The SmartHub rotational interface is used on Orbit’s Base, Stroller, and Rocker. Because the SmartHub is integral to the way Orbit seats dock, lock, and rotate, we have created a core of safety unprecedented in the baby industry: We start with 201 alloy austenitic stainless steel, then cold-forge it in a high-pressure hydraulic press to form the SmartHub shape.

Orbit’s Stroller has tubing made of aerospace-grade 6061-T6 aluminum. The triangular shape is custom drawn through a forging die into tubes for a more durable structure. For safety, we anneal these tubes to remove crystalline defects and soften them to the proper working state so as not to induce internal stresses in bending. After bending and shaping, the tubes are then taken through a long and gradual heat treatment to harden them again.

To guarantee the security of your Orbit seats when docked on the SmartHub™, the safety latches on the bottom of each car seat are made of extremely high-strength materials. The steel and matrix-reinforced latches are made of Nylon 6, a specialty polymer that is higher-grade than the commodity plastics used in most baby gear. The cast aluminum latches, used on the Toddler Car Seat, are made of specialty alloy that is heat-treated to achieve strength and durability.

The StrongArm driveshaft mechanism allows you to securely install the Orbit Base into your car by just turning a knob. Because the integrity of this component ensures a safe car seat installation, we start with 6061 aerospace grade aluminum that has been taken to a T6 temper. Then, in a highly costly and precise computer-controlled manufacturing process, we billet-machine these solid blocks into the net shapes required.

The Orbit Base StrongArm™ is a full metal chassis custom made of extruded 6061-T6 aerospace-grade aluminum. To maintain the integrity of the structure and minimize joints between separate parts, an extremely large press had to be sourced in order to achieve the size and strength of the chassis components.

Most car seats are lined with EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene), commonly called “Styrofoam,” for impact absorption. Most consumers know EPS from disposable household items, so they rightly deduce that it is a cheaper commodity foam. Orbit car seats are lined instead with EPP (Expanded PolyPropylene), which is a higher-grade engineering foam costing four times as much as EPS. Just pressing on the different types of foam with your hand will convince you of the dramatic difference in cushioning.

Most inner upholstery fabric of all Orbit seats is certified by the International Oeko-Tex® Association, a Europe-based institution founded to guarantee “confidence in textiles." Specifically, Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 is a set of criteria that limits over 100 potentially harmful substances and chemicals, ensuring that our upholstery fabric is especially easy on both your child’s skin and the environment.

As required by state and federal safety standards (NHTSA FMVSS 302 and California TB 117), all car seats must meet stringent flame retardancy standards. Many manufacturers meet these requirements by treating their fabrics with toxic brominated and chlorinated chemicals, like PBBs and PBDEs, that can be harmful to children. In contrast, Orbit meets all flame retardancy standards without these potentially harmful chemicals.

It is especially important to shield developing infants and children from harmful UV rays. That’s why Orbit Baby provides fully-integrated, complete-cover sun protection with the sunshade and sunshade extension (Paparazzi Shield™) of our Infant Car Seat and Bassinet. We are also the only company to provide such extensive sun protection on toddler seats, such as our Toddler Stroller Seat and Toddler Car Seat. All of our sunshades block nearly 100% UVA and UVB rays, and some are enhanced with a special silver coating nearly impermeable to UV radiation.

PVC and associated phthalates are harmful to both the environment and our children. Orbit Baby is proud to offer our customers the world’s first PVC-free rain shields for our Infant Car Seat, Bassinet, and Toddler Stroller Seat. With this PVC-free, phthalate-free, and chlorine-free polymer, we can deliver a transparent rain shield solution without the fumes, chemicals, stickiness, and that “shower-curtain smell” associated with PVC.