There is no denying the convenience of a baby carrier. Baby goes from house to car to stroller, into Grandma’s, the restaurant, the shopping center—always safe and comfortable, which is the most important part. So what if lugging around the awkward carrier is creating potentially damaging stress on your muscles? Small price to pay, you say. We say, too high a price when that stress is no longer necessary. Introducing the LugBug: a lightweight, ergonomic, exceptionally strong handle that easily clips onto any single-handle baby carrier and adjusts for more comfortable carrying positions and less risk of injury.
Nathan Day dislocated his shoulder while carrying his infant daughter around in her carrier. He looked for something that would prevent injury and, to his shock, there was nothing. Nathan solves problems on a routine basis as a real estate developer. Now he was going to solve the baby carrier problem.
He learned that the problem is so widespread that the applied ergonomics lab at North Carolina State University had recently conducted a study and determined that carrier handles force your arm and hand into an unnatural position—therefore, the aches and pains in the arm, wrist, shoulder, neck and lower back. A handle that would keep the arm and hand in a natural position would lessen both the strain on the muscles and the effort needed to lift the carrier as well as provide a more secure grip on the handle.
Nathan enlisted engineers and ergonomic experts to work with him to build a sturdy, reliable, easy-to-use handle for baby carriers, and the result was LugBug, which attaches and adjusts to most baby carriers in seconds.
Attach the LugBug to the carrier handle. Push down and the LugBug will swivel 360 degrees so that you can find the exact position that suits your arm and shoulder (your palm will be facing your body). Pull up to lock in that position. With the carrying arm in its natural position, stress is reduced significantly on all those muscles, joints and tendons that come into play.
LugBug has passed rigorous safety tests and been approved for weights up to 100 pounds. It also has found extensive approval in the form of awards from organizations invested in safe and appropriate baby and children products, including:
- National Parenting Product Award
- Family Choice Award
- Mom’s Choice Award
- Tillywig Toy & Children’s Product Award
- Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Certificate
- 5 Top Baby Products, The ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas
Nathan now is looking for his next invention. His goal: “Solving the world’s ergonomic problems one infant carseat at a time.”
