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January 2016
Young father invents first ergonomic carrier for infant car seats Infant carriers can be tough on the arms—tough enough to dislocate the shoulders of even the most strapping young parents, which is why creator and young dad, Nathan Day, invented LugBug. The Gilbert resident set out to build a sturdy, reliable and easy-to-use handle for parents to prevent strain-related injuries when lifting inherently awkward infant car seats. The result is LugBug, a lightweight, ergonomic and exceptionally strong little handle that adjusts to any single-handle baby carrier. It offers a range of better, more comfortable and enjoyable carrying positions that ease tension on the wrist, forearm and shoulder. “The idea of LugBug was born out of necessity after I dislocated my shoulder while lugging around my infant daughter in her car seat,” said Day, a father of two young girls and a real estate developer. “After much research, I was shocked to discover there was nothing on the market to make baby carriers easier to hold. My idea quickly turned into a sketch,
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Youth
which evolved into making LugBug a reality with molds, testing, patents and now manufacturing. We just made our debut in October at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas and were overwhelmed by the positive responses from national retailers and mommy bloggers. When you use LugBug, you see how simple, yet revolutionary it is.” North Carolina State University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering studied the effect of baby carrier handle strain on the body. According to the 2011 study, a handle that promoted a neutral wrist posture “would increase grip stability and decrease lifting effort.” A survey discussed in the study said that nearly half of parents experienced shoulder, back or neck pain. “LugBug is exceptionally strong. After extensive testing, we found it has a working load of 90 pounds and a breaking strength of 600 pounds. We’re currently undergoing further testing and evaluation to adhere to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requirements and
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www.GilbertSunNews.com
Day’s single-handle car seat carrier adjusts to any model in the market, is simple and yet revolutionary. Submitted photo
guidelines,” said Day. Headquartered in Scottsdale, the company is accepting online orders for shipment in January. The handle retails for $39.99 and is available in six colors: raspberry, seafoam, cotton candy, robin’s egg, aquamarine and mint. LugBug is compatible with all single-
handle infant car seats, which is nearly every major brand on the market including Graco, CYBEX, Britax, UPPABaby, Safety 1st, Baby Trend and more. For more information or to order LugBug, visit www.lugbug.com or connect on social media at @lugbug_handle.
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