One of my favorite strategies for saving money on baby items is to buy items slightly used. In fact, most of the time, I buy a gently used baby toy, baby equipment, or clothing, use it, then sell it for a small profit.
Since babies tend to grow out of their clothes and toys, it makes sense to avoid buying everything new at a retail store. However, there are baby things you should not buy used. Here are a few baby items that should always be bought new.
1. Bottles and Sippy Cups
Most bottles and sippy cups come with several small parts, and hiding spots, which can grow mold. Even as I was washing out an old sippy cup today, I decided to clean extra carefully with a nipple cleaner. A good portion of mold came out — gross!
Even with scrubbing and frequent cleaning, it can be hard to get into the crevices of certain bottles and sippy cups. The problem with bottles is more with the nipples. I have found that nipples do not hold up well and can get gummy with too much use.
It’s far more sanity to replace old sippy cups and bottles with new ones, than to spend a lot of time or effort cleaning them.
2. Car Seats
Buying a used car seat can be iffy since there’s no way to know if the car seat was in an accident. When you purchased used car seats, you also do not know if there has been a recall on them, due to the seat being an older model.
It’s okay to buy or use a car seat from a reliable source, but know that all car seats have an expiration date. You want to buy, or borrow, a car seat that’s only a year or two old for the best safety. Remember that safety technology is continually improving in the car seat market, so a newer model might be better after all.
3. Cribs and Mattresses
Obviously, you want to avoid buying older crib models due to the mass recalls that have happened over the years. I would also be wary of buying used cribs because it can be hard to set them up safely without the instructions. Plus you don’t know how the owner before you set up the crib.
I have seen a few used cribs listed that were put together by very impatient parents, and they made the crib unsafe with their carelessness.
As far as crib mattresses, it’s more of a cleanliness issue. I’ve had to replace our crib mattress because it cracked and tore from use, and since my daughter soaks through her Pull-Ups some nights, the dampness in the cracks can lead to mold and bacteria growth.
4. Breast Pumps
Unless it’s a hospital-grade breast pump, then most pumps are made for one-time use only. I decided to use a used Medela pump with my first daughter, but replaced all of the tubing and shields. The problem was that the power was not as strong as it should have been. This affected my milk supply greatly.
If pumping is important to you, then go with a top of the line, new pump or rent a hospital-grade pump. Yes, it is pricey, but many women have issues with pumping and need the higher end models to efficiently stimulate their milk supply.
Buying used is always a great money, except for when your safety and hygiene will be compromised.
What baby items do you refuse to buy used?
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What or how would you clean used baby toys?
I got some used baby toys and a few clothes from a neighbor for our baby that is due in August. I thought she would have cleaned them before giving them to me, but didn’t. So, would you put these in the washer on gentle cycle and clean them? Or what would you do?
Some toys are the rattles, some toys have material, plus a plastic ring. If it was just material, I would wash them in the washer no question about that, and if it was just plastic stuff, I would soak them in diluted bleach water.
I would let it sit in the sun and let nature do its work with bacteria.
Then I would just wipe it down.
Great list! Even though I don’t have a kid (yet) I still enjoyed it. Another thing I didn’t see.. helmets. I read in Consumer Reports you shouldn’t buy used helmets because you don’t know about their crash history. If it has been in a crash (even minor) the safety foam may be compromised.