clothes. Quite high end, with lots of designer items both new and used.

    Lullaby Lane - Inglewood - consignment children's and maternity wear

    Maternity Cupboard - Fairmount Dr SE - consignment maternity in plus sizes.


    Mommy to:

    DS1 07/2001
    DS2 03/2005

    DD1 05/2007

    DD2 03/2014

  5. #5
    bubbaray's Avatar
    bubbaray is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    Could you please clarify which of the "top-rated convertible seats" are not approved for use in Canada?

    In the 5th edition of the Baby Bargains book, the Graco ComfortSport and the Britax Marathon were the top-rated convertible seats. Both are approved for use in Canada. I know this for a fact as I own both of these seats and have purchased them from Canadian retailers.

    The only highly-rated convertible seat that isn't rated for Canadian use is the Evenflo Triumph. Various other Britax models aren't approved either, but the Marathon is.

    I think there is a good selection of car seats available in Canada. And, from what I've heard, sometimes the US approved ones aren't sold here b/c they have failed the Canadian safety testing -- not because of the size of the market.


    Melissa
    Mom to Maya http://www.mothering.com/discussions...lies/binky.gif & Dog Mom to Bubba http://www.mothering.com/discussions...milies/dog.gif

    http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtic...9.birthday.png

  6. #6
    psophia17 is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    I was referring to the Evenflo Triumph, and after speaking with their customer service (ha!) people about replacing the one we had when we moved, I decided to boycott Evenflo for the rest of my life. They were really awful and rude.

    My major issue with car seats in Canada is that the ones that are highly rated are also really expensive (coming from an American girl shocked by how ridiculous the mark-up is on products sold in both the States and Canada). The only one I've ever seen on sale is the Cosco Alpha Omega, which got a crappy rating in the BBB...ETA: Also, when I refered to the market size in Canada being the reason that the seats weren't used here, that is something I read several months ago. My understanding was that car seat manufacturers pay for all of the testing themselves, which is apparently quite expensive. It pays to do so for the US market because of its size. Even making whatever changes would be required to meet the requirements in both countries isn't worth it to some manufacturers. It's a big pain, if you ask me.

    While I'm at at, the website with rules for car seats in Canada is:
    www.icbc.com - it takes a little digging to find it, but I think the info is found in the "road safety" section.
    Petra
    Mother of Two
    Owner of BaDumBums

  7. #7
    hipmaman is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Carseats in Canada (Edited title)

    Let me attempt to 'correct' the statements on the carseat issue...

    All carseats sold in Canada do meet minimum Canadian safety standards. All of them bear the CMVSS watermark/sticker on the seat shells. The MAIN issue is that carseats are tested to different safety standards in each country. The exact same seat might pass one set of standards but not the others. This, by no mean, implies that one set of standards is better than the other -- they are just differently set/tested and sometimes some carseat doesn't comply to one set of standard but the other.

    The other issue is the law. It's 'illegal' to use a non-Canadian seats in Canada. This means you can be fined and receive demerit points ($ amount and # of points depend on the individual provinces).

    It has also been said that if you consider using a non-Canadian carseat in Canada, you should check with your insurance company. It might deny liability if unlawfully used. In addition, the carseat manufacture might also void warranty of the carseat because it is technically (and lawfully) used against manufacture's instructions (outside of the region it's intended for).

    That's the fact about carseats in Canada. What follows are basically my opinions...

    The issue of market-size is probably prevalent enough for some manufactures but not all. Evenflo, Cosco/EB/Safety 1st and Graco has a fair share of the Canadian market (and also the mid-range market). Most of their models are available in Canada as in the US and at 'affordable' Canadian prices. Those that rumoured not to pass Canadian testings have not been modified (eg. Evenflo Triumph) -- It has also rumoured that this is due to cost of remodifying the design and retesting, so Evenflo opted not to offer the Triumph in Canada.

    Britax is a bit different kettle altogether. Its seats are expensive and with the small market size, it cannot possible make economic sense for them to penetrate the Canadian market with so many of their seats while the majority feel that they cannot afford a Britax seat. So, I would imagine their marketing research recommend offering the model that would get the most sales and leave it at that.

    Tam
    Certified Canadian Child Restraint Safety Technician and Instructor






  8. #8
    darby24 Guest

    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    Trying to not duplicate previous posters. The thread ?where is all the stuff? includes more info on shops in the Vancouver/Lower Mainland region.

    Canadian products:
    www.beber.org - stroller duvet
    www.buggybag.com - stroller foot muff
    www.duckundercover.com - all weather stroller blanket
    www.kohlrbaby.com - fleece bedding and baby products
    www.littlesoulcreations.com - blankets
    www.maisonbenoit.com - goose down sleep sacks
    www.pookababy.com - baby wearing products
    www.toysntreasures.com - baby blankets and bedding

    Canadian clothing:
    www.bornincanada.com - Canadian themed clothing
    www.crawlies.ca - clothes with grippers to help crawlers
    www.heybaby.ca - kids clothing
    www.jackandlily.com - soft shoes
    www.justkidsclothes.com - nice selection: Oink baby, minemotion, Etc., Blu, NoZone, Surf Duk, Wellipets
    www.kidletsclothing.com - organic, hemp and fleece baby clothing & products
    www.kushies.com - clothing, bedding, diapers
    www.liljos.com - soft shoes
    www.pleasemum.com - clothing retailer
    www.robeez.com - soft shoes
    www.roots.ca - clothing retailer
    www.softmoc.com - shoes for the family
    www.stonz.ca - soft soled outdoor booties
    www.weestep.com - soft shoes

    web only businesses:
    www.behindbaby.com - cloth diapers/books/slings
    www.lilhands.ca - kid sized computer gadgets
    www.partyinabasket.ca - birthday party supplies
    www.wahmcanada.com

    B&M stores:
    www.absound.ca - has the best price on Raffi cd's that I've found.
    www.juniorhomestore.com - upscale kids home store in Vancouver
    www.nestingskids.com - stores in Vancouver and Toronto
    www.nurseryrhymes.com - Kitchener Ont. store
    www.potterybarnkids.ca - 2 stores around Toronto
    www.winners.ca

    Toy Shops:
    www.canada.com/shopping/frame.aspx?id=896 - Grand River Toys - Toronto
    www.mastermindtoys.com - 10 locations around Toronto
    www.canada.com/shopping/frame.aspx?id=183 - Scholar?s Choice
    www.bcplaythings.com - Vancouver area

    Canadian magazine/parenting sites:
    www.parentscanada.com
    www.todaysparent.com

    buy & sell / swaps:
    www.craigslist.org Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
    www.kidswap.ca
    www.ebay.ca

    Vancouver Links:
    www.itsababysworld.com - Coquitlam. Top brands such as Britax, Phil & Ted's, Pegs, Sweet Kyla, Dutailier Gliders, Stokke
    http://soothers.xplorex.com - Coquitlam. Mountain Buggy, Pegs, Bebe Confort bedding, Dutailier Gliders
    www.kidsbooks.bc.ca - Vancouver & North Van. Excellent selections.
    Discount Diapers - 130-3031 Beckman Place, Richmond or 4330 West 10th Ave, Vancouver.
    - cloth diapers, Kushies, Robeez and Baby Bjorn items

    And for anyone in BC, check BC Parent out. Great list of everything you could want.
    www.bcparent.com/resources/retail_services.html

  9. #9
    psophia17 is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    The link for the "Where is the stuff?" thread:

    http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboar...=471&mode=full
    Petra
    Mother of Two
    Owner of BaDumBums

  10. #10
    AlliBrockli Guest

    Default RE: PLEASE PIN: Canadian Baby Gear Survival Guide

    here's a few more:

    www.peekaboobaby.ca -luxuries for moms and little ones-edmonton
    www.e-childrenonline.com -strollers, bedding - baby gear-edmonton
    www. itsakidslife.biz -unique keepsakes
    www.kidsfurnituregallery.com -high end baby gear-edmonton
    www.bosom-babies.com -various baby and mom gear-edmonton



    this thread was an excellent idea. thankyou

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