The idea of shopping for your baby is thrilling at first -- until you realize just how much they really need, how much it costs, and how much energy went into making it. By choosing gently used secondhand strollers, high chairs, toys, books, and carriers, you can save resources and trim your budget -- think of it as adding to the college fund.Before you buy any used items, be sure to check for recalls on the products you're considering. Experts recommend never buying a used car seat, and make sure any other items meet the most current standards for safety.If eBay isn't already your first stop for, well, just about anything, then you might be surprised by the extensive collection of barely used baby gear you'll find there, from bedding and furniture to nursery decorations and strollers.The handy search feature lets you search for exactly the brand you want, and on many pieces you can choose either the Buy It Now option (to guarantee you get that fought-over Bugaboo) or bid (in hopes of getting a killer deal).
Rocka-Buy Gear/Screen captureDon't want to worry about winning an auction or negotiating a price with a seller? Rocka-Buy-Gear lets moms list their used items -- furniture, strollers, blankets, toys, DVDs, and more -- for a flat rate; then gives sellers five days to ship the item once it's sold.The site also donates 2 percent from each sale to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and reviews popular items so you get a parental perspective before you order. Baby Outfitter/Screen captureBaby Outfitter is the brainchild of Kate Upshaw, a self-described "children's clothing, book, and toy shopoholic" who now sells secondhand everything -- from classic books to swaddling blankets -- and ships them for a flat rate. (She also sells tons of clothes for the chic little weehuggers in your life.) Swap Baby Goods/Screen captureSwap Baby Goods is set up for parents to list the items their families are finished using for sale -- or for swap. Posters assign each item a value and offer other site users the option of purchasing it or trading for something they need.
The listings, organized by categories like bedding, bouncers & swings, diapering, feeding, furniture, strollers, toys, and more let you navigate the hundreds of items without missing out on what you really need. ReCrib/Screen captureNew York City-based ReCrib was started by parents who wanted to sell the high-design items they'd invested in for their baby.Now you'll find cribs from Bloom, Stokke, DucDuc, and NurseryWorks; strollers from Bugaboo, Peg Perego, Maclaren, and Quinny; and furniture from West Elm and Pottery Barn (among others). You can also view the listings on a map to find out where your nearest sellers are; Postings are found across the country. Craigslist/Screen captureIf you want to avoid paying for shipping -- and calculating the carbon footprint of having your new crib delivered from across the country -- then check Craigslist for baby gear for sale from your neighbhors and other nearby sellers.You'll find toys and books, dolls and trucks, furniture and strollers, high chairs and mobiles -- and you might even make friends with other local parents when you're dropping off or picking up.
Bonus: The site includes safety and recall alerts at the top of its "Baby and Kid Stuff" listings so you can double check before you buy. Encore Baby Registry/Screen captureEncore Baby Registry doesn't sell items directly, but it does offer brand-new parents an alternative to traditional store registries. Here's how it works: You create a wish list with everything you want for your baby -- furniture, clothing, toys, strollers -- using the search tool and share it with your friends and family.But instead of going to just one store to purchase the items, givers are encouraged to wrap up their own used versions of the items -- or get them at a thrift store -- and check off the registry that way. Baby gets everything she needs and you get to feel less guilty about where it all came from: It's a win-win. How to Choose the Best Baby Walkers 2017A high chair is one of the more important purchases a parent or caregiver makes on behalf of the youngster in their charge. Like a crib, a car seat, or a changing pad, a high chair is an item a child will use almost every day of his or her life.
High chairs range in price from between fifty and a hundred dollars on the lower end of the pricing scale to many hundreds of dollars at the far end of the range. At each different price point you will see different features available, but price does not necessarily denote better inherent quality. Some families might want an elegantly simple high chair made largely from wood and with minimal adjustment features, for example, while others might treasure a chair's capability to be rapidly reconfigured in dozens of ways. Like most objects encountered in life, a high chair cannot "be all things to all people." That is to say that some high chairs are conveniently portable but may be slightly wobbly, while others are stable but hard to transport; other high chairs might be ideal for infants needing extra support and padding yet will be quickly outgrown. Therefore selecting the best high chair for your home (or daycare center) means considering how and where a high chair will be used and taking into account the age of the chair's likely primary user.
Of the several factors to be weighed most heavily when choosing a high chair, safety always comes first. If you are buying a chair for a small child, then a harness system is a must. Kids lacking the muscle control and/or judgment to stay seated upright in their high chair must have their position maintained by a harness. Next consider the motor control and disposition of the child. For the calm child capable of using his or her hands well, consider a high chair with a tray that can be easily removed, allowing the youngster to be seated right at the table with the rest of the family. For kids who tend to throw things about or who simply need a little extra help not making a mess, a high chair with a tray featuring sections to hold food and toys in place is a must. Portability is another important factor if you will need to bring your child's high chair along with you when you travel or visit friends or family. Some high chairs can be folded flat for very easy transport; others have rigid and inflexible frames and are intended to be left in one place.
If you can afford to buy one of each options -- a lightweight and foldable chair for use when away from home and a more substantial chair in the kitchen or dining room -- that's of course ideal, if not budget friendly. The best way to ensure a child is safe in his or her high chair is simply to use the chair according to its specifications. Make sure your child is neither too small nor too large for a given high chair, for example -- the weight and height ratings that accompany a high chair (or any other item, for that matter) are not arbitrary, but rather are based on careful testing and established data. Also be sure that you understand how to properly setup and use a high chair; take the time to read through any and all instructions, and don't put a child into the seats until you know how its harness and straps are secured and adjusted. Be wary of where you place a high chair: this means not putting a chair near a wall, heave table, or counter off of which a child could push, potentially causing their chair to topple over.
(It's of course fine to move your child to the table for a meal provided an adult is nearby and watching carefully.) Also be aware what other features off the home a high chair might put in arm's reach, from outlets to lamps to knife blocks and more. Consider using a nonskid pad underneath the chair if its rests on a smooth surface that allows it to slide about too easily. And never let you child stand on, turn around in, or otherwise improperly use his or her high chair. A child should be seated and facing forward while in these units; any other position can render the chair off balance and unsafe. Many modern high chairs have multiple accessories and additional components available for purchase. These items have been specifically designed to work with a given chair, providing anything from a compartmentalized eating tray to a softer seat pad to a play item that attaches to the chair. But with a bit of imagination, it's easy to update and add to a high chair without the constraints of staying "in brand" to do so.