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Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, gear, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much more!
Oh baby! With the average newborn racking up $6000 for the first year alone, expectant moms and dads need all the creative cost-cutting ideas they can find. Baby Bargains is the answer. Inside, parents find detailed ratings and reviews of baby gear, plus handy charts that compare brands and models.
600 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 375 reviews
October 7, 2013
This book was the bane of our existence when I worked in baby retail. Customers strolled in asking for random X and Y brands they'd read in the book and scrolled through the list, "Oh, do you have N then? P?" Furniture's a revolving door industry, and many brands don't last, while newbie brands don't see media -or Baby Bargains- exposure until a year or years into their life.
At the same time, staple brands will probably have a history of a couple or more recalls, etc. simply due to the fact they've been around longer. There's no manual for designing a crib other than JPMA standards. After some rigorous testing, you send the product out into the field and hope for the best. Recalls will happen. I saw customers dismiss some very reputable brands -which produced some impressive products- over this, e.g. real Maple hardwood from Canadian forests which was a unicorn at anything less than $1,000 and which is unheard of now. (Everything's made in Thailand now except at very high price points.) This was like the most high quality stuff in the store, and the best value for the price, but you wouldn't know that from the book. I think if they even mentioned wood, it was the briefest blip on the radar, and they made it seem insignificant. Hey, guys, want to know what makes furniture last? The wood and the construction. Dovetailing rather than gluing joints and so on.
Instead, this book focused on "value." Value, really? Do we need someone to tell us which is the cheapest brand? Go to Amazon, search by price, or you know, walk into any big box supermarket or baby products store, like Babies 'R Us. Proceed to find the cheapest item. This is the market these stores are trying to target/capture. In other words, this book is useless! I'll sum it up in two words: get Graco. This book would be more useful if it focused more on differentiating between brands. All of them are JPMA-certified, so they should all be safe. But why am I choosing a Munire over a Baby's Dream? And so on. Virtually nothing on quality, only a Consumer Reports style line or two on the company's track record. They can't because their research seems pretty minimal and what anyone could tell you, maybe less, from reading pamphlets. I realize the title is tantalizing, savemoneysavemoneysavemoney, babies are expensive, and first time parents are easy marks, but the title's misleading. It won't tell you anything new. This is all your fault, Oprah! LOL!
Note: that I read an edition a few years back, but I doubt much has changed.
At the same time, staple brands will probably have a history of a couple or more recalls, etc. simply due to the fact they've been around longer. There's no manual for designing a crib other than JPMA standards. After some rigorous testing, you send the product out into the field and hope for the best. Recalls will happen. I saw customers dismiss some very reputable brands -which produced some impressive products- over this, e.g. real Maple hardwood from Canadian forests which was a unicorn at anything less than $1,000 and which is unheard of now. (Everything's made in Thailand now except at very high price points.) This was like the most high quality stuff in the store, and the best value for the price, but you wouldn't know that from the book. I think if they even mentioned wood, it was the briefest blip on the radar, and they made it seem insignificant. Hey, guys, want to know what makes furniture last? The wood and the construction. Dovetailing rather than gluing joints and so on.
Instead, this book focused on "value." Value, really? Do we need someone to tell us which is the cheapest brand? Go to Amazon, search by price, or you know, walk into any big box supermarket or baby products store, like Babies 'R Us. Proceed to find the cheapest item. This is the market these stores are trying to target/capture. In other words, this book is useless! I'll sum it up in two words: get Graco. This book would be more useful if it focused more on differentiating between brands. All of them are JPMA-certified, so they should all be safe. But why am I choosing a Munire over a Baby's Dream? And so on. Virtually nothing on quality, only a Consumer Reports style line or two on the company's track record. They can't because their research seems pretty minimal and what anyone could tell you, maybe less, from reading pamphlets. I realize the title is tantalizing, savemoneysavemoneysavemoney, babies are expensive, and first time parents are easy marks, but the title's misleading. It won't tell you anything new. This is all your fault, Oprah! LOL!
Note: that I read an edition a few years back, but I doubt much has changed.
December 2, 2009
This book is badly in need of an editor!! While filled with useful information for which I'm grateful, it is rife with grammar errors and omitted words. At one point, the entire first half of a paragraph stops abruptly with no period, and repeats verbatim below. This is not a few subtle mistakes either. It happens every few pages and is very distracting. Sometimes I'm not quite sure what the authors are trying to say and have to make up missing words and guess where they were going with the thought! Oh, and telling us to shop at discount stores, consignment shops, and use craigslist are not insider secrets!
Another annoyance is that they contradict themselves. At one point, they detail the list of problems with the registry system at Babies 'R Us, only to later provide a sample registry that is designed for use with that store's registry form. They also advertise their other books multiple times throughout and refer you to their website about 8,000 times.
Aside from these agitations, I find this text extremely helpful. It is true that the amount of baby products on the market is downright overwhelming. As a first time parent-to-be, I almost didn't even know where to begin, and this book is now a road map for me. Even if I had gone online to read reviews about products, I wouldn't have learned as much info about the manufacturer in general or what features to look for on a particular item. Plus, there are just too many reviews and ratings out there, so I'm happy to let the Fields summarize them for me.
Among the product ratings, you will find counsel on safety and general tips. While some of it is common sense, there is much about which I needed to be reminded or learned for the first time. So yes, I could've talked to my sister or another mom about which stroller or such they like the best, but I might've missed out on knowing there was an even better one available in my price point. With this book, I also learn what features I may want or don't need, along with the aforementioned important safety information.
Finally, I like that you can email the authors. I wrote to them before buying the book to find out when the next edition would be released. Within about a week, I received a detailed answer back, which truthfully surprised me a bit. (Unfortunately, it was too late at that point because I had become impatient and gone ahead and purchased the book. The next full edition doesn't come out until 2011 anyway, but a somewhat updated version comes out in a few months. Oh well.) With some decent editing and more consistency, this would be much less painful to read. As it is, I still recommend it to anyone shopping for baby gear. Hopefully, if I buy the recommended items, I will agree with their assessments!
Another annoyance is that they contradict themselves. At one point, they detail the list of problems with the registry system at Babies 'R Us, only to later provide a sample registry that is designed for use with that store's registry form. They also advertise their other books multiple times throughout and refer you to their website about 8,000 times.
Aside from these agitations, I find this text extremely helpful. It is true that the amount of baby products on the market is downright overwhelming. As a first time parent-to-be, I almost didn't even know where to begin, and this book is now a road map for me. Even if I had gone online to read reviews about products, I wouldn't have learned as much info about the manufacturer in general or what features to look for on a particular item. Plus, there are just too many reviews and ratings out there, so I'm happy to let the Fields summarize them for me.
Among the product ratings, you will find counsel on safety and general tips. While some of it is common sense, there is much about which I needed to be reminded or learned for the first time. So yes, I could've talked to my sister or another mom about which stroller or such they like the best, but I might've missed out on knowing there was an even better one available in my price point. With this book, I also learn what features I may want or don't need, along with the aforementioned important safety information.
Finally, I like that you can email the authors. I wrote to them before buying the book to find out when the next edition would be released. Within about a week, I received a detailed answer back, which truthfully surprised me a bit. (Unfortunately, it was too late at that point because I had become impatient and gone ahead and purchased the book. The next full edition doesn't come out until 2011 anyway, but a somewhat updated version comes out in a few months. Oh well.) With some decent editing and more consistency, this would be much less painful to read. As it is, I still recommend it to anyone shopping for baby gear. Hopefully, if I buy the recommended items, I will agree with their assessments!
April 26, 2011
So this book says it will save you hundreds of dollars, and I honestly don't know if it did/will do that because I didn't try doing this without the book. What I do know is that it gave me a lot of peace of mind, since I was able to narrow down the literally thousands of baby products out there to what I actually need and what I actually want. That peace of mind is worth way more than a few hundred bucks! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is expecting, and in fact I have.
August 4, 2013
Buying baby gear is overwhelming. This book gives reviews, feedback and purchasing options for all of the baby gear you could ever possible need. I appreciated the reviews and information given about each brand and company and have followed many of their recommendations. I would recommend this book to anyone having a baby who needs help choosing baby gear!
February 9, 2018
This book was critical in helping me know what I truly needed for baby. With so much commercialism around pregnancy and newborns, it's hard to know what to buy. If you are frugal, have a small space or simply don't want to buy into the whole concept of needing a ton of stuff for baby, this is a must read.
April 17, 2018
Couldn’t have started or finished my registry without it. Great, quick advice.
August 1, 2011
This is a truly *awesome* book for parents-to-be and parents. The newest edition (11th) just came out this year, 2011. In figuring out what baby products my husband and I needed for our very-soon-to-be-born daughter, I read both this book and a Consumer Reports website guide (I subscribed to the site for one month, for about $8). This book is far, far better than the Consumer Reports guide, because it provides grades (A through F) of many, many different products, not just the big-ticket items like the car seat and crib.
However, I do think it can be helpful to read this book in conjunction with the Consumer Reports guide, while also checking out baby product reviews on Amazon.com and the Babies R Us website, before making any major decisions. Then you can get a well-rounded perspective of the various products that are most important to you.
Because of this book, I learned that babies don't need a complete "crib bedding" set -- and that these sets, with their soft quilts and pillows, actually are dangerous and can cause SIDS. Very helpfully, I learned about "sleeper blankets" like the Halo Sleep Sack and the "Breathable Bumper" instead.
This book also has "Good, Better, Best" recommendations, so that you can pick out the product that best fits your needs and your budget. For example, the book says that the Graco SnugRide 35 is the "Best" infant car seat, but I decided to go with the Chicco KeyFit 30 (the "Better" recommendation) because Consumer Reports as well as a parent friend gave their own high recommendations for the Chicco KeyFit 30. I am a big believer in the life experiences and good advice of parent friends and all kinds of "real-life" friends :)
I also really appreciated learning about the different quality of baby clothes and crib sheets. For example, this book does *not* recommend the Babies R Us "Koala Kids" brand of baby clothes and crib sheets, due to inconsistencies with the quality ... and it also doesn't recommend Pottery Barn Kids, which is more expensive than Koala Kids yet also has quality issues, according to this book. (The book gives the grade of "A" to Lands End, among others, and B+ to CoCaLo and Lambs & Ivy, both of which you can find at Babies R Us.)
Overall, a fantastic "starter" resource for figuring out what you might need for your baby, and for providing you with recommendations.
However, I do think it can be helpful to read this book in conjunction with the Consumer Reports guide, while also checking out baby product reviews on Amazon.com and the Babies R Us website, before making any major decisions. Then you can get a well-rounded perspective of the various products that are most important to you.
Because of this book, I learned that babies don't need a complete "crib bedding" set -- and that these sets, with their soft quilts and pillows, actually are dangerous and can cause SIDS. Very helpfully, I learned about "sleeper blankets" like the Halo Sleep Sack and the "Breathable Bumper" instead.
This book also has "Good, Better, Best" recommendations, so that you can pick out the product that best fits your needs and your budget. For example, the book says that the Graco SnugRide 35 is the "Best" infant car seat, but I decided to go with the Chicco KeyFit 30 (the "Better" recommendation) because Consumer Reports as well as a parent friend gave their own high recommendations for the Chicco KeyFit 30. I am a big believer in the life experiences and good advice of parent friends and all kinds of "real-life" friends :)
I also really appreciated learning about the different quality of baby clothes and crib sheets. For example, this book does *not* recommend the Babies R Us "Koala Kids" brand of baby clothes and crib sheets, due to inconsistencies with the quality ... and it also doesn't recommend Pottery Barn Kids, which is more expensive than Koala Kids yet also has quality issues, according to this book. (The book gives the grade of "A" to Lands End, among others, and B+ to CoCaLo and Lambs & Ivy, both of which you can find at Babies R Us.)
Overall, a fantastic "starter" resource for figuring out what you might need for your baby, and for providing you with recommendations.
July 15, 2009
If there is one book that every expectant parent needs to have, it's this one. I've used it numerous times throughout my pregnancy, and it has made many of our decisions in terms of purchases MUCH easier. I bought both this book and Consumer Reports Baby, and ended up taking Consumer Reports back--it didn't offer nearly as much information as Baby Bargains.
The book is broken down into chapters according to baby's needs (cribs, dressers, gear, clothing, etc.). Each chapter begins by suggesting what you need and where to look. There are also "look for" suggestions to take into consideration when buying, and finally, the best part, item by item reviews. Virtually any product can be looked up by name and is listed with a product rating (A+ through F), price rating, and pros and cons. For each item there is also listed a "Good", "Better", "Best" option based on what you want to spend.
We used this book to research nursery furniture and to make our registries, and it made registering a thousand times easier and less overwhelming. The book is updated on a semi-regular basis (and there is also a website), so make sure you look for the most current edition. The 8th Edition is the one that just came out this year (it has a green cover).
The book is broken down into chapters according to baby's needs (cribs, dressers, gear, clothing, etc.). Each chapter begins by suggesting what you need and where to look. There are also "look for" suggestions to take into consideration when buying, and finally, the best part, item by item reviews. Virtually any product can be looked up by name and is listed with a product rating (A+ through F), price rating, and pros and cons. For each item there is also listed a "Good", "Better", "Best" option based on what you want to spend.
We used this book to research nursery furniture and to make our registries, and it made registering a thousand times easier and less overwhelming. The book is updated on a semi-regular basis (and there is also a website), so make sure you look for the most current edition. The 8th Edition is the one that just came out this year (it has a green cover).
October 12, 2011
We've found this book very helpful. But -- even more helpful?
-- thrift stores (don't be afraid!)
-- hand-me-downs (soooo fantastic)
-- cloth diapers (prefolds + covers work great, are EASY, and save thousands)
-- homemade baby food (chop, steam, puree, freeze. It's really that easy.)
-- Craigslist (baby items obsolesce so fast. There's a glut of high-quality used stuff on Craigslist. People generally are forced to sell at less than 50% of what they paid new, even if the item is highly desirable and in perfect condition. There's really no reason to pay new for almost anything except maybe cribs.)
-- neighborhood listservs. Our high chair, for example, was picked up from a neighbor looking to unload it. I also got a load of breast pads (bleach, then stop worrying about it), a baby sling, bath toys, and a baby gate this way.
There's no need to spend even the bargain prices this book includes, though this book is very helpful if you're looking to make a significant purchase and you need guidance. It helped us choose a crib, a jogging stroller, and a breast pump, and it helped me winnow down my shopping list before the baby ever arrived.
-- thrift stores (don't be afraid!)
-- hand-me-downs (soooo fantastic)
-- cloth diapers (prefolds + covers work great, are EASY, and save thousands)
-- homemade baby food (chop, steam, puree, freeze. It's really that easy.)
-- Craigslist (baby items obsolesce so fast. There's a glut of high-quality used stuff on Craigslist. People generally are forced to sell at less than 50% of what they paid new, even if the item is highly desirable and in perfect condition. There's really no reason to pay new for almost anything except maybe cribs.)
-- neighborhood listservs. Our high chair, for example, was picked up from a neighbor looking to unload it. I also got a load of breast pads (bleach, then stop worrying about it), a baby sling, bath toys, and a baby gate this way.
There's no need to spend even the bargain prices this book includes, though this book is very helpful if you're looking to make a significant purchase and you need guidance. It helped us choose a crib, a jogging stroller, and a breast pump, and it helped me winnow down my shopping list before the baby ever arrived.
January 21, 2008
Obviously this book has a fairly limited audience: people who are about to buy a whole bunch of baby stuff. So I'm not really recommending it widely, but for its intended audience, it's excellent. I love rating systems and reading user reviews since I'm a fairly picky shopper (read: cheap). This is a whole book of ratings and reviews, but it's more than that, too. As someone who really didn't know anything about baby gear-- what's necessary, what's extra-- this book was a great introduction to what everything is, how it works, and whether it's necessary, just nice to have, or useless. I also like the fact that this book updates itself with new editions every year, so the products rated are actually the products available in stores right now. There's a great sidebar in every chapter about websites detailing both gear and information on everything from breastfeeding to diaper bags. I fully expect to use this book repeatedly as we make our baby registry, buy furniture and put together a layette. (And now I know what a layette is. Kind of.)
October 12, 2014
Very informative with a lot of useful information for someone who, like me, really hasn't the foggiest clue when it comes to baby stuff. On the other hand, I think it's perhaps a little bit of information overload and could use some serious editing. I found some sections a bit frustrating as they recommended brands that might only be found at specialty stores or in specific locations, making them hard to find. I found this to be particularly true in furniture. Also, I found some of their ratings (particularly in cribs) to be based more on things like customer service than the actual quality of the product, which is kind of annoying, because really, although bad customer service is a pain, it's the product that's actually going to sit in my house for years.
January 11, 2013
I just finished the 9th edition (couldn't locate the edition here on goodreads). It was absolutely everything I had hoped it would be an more. As a first time mom-to-be, I've been so worried about which products were safest, easiest to use, which ones were a waste of money, and what was absolutely necessary to have before baby comes. I LOVE that this book eliminated so much time/effort in painstaking research I would otherwise have had to do. I'm thinking this will be a go-to gift for friends/family when they announce a pregnancy!
November 17, 2012
Got this book from the library on the recommendation of a friend. It was definitely helpful in giving us an overview of what we need and orienting us toward options, but when it came to the specific products it recommended (or didn't), it was super hit and miss. I combined what I learned here with extensive internet-based research. I would recommend this book to others, but caution them to also look at online reviews before making purchasing decisions.
September 29, 2009
Excellent book. I recommended getting the most recent edition, as it gets updated with new reviews, brands and products every few years. I found this to be an invaluable guide to understanding various baby products and what role they play in raising your child. A great resource if you don't want to waste too much brain space on figuring out what baby stuff to buy.
February 22, 2012
A great resource for wading through the hundreds of options of baby gear. Baby Bargains includes great information on not just the pricing of items, but also where and how they are manufactured, various safety concerns, etc. Easy to read with great recommendations, I found myself highlighting something on almost every page.
April 25, 2012
For a first time mom, this book was a great start to understanding all the crazy baby gear out there. It really broke everything down and I liked how price was always featured. You can easily find products within your budget using this book. Some of the websites he suggested were new to me, so I think it was worth the price I paid for this book! :)
August 5, 2013
This certainly did its job and told us where to splurge and where not to, and I think we'll be picking up the author's toddler etc. book.
We're going to keep using this book as a reference but I'm sick of it being on my reading shelf so there you go. It's a 4 star book but I docked it one star for horrible puns.
We're going to keep using this book as a reference but I'm sick of it being on my reading shelf so there you go. It's a 4 star book but I docked it one star for horrible puns.
April 12, 2012
Really useful.
Also a bit like being metaphorically bludgeoned to death by a million collapsible strollers. I could only allow myself to read it for so many hours.
Of course the best bargain of all was... borrowing it from the public library (aka the best civic institution of ALL TIME).
Also a bit like being metaphorically bludgeoned to death by a million collapsible strollers. I could only allow myself to read it for so many hours.
Of course the best bargain of all was... borrowing it from the public library (aka the best civic institution of ALL TIME).
January 29, 2013
5 stars – Nonfiction/Baby Preparation
This book was a lifeline that helped me to prepare for traversing the perilous waters of baby shopping/registering. A great guide for first-time, overwhelmed, expectant parents!
This book was a lifeline that helped me to prepare for traversing the perilous waters of baby shopping/registering. A great guide for first-time, overwhelmed, expectant parents!
September 10, 2017
This book is amazing - especially for new parents to be like myself.
I think of it as a consumer reports type book on baby stuff. They don't have ads so their suggestions are unbiased.
Every chapter starts off with the extremely helpful "7 things you didn't know about" chapter topic: ex car seats, cribs, diaper pails. It's great advice on how to figure out what's needed for your child & family.
I'm so happy my cousin gifted me this book. I'm reading the current 12th edition.
There is also a companion website that has more advice & a searchable database of baby products - great for when you're deciding if you should purchase an item.
I think of it as a consumer reports type book on baby stuff. They don't have ads so their suggestions are unbiased.
Every chapter starts off with the extremely helpful "7 things you didn't know about" chapter topic: ex car seats, cribs, diaper pails. It's great advice on how to figure out what's needed for your child & family.
I'm so happy my cousin gifted me this book. I'm reading the current 12th edition.
There is also a companion website that has more advice & a searchable database of baby products - great for when you're deciding if you should purchase an item.
December 31, 2019
A must-read if you're having a baby (especially your first). Made the enormity of the shopping process so much less stressful, and let me do a piece at a time without getting overwhelmed. I liked that it told you the things you needed to care about vs. what's just bullshit, and that it had picks for best overall, best budget, best eco-friendly, etc. I don't want to have to have a PhD in mattresses (and every other million baby-related products) - I just wanted someone to have done the research and make it simple for me, and that's what this was. The website & checklists were really helpful, too.
May 12, 2018
Tremendously helpful, especially for first time parents who have no clue what to choose from the millions of baby items. I did not see this book as solely a resource for saving money, but more as advice for items you need/don't need, and things to consider as you make your selections. Only 4 stars, because even Mom Brain can't ignore typos, but I would absolutely recommend this book to help ease the stress of being overwhelmed by baby gear variety.
March 10, 2018
Yes this book has some obscure brands and the info gets outdated rather quickly, but starting from zero knowledge, this book gave me a decent What’s what. And the website is up to date so I could go there for current recommendations and ratings. I’d recommend this for someone who started with no knowledge about anything baby- like me!
March 12, 2018
Authors did a decent job of dismissing some pretty superfluous baby goods, but of course what's a need and what's a want is highly subjective and depends on the parents. I got this book from the library, so my access to the more updated website ratings was limited, and I think currency is important when it comes to rating makes and models.
May 3, 2019
I'm glad I got this. I'm not sold on it saving me a lot of money, but I feel it was a great go to consumer reports type of guide for the products we'll be looking to buy. We'd done a ton of research online before picking items, and the information in this book seemed to agree with our other research. I wish we'd bought this book earlier. It'll be a great reference to keep as our baby grows.
October 30, 2017
A friend recommended this title to me, and I would recommend it to anyone expecting a baby. It makes preparing and selecting items for a new baby much less overwhelming and provides useful costsaving tips. Kindle edition. 288 pages.
April 12, 2018
Don't know what to register for? Buy this.
January 3, 2019
This book was good, filled with great tips it was given to us by my brother and sister in law. Wish I would have read a little more updated version as this one is a 2014-2015 version.
March 24, 2019
Very helpful. Easy to read and digest.
April 16, 2019
Very helpful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 375 reviews