Baby equipment rentals fits a need in the Flathead

A Columbia Falls woman has started a niche business that fits in well with the Flathead’s successful tourism economy.

Glacier Baby Outfitters is a full-service baby and toddler equipment rental service that delivers to hotels, cabins, campgrounds, bed and breakfast establishments, vacation rentals and private residences.

Items too bulky to carry on trains, planes and automobiles are now available by simply calling on the phone.

Jenni Cheff recognized the need for such a service after hauling around three children of her own while traveling. She wasn’t alone.

“Once up at Big Mountain, I saw a family pull up in a minivan fully loaded with grandparents, children, babies,” she said. “There was no room for a car seat.”

Cheff said she saw baby and infant equipment and supplies for rent at airports and resorts and thought the business would fit in well in the Flathead.

Once her business was set up, she began promoting it with a Web site, a Facebook page and brochures at area motels and lodges.

“Don’t pack it — rent it,” she said.

Advantages include saving money on expensive baggage fees, relieving stress on parents who need to enjoy their vacation time, and maintaining bedtime consistency for children used to having a full-size crib at night.

“When baby’s happy, everybody’s happy,” she said.

Glacier Baby Outfitters supplies full-size cribs, high chairs, booster chairs, strollers, baby room monitors, frame hiking packs, car seats, jumping and bouncing equipment, cradle swings and more. She also offers a concierge service so visitors can have special necessities ready for them on arrival, including diapers, wipes and formula.

“Safety is our No. 1 concern,” she said. “Our baby equipment is purchased new, and we stay on top of all children’s product recalls. We inspect, clean and sanitize every piece of equipment upon return and do not rent anything we wouldn’t use with one of our own children.”

Cheff grew up in Great Falls and moved to Columbia Falls in 2000 after meeting and marrying her husband, Justin, at Montana State University-Bozeman. She has a degree in finance and accounting and worked for 15 years in the finance and banking industry.

She is active with the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, call 261-9363 or visit online at www.glacierbabyoutfitters.com.