CYBEX’s Urban Mobility collection is for “cool” parents (and “cool” babies)

There’s a reason why Olaolu Slawn was dripped-out in CYBEX products for the cover of our 33rd issue — CYBEX, which has been on the scene since 2005, is doing things differently when it comes to its Urban Mobility collection of strollers, baby carriers, and car seats. They’re making them cool, and they’re catering to the modern metropolitan family. It could even be said that CYBEX is making products that transcend functionality. Safety principles are still the name of the game, but founder Martin Pos is also prioritizing creating products to be worn with pride. Less dowdy buggies in tired neutrals, they’re catering to the “It” crowd. “With luxury streetstyle, you want to get noticed, and these products definitely help achieve that,” Pos tells me.

Really, there’s no better illustration of what CYBEX is all about than their Urban Mobility collection, which, as Pos puts it, is “much more than just a fashion collection” for his brand. Inspired by his jaunts to Tokyo, where he took cues from quintessentially Japanese brands like Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, as well as “the cool busy lifestyle led by the Japanese families,” these staples of babywear are transformed into something that feels entirely different. Their unique designs come rendered in “the coolest shades of monochrome black and white” — the kind of products you can envisage not only on some cool dad wandering Shibuya Crossing, but round east London’s Victoria Park, in Paris, or any city that’s got a certain stylish hustle and bustle about it.

HUNGER sits down with Martin Pos, the founder of CYBEX to chat all things Tokyo street style, kitchen counter epiphanies, and why baby gear should turn heads — because, as he puts it, “impossible is not an option” when it comes to making parenthood look good.

Amber Rawlings: Can you tell me a little bit about how CYBEX came about?

Martin Pos: One night, I was sitting at the kitchen counter, and like every evening, I was complaining to my wife about how much my job was frustrating me. I was leading a company, had a stellar career, but was frustrated by how slowly things moved in a corporate environment. She interrupted me and I will never forget what she said: “You keep making money for someone, you keep coming up with ideas for someone, and you keep whining. So, stop whining and start something of your own.” I have no problem admitting that this sentence and her advice were what kickstarted my entrepreneurial journey. I owe it all to her. After that conversation, I quit my job the very next day and founded CYBEX. I created this brand with a very simple concept in mind: “Impossible is not an option”. This has been my mantra since 2005, and of course it still is nowadays. We develop a wide range of products aimed to provide modern families with the safest and most comfortable solutions to incorporate in their lifestyle. But we don’t simply stop there — we push boundaries, and always think outside of the box to reach beyond industry standards.

AR: What drew you personally to designing baby gear?

MP: Prior to founding CYBEX, I worked at a German manufacturer of child car seats for over 10 years. I was first drawn to the industry because of my natural interest and passion in technology. I have always been fascinated by how it can be applied to the world of car seats for children. Then it was only natural to expand our portfolio into strollers, baby carriers, interiors and accessories. We put an outstanding amount of time and effort into research and development — my proudest moments with the team were when we were finally able to launch the products we’d been working on together for many years.

AR: Most baby gear tries to be invisible, but CYBEX is making it a statement piece. Why?

MP: Baby gear can be part of one’s style. It becomes an essential part of your life and, of course, reflects your own style and aesthetic. We can cater to very different types of families and personalities! Urban Mobility, for example, celebrates parenthood with products created to be worn with pride, enthusiasm and joy. It’s truly unique designs, made in the coolest shades of monochrome black and white.

AR: Baby gear’s traditionally pretty neutral and beige. What made you go for monochrome and street style?

MP: For Urban Mobility, I was initially inspired by one of my trips to Tokyo, with its vibrant, iconic streetstyle culture and its bustling city vibes. I think that the total black and total white colors are incredibly cool and channel the modern, urban vibes that represent the modern metropolitan families. With luxury streetstyle, you want to get noticed, and these products definitely help achieve that.

AR: The D.S.F. Innovation Principle sounds intense. How do you balance design with safety?

MP: At CYBEX, we have established our own D.S.F. principle, which applies to everything we do and represents a combination of distinctive Design, highest Safety standards and smart Functionality. These are, to me and to us, the fundamentals for the everyday life of families. And within Urban Mobility, these principles are perfectly presented with our Platinum COŸA. It’s an amazing ultra-compact travel pushchair, which is extra functional and has an exquisite design. CLOUD T i-Size is our Platinum infant car seat, featuring top-of-the-range safety standards and functionality — it can be also used as a travel seat on any of our strollers with its ergonomic lie-flat position. Last but not least, we have introduced the brand new COŸA Carrier, which represents a true icon for the busy and cool parents of the global metropolis.

AR: Like you said, the Tokyo influence is strong in Urban Mobility. What is it about Japanese street style that speaks to parenting?

MP: Japan has such a big tradition on luxury street brands and designers — Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Junya Watanabe. I was greatly inspired by my trips to Tokyo and seeing the cool busy lifestyle led by the Japanese families. Especially when creating the carrier — we really wanted to create something that was both complimentary to them and could be appreciated in terms of style and functionality.

AR: The UK market embraced CYBEX early. What makes British parenting culture unique?

MP: Parents in the UK have a very specific regard for aesthetics and how it relates to their everyday life. They are very dynamic, culturally aware and open-minded, and always attentive to high quality functional products that can perfectly fit into their lifestyle – which I’m proud to say, it’s something we deliver at best.

AR: Every city has its own parenting culture. How does CYBEX adapt?

MP: With our different lines and categories, every family can find the best that fits into their lifestyle. We have ultra-lightweight and compact pushchairs for parents always on the go, or big wheel strollers that can easily go on any terrain — even the roughest! We have e-powered strollers that provide extra support when strolling to help soothe the child. Within child safety, we have even launched the first ever car seat with fully body integrated airbag, and we offer a complete safety consumer journey from birth to teen, with both rear-facing and front-facing options. In general – with everything we do – we always create products that can fit in the parents’ lives easily, without having to disrupt or compromise their aesthetic and personal style.

AR: Urban parents are different now. How’s that changing what they want from baby gear?

MP: I believe that urban parents now look up to brands that create a wider conversation around culture and community, and deliver more than products. This also applies to our industry. We give them just that — we are an experience. A cultural movement that our community of parents and families can associate with and bond on the values we share — values of creativity, lifestyle and, ultimately, how we grow together in this journey.

AR: Physical stores in Paris, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Prague suggest a shift from utility to experience. Why now?

MP: Choosing and using a CYBEX product should be an experience itself. You enter the CYBEX universe during the most important moment of your life, to use it with the most important person in your life. It’s important to have a product that will make you feel comfortable, safe, confident and proud, while still representing an expression of your style and persona. A CYBEX parent instantly becomes part of our community. In this sense, opening flagships in Prague, Tokyo and Amsterdam (and this week, a new one in Paris) represents an obvious choice. Paris is one of the most elegant and dynamic cities in the world, with a target demographic and industry maturity and sophistication which are perfect for us. We are also already working on other exciting openings in 2025. They’ll further represent a crucial milestone in our retail expansion growth plan, so stay tuned!

AR: What’s next in making parenting gear actually cool?

MP: Urban Mobility is much more than just a fashion collection for us. It represents a shift for the entire brand on so many levels — and it’s an industry first globally. After having established our core values and the traditional luxury lifestyle collections – inspired by the Milanese and Parisian chic – I wanted to redefine how we approach our products for the modern and demanding urban families. From a lifestyle point of view, but especially in terms of design and culture. And we will keep offering this approach in our products and collections.

You can shop the CYBEX Urban Mobility collection here.