Wilmington couple makes innovative, one-of-a-kind child safety product
WILMINGTON (WWAY) — A Wilmington family launched their own small business in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic with a product that solves a common problem for toddlers and young children.
Glider Skirt is a new child-safety product company that makes an accessory for Glider Chairs that can help prevent finger pinching incidents for babies, curious toddlers, and care-givers.
Amanda Legbeti and her husband Emmanuel founded the company Glider Skirt Inc. in Wilmington right in the middle of the pandemic. The Glider Skirt is a one-of-a-kind pinch-guard safety & beauty product for widely used Glider Chairs which have exposed gears & gliding mechanisms underneath that can cause finger pinching accidents for babies, curious toddlers & care-givers.
Legbeti said Glider Chairs have been used for decades and continue to be a staple in baby nurseries, toddler rooms, childcare and daycare centers, churches, preschools, hospitals and eldercare facilities. Legbeti said fully upholstered Glider Chairs are expensive. As a result, many opt to use the more affordable “classic” glider chair, despite the safety risk. She said their innovation creates the option to be safe & stylish, while also saving money. This is more relevant now & on-trend as more parents & kids spend more time at home or in childcare facilities given COVID-19 / Work-From-Home.
Legbeti said they launched the Glider Skirt in the middle of the pandemic after experiencing the same glider chair pinch accident ourselves while raising their three kids. She said they decided rather than writing a negative review online or sending a complaint to the manufacturer, they could do something about it through innovation.
After they learned that so many other families/kids had the same pinch accident each year, they knew they had to do something about the safety issue. Legbeti said another positive outcome was our product also created a very neat & fun way for parents and others to upgrade their glider chairs and nurseries with our upholstery cover which comes in 5 beautiful styles.
Glider Skirt was invented in 2018 and a little more than two years later, with the help of a local Wilmington-based team (including UNCW students) and many local moms, kids, and grandparents, the product launched via their direct-to-customer e-commerce website and social media sales channels with positive reception from the community.
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