Jan 31, 2014

Five Baby + Child Best Best New Product Awards Presented at NY NOW

Five companies were named Baby + Child Best New Product Award winners today, in connection with the Winter 2014 edition of NY NOW™, the Market for Home + Lifestyle (formerly NYIGF®), which runs Saturday, February 1, through Thursday, February 6, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. These five honorees are also eligible for NY NOW’s “Best of Lifestyle” Award, which will be determined by online balloting – at www.redclaydesign.com/nynow – during the show.

Vici Enterprises received “Bloggers’ Choice” top honors for Spherovelo. In addition, winners were recognized for excellence in four categories: toy, décor, gear and apparel. A panel of ten editors from trade media, kid-centric blogs and websites selected products which exemplified innovation, design and style.

The winter 2014 winners and finalists are:

BLOGGERS’ BEST:

Vici Enterprises (New York, NY) for its Spherovelo, the first, and only, ride-on in the world that is able to help children aged 1-2 years make early connections between their senses (vision, pressure, equilibrium) and their motor system.

TOY:

Winner: NhocchiTM (New York, NY) for its Doorway Puppet Theater, which is portable, easy to set-up and packs into an attached pouch, or hangs to one side for easy storage.

Finalist: eco-kids® (Portland, OR) for its eco-easel.

Finalist: Uncle Goose® (Grand Rapids, MI) for its Stack and Scare Set 4.

DÉCOR:

Winner: Little Giraffe® (Van Nuys, CA) for its Little GTM Money Bank, a ceramic bank with hand-painted dots.

Finalist: Baby baazaar Inc. (New York, NY) for its Quilted Baby Blanket-Patches.

Finalist: Anais & I (New York, NY) for its Blanket + Pillow Set.

GEAR:

Winner: Elements Accessories (New York, NY) for its Lava Lunch, a bag which keeps food hot up to 6 hours and has a Neoprene outer shell with proprietary super-insulation for maximum heat retention and exterior pockets for utensils, snacks, and drinks. It also comes with two organic reusable and unleakable Lava Rocks which maintain warmth.

Finalist: PERADI INC (Brooklyn, NY) for its carriage bunting.

Finalist: Free Like BirdieTM (Westfield, MA) for its Free Like Birdie Travel System.

APPAREL:

Winner: Winter Water Factory LLC (Brooklyn, NY) for its Outer Space Charcoal Romper, a 100% organic cotton baby romper, with original print. Made in the USA.

Finalist: Magnificent Baby® (New York, NY) for its Smart Close Magnetic Raincoat.

Finalist: JoJo Maman Bébé (London, UK) for its Polarfleece All In One.

“Baby + Child is a juried neighborhood within the NY NOW LIFESTYLE Collection, so the product caliber and quality is already very high,” said Melissa Engongoro, Baby + Child Sales Manager. “However, these resources have been singled out for their superlative design qualities.”

All five winning products automatically qualify for consideration in the NY NOW “Best of Lifestyle” Award, which will be determined through online voting at www.redclaydesign.com/nynow. “Peoples’ Choice” balloting runs February 1-5, and the winner will be announced on February 6.

The Best New Product Award judges were: Jamie Cohen, Giftmama.com; Joanna Dreifus,MyMomShops.com; Elina Furman, Mamaista.com; Nanci Gregg, Baby & Chidrens Product News; Claire Johnson, Giftware News and Baby & Kids; Caroline Kennedy, Playthings; Audrey Kingo, Earnshaw’s; Nancy Lombardi, Toys & Family Entertainment; Caryn Salomon, Kidsworld Magazine; and Leesa Valentino,TheGiggleGuide.com.

Presented as part of NY NOW’s LIFESTYLE Collection, Baby + Child features some 110 companies offering sophisticated and purpose-driven products for children 0-10 years. NY NOW’s four comprehensive collections – HOME, LIFESTYLE, HANDMADE and NEW! – will encompass 100,000 products in 400+ product categories. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide are expected. Information and registration is available online at www.nynow.com.