New car seat because you can’t be 100% sure it wasn’t in an accident.

Used stroller—especially high end— or at minimum “open box” on Amazon. There is no excuse to pay full price for expensive strollers.

Used is also more environmentally friendly for those of us who want our precious babies to have a planet to live on more than a matching wrap for our outfit…

Anonymous wrote:When I look back at the money we spent on baby gear ... ugh. Such stupid choices.

Amen. I didn’t start buying used until a year or so into parenthood, and when I started thinking back about how dumb it all was, ugh…

if anything, i think it's safer to get a used crib/bassinet because any offgassing will have already occurred.

OP I agree with you regarding cribs and bassinets - there could be damage that’s not visible and I can understand it’s better to be on the safe side.

I get more used items now that my kids are older. Especially rain coats, snow gear, boots, and other things that are expensive but worn for one season.

Better advice is just don’t buy too much for the newborn stage. Stroller can wait. Toys can wait. You are les likely to overbuy if you just get essentials.

We bought used or got hand-me downs:
Stroller, newborn clothes, high chair, jumperoo, swing, Bumbo seat, baby carrier.
Except for the stroller and high chair most of these were used for a hot minute so I’m glad we didn’t spend that much on them.

Used bottles are fine. We just bought replacement nipples for them.

Anonymous wrote:So much!

Various baby holders like bouncers, ergos or other carriers (esp a cloth wrap for a newborn); swings; bouncers or those "circle of neglect" things for a slightly older baby. Baby gates and play pens. A nicer bassinet like a Halo or a Snoo if you can score one.

A used jogging stroller is great to have.

Clothes for sure but the gear is priceless.

I also find if you find someone with slightly older kids who haven't just grown out of this -- like a 4 year old for the younger -- they are more inclined to just want to give you stuff to get it out of their house. At that point, I had no emotional attachment left to anything and was happy to help people just starting out! We gave a family friend probably 2k worth of baby gear happily.

So much!

Various baby holders like bouncers, ergos or other carriers (esp a cloth wrap for a newborn); swings; bouncers or those "circle of neglect" things for a slightly older baby. Baby gates and play pens. A nicer bassinet like a Halo or a Snoo if you can score one.

A used jogging stroller is great to have.

Clothes for sure but the gear is priceless.

Anonymous wrote:One benefit to buying used is that VOCs (volatile organic compounds) will have dissipated to some degree. I bought my glider on Craigslist. I also got an unexpired travel car seat from FreeCycle where the person said it had never been in an accident. I got most of my other gear new but that was because I hadn’t yet discovered Buy Nothing and Facebook baby gear groups.

VOCs are the reason I buy as much furniture as I can used. Can’t believe the pp is unaware of this. Let her kids inhale the offgassing so it will be safe for mine, I guess.

Are y'all afraid of bed bugs?? Because I am

When I look back at the money we spent on baby gear ... ugh. Such stupid choices.

Anonymous wrote:Get everything used if you can, excepting car seat. Bassinet - for sure. There’s no issue. Bottles, toys, etc. can all easily be sanitized. You’d want to wash them first after buying new anyway. They grow so incredibly fast in the early years that most of the clothes I had for each stage were only worn a couple times. Save your wallet and the planet and buy everything used but a car seat and perhaps quality shoes once they’re walking.

+1. I would get a new car seat (unless it's from a trusted friend), crib mattress (but not the crib itself), and pacifiers/bottle nipples if that's your preference. There are a few things that IMO are worth splurging on, particularly if you plan to have more than one kid. Specifically, those things that will be used for a longer period of time (i.e., baby through toddler years) and have a significant difference in utility depending on what you get. E.g., I find pack n plays ridiculously difficult to use, but love the Guava Travel Crib. Same with the fancy high chairs - we used our Stokke until our youngest was 6, then passed it on to my sister's kids. You can find most of those kinds of higher end items second hand, but not as consistently as newborn items like swings and bassinets. We weren't big stroller people, but friends that walk more than drive and use them for daycare commutes and daily activities all ended up upgrading to the exact right one that met their lifestyle needs. For something that gets used daily for years, worth buying exactly what you need.

One benefit to buying used is that VOCs (volatile organic compounds) will have dissipated to some degree. I bought my glider on Craigslist. I also got an unexpired travel car seat from FreeCycle where the person said it had never been in an accident. I got most of my other gear new but that was because I hadn’t yet discovered Buy Nothing and Facebook baby gear groups.

Anonymous wrote:Short lived Baby equipment like the rockers and bouncers

+1

This is the best stuff to buy used especially because you have no idea what your kid will actually like. Swings too.

And clothes for sure. They grow out of them sooo fast

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason at all to buy used baby stuff. Think of it, do you buy used clothing, used furniture, used cars? Then why would you treat your new family member any differently?

Also people can be so weird and precious about their used baby stuff, charging almost as much as new🙄. Or it becomes this icky competition to spend as little as possible on the baby like is a badge of honor🤮

it is ok to take joy in buying all the lovely baby things new 🤗

There's every reason to buy used. My clothing size doesn't change every 6 weeks and I don't outgrow furniture in two years. Many, many people buy used cars.

I agree that people who want to charge as much as new should be ignored (Snoo owners - we see you) but from a purely environmental standpoint there's no call to buy all this crap brand new for every baby and use it for a blink of an eye.