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Summer Infant Launches Revolutionary Prodigya" Infant Car Seat and Travel System

^{Published on 2010-10-14 13:00:44 - Market Wire}
 

WOONSOCKET, R.I.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Summer Infant, Inc. ("Summer Infant" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SUMR), a leading developer and distributor of juvenile health, safety, and wellness products, today announced the expansion of their product portfolio with the introduction of the revolutionary Prodigya" Infant Car Seat and Travel System. These products mark the companya™s first entry into the category.

"We understand and respect the importance of developing a car seat that ensures the safety of its passengers. The only way in which to do this was to create a car seat that addresses the proper fit to the car, fit to the child, and overall ease of installation."

"Considering 7 out of 10 car seats are installed incorrectly, we challenged ourselves three years ago to provide a solution to address this unacceptable statistic," states Jason Macari, President and CEO of Summer Infant. "We understand and respect the importance of developing a car seat that ensures the safety of its passengers. The only way in which to do this was to create a car seat that addresses the proper fit to the car, fit to the child, and overall ease of installation."

To this end, the Prodigy infant car seat and base includes three key innovative features:

First is the completely unique SmartScreena" technology located on the base. This SmartScreen provides clear, step-by-step instructions that guide parents through a simple three-step process to click, level, and tighten the base. It also advises them when each installation step is completed correctly.

The second key feature is the easy-to-use belt tightening system that firmly fastens the base to the car, simplifying the installation process even further. The Prodigy takes the guesswork out of the installation process for parents and electronically ensures a proper fit every time. It also includes a test button parents can press at a recommended 30-day interval, to make sure the seat is still installed correctly.

The third key feature of the Prodigy is the SafeGuarda" 1Adjusta" harness system. This system allows the adult to easily adjust the harness straps with one hand - to quickly and correctly fit the straps to the child without rethreading. Regardless of a child's growth or seasonal clothing, the harness straps easily retract around baby for a perfect fit every ride.

In addition, the car seat accommodates infants 4 to 32 pounds and up to 32 inches in length and features a removable newborn body and head support to cradle baby.

Also available is the Prodigya" travel system that includes the revolutionary car seat, as well as a stroller that can hold a child up to 50 pounds. The three-position handle makes steering easy and comfortable for both mom and dad. A five-point harness contours to babya™s body and a multi-position recline seat fully reclines for newborns. An oversized, storage basket holds baby necessities and a convenient parent organizer tray features two cup holders and a covered compartment. A fully-retractable canopy protects baby from sun exposure and the stroller offers a one-step rear brake that quickly and safely brings the stroller to a stop. Lastly, the stroller folds with one hand and is self-standing.

To help launch the new Prodigy Car Seat and Travel System, Summer Infant assembled a team of experts to assist in the development, such as Courtney Tanguay, who was hired to serve as Summer Infant's in-house Child Passenger Safety Advocate. Tanguay is solely focused on ensuring Summer Infanta™s products in the car seat and travel system sector meet or exceed all child safety standards. Tanguay's experience comes from her work at Holtz Children's Hospital in Miami, Florida and, most recently, the Injury Prevention Center at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. She also coordinated the Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Providence, Safe Kids, and Kohla™s Cares Car Seat Check programs. Tanguay uses her expertise when working with the Summer Infant team to make certain the Prodigy Infant Car Seat and Travel System addresses all areas of safety concern.

Additionally, Summer Infant partnered with IMMI® who, for more than 30 years, has been working with child restraint manufacturers to provide innovative, easy-to-use LATCH attachment systems and harness systems that give parents the confidence that the child seat theya™ve purchased meets the highest standards. SafeGuarda" CPS products are engineered to be easy to install and easy to use, addressing misuse by making child restraints more practical for parents.

Summer Infant is committed to providing parents with solutions to help them enjoy each and every moment of their new child's life and the company shares a common thread with their consumers in that they are parents who always put baby's safety first.

The Prodigy infant car seat and travel system includes a standalone car seat and base, the travel system, and a standalone stroller. All of which will be available for purchase at Babies"R"Us stores and online in January.

About Summer Infant, Inc.

Based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the Company is a designer, marketer and distributor of branded durable juvenile health, safety and wellness products (for ages 0-3 years), which are sold principally to large U.S. retailers. The Company currently sells proprietary products in a number of different categories, including nursery audio/video monitors, safety gates, durable bath products, bed rails, infant thermometers and related nursery, health and safety products, booster and potty seats, bedding, travel accessories, sleep positioners, SwaddleMe® and wearable blankets, nursery furniture, and baby gear including, highchairs, bouncers, bouncers, playards and swings.

About IMMI

IMMI, based in Westfield, Ind., is the largest child seating safety components manufacturer in the world and has been the industry leader in child and bus passenger protection for more than 30 years. Utilizing an on-site crash test laboratory, sophisticated engineering and advanced manufacturing operations, IMMI develops and supplies innovative, proven SafeGuard^® branded child passenger safety products and seating solutions for customers worldwide.