How this local mum is blazing a trail for baby sun safety
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A Jerrabomberra mum is changing the game when it comes to baby sun protection, with an award-winning invention that has sold over 10,000 units worldwide.
Anna-Lise Brink launched Bebe Trek in 2024, a venture that saw her recently take home Best Baby Essential of the Year and place third for Innovation of the Year at the 2026 She-Com E-commerce Awards for female-founded brands.
Inspired by her own personal struggle, the idea for Bebe Trek was born while on maternity leave. Taking a four-week road trip with her then 2.5-month-old to Far North Queensland, Anna struggled to find ways to keep her daughter sun-safe.
Using muslin swaddles to cover her arms and legs, Anna wasn’t happy with the results. So, she started to look for something better.
Her research didn’t reveal much – but what she did discover scared her.
“Muslin swaddles aren’t actually sun-safe. While they provide shade, and they do block some UV rays, they don’t block enough to be considered sun protective,” she explains.
“That’s where the idea came from – looking at ‘How can I help parents get outdoors?’ and ‘How can I help myself get outdoors?’ Then I started looking at fabric, started looking at designs, spent the next 18 months prototyping, and eventually came out with our magnetic sun cover.”
Anna working on an early prototype at home on maternity leave with her five-month-old daughter.
Designed to be soft, lightweight and breathable with UPF 50+ sun protection, the Bebe Trek Multifunctional Magnetic Sun Covers are made with bamboo and feature integrated magnets, loops and an adjustable strap that allows parents to protect their babies in more than a dozen different ways.
The online store launched to the Australian public in February 2024, and Anna says that since then, the business has grown by over 1400 per cent, helping more than 10,000 families worldwide keep their babies sun-safe.
The magnetic sun covers are something she wishes she had for her first two children.
“We’re an outdoor family, we love being outside, and when you think you’re doing everything you can to protect your little one and discover that what you were doing wasn’t sufficient, that’s a scary, disappointing thing,” she says.
“My daughter didn’t get sunburned, thankfully. But you don’t have to be sunburned to still get sun damage.”
Anna with a muslin swaddle from Kmart she sent off for UPF testing.
To be considered sun protective, fabric needs a minimum UPF rating of 15 with UPF 50+ recommended.
Anna says that from her own research, standard cotton muslin swaddles typically provide significantly lower protection, often around UPF 5-6.
“There’s no way I would go near SPF six sunscreen at the shops – you’re always looking for that 50 or 50+. It’s not recommended to put sunscreen on babies, so you need to look for other ways to protect them.”
The feedback has been astounding and Anna is struggling to keep up with the demand. Starting in Australia, Bebe Trek is now selling in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe.
Anna has also expanded the product range to include a magnetic rain cover, UV protective sunsuits, reversible sun hats and more. She says the recognition she’s received from both the parents and the industry means more than she can put into words.
“It solidifies not just that the product is useful and people love it, but that we’re really helping parents and we’re helping families get outdoors,” she says.
“All parents want to do what’s best for their kids, and it’s just one of those things that you just don’t know … hopefully, if I can spread the word to make parents aware, they can then make their own decision and take their own action going forward.”
Credit: Brink Photos.
Being listed among the top 100 women in e-commerce is just the beginning for Anna – her products have also been listed as finalists in the 2026 Australian Clean + Conscious Award.
Continuing to grow Bebe Trek while raising her three young children and working full-time in the Australian Army, the creation of the self-funded small Australian business proves something that no one can argue with: family is the most important thing.
“My husband is now a stay-at-home dad looking after the three kids while I’m doing full-time work and trying to run this in the evenings,” says Anna.
“My mum’s been a great help as well throughout it all – she helped with the initial prototypes…It would have been hard to get to where I am and to do everything without the support of my family.”
For more information, visit bebetrek.com.au.
Feature image: Ann Lise (centre) with other mums and the magnetic sun covers.
