We are so excited to partner with Safety 1st to show you the new RIVA travel system!

I have been in the market for a new travel stroller. I was not happy with our single jogger and wanted something more rugged than our umbrella stroller. As we are always on the go, I need a travel system that is functional and easy to use. I have a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a baby, so I also need something that is light and easy to maneuver.

Enter the new RIVA travel system by Safety 1st! This is one of two brand new strollers Safety 1st is launching this year. It is available exclusively at select Walmart stores and on Walmart.com for $199. I was thrilled when I was asked to review this new travel system. I eagerly anticipated the huge box that greeted me at my doorstep one afternoon. 

From my research, I learned that the RIVA is the first stroller made in the USA from a special blend of recycled materials, including recycled Safety 1st car seats. The RIVA stroller frame is made from a special co-polymer resin that consists of recycled polypropylene that was saved from the floors of other manufacturers. The child tray and parent cup holders are made from a resin using Safety 1st recycled car seats. Safety 1st also strives to use recycled and recyclable packaging materials on the RIVA travel system. 

The stroller came assembled (bonus!), and there were easy-to-read directions for unfolding, folding, attaching the food tray, and taking off the canopy for cleaning purposes.

The box proclaims the Riva travel system as “lightweight” and able to “one hand lift to fold.” I can attest that these statements are absolutely true. The recycled composite resin frame is what keeps the stroller so light. I was able to carry it plus my infant daughter and a small lunch cooler down a flight of stairs to the car. It folds up incredibly compact and fit in my Highlander without issue. It actually takes up the same amount of trunk space as my umbrella stroller.  

The stroller is very much a one-handed lift to fold. There is an easy-to-reach strap that you pull up on — and presto! The stroller folds up and locks into place in one motion. This is a terrific feature for a mama who is managing more than one child.  

Another feature of the stroller I was particularly impressed with is the incline/recline strap. It is very straightforward and can also be done one-handed. All of my babies have liked to be basically straight up in their strollers, but in the past it has been difficult to get a tight fit on the strap. I also really love the storage basket underneath the seat. It is very roomy with enough space to fit my oversized diaper bag, three water canteens, and a snack cooler!

In line with the RIVA travel system’s special blend of recycled materials, Safety 1st has rolled out their #strollingforabetteramerica initiative. This special campaign dedicates manpower and materials to give facelifts to play parks across the United States.

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We wanted to see this initiative in action, so I buckled my daughter in the American-made Safety 1st onBoard 35 FLX infant car seat. The bucket is deep, which seems to be extra cozy and provides side-impact protection for children 4-35 pounds. We traveled down to Foxborough to the Mill Street Playground to help out with sprucing up the park. There were over 50 Safety 1st team members painting the playhouse, spreading new sand and mulch, planting cheery flowers, and scrubbing the play equipment. 

In the two weeks I have had the RIVA stroller, I have taken it strawberry picking, to the playground, on errands, and on the road for a walk. I’ve been impressed with the stroller’s ruggedness. It was able to roll easily over the grass and gravel farm road. The stroller was designed more for paved surfaces, but it stood up to the bumps and divots of a strawberry field. We have upcoming air travel, and I’m confident the RIVA stroller will be awesome throughout the airport. I love this stroller and enthusiastically recommend it as a lightweight, easy-to-maneuver, versatile stroller at a very comfortable price point.

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Emily Fahle
After an illustrious career in politics (including stints on Capitol Hill and on a presidential campaign) and then reinsurance (yeah, that was a career change), Emily decided to once again make a bold move and stay at home after her first daughter was born. Daughter number two came shortly thereafter, and when daughter number three made her debut it became an official girl tribe! The Fahle girls keep super busy and active exploring their beloved town of Scituate and all that Boston and the South Shore have to offer! Emily is currently experiencing getting along with an infant who believes mom is a Holstein, a preschooler who is smarter than her, and a 2-year-old who has drama in her veins. Emily never knew coffee and wine would be such an essential part of her day.