BabyQuip launched in 2016 after two moms had the same thought we all do while juggling kids, strollers, and a pile of travel stress: Why is this so hard? Their next thought was simple, but brilliant: What if parents could rent baby gear the same way we book a place to stay or rent a car?
Fran Maier (who also co-founded Match.com) and Kerri Couillard (a savvy Santa Fe baby gear renter) created a platform that lets families rent clean, safe baby equipment from local providers who deliver it right to your door. It started in just a few cities but has massively taken off. Now available in more than 2,000 cities worldwide, BabyQuip has become a lifeline for families who want to travel lighter — and with a lot less stress.
How BabyQuip Works
Here’s how BabyQuip works: First, you pop onto their website, plug in your travel destination and dates, and browse gear available in that area. After you’ve picked what you need — strollers, cribs, car seats, high chairs, beach wagons, toys — you’ll find local “Quality Providers” or QPs that have all or most of what you need, and you can see the pricing of each item per day, plus a total once you’ve finalized your selections.
After you book, the QP contacts you to confirm the drop-off location and timeframe. They deliver the items, set them up for you, and then pick everything up when you’re done. Every provider goes through a background check and training. They clean everything like they’re handing it to their own baby. You don’t have to worry about checking gear at the airport, cramming strollers into rental cars, or wondering if the Airbnb’s “portable crib” will actually be safe or sleepable.
What You Can Rent
If a baby uses it, BabyQuip probably rents it out. Their catalog is seriously impressive. Here’s just a sampling:
- Sleep gear: Full-size cribs, bassinets, monitor systems, toddler beds, pack ‘n’ plays, blackout curtains, sound machines
- Transportation: Strollers (including joggers and doubles), stroller wagons, infant and convertible car seats (like the Doona!), baby carriers
- Feeding & bath: High chairs, booster seats, bottle warmers, baby bathtubs, nursing pillows
- Toys & entertainment: Age-appropriate toy kits, books, bouncers, swings, soft play zones, puzzles, scooters
- Extras: Diaper pails, baby monitors, toddler tables and chairs, beach gear, even tiny camping chairs
Pricing depends on what you’re renting and where, but it’s usually much cheaper (and way more reliable) than trying to source gear through hotels, shipping things you need to your destination, or buying doubles of things you can’t operate without.
What Parents Love Most
The reviews speak volumes. Parents consistently rave about how clean and high-quality the gear is, how friendly and helpful the local providers are, and how much stress it takes off their plates while traveling.
I can attest to this. I recently rented about eight large items, including a Snoo bassinet, a bouncer, a beach tent, and a foldable wagon for a weekend in Charleston.
BabyQuip renters especially love:
- Not having to haul bulky gear through airports, cram it into tiny rental cars, or overpack their own cars.
- Getting full-size cribs instead of fold-up nightmares. (Good vacation sleep is priceless!)
- Enjoying age-appropriate toys to keep kids occupied on long trips.
- Not having to buy duplicates of favorite items to keep at grandparents’ or second homes.
- Renting things that kids grow out of so quickly, rather than buying.
- Working with local parents and grandparents who get it and go the extra mile.
The secret weapon usage of BabyQuip for me?
Trying out specific items before investing!
If I have a second kid, I’ll use BabyQuip to test drive certain big-ticket items before clicking “buy.” Is the Snoo worth it? It depends on whether your baby sleeps better in it than in a regular bassinet. Is this play gym a good fit? Not if it takes us forever to assemble and break down. The jogger stroller we’ve been eying? Let’s see how it feels to run with! Renting for a few days is an affordable way to give you a wealth of knowledge about expensive or trendy baby items.
Where You’ll Find BabyQuip
BabyQuip has a massive network of providers in more than 2,000 cities. That includes popular vacation spots (think Disney, beach towns, mountain getaways), major cities, small towns, and international destinations like London, Paris, Cancun, and Sydney. Basically, if families travel there, BabyQuip probably covers it.
And since everything is handled by local providers who live in the area, they know the lay of the land. What kind of stroller works best on cobblestones, whether you’ll need a blackout curtain in that rental, or how to baby-proof a tricky vacation house.
Whether you’re planning a week at the beach, visiting family for the holidays, or heading to a wedding across the country, BabyQuip turns “Are we seriously bringing all this stuff?” into “Let’s just rent it when we get there.”
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