Most and least useful baby products, as voted by parents

Which? has calculated that expectant parents could save around £275 by not buying  the 10 baby products that parents told us are least useful. 

Preparing for the birth of a child is undoubtedly a stressful time, and with such a huge range of baby products available, it can be confusing knowing which ones to buy.

To help people decide which products they’re most likely to need, and which ones aren’t necessarily good value for money, we asked parents to vote for the baby products they found to be most and least useful in their experience.

Top 10 most useful:

  1. Stair gate
  2. Baby change bag
  3. Audio baby monitor
  4. Electric steam steriliser kit
  5. Microwave steam steriliser kit
  6. Video baby monitor
  7. Baby sleeping bag
  8. Digital ear thermometer
  9. Baby bouncer or rocker chair
  10. Travel cot 

Top 10 least useful: 

  1. Door baby bouncer
  2. Baby washing bowls
  3. Manual breast pump
  4. Baby hammock
  5. Fabric sling
  6. Nappy stacker
  7. Bumbo seat
  8. Cot mobile
  9. Swaddling blanket
  10. Nappy disposal bin

Richard Headland, editor of Which?, said: 

“Deciding which baby products to buy, especially if you’re expecting your first child, can be overwhelming. Our survey of parents showed some clear winners that will make life with a newborn much easier, and those you can probably do without.”

As well as testing and reviewing baby products, Which? also has a wealth of advice for expectant parents on where to give birth. Which? Birth Choice is a free website, supported by the Royal College of Midwives, that brings together all the facts about local maternity services and provides women with personalised results based on their preferences, so they can plan the birth they want.

Notes to editors: 

  1. Methodology on survey: Between 21st February and 4th March 2014, Which? asked 2,005 parents of children aged 5 and under about the baby products they have bought or used. We asked them to rate products on a scale of one to 10 for usefulness, excluding the core products of: pushchairs, car seats, high chairs and cots/cot beds.
  2. Methodology on savings: In April 2014, we checked prices of popular versions of the least useful products online and worked out average costs for each. Door baby bouncer- £25; Baby washing (top and tail) bowl – £5; Manual Breast pump – £25; Baby Hammock – £75; Fabric sling – £40; Nappy Stacker – £10; Bumbo seat – £30; Cot mobile – £25; Swaddling blanket – £15; Nappy Disposal bin – £25. Total savings by not buying these products: £275.
  3. Which? Birth Choice is a free website, produced in partnership with BirthChoiceUK and supported by the Royal College of Midwives. It takes data from a number of sources, including a survey of Heads of Midwifery, CQC, Unicef, Neonatal Data Assessment Unit and pulls in reviews direct from Patient Opinion. BirthChoiceUK have supplied statistics on the unit pages based on official birth and maternity statistics.
  4. You can find a wealth of expert Which? advice on buying essential baby products – based on extensive lab testing – at which.co.uk/babyessentials and see our video guide to choosing the best baby monitor at www.which.co.uk/babymonitorvideo.

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