Baby product overload

Never did I think an industry was so overrun with products! Gosh there are like 1,529 different types of strollers. Pretty much right after we found out we were pregnant I started researching the best products for baby. I wanted to share with you some resources I have found to be very useful!

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1.)    Consumer reports

An online subscription is $30 a year and it is so worth it if you plan on making a lot of purchases in the near future. They rank everything from TVs, to vacuums, to cribs. I started my search here. They don’t have ratings for all baby categories, but it was a good start to find out what is top rated for safety, quality and price.

2.)    Baby Bargains book

I feel like the title is misleading because it offers more than just websites and ideas for saving money on your little one. In the back it has tons of different categories, to name a few – baby monitors, diaper pails, play yards, and about 80 pages on strollers (no joke!). It grades them A-F and even tells you the prices! I got my copy at Barnes and Noble.

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3.)    Online reviews

I take these with a grain of salt because just like most consumers, people tend to complain when they don’t like something, but rarely do people take the time to boast about things they like. So realize that many of these reviews may be negative, but they can be helpful when combined with other research.

4.)    Ask a fellow mom

Nothing has been more comforting than to have fellow mom friends give me advice or answer my questions. Realize that everyone is different and something that worked for their baby may not work for yours, but it is sure nice to have some guidance along the way!

The hubby and I registered this weekend because our October is very packed! I wish I would have gotten a picture of the husband with the scanning gun. He had a lot of fun and sometimes I had to rein him in (or just double check everything online when I got home)! But we had so much fun and I was glad I did the research beforehand. I highly recommend taking a list as not to be too overwhelmed in the process. I wrote down my top 2 or 3 choices in each category so I could see which one a.) the store carried and/or b.) which one I liked in person. I also recommend creating the registry online before going to the store so all you have to do is print off the barcode at the registry kiosk and hand it to customer service so they can program your gun! Then ready, set, scan!

Make a list and check it twice!

Danielle R.