4moms celebrates millionth mamaRoo with a baby seat built for adults
4moms unveils mega mamaRoo
4moms unveiled a mega mamaRoo on Wednesday to celebrate building a million of its flagship product.
The Pittsburgh robotics company behind some of the most innovative baby products on the market marked a mega milestone Wednesday in a mega way.
4moms unveiled an adult-sized, mega mamaRoo Wednesday to celebrate its building of the millionth infant seat this summer.
“It's a huge milestone for the company,” said Gary Waters, CEO of 4moms.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan took the first ride in the adult-sized mamaRoo.
“Would it be OK if I fell asleep?” Sullivan joked as the mamaRoo moved him up and down and side to side. “We could use a few of these in our locker room.”
4moms started producing the mamaRoo in 2010. The infant seat has grown into the company's flagship product, Waters said. A new mamaRoo costs about $220.
“The breakthrough for the mamaRoo was that it didn't swing or bounce,” Waters said, comparing it to other baby seats. “It moved like parents do.”
4moms continues to refine the seat's movement to make it more like a mother or father bouncing and swaying a baby. The company pours over customer feedback and even hands out vests embedded with sensors for parents to wear while they hold their children to capture movement data.
Waters said employees and customers have been asking for mamaRoo big enough for them for years. The company finally decided to OK the project as it approached its millionth mamaRoo.
4moms is taking the giant mamaRoo on tour this year and next. The company will donate $1 toward 4moms products to Project Sweet Peas for every person who rides in the adult-sized mamaRoo. Project Sweet Peas provides support for babies in neonatal intensive care units and their families. The nonprofit partnered with 4moms in 2017 to provide more than 450 mamaRoos to hospitals and parents around the country.
Sullivan said taking the inaugural ride in the massive mamaRoo was the least he could to help support the 4moms and Project Sweet Peas partnership.
“This is such as great opportunity for both the Pittsburgh Penguins and myself to try to help in a very worthy cause,” Sullivan said. “It's just a no-brainer. I think its so important for us to give back when we have the opportunity to.”
Aaron Aupperlee is a Tribune-Review assistant news editor. Reach him at aaupperlee@tribweb.com, 412-336-8448 or via Twitter @tinynotebook.
