I Tried Tavo's New Pet Protection System and It's Everything You Need to Keep Your Furry Friend Safe On-the-Go

Tavo's pet protection system can either be purchased as a 3-in-1 product ($900) that includes the Maeve car seat ($600), vehicle base ($195) and Roscoe stroller frame ($400), or you can purchase any of the products individually. The system's also available in both small and medium sizes with a flexible fabric canopy, and the medium size is available in a rigid version, too. When it comes to which size to choose, Tavo recommends:

• Small Flex: Pets up to 25 pounds, up to 16 inches in length, up to 13.5 inches standing, up to 14 inches sitting
• Medium Flex: Pets up to 25 pounds, up to 24 inches in length, up to 13.5 inches standing, up to 16 inches sitting
• Medium Rigid: Pets up to 30 pounds, up to 24 inches in length, up to 13.5 inches standing, up to 16 inches sitting

No matter which size you choose, though, the Maeve seat can be attached either to the vehicle base to serve as a protective car seat or seat to the Roscoe stroller. It also has two different fabric options that can easily be changed out to line the bottom mattress—one that matches the canopy and another cozy sherpa option—along with an attached leash to keep your pet secure if you're using the stroller with the canopy open. But if you do want to give your pet a little shade, the canopy is also equipped with UPF50 protection and breathable mesh panels. There's an attachable side impact protection guard that's included with the seat, too, to provide extra safety in the car. 

As a dog mom with no kids, it's safe to say I have no experience installing car seats, so when I saw the vehicle base I was a little nervous I wouldn't do it right. Thankfully, Tavo provided step-by-step instructions that could be accessed via QR code, so I could just bring my phone out to the car rather than a packet of directions, and the base itself is designed with indicators that turn from red to green when the pieces are in the right place, which was truly a godsend. After struggling a bit to get it attached to the seat hooks (absolutely a *me* problem, though, having never used the hooks before in my ten years of owning my car), it only took a matter of minutes to get the rest of the base and seat fully set up and ready to go.

One thing to note is that to keep your pet the safest, the vehicle base must be placed in the second or third row of seats in your car, and the canopy should be fully closed with the side impact protection attachment on. For my pup, who is a true stage-five clinger, this has been tricky since he's never done well in a crate and gets anxious when he's separated from me, but we're slowly working on it (with lots of cheese treats involved). So if your pet isn't used to being enclosed, it might take some time and training for them to get used to. 

Personally, I can't wait until he feels comfortable enough to sit in it for long periods of time because I know my own anxiety will ease up knowing he's protected in a seat that's been crash-tested and benchmarked against the latest United Nations ECE child restraint standard.

The first thing I noticed about the Roscoe stroller was just how lightweight it is—I can easily lift it up by just the handle if I'm juggling other things (which I almost always am). Not to mention, it folds up to a compact size that makes storing it in the trunk of my sedan no problem at all. Once it's out, it effortlessly unfolds and you can lock the wheels in place while you simply set the seat in place until you hear a click that means it's secure. The vegan leather material on the handle is lush with a comfortable grip, and the stroller easily pivots high-trafficked spaces.

I especially love the option of keeping the canopy open once the seat's placed in the stroller, because if there's one thing my chihuahua-mix pup loves, it's sunning himself. However, as I mentioned above, he's also rather clingy (an understatement, for sure), so if I need him to stay in the seat and he's pulling at the attached leash, I can close him in without him panicking since he's able to see me clearly through the mesh panels. The stroller is outfitted with a lot of thoughtful details that I loved, like storage compartments at the top handle, including one for your phone, a water bottle and a middle compartment that has a lid, so I can close in my small wallet and keys, and a bottom basket for larger things, like shopping bags. Beyond its functionality, the stroller just looks so much sleeker and more stylish than other options on the market.