Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, gear, clothes, strollers, maternity wear and much, much more!

Let's face it, getting prepared for welcoming a new baby is very overwhelming. There is SO MUCH for which you need to plan. I remember feeling really stressed about creating my baby registry. I had no idea what I needed, and of the things that I knew I had to purchase, I had no idea how to choose among all of the options. Enter this book. It came recommended to me, but I must admit that I was initially hesitant because of the name. I felt like I was going to be shopping in some kind of bargain warehouse and I, like every new parent-to-be, wanted to get the only the very best for my little one. Skepticism aside, I dove into the book. First off, the name is misleading. I do not necessarily think that this book was about bargaining. Instead, this book was about reviews, head-to-head comparisons, and recommendations for those products that are essential versus those that you can skip. I don't know how I would have created my baby registry without it. The book is nicely sectioned so that all things are organized together. From carseats and strollers to highchairs and bed linens, I don't think it really missed anything. Within each category, the book provides a run-down of the most popular brands and each section ends with a summary that highlights "the good, the better, and the best." Of course, this is just one set of opinions. If you ask someone else, you may get different feedback. But what I liked about this book is that all of the opinions were so very organized, detailed, and contained in one place. I stuck post-it upon post-it on certain pages, and then would cross reference the highest reviewed option with what Amazon or Consumer's Digest had to say about the same product. I give a copy of this book (always trying to find the most updated version) to all of my friends when I find out they are expecting. I so appreciated the direction that this book provided me!

I hesitated to buy an actual book of product reviews in this age of Consumer Reports and on-site reviews. But this book has been INVALUABLE to me as an expectant mom. I am reasonably knowledgeable about baby products and had an idea of what I wanted, but there were some areas--like nursery furniture and baby clothing--where I was really overwhelmed by choices and couldn't get a straight answer, even after combing Amazon and other stores. Consumer Reports doesn't help with cribs because they only update every few years, and some of the "recommended" models aren't even around anymore! So I reluctantly bought this book, after seeing it mentioned DOZENS of times when I was combing the internet for advice. By the first night of looking through this book, I was sold. Again, I'm relatively savvy for a first-time mom (I'm a former nanny and have a ton of nieces/nephews) but I learned so much from the informative overviews of each category. For instance, which materials are common in nursery furniture, safety concerns (toxic fumes, etc.), and mattress info. The section on baby clothing was also helpful because it cut the crap about needing all sorts of ridiculous items...the "registry checklist" on BRU is such crap! This book tells you what you really need. There's even a section on maternity clothes, which was helpful, and nursing supplies (I was happy to see the pump I had selected was highly recommended). Even aside from the actual brand reviews, this book is invaluable because of the product overviews. It's hard to find a centralized, reliable place online to learn all this stuff. Each store has a different slant and you can't really trust a lot of it. This book is obviously well-researched and they review the products I'm actually going to buy, not some random brands no one has ever heard of. Just the crib section alone helped me a ton--I was able to rule out dozens of cribs based on the scathing reviews of certain companies in this book! There's definitely a huge bias toward inexpensive products, but the book tells you when it's wise to "pay up" for certain items. It's good to know where you can save money and where you should splurge if you can. All in all, this book was a lifesaver for me...I'm going to buy it for all my friends who tell me they're expecting, since it REALLY helped me make/finalize my registry. Product reviews online are great, but you have to know which products to even look at first. Also, just knowing what to look for--like Greenguard certification on cribs and mattresses, cotton clothing for baby (holds up better in wash), etc. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! It's $15 that could save you hours and hours of stress and hundreds in dollars of buying products that turn out to be crappy, toxic, or not durable. get the book, you'll be glad you did!

I received an older version of Baby Bargains when I was pregnant with my three year old. Now that we're expecting again, I bought the updated version. It is just as informative and useful as ever. With both pregnancies, I have felt that this text is an invaluable tool in giving the "real deal" about the products out there. I don't use this book so much as a money-saving guide, but rather as a reliable resource for reporting the pros and cons for a vast array of products on the market. It has helped me make major and minor purchasing decisions and I have never regretted a purchase I've made after consulting the book. I cannot speak highly enough of this tool. I have given it to each of my pregnant friends and they have all called it a "lifesaver." Equally useful, the book first describes all options for a category in general. For example, the stroller section explains the difference between stand-alones, travel systems, tandem strollers (with separate paragraphs on side-by-sides vs. front-to-backs), umbrella strollers, snap and go's, etc. All of the information is provided clearly and in a well organized way that keeps the book from overwhelming you. It's really easy to find the information you need quickly. I used this book initially for my registry and then continued to consult it after my son grew and needed additional items as time went on. I'm using this version as I prepare for my next child, and I highly recommend this resource to new (and experienced) moms!

I think this book is quite useful, but I recommend it with a few caveats: 1. This book is definitely aimed at middle class and upper middle class parents, singing the praises of mainly high end brands. In a previous edition I owned, this did not seem to be quite as much the case. Sure, they attack the Bugaboo stroller for being overpriced, but they highly recommend the only slightly cheaper Uppababy Vista. The authors do state at the beginning of the book that they want you to get good value for your money and so they don't just recommend the cheapest items. I understand that and I happen agree with that, but they don't seem to weigh cost as a terribly important factor in their ratings for individual products, which is odd for a book named "Baby Bargains." At the end of the of the book they provide an overall comparison budget to show you how much you save by going with their recommendations - but those savings are not for the products they rave about throughout the book, that's only if you go for their "good" choices, vs. "better" or "best." This book is really about shopping smarter, not necessarily about spending less. (They did tell me not to buy a diaper stacker - no problem, I won't.) 2. There are many other minor issues with reviews besides price, mainly due to inconsistent updating. For one example, in their picks for audio baby monitors, they state, "Here are our picks for audio baby monitors, with one BIG caveat: how well a monitor will work in your home depends on interference sources" - and then they go on to say that they will only recommend newer DECT monitors which don't cause interference. This seems like a small thing, but it goes on throughout the book and this sloppy updating really got on my nerves after a while. If I got free updated editions, I'd let it slide, but since I'm paying full price for the latest edition, I'd like it to be fully updated. 3. This edition needs serious copy editing. "Waste belt," anyone? There are also lots of incomplete sentences and parentheses are severely overused throughout. I'm not particularly picky about grammar and usage, so if I notice it, I think it must be bad enough to be distracting for a lot of other readers, too. My previous edition did not seem as poorly edited. And I think that you only should get to use the phrase "800 pound gorilla" once in a single book, thank you. 4. The book feels outdated at times. Parents' fears about products made in China seems pretty marginal in today's globalized world (compared to price in today's economy), but the authors still address this in this edition as a major concern parents supposedly have in their specific reviews of nursery furniture. The authors seem to be a bit prejudiced against modern nursery furniture - given the cost of $1000 cribs made of MDF, I see their point - but some of the comments about simple nursery furniture styles being "plain vanilla" seem to reflect a preference for an earlier aesthetic, aside from price. None of these issues really detracts from the book's usefulness, but I think BB is starting to show its age a bit. I think instead of cutting and pasting new products in haphazardly, the next edition could use a refresh. With all of that being said, I really learned a tremendous amount from both editions of this book, and would still buy another edition down the road if needed. The authors do a terrific job of considering the ways that parents use products and discussing the relevant factors. They take into account various lifestyles, family sizes, and special situations like travel. You could just read the end of each section for the top recommendations, but I think the best way to use this book is to read it thoroughly and learn about the different features and decide which ones are important to you. This book helped us plan way beyond what to buy and register for - I decided I did want a fancy stroller, but had no use for a baby monitor, for example. I felt like I became an expert as a result of reading this book and can decide to spend money in a way that really makes life easier with baby. To borrow an oft-repeated phrase from the authors, bottom line: this is extremely valuable information for new parents.

Update 12/3/2015: Even though it is a must have to new parents, we ended up having to purchase an alternative crib due to affordability from the Baby Appleseed. Also some of the monitors that are popular and received great consumer reviews are not listed in this book. The one monitor: Samsung that received an A+ rating, received only a 3.5 star rating by actually consumers. So yes use this book, but do your own research as well and keep in mind that some of the crib manufacturers with A+ ratings in this book are high end and pricey that not every one can afford. Wow we are new parents to be and this was recommended by another expecting new mom. She wasn't wrong when she told me the best guidance you can ask for. We needed this to help us weeding out all these product choices using the safety and popularity rating in this book. Our registry is based on this book and this is a must have for all new parents out there. It is well organized and detailed by category. It lists the pros and cons and rating under each item. I do agree with one reviewer out there. It could be expanded to include more product lines such as toys, baby gyms, rock n plays, clothing, and baby bath essentials. Other than that this book is a must have to help you as a new parent get a good head start! Highly recommend.

Absolute MUST for new parents. My husband and I were completely clueless as to what needs to be purchased to be prepared for a baby, and this book was a complete Godsend. A friend recommended it and I will tell every new parent to get it. The book not only goes over all the most recent products, quality reviews and cost saving techniques, but it also educates one a lot about the process of getting ready for a baby. It is quite comprehensive given its ambitious scale and makes intelligent decision making infinitely easier. It does not just focus on how to buy everything cheaply, but goes over the pros, the cons, a LOT of emphasis on safety and quality. I was very grateful for their candid, unsponsored feedback about product as they didn't shy away from being critical of many products in order to be objective. We would take this book with us to baby stores and use it as reference for pretty much every major purchase we made. They understand that not everything that is reasonably priced is of good quality, so give the reader enough information to make a wise decision given their budget and requirement. Even for people who are not concerned with bargain hunting, this book is an essential guide to the world of baby products - what to get, what to skip and what is the best quality in each category.

I was told by several friends to get this book as soon as they found out I was pregnant. It has been one of my favorite books because it gives an insider's view into the Baby Industrial Complex, which you will soon discover is kind of insane. I had no idea that car seats are kind of like cars...under the hood many of them are the same exact seat, just repackaged and rebranded for different price points and different stores, some claiming to have "exclusivity." I learned which companies are reputable and which ones to avoid. I learned which products are a total waste of money (hello, diaper stacker) and which ones are worth purchasing and when (this is important). I wanted a crib with the least amount of chemicals used possible and thanks to this book I found a lovely Romina crib and non-toxic glider/rocker. I was very pleased that organic and non-toxic/low-toxic products are mentioned and reviewed. You also get a checklist of what and how much (like clothing, diapers) to buy and how to avoid over-buying. What I loved most besides the book is that I read it before ever walking into Buy Buy Baby or any other baby store and it kept me from getting lost in the rabbit hole of baby products that a new parent might assume they need but really don't. I depended on this book so much to help make purchase decisions for large items like the car seat, crib, glider/rocker and crib mattress and also to help build my registry, which I'm happy to say is pretty streamlined so we don't end up drowning in baby products we'll never use. Get this book and read it before you buy anything.

This was recommended to me when I was pregnant and it was the best thing I could have read. I didn't know what I was doing when it came to registering and this was my guiding light!! I have recommended it or purchased it for all of my pregnant friends, and so far everyone has been incredibly grateful!! I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. It's a must read before you stock the nursery or register. It's not just about saving money. It tells you the differences between car seats, travel systems, high chairs, jumpers, swings, bottles, breast pumps, etc. It helps you focus on the most improtant things that the baby will need when you first take him/her home. It makes great points about safety, what's easiest to clean, and convenience. It is educational and infomative. With this book you can make choices that are cost conscious without jeapordizing quality or safety. You can also learn when it's a good time to spend a little extra because the benefits out weigh the savings. I truley would have been lost and overwhelmed if not for this book.

I was skeptical about how much a paperback book could really be helpful in this day and age however everyone on the forum kept recommending it for first time moms so I gave it a shot. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who isn't 100% sure about what they need or should be purchasing for your baby. It gives such an honest opinion and provides background on why they feel that way which is very helpful. I've been reading it in chunks as it seemed too overwhelming to take all that information in but it's made me feel so much more at ease. It's worth the money for the book just so you can get an opinion from someone who hasn't been sponsored to talk about a product!

A great read, but it's relevant for those living in the United States as the contents relates to goods and services only in the US.

If you are an expecting parent, do yourself a favour and get this book. It contains lots and lots of great advice on what to buy and what not to buy. It can be very tough wading through all of the information out there when buying baby products, as there's so much variety, so many overpriced items, so much junk products, and so many biased opinions. This book is much better than anything else I've come across in helping you sift through the madness. The reviews of crib brands are particularly helpful. Trust me, you will be glad you own this book.

My neurotic self needed to have just one trusted reviewer of baby products, and I found this book to be excellent. My only gripe is that the prices and availability were written for the American, not Canadian market, but we can’t have everything!

I was a little overwhelmed by all the baby products. Being a first time mom on a budget, this book definitely helped to prioritize what was needed and what I could get by without. I felt more confident in my shopping knowing I was getting the most bang for my buck! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because my kindle version didn't have the clear pictures (even on my iPad) that the book version has.