Customer Reviews

Guide To Baby Products: 5th Edition (Best Baby Products)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

The Guide to Baby Products is a useful book in the traditional "Consumer Reports" style. For each category of baby product, there is a chapter that introduces you to the features of those types of products, issues to look for especially in terms of safety and durability, and then finally, includes a comparison of various products on a feature by feature basis. There are chapters on cribs, car seats, high chairs, for example.
If you are a new parent to be, and appreciate a logical analysis of products, this is the book for you.
I, on-the-other-hand, think that the book that you really MUST buy is Denise and Alan Field's "Baby Bargains" book. What I loved about their book was that they had strong opinions for and against certain products and were not afraid to express them. They also have lots of advice about where to buy products to get the best price.
I believe that your book preference will depend on how you like information presented. I found it useful to have both books side by side so that I could assimilate information from both.
Finally, I am so glad that there are book like the Guide to Baby Products and Baby Bargains to help us parents-to-be through the maze of baby product shopping.

This isn't a bad book. It has a good deal of useful information for first time parents. Still, as a long-time Consumer Reports reader, I was a little disappointed to find that more products weren't evaluated. I agree with some previous reviewers: Denise and Alan Fields' book, "Baby Bargains," offers more background information, educated opinions, and outright slams. (The sections on items to avoid is priceless for we first-timers who want the best for our babies, and sometimes get chumped as a result.) While the Fields probably haven't used the same scientific methods to arrive at their evaluations as has Consumer Reports, they have at their disposal years of feedback from their readers. If you plan to buy only one book on the subject, I'd recommend "Baby Bargains." However, the Consumer Reports book does compliment the information offered in the "Baby Bargains" nicely, and is worthwhile if you're given to seeking "too much information." (My wife's words.)

I was here to buy the Consumer Reports Guide, and after reading the previous reviews here, I bought both the CR and the Baby Bargains book. I was disappointed with the CR book; you can get the two product reviews it has in two previously published CR magazine issues. Instead "Baby Bargains" is much more what I was looking for. It is full of product reviews evaluating safety, cost, necessity, etc. And most of their information is emailed to the authors by current parents. Skip the CR Guide and go for "Baby Bargains".

I just bought the newer version of this book. The 7th edition came out this summer, but I haven't seen it on Amazon yet. I was surprisingly disappointed. I'm a subscriber to Consumer Reports, and generally find their ratings very helpful, but this is not as helpful a resource as I had hoped. Though it goes on for 189 pages telling you about "what's available out there" for everything from breast pumps to cribs, there are very few items actually rated. The following items are the ONLY ones rated, and beside it, the number of products tested by CR:

CAR SEATS infant 9, convertable 13, booster 8. and though Fisher Price gets high marks, it even says in the text that these are no longer made because FP got our of the carseat market (??!!!)

TRAVEL SYSTEMS 4 (Only 4? - Yep, you got it!)

PLAY YARDS 9

SOFT CARRIERS 10

That's it - no kidding! Out of literally HUNDREDS of types of baby stuff out there, there is a grand whopping total of 4 catagories that were actually rated. And lets be honest - isn't that what most of us want? CR's opinion for the best products out there? You can find out what's out there on your own!

The ONLY reason I gave this book three stars is because it includes a reference section for pediatric drugs, which many parents might find helpful (the only thing that kept it from being returned!) It also includes a 30 day free access to CR online.

If you want straight- forward opinions about every imaginable baby product, save the money from CR and buy Baby Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields. More info for less money! It includes ratings of companies for just about everything you'll need. Included in my copy of the 3rd edition are: cribs, matresses, dressers/ changing tables, baby bedding, clothes, diapers, maternity clothes, nursing clothes, breastfeeding supplies, baby monitors, toys, bath, foods, high chairs, swings, monitors, bottle warmers, car seats, strollers, bike trailers, diaper bags, baby proofing stuff and baby gifts. And there's still more info on where to buy for the biggest price savings, what you can do without, and how various companies handle customer service problems and recalls.

I read the CR reviews below, and really couldn't believe the book wouldn't be very helpful, and insisted on buying it out of faith in the company. I was wrong! Don't waste your money!

I rely on Consumer Reports constantly for my purchases, so I was very disappointed at how little useful information this book contained. There are very few ratings and lots of too general information. Consumer Reports, fix this - parents need your advice on how to avoid spending a bundle on baby!

And, I agree - buy the Baby Bargains book instead.

As stated by other reviewers, this book contains very little specific product information and only cursory bits of advice on what to look for when shopping for baby things. I also bought the Baby Bargains book and it was much more helpful.

With a name like Consumer Reports on the cover you would expect LOTS of DETAILED reviews...but you'd be wrong. Brands are limited to just the few top-selling and oftentimes don't have any detail. Sometimes CR magazine can give too much detail, but with this book, it's too little. Some info. is actually incorrect: "use refrigerated breast milk within 48 hours after pumping." Studies over two years ago determined this to be seven days! Overall category discussions, tips, and advise are very good. But, you would expect with a whole book devoted to one category, it s/b better.

This book is too general and, while it does provide some advice as to how to shop for certain products, much of that advice is no-brainer. ie. "Look for a stable crib, with good construction" ...no kidding. I would NOT NOT NOT recommend this book for someone looking for concrete advice. Instead, check out BABY BARGAINS by Denise and Allan Fields. Baby Bargains is an amazing resource, full of clear, concise comparisions and really great practical advice.

The only reason I wanted this book to see the comparison for safety of car seats, strollers, play pens, etc. Instead, what I found was a shopping list of infinite length, and almost no ratings. Only 5 car seats were rated, 2 of which are no longer made. This, after at least 15 styles of car seats were discussed as "potential options" in the body of the book. I am very disappointed, and plan on returning this book. Don't bother with it... you can find the shopping lists that the book provides at Amazon.com's lists, and this adds no value at all.

Not impressed at all. If you are the type of person who thoroughly researches things before you buy them, you will probably know just about everything that is in this Consumer Reports book (yes I am a first time mom-to-be). Don't let the first 10 chapters fool you not a single product is actually rated. I was especially disappointed to find that a meager 10 pages in the back of the book were actually dedicated to rating products which is really what you want from Consumer Reports. If you are looking for comprehensive ratings don't buy this book!! The only things rated are: Car Seats, Boosters, travel systems, play yards and soft carriers all in a meager 10 pages so that should give you an idea that this book barely scratches the surface of rating baby products.

If you want a book really worth the money buy "Baby Bargains" by Denise & Alan Fields. It is more comprehensive in the comparisons and ratings and even compares their results to Consumer Reports. "Baby Bargains" is worth every penny.

Consumer Reports baby book left me feeling like a new mom swindled into yet another worthless baby book!!