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At DockATot we want you and your baby to absolutely love and get the most out of your dock, wherever you go. We have collated the most popular FAQs to help you appreciate the versatility of this award-wining product and how your baby’s safety and comfort are always our top priorities.
Both sizes of the DockATot - Deluxe (0-8mths) and Grand (9mths +) - are designed to be comfy and ultra-reliable lounging docks from birth to toddler.
Baby loungers in general are only to be used in a supervised setting when you are in the same room as your baby.
Since the DockATot is lightweight and portable, it offers a comforting and familiar space in the ever-changing scenery of life for a baby. Whether it is at grandma’s or a day at the beach, the DockATot offers a safe and mobile space wherever you go.
Babies meet many physiological milestones as they grow, many of which can be enjoyed in the comfort of the DockATot. Health experts recommend that babies are placed on their tummies soon after birth for short periods each day to help strengthen head, neck and upper body. Babies can enjoy supervised ‘tummy time’ as a daily routine in their DockATot, whether at home or at the park in the sunshine.
From birth, babies love to interact with people around them. From approximately 3-4 months, babies will also begin to reach out to interact with objects. Playtime can be enjoyed anywhere in the DockATot and is a beautiful time for mum, dad and baby to enjoy playtime that promotes lifelong learning together. Check out the DockATot Play Arches and Toy Sets that converts your dock into a play space.
And lastly, DockATot can provide a convenient nappy changing station either around the house or on-the-go and will help keep baby still in the process.
Yes! It's important for babies to spend time on their tummy to build upper body strength. Stronger muscle tone will help your baby meet their milestones - roll, crawl, sit and walk. The DockATot's superior padding makes it an ideal spot for supervised tummy time - tear free!
DockATot Deluxe is not intended for overnight sleep.
Babies fall asleep most anywhere you put them, and this may include a DockATot Deluxe. You should always supervise your baby in the dock.
The dock is not designed to contain a child and babies can begin to crawl or scoot unexpectedly. A baby that wakes up alone may try to find you and can fall or become entrapped between adjacent objects.
For overnight sleep, or for any time that you are not able to supervise, you should move your baby to a bare product subject to a mandatory sleep standard (such as a bassinet, Moses basket, crib/cot or cradle), on their back.
Children older than one year of age and otherwise ready to sleep in a big-kid or toddler bed on their own may use a Grand dock in their toddler or big-kid bed.
Babies fall asleep most anywhere you put them, and this may include a DockATot Deluxe. Deluxe+ docks are not intended for overnight sleep. You should always supervise your baby in the dock.
The dock is not designed to contain a child and babies can begin to crawl or scoot unexpectedly. A baby that wakes up alone may try to find you and can fall or become entrapped between adjacent objects.
For overnight sleep and for any time when you are not able to supervise your baby, we recommend using a product subject to a mandatory standard contemplating infant sleep (such as a bassinet, Moses basket, crib/cot, cradle, or play yard), on their back.
No. DockATot docks should not be used in a crib/cot, cradle, bassinet or play yard. Babies should be placed in a bare crib/cot without any additional bedding, blankets or pillows. There is a concern that an infant who can scoot or crawl out of the dock might get entrapped between the side of the crib/cot, cradle, bassinet or play yard and the dock.
There have been incidents involving other products where babies have suffocated after becoming entrapped between a soft product and the side of a crib/cot, cradle, bassinet or play yard, and incidents where babies have suffocated on soft bedding like blankets and comforters. This is why when it comes to an infant's sleep environment, bare is best. It is also why we warn that blankets and pillows should not be placed in a dock with a baby.
The Grand dock can be used in a toddler bed or big-kid bed, once the child is otherwise ready for such a sleep setting, and then only placed at a height that allows the child to safely descend on their own. For important safety information about use of the Grand Dock in a toddler or other big-kid bed, click here.
Yes, absolutely! The DockATot can be used for newborns with a minimum weight of 2.3kgs. It is the perfect place for bub to rest, lounge, have play-time and tummy-time especially while mum is recovering from birth. Please remember that the DockATot is designed to be used when supervised.
The DockATot Deluxe is intended for babies 0-8 months or 2.3 – 10kgs. It is to be used for lounging, supervised napping, supervised tummy time, nappy changes, cuddling and playing.
The DockATot Grand is for toddlers 9-36 months or 10 – 18kgs+. It can be used for all the same activities as the Deluxe as well as a way to facilitate comfortable sleeping in toddler beds and single beds. The bumpers on the Grand act as a bed guard for young kids, allowing them to settle more easily in a bigger bed and make an easier cot to bed transition.
One of our trademarks – ‘Reinventing the Womb’ – indicates that the DockATot is supposed to be snug. DockATot was created to mimic the womb, so the snugger the fit, the better it works. The feeling of snugness is very comforting for the child. It gives the child the sense of being held.
The design includes clasps that lengthen the legs of the DockATot Deluxe, so babies can get longer use out of it. Many parents use the Deluxe size beyond the 9 month mark, with the clasp open to make more room lengthwise.
The thicker density of the Deluxe dock (versus the Grand, which is softer) provides a safer and more supportive environment for younger babies and is also better for tummy time.
Parents are sometimes tempted to skip purchasing our smaller Stage 1 lounger and simply invest in the larger Stage 2 DockATot Grand from birth to try and extend the longevity of their DockATot.
A newborn laying in the larger DockATot Grand will be too small to touch the sides of the lounger and therefore will not experience the familiar womb-like space nor the calming sense of being held that our smaller Stage 1 ‘DockATot Deluxe’ is renowned for.
By trying to purchase a larger one-size-fits-all solution, you will miss the soothing magic of Stage 1, right when you need it most as a sleep-deprived new parent.
We therefore do not recommend graduating to our Stage 2 ‘DockATot Grand’ until your baby is 9 months old.
The Grand dock is the perfect place for playtime, family movie night, and story time. Older tots love to move their favourite lounging spot around the house, and it’s also ideal for travel—to grandparent’s house or on holiday/vacation.
A key feature of the Grand DockATot is its ability to help with bed transitioning, thanks to built-in sides that allow young children to settle more easily in a bigger bed. The DockATot Grand gives little ones a snug sense of security in their newer, bigger beds. The Grand dock may be used in a big-kid bed once the child is able to safely climb in and out of the dock and bed independently and is otherwise ready for such a sleep setting. The Grand dock should not be placed in a confined space, like a crib/cot.
DELUXE: The baby should be always be placed in the dock with the head towards the top / head end of the dock and feet in the direction of the buckled end. Additionally, the baby should be placed towards the foot end of the dock with the buckle closed. This will give the baby a comforting sense of reassurance by feeling the closed tube with his feet. It also prevents the baby from wiggling downwards.
As the baby grows, they can be positioned higher up in the dock. Eventually the buckle can be unclipped as the baby gets tall enough and their legs begin to outgrow the dock in the closed position.
GRAND: The child should be placed correctly in the dock, with the head towards the head end of the dock and feet in the direction of the open end of the dock. Always place your child at the top of the Grand. Please note that the latest Grand docks come without clips. We have always advised that the Grand be used with the clips open to make it easier for a child to enter and exit the pod. The clips were only to be used during transportation and storage. We have realised that many customers did not find the clips useful and, as such, have removed them.
The category for products like the DockATot docks is relatively new and a specific mandatory standard for this product type has not yet been developed. As part of its effort to lead the industry in safety, DockATot voluntarily subjects its products to numerous tests and standards and actively participates in the development of mandatory standards that would apply to all products like DockATot docks.
Brands claiming that their product is certified safe for overnight infant sleep are not doing so based on a comprehensive mandatory standard (such as those that apply to bassinets, Moses baskets, cribs/cots, cradles, or play yards). Until there is more of a global consensus on mandatory standards for infant lounger/pod type products offered for overnight sleep, we do not recommend our Deluxe+ dock be used for overnight sleep.
Our brand grows out of Sweden, where, like in many cultures, bedsharing (sometimes called co-sleeping) is the norm and encouraged. We have encountered differences in opinion surrounding the practice of bedsharing as we have grown across the globe. These differences result in a lack of mandatory standards and general guidelines applicable to all products offered for bedsharing families.
We remain an active participant in the ongoing development of mandatory standards that would apply to all products offered for bedsharing. However, until there is more of a global consensus on standards for products offered for bedsharing, we no longer promote our docks for use in bedsharing.
The docks are clean and do not require washing. We only handle them with white gloves during the sewing process. If you wish to wash the dock prior to the first use, be sure to follow the washing instructions which can be found here.
Each piece of the dock is washable, care instructions are below for each piece (for more detailed instructions please refer to the label on the bottom of your cover). We do not recommend using bleach on any part of your dock - stain remover is preferred.
Cover: Machine wash on cold in a garment bag and hang to air dry.
Pad: Hand wash in cold water and lay flat to dry.
Tube: Machine wash inside a garment bag in cold, then tumble dry on low to dry. You can shake or fluff to redistribute the filling if necessary.
For more information on how to care for your DockATot Baby Lounger click here.
The buckles on the bottom of the Deluxe docks are carefully engineered to be self-releasing at a pressure of 2kgs. An infant shouldn't be able to kick it open but a toddler should be able to. Please keep in mind that the buckle is no longer included with the Grand dock. The docks should not be held by the buckle or the foot end as this may open the buckle, please use the carrying handle(s) on the dock instead.
If the buckle is repeatedly opened by forcing it open rather than pressing the release buttons this will most likely exhaust the buckle and make it open with less than 2kgs of pressure.
The buckle is not meant for adults to use for carrying. For easy portability, we have included a handle on the side of the dock, which allows adults to carry the dock from place to place. When opening the buckle at the foot end, always make sure to press the release buttons rather than forcing the clips open, which could compromise the pressure threshold and result in the clips opening at a lower pressure.
The design of the cover was made to create a sturdy and firm dock. Firstly, the tube needs to be firm enough to prevent babies from rolling out, as well as preventing adults to roll onto the baby when bed-sharing. Also, it must have the right bearing capacity to serve as a good tummy time aide.
The bumper density of the Grand is substantially lower. An older child can use the sides of the Grand as a pillow, hence the softer bumper.
You can place your properly swaddled baby, on their back, in the dock. When a baby exhibits signs of attempting to roll, swaddling should no longer be used. A child placed in a dock should be dressed appropriately for the temperature of the room.
If you are placing your baby down to sleep, we recommend that you put them in a bare product subject to a mandatory sleep standard (such as a bassinet, Moses basket, crib/cot, cradle, or play yard), on their back. DockATot docks are not to be used inside of a crib/cot, cradle, bassinet, Moses basket, or play yard.
