Bumbo vs. Bebe Pod

I'm not really the "reviewer" type, but this time I decided to make an exception.... since I have both.  :)  I will preface this by saying that we had neither when Jeremiah was a baby.  Back then, we mostly hung out in the living room where his activity center "thingie" was (I don't know what the official name is... hopefully you know what I'm talking about.)  Now that we're in our house, there are many more places to go--family room, play room, breakfast nook (though we'll usually stick her in a high chair there,) Mommy's room, etc...  Jesslyn, like her favorite big brother before her, always wants to be upright, whenever she's awake.  If you "lay" her anywhere, or have her in any type of semi-reclined position, she will try with all her might to sit herself up.  So we broke down and asked Santa to bring her a Bumbo seat.  He didn't, but she did receive a Target gift card which hooked her up.  

Originally, we had decided on the Bebe Pod--I'd read other reviews comparing the two, and that review basically boiled it down to two things:  If your child is chunky, they'll probably prefer the Bebe Pod, since it's less molded.  If on the smaller side, the Bumbo seat.  Knowing how cute and chunky those thighs of hers can be, we opted for the Pod for Jesslyn.  Ordered one for $54 (with tray, after coupon) off Target's website, and got it today!

Well, while out shopping at Target Friday afternoon, we came across the Bumbo seat, with tray, on clearance for $35!  The seat by itself is normally $39, so we scooped on up and figured we could decide which we liked better and return the Bebe Pod if it wasn't worth the extra bucks.  Here's everything out of the boxes--Bebe Pod on the left, Bumbo on the right (yes, we like orange. :)
The Bebe Pod also comes with a Sassy toy, fun tray inserts (there's a second underneath that looks like an orange slice) and also has straps.  The Bumbo seat keeps it simple--seat and tray.

First, the Bebe Pod.  (Jeremiah volunteered to be my "test subject" since Jesslyn's asleep.  :)  Right off the bat, I notice it's smaller than the Bumbo seat, though their weight is relatively the same.  The box it comes in is less cumbersome to carry around, since it's rectangular in shape, but I don't expect to use the box much, if at all.  

The white "nub" comes off so you can attach a tray to it, and is pretty easy to do, once you figure it out (or read the directions.)  Jeremiah fit in there just fine, though it was tough getting the tray on once he was seated (not that it's designed for 2 year olds, so probably not a fair assessment.) The inserts for the tray are cute, though they don't stick or anything, just sit there.  You kinda have to use 'em, too, as there are gaps in the tray itself from where the locking mechanism attaches (so it can lock onto the seat.)

The Sassy toy is cute, and since it appears that Sassy has successfully gone "BPA-Free", I'll let Jesslyn play with it.  But it doesn't attach to the seat in any way, so I don't really consider it a feature (I kinda wish it did, since she's still in the "flailing" phase of playing with toys... They go flying pretty easily.)

Now the Bumbo seat.  Since I mentioned it with the bebe Pod, I'll mention it here, too--the box is pretty big.  It wasn't easy to move around, since the cardboard couldn't support the weight of the seat if you were only holding it by one handle.  I know, minor thing, but it was driving me crazy.  We won't be keeping the box.   

Otherwise, the seat itself is nice--very simple design.  It's like they took a baby and sat them in a pile of soft rubber to create the perfect "mold".  It is more contoured than the bebe Pod, and so far, Jesslyn's had no problems fitting in it (she hasn't sat in the Pod yet, but I'd expect her to fit just fine in that one, too.)  

The tray pops on over the top and secures itself underneath the seat.  Personally, I haven't been able to do this with a baby in the seat.  I just can't get the tray to lock underneath like it should, and since you're not supposed to "tip" the seat while the baby's in it, I just haven't really been using the tray with her.  I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had the issue.

And that's about all there is to say about the Bumbo seat.  It does what it says it will do--help a baby sit up.  Simple and to the point.

So which is better?  Well, from their function point of view, they're the same.  The Bumbo is a little larger, so if space is an issue, the bebe Pod might be the better option.  If you're buying the seat and JUST the seat, then I would probably prefer the bebe Pod, just on looks alone (the straps, by the way, I see as pointless.  This is not a chair you really strap your baby into--neither should be used on an elevated surface, so I don't really see the point in including them.  If the baby can get out on their own, I'd rather have them be able to get out completely, rather than tip out and still have the seat attached to them--I can just picture Jesslyn hanging mostly out, over the side, and getting really mad about it, once she's a bit older.  Maybe someone else knows of a better reason to use the straps...)

Now, if you're going to go the tray route, I actually prefer the Bumbo.  I know I said I had a tough time with the tray, but I'm sure I'll get that figured out and it won't be an issue.  My big thing with the bebe Pod tray is that you can't really use it without those inserts (which, I'm sure, will get all nasty and covered in drool/spit up/etc....)  You could, I guess, but I don't get the impression it's designed for that.  Also, there are a lot of extra parts to keep track of with the bebe Pod--that nub you twist off to put the tray on?  Where do you stash that when you're using the tray?  I'm sure once a baby's old enough to get good use out of the tray, whether for snacks or toys, you won't need that nub, so it'll just get put away somewhere.  Yet something else to keep track of.  And those tray inserts, too.   Just seems like too much "stuff".  I'm trying to "de-clutter" not add more stuff that I need to keep.  

So that's that.  We'll probably keep both, since we got a good deal on each of 'em (and Jeremiah likes to sit in 'em... I'm sure he'll want to sit with Jesslyn once in a while...)  But if I could only keep one, it would be the Bumbo--I just don't need all those "extras".  Maybe I'll bring the bebe Pod to Grandma's, and she can keep track of all those extra pieces.  :)

EDIT:  I was wrong, you CAN attach that Sassy toy to the tray... hence, those gaps in it.  So that's nice.  However, it doesn't attach very firmly--I can see Jesslyn pulling it out first try.  Therefore, my opinion doesn't change.  Maybe I can use those safety straps to attach her toys instead of her...  :)