Parents have always known that babies love to be cradled, rocked and bounced. Now we know that babies need cradling and motion for healthy development. The Kanoe is a motion sensitive baby hammock that rocks and sways in response to your baby's subtle movements, providing, a safe and comforting place where babies can rest better and sleep more soundly or where they can just enjoy the calming bounce and sway of the hammock.
The Kanoe, with its gentle range of motion and exceptional comfort, is the closest thing to your embrace.
Movement is essential to life...
Motion is known to be highly beneficial to a child's development, happiness, and well-being. The Kanoe provides infants with gentle, 3-dimensional swaying and bouncing motion, offering a range of motion that is exquisitely fine-tuned to your baby's smallest movements. Even the smallest child can easily learn to create soothing, joyful movements.
The Kanoe is a 100% organic cotton hammock with a unique canoe shape that safely cradles and comforts a baby. A specialized weight-calibrated hanging assembly enables the hammock to bounce and sway, mimicking the sensation of being held and rocked by a parent. Parents and daycare providers are finding that the Kanoe is especially effective when bounced and rocked by hand, producing an enhanced level of motion that soothes and calms restless babies.
The Kanoe is safe, durable, and babies love it!
Adjustable straps extend above the hammock and attach to the bottom ring of the specialized spring assembly. The entire assembly attaches to an eye lag (eye screw) which can be screwed into any solid structure, such as a ceiling joist, beam, or tree limb. This high attachment point allows for a wide range of motion. The Kanoe can be relocated anywhere around the home by simply unhooking the hammock from one eye lag and hooking it to another that has been installed elsewhere.
A second eye ring bolt and detailed installation instructions come with every Kanoe.
All of the Kanoe's straps are adjustable to accommodate different ceiling heights, and to set the hammock at a tilt for babies with reflux or colic.
"The Kanoe is a safe alternative to holding a baby while working, cooking, gardening, or performing other activities. In fact, it was our experience with our own little ones in a busy home environment that led me to design and create the Kanoe baby hammock." Leslie Leroux, creator / designer of the Kanoe
The Kanoe is quick and easy to transport, rolling up into a bag made of the same fabric.
Kanoe Frequently Asked Questions
How old can a child be to use the Kanoe? How much weight can the
Kanoe support?
In general, we recommend the Kanoe for newborns and
children up to 2 years of age. This will of course depend on
the weight of the child. The spring included with the Kanoe
is most responsive for children weighing between 4 and
13.5 kilograms. Once the child is too heavy for the spring,
we recommend that the spring be removed and the straps
be adjusted so that, when in use, the Kanoe swings just a
few centimetres from the floor. At this point children
are probably able to climb out of the hammock on their
own and should be taught to do so safely.
How large is the Kanoe? How much space is
needed to hang it?
The hammock portion of the Kanoe is 92 centimetres long
by 41 centimetres wide. For freedom of movement it needs to be positioned at least 71
centimetres from nearby walls or objects.
Can my child sleep in the Kanoe?
Yes. Children tend to fall asleep as fast as if they were being rocked in your arms. Those
that have a difficult time getting to sleep are often quickly soothed by the gentle
3-dimensional motion of the Kanoe. The adjustable lower straps on all four corners of
the Kanoe allow it to be set at an incline to help comfort colicky babies. Close attention
must be paid to children who are strong enough to climb out of the Kanoe by themselves;
it is important to lower the Kanoe to within a few centimetres of the ground and teach the
child to enter and exit safely.
How is the Kanoe installed? Is there a stand?
The setup of the Kanoe is designed to be quick and easy, and to allow for
maximum flexibility. Eye lags can be placed in several locations around the
house or outdoors (i.e., in the nursery or playroom, next to parents' bed, in
the garden). The hammock can then be easily unhooked and quickly relocated elsewhere,
eliminating the need for a cumbersome stand. Proper installation of the eye lags is
essential for the safe use of the Kanoe. Complete installation instructions and two eye
lags are included with the hammock; additional eye lags are sold separately or can be
picked up at a hardware store (they must be stainless steel). We do realize that it is not
always possible to hang the Kanoe from the ceiling. Stands that are sold to hold hanging
chairs are available on the market. We have tested one with the Kanoe and you can find
details at www.beachcombercollectables.com. Whichever stand you choose make sure it is
one with a stable base and a high anchor point for stability and range of movement.
For simplicity we refer to babies of both sexes as “she” and “her” rather than the cumbersome “he/she” or “him/her”
Does the Kanoe have a mattress?
No. The Kanoe does not need, and shouldn’t have, a mattress. One of the reasons the
Kanoe works so well is because your baby feels like she is being held in your arms. The
Kanoe was specifically designed to give support yet let the natural shape of your baby
influence the surface she is lying on. This is an essential aspect of the Kanoe. It is a
healthy, natural, breathable surface that your baby will love. In addition, concerns have
been raised about the toxic gases given off by mattresses. Click here for further
information.
Will my child have trouble transitioning to a bed?
No. There is no evidence to suggest that children who have slept in a Kanoe since birth
have any difficulty transitioning to a bed. In fact, this has been the focus of a study
conducted in the USA over the past 10 years. The study concludes that transitioning from
the Kanoe to a bed is a breeze.
What do I use for bedding in the Kanoe?
For the newborn, we highly recommend swaddling her and placing her directly in the
Kanoe. Swaddling is soothing to a baby because it simulates the feeling of being in the
womb. Swaddled in the Kanoe, she’ll feel warm, secure and comforted. We also
recommend baby sleeping bags, especially after the first 3 to 4 months. They can be
incredibly helpful getting babies (and even toddlers) to sleep through the night as there
are no blankets and sheets to kick off or create a suffocation threat. If your baby spits up
a lot, you can place a burping cloth in the Kanoe.
For safety reasons, as in a regular cot, we do not recommend placing any loose padding
around your baby. She won’t need it and it would create a suffocation hazard. Instead,
swaddle with a cosy temperature-appropriate blanket (or sleeping bag) and place a little
bonnet on her head.
Is the Kanoe washable?
Yes. An essential design element of the Kanoe is that the hammock is easily taken apart
for washing. Simply unclip the four corners where the support straps meet the hammock,
remove the two internal wooden support rods and wash the fabric on its own in the
machine on a cool cycle.
Can I use the Kanoe outside?
Yes. The 100% organic cotton canvas is very durable and is suitable for indoor and
outdoor use. As always, proper installation of the Kanoe, as outlined in the installation
instructions, is essential for the safe use of the product.
Natural/Natural Earth/Sky Nutmeg/Burgundy Natural/Khaki
The Kanoe motion sensitive baby hammock is constructed from the finest quality, certified 100% organic cotton canvas. Colored Kanoes are dyed using low impact, non-toxic dyes. We are committed to providing the safest, purest, most beneficial product to nurture your child.
Each Kanoe order includes: The Kanoe hammock and strap/spreader bar assembly, custom spring (item KS-002 spring is calibrated for infants 10 to 30 pounds), 2 eye lags for ceiling mount, and canvas carrying case.