Baby Gear for parents on the road

By Olivia Gilmore

Traveling with the family can be quite difficult in and of itself, especially when traveling with young children who require baby gear such as strollers, car seats, cribs, etc.

Having to lug baby gear on and off the plane is a hassle, and not to mention it can be very expensive. Luckily, Bebalino.com is the first ever global marketplace for renting baby equipment. Say goodbye to trying to shove the stroller in the trunk, and hello to traveling light.

How It Works

If you are looking to either rent baby gear or rent out your own equipment to other Bebelino members, it all starts on their website. The easy search tab allows members to type in the destination in which they are traveling to, exactly what they would like to rent, and for how long. After being paid for, the equipment will be ready at the arranged location, people usually opt for the baby gear to be dropped off wherever they are staying.

As a fairly young start-up website, Bebalino has members from ten plus countries such as the United States, India, Germany, France, Turkey, Portugal, Croatia, Italy, Greece, and are expanding every day.

The Startup

Ivan Buljan and Vladimir Katovcic, both creators and owners of the business, began crafting the idea when they realized the lack of a global platform for renting baby equipment.

“So, immediately I called my good friend, Vladimir Katovcic, and presented the idea to him. Couple of days later we already developed a business concept and started to work on the platform… This was almost a year ago,” said Buljan.

Both the fathers from Croatia, with 10 plus years of sales experience, launched the site on May 8, creating one of the first ever online sites for renting baby gear!

Member Benefits

It is very typical for parents to sell their baby gear after their child has grown, maybe getting less than half of what they paid. On the other hand, a lot of baby gear ends up in parents basements, collecting dust. But, with Bebalino allowing parents to continuously rent their baby gear all year long, who wouldn’t opt for some extra cash and a steady income?

A member since May 2017, Cristopher Manuga, described his experience as a Bebalino renter. “I have already had two customers, and Bebalino paid me out as agreed. Communication via Bebalino platform is user-friendly and I find the guys from Bebalino very professional and doing business with them goes smoothly,” said Manuga.

Manuga currently rents out a child’s stroller in London.

Being able to rent out baby equipment for a specific period of time eliminates the struggle of having to travel with it. “Total weight of baby equipment which you need to carry for a one-year-old baby weighs on average between 14-20 kg. With two kids and a stroller on the side, total weight doubles,” said Buljan.

It makes sense why families would choose the convenience of renting their equipment rather than the nuisance of traveling with it. After speaking to member Claudia Gerschbacher, it became clear why renting baby equipment abroad is so beneficial.

After jam packing the car full with luggage to visit their relatives in Croatia, the Gerschbacher’s barely had any room left to pack their baby’s belongings. After coming to the realization that they couldn’t fit their daughter’s highchair, the family decided to rent one for 22 euros from another member on Bebalino.

The Gerschbacher’s were pleasantly surprised to find out that the same highchair they used at home, was available to rent. It was even dropped off and picked up by the owner, for free!

“Using Bebalino’s website in terms of ordering and payment process was easy and simple, highchair was just as described in the listing, and the owner was extremely pleasant and helpful. It was a five star experience, and we will definitely use Bebalino on our next trip,” said Gerschbacher.

Not only does Bebalino’s service benefit renters and buyers alike, but it also enhances tourism in different countries as well. Now with the options available to rent baby gear in many diverse parts of the world, locals can now use this service to attract families to their city and country.

This time and money saving service opens up more destination options for young families, all while providing positive revenue by attracting travelers!

Customer Satisfaction

Buljan and Katovcic have many aspirations for their new and unique service, but overall they have one main goal.

“ Our goal is to have hundreds of members in each cou ntry, and be able to have traveling families choose whatever equipment they want on their destination, so their kids can feel just like they do at home!” exclaimed Buljan.

Bebalino is nominated for Best Newcomer at Central European Startup Awards 2017. To find out more about renting your own baby equipment, visit Gaberco.org.