Customer Reviews

Baby Bargains, 8th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Gear, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More! (Baby Bargains: ... on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys,)

5 star:		(130)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I LOVED the 7th addition of this book. It was well-researched and seemed relatively unbiased. I relied on it for info on ALL of our major baby purchases. When we found out we were having #2, I eagerly ordered the new (8th) edition. I'm not sure what changed, but some of the integrity and lack of bias has gone out the window! I am SO disappointed!
Here are just some examples of what I mean:

While they mentioned several different bottle brands in the 7th ed., they only recommend two in this edition...two of the most expensive ones.

They claim that outlet covers are the #1 waste of money in their safety section (they actually recommend moving your furniture around to block outlets - how practical)...but then these are the second thing they list under safety "must haves".

And the big one: Cloth diapers - in the 3 short weeks since we switched to cloth diapers to save money, even I know enough to spot the bias in their information. They basically try to make the argument that cloth does not save you money over disposables. The amount they claim you'll spend on disposables is way too low - you'll spend easily $800-900 a YEAR buying the economy packs of mid-priced diapers & wipes @ Target for ONE child. This is a MUCH higher number than the roughly $300 we spent ONE time to switch to cloth diapers & wipes that we can continue to use for as long as we have kids. They take it for granted that "most folks don't have the time or energy" to wash their own cloth diapers. What they don't tell you is that, if you have at least one diaper-aged kid, it's no big deal to do an extra load every couple of days. They then conclude that, based on their (wrong) assumption that you'll NEED a diaper service, you'll spend tons of money on cloth diapers "in just the first year". Umm, unless you choose to use a diaper service, you don't HAVE to spend any more money after the first year, because you don't have to buy any more diapers! Cloth is one of the biggest money-saving options parents have, so why are they trying to convince you otherwise?

In the previous edition, there were several instances where they were honest about admitting when they didn't have all the info on a given product, and therefore couldn't make an informed judgment. It definitely would have benefitted their readers if they were a little more honest about that in this edition as well.
There is still some good info, which is why I gave it the rating I did. However, be on the lookout for incomplete or seriously biased information!!!

Overall, this is an invaluable resource for new (or even not-new) parents, and I highly recommend it. I love the fact that this book tells you what features to look for in every type of baby product imaginable; independently reviews hundreds of individual baby products without influence from outside advertisers or the companies themselves; and actually makes specific product recommendations for every kind of baby product. It made baby product shopping so much easier for me!

Only a couple of complaints:

1. The book is absolutely replete with errors and typos. Considering how otherwise valuable the resource has been, I can overlook the typos (we all make them). However, one error actually cost me money, instead of saving it: the book specifically mentioned the Beco Baby Carrier as being one that can be used in the front-facing position. It was not until after I bought it, opened the box, and looked at the owner's manual that I realized that this is not the case - like the Ergo Carrier, it can only be used facing inward (toward mom). Luckily Amazon is letting me return the carrier; otherwise, this would have been a $139 typo. (And yes I know that the error was corrected on the Baby Bargains blog. But let's get real, no one knows to check that before they buy anything recommended in the book. Kind of like the erratum printed on the lower left hand corner of page 52 of the newspaper in tiny print.)

2. The tone of the book is often a little bit - I don't know the word - flippant? Snide? Sarcastic? Anyway, it put me off when I first started reading the book; but the book has otherwise proved its value, so that I can forgive the tone.

I probably regret this purchase more than any other pregnancy-motivated purchase I've made to date. It really represents the greatest of all pregnancy missteps-- the substitution of silly advice for your own common sense.

A book cannot possibly keep pace with new products the way the reviews at a website can. On average, the sample size of user/reviewers at a website like amazon will surpass what this book can offer. There are many great bloggers out their reviewing products and plenty of product rating sites to boot that will be more current and helpful.

Moreover, whatever your income bracket, website reviews will do a better job of linking you to people whose income situation and perspective are similar to yours. Though my husband and I are both professionals, we just weren't the target audience for this book. With a straight face, they recommended an $800.00 budget for maternity clothes (over $150 for your maternity undergarments alone! Did you know Agent Provocateur had a maternity line?) and spending $600.00 as a middle-of-the-road amount for a convertible crib. Nice convertible cribs are now available for much closer to half that amount. In short, when I contemplate a $375 dollar stroller, I don't want to hear the perspective of someone who would spend that money on a pair of shoes without thinking twice. I want to hear from people who thought long and hard about it and who viewed the stroller as a major purchase in the same way that I would--did THAT person feel it was worth the cash?

I also found their rationale for ratings dubious: "This huge crib company had a single model two years ago that had to be recalled after several babies were injured, some fatally, so we give them an F. Avoid." Well, okay. That's an understandable emotional response, but not a rational one. I think it likely that the experience was educational for the crib company in question and that the resulting lawsuits taught them to do more thorough checks-- they're probably now more cautious than ever when it comes to product design & safety testing. Another reality check for me was criticism of the maternity clothes at a couple major chains-- while I don't dispute that their quality is often dubious, the authors failed to recognize that for many of us in America, those chains and box stores are ALL THAT ARE AVAILABLE. Moreover, most of us really don't see clothes that will only be worn for 6 months (at the outside) as an investment opportunity, so quality isn't of paramount importance. Besides, how do you review clothing lines in a useful way in a book? They change constantly. Far better to look up reviews online for the exact shirt you are thinking about.

I don't find that the authors have any special insight into what parents will need and use. They do not test products in any meaningful way a la consumer reports. They do not share the perspective of most Americans when it comes to "bargains." If you can get to the internet, you can do better for free. If you can't (which means you're not reading this), and you don't crave a patronizing authority figure to tell you what to do, save the money for a cute onesie or a copy of Happiest Baby on the Block.

I read and used the Bridal Bargains book with relish several years ago, so now that I'm expecting, I picked up a copy of the Baby Bargains book, 8th edition, copyright 2009 (version 8.0 bought new Dec., 2009).

Although I appreciate the warnings and advice, the lists of baby needs, and the overview of shops, I must say I'm disappointed in several aspects of this book.

After reading the first chapter, I took their advice to heart -- go find a crib now! (I'm 17 weeks). And a mattress, too.

What disappoints me is how utterly WRONG the listed price ranges are for these most-expensive items. Most of the listed prices are 20% to 50% LESS than actual web and store prices for cribs, mattresses, and other furniture. (Note that they promise "secrets to saving 20-50%" on the cover.) For example, the authors list the Colgate Classica I mattress at $100 (p. 101). A web search reveals the cheapest price is $134 plus shipping. On the Bargains website, forum members complain about the $130 price tag for the value. Even Amazon lists this mattress for $150, as do most retailers. That's a 35% to 50% increase over the price listed by the authors.

And the cribs? Fuggedaboutit. The Munire, Romina, and Creations cribs they tout are nowhere near the $400 - $700 at the low end, and far more than the high-end listed. It's easily a 30% markup or more.

I guess if you downgrade the numbers, you sure can save the 20% to 50% they promise... on paper.

Other items do seem to check out on price comparisons, such as the diaper pails, car seats, and high chairs, but the priciest items are way off.

I'm also disappointed in their website, which has nowhere for feedback on the book that I can see, and no search engine for the site (other than the boards).

As a professional editor, I'm also distracted by the many, many technical errors in the book. ("Baby storeowner" on pg 69's inset: "Bait & Switch"; surely they don't mean store-owners who are themselves babies? But that's what it says (it should be "baby-store owners"). And it's website -- one word.) Plus the numerous fragments are driving me nuts. If they can't produce clean copy after EIGHT editions and countless printings, then why should we trust their assessments?

Buy a used copy of this book.

I'm expecting my first baby and was looking to Baby Bargains to give me detailed info into what products are best for the essentials I need to buy. While the book gives lots of recommendations and top picks, I feel like so many of the reviews are incomprehensibly written and oftentimes the top pick is given without really much explanation as to how the authors got there. I feel like I got almost no guidance on picking a crib: I can KIND of tell which brands the authors like best from their A, B, C, D, F ratings, but in the descriptions it's hard to tell how they gave it the mark they did, especially when the specifications on the cribs don't really match qualities that earlier in the section they said were more desirable (i.e. they say cribs made out of pine are not so high quality but then go on to give top marks to Graco cribs made by LaJobi, which are all pine cribs, and in the mattress section they first say that the number of coils in a mattress doesn't really matter but then go on to seemingly pick their top picks in part based on the number of coils). A lot of times they just give a lot of background into the particular company/manufacturer, which is interesting and sometimes helpful, I suppose, but I'd rather know, ok, what are these cribs made of, how solid is the construction, etc. etc. Basically, I feel like it takes a lot of parsing to cut to the chase.

After finding both Bridal Bargains and the Bridal Bargains planner to be terrific resources for planning my wedding (which likely did save me quite a bit of money, or at least made it easier for me to do so), I looked forward to cracking open Baby Bargains.

Overall, it, too is a terrific resource. I was finding the onslaught of baby "necessities" and millions of reviews online overwhelming, and having it all condensed down into one easy-to-carry book has already been a huge help, despite only having the book for a couple of weeks! So far we have yet to find a major product at any store that wasn't covered in the book (and yes, we've been reading reviews while looking at the product in the store). BUT, there are two things that bump this book down from five to four stars:

1) This won't save you any money unless you were planning to buy most things at department stores or Pottery Barn to start with. Unlike wedding planning, which involves things like wedding gowns and reception halls that can't be bought at discount stores, most baby items can be. And honestly, without the book, Target, Amazon, and Babies R Us would have been the first places I looked anyhow. The author's own wardrobe clearly does not come 90% from Target and Old Navy like mine does (she even says she doesn't buy clothes at Target). So I don't think this book will actually cause me to spend less money, but it will reassure me that I'm getting the safest cheap options and occasionally let me know when I really should consider upgrading.

2) A surprising dearth of cloth diapering information, coupled with a slightly dismissive attitude by the author. She admits in one sentence that if you do your own laundry, it's cheaper than disposables - but in the paragraphs preceding that one sentence, she only breaks down in detail the cost of disposables vs cloth with a diaper service (which is more expensive than disposables). So it's very easy to get the idea either that a) it must not be a good idea to cloth diaper without a service (even though plenty of people do it) or b) without reading closely, that cloth diapering is more expensive, period. And then the actual section on cloth diapering is very short and sparse, including a section on laundry tips that includes advice that goes against everything I've read so far about laundering cloth diapers. It seems like the author really didn't care about this section, just tossing in a few tidbits because readers have been asking about cloth diapers (but the author doesn't really see why they're bothering). Very disappointing, since cloth diapers are one of the items I could really use a simple, clear buying guide for.

I will be a first-time Mom this summer, and I received this book from a friend and have been reading it cover-to-cover for the past month. I had no idea where to begin in shopping for my baby, so I really appreciate how this book has helped me start my research. That being said, if you took all of their advice at face value, you would most likely make some mistakes in your purchasing. Not everyone has the same needs, and this book is only the beginning. I would advise you to cross-reference every product they recommend with reviews on Amazon.com, reviews on Babies R Us, and the Baby Bargains message boards, among other sites. You will find that many of the recommendations from the book are spot-on, but you will also find that your lifestyle may dictate other choices (ex: apartment dweller vs. homeowner with ample storage).

Pros:
-Crib section is very helpful. Loved the chart that tells you where each crib is made.
-Liked the bedding section. Ended up falling in love with a Land of Nod bedding set, which I would have assumed was just overpriced. It's still pricey, but I now know that it is good quality as well.
-Basic Layette choices are helpful and they stress not to buy further clothing until after a bridal shower, which I agree with. (NOTE: the quantities they recommend may be unhelpful. The Fields are assuming you will do laundry every 2-3 days. My husband and I are only able to do laundry once per week due to our job schedules.)
-Like how they list the weight and price of each stroller in the descriptions for easy comparison.
-Monitor section very helpful for us, as it addressed what to do when you have a house full of electronics that can interfere with the monitor, and the best types of monitors to keep the neighbors out of your business!
-Car seats: they offer good recommendations for car seats for smaller cars. Still have to test them out in your vehicle, but at least you have a starting point.
-Does a good job of highlighting space saving items for apartment dwellers


Cons:
-If you live in a part of the country where guests at baby showers tend to be very generous (I live in downstate NY where this is the case), you may find some of the Fields recommendations to wait before you buy this and wait before you buy that will actually cost you money because someone else may have bought it for you if you registered for it. So you have to determine whether their wait, wait, wait approach is going to backfire for you.
-Furniture - I checked out some of the brands that were 'better brands' at a specialty store and I was unimpressed with the $800 dressers. Furniture just isn't made to last anymore. End of story. Unless you actually think that your kid is going to use this furniture until they leave for college, get a cheaper dresser than they suggest and choose your child's 'real furniture' as they get older. Or use a hand me down dresser. Styles change and your kid is probably going to hate his/her baby furniture when it is older anyway.
-Bassinets - They push the pack n' play for use as a bassinet, but you may not have room for it in your bedroom.
-Car seats - There are now many more strollers with Chicco infant car seat adapters available for purchase than this last edition mentions. You leave the chapter thinking that the Graco SnugRide is the only car seat that will fit in the adapters on the market, and it is not true. Read the Amazon reviews for the car seats and the strollers and you will learn a great deal.
-You could easily pick the wrong stroller for yourself based on their classifications of mall crawler, urban jungle and green acres. There are far more than 3 groups for stroller needs. For instance, I'm a suburbanite in a neighborhood with bumpy sidewalks who needs to get into the city every so often and travel by plane, but I never go to the mall. And I have to get my stroller up two flights of stairs and have very little storage. There is no category for me in this book! Instead, go to the Baby Bargains website, and post about your needs in the stroller section. The people on the boards are very helpful and will help you find the right stroller(s).
-The Fields have definite opinions about things they think are 'a waste.' For instance, while they tell you about every brand of crib bedding under the sun, in the end they think you should just skip it and get a few fitted sheets and a receiving blanket and call it a day. Well that's all well and good, but there is nothing wrong with wanting to create a beautiful nursery. Some people just enjoy decorating. I'm one of them.

Overall, I'm giving this book 4 stars because I would have had absolutely nowhere to start without it. That alone is worth the cost of the book. Unless you are really short on time, or just have no patience for research though, you should be supplementing anything you read here with other advice.

The baby supply industry is large and confusing. Walking into any local Babies R' Us leads to one being ambushed by aisles of strollers, car seats, and bottles. To a first time parent, this experience can be frightening. Baby Bargains is a book that will help ease new parent anxiety about what to buy for their little one.

I love doing research before purchasing something new. This book is the perfect research tool for any baby product purchase. It breaks up the multitude of baby products into easy to follow chapters. Each chapter covers a different category of baby product. For example one chapter covers nursery items, while another discusses feeding the new addition. These categories are further broken down into manageable sections. A look into the nursery section shows discussion of cribs, bassinets, mattresses, dressers and changing tables. This layout leads to easy to read sections full of knowledgeable information.

The best part of each chapter is the in-depth reviews of each brand which sells a product in that category. Some sections-such as those discussing car seats and strollers-review most individual products. Information about recalls and safety tips is included, when relevant. The authors discuss the best places for making purchases or creating a registry. Basically this book contains all the information you need to clothe/bath/feed/transport your child for the first few years of your baby's life.

This book is also very helpful at letting you know which products you don't need to buy. Items such as bassinets and changing tables are marketed as "Must Haves" for parents. Reading this book I found cheaper-but still safe-alternatives to these costly items. This was one of the many ways that Baby Bargains helped save me money.

I was initially afraid that I would be overwhelmed by this book. To avoid this feeling, I made sure to purchase this book about a month before I planned on starting my registry. This allowed me to go through the book in small sections. I found it helpful to tag products that I was interested in making it easier to find out which products I wanted to further research. This approach helped me take in all the contents of the book without feeling flooded with information.

Review: This book is a great resource for anyone having a baby. As a first time mother, I was afraid that the process of buying all the items I needed for my baby would send me running. Instead I felt prepared and informed. Baby Bargains provides a great starting point for researching what items you need, and what are just a waste of money. It also serves as an invaluable resource in narrowing down which brands are the best in each category. Any person who has read this book will be equipped with enough information to make smart and informed decisions when deciding what to buy for her unborn child.

This book is great, we are using it like a manual when we look or shop for baby bargains. This book is great for the latest information about safety as well as bargains.

This book is essential for sorting through the mountain of baby products out there to find the best products for your needs and avoid the semi-useless stuff that the industry says you 'need to have'. While it does tell you what the least expensive products are on the market, the emphasis is on finding the best balance between quality and price. Armed with this book, I knew I was a well-informed consumer.

One of the features I found to be most helpful is the reviews of each brand in a specific category with pluses, minuses, safety info and commentary on features and product lines followed by the Baby Bargains top picks for the category. While reading each individual brand's info can be very time consuming, Baby Bargains helps you out by giving the brand a letter grade so that you can do a quick skim through and read only what you deem valuable. There's also an overall emphasis in the book about buying for your individual needs. For example, the stroller recommendations are categorized by lifestyle --urban, suburban, rural, jogging stroller, etc. so that you can hone in on the products that are most useful for the purposes you would use them for.

The furniture section was where we saved the most money; we ended up purchasing vastly different nursery furniture than we originally thought we wanted after reading the reviews. We spent half as much, and I love the look of our daughter's room. Baby Bargains is frank, funny and practical. You'll get a kick out of reading about Baby Bargains' take on the most useless baby products, and you may inwardly cringe a little too. Some of those items may have been ones on your wish list.