Buying Second-Hand Baby Gear: What Is Safe and What Is Not

Car seats and cot mattresses are the two clear exceptions. A car seat may have been in a crash you cannot see, and seats have expiry dates. A used mattress may have hidden moisture, sagging or wear that matters for safe sleep.

Buy both new, every time.

Clothes, books, wooden toys, changing tables, bouncers, high chairs, bath tubs and Moses baskets are all sensible used purchases. Babies outgrow most of these long before they wear out.

This is where the savings genuinely are, and where the environmental case is strongest too.

Search the model for recalls. Confirm all parts are present, especially harnesses and fittings. Check for cracks, rust, missing screws, chewed edges and frayed straps.

Ask for the manual, or check that it is available online. Equipment fitted wrongly is not safe equipment.

Wash fabric covers, wipe down hard surfaces and let everything dry completely before use. Wash second-hand clothes before they go anywhere near your baby's skin.

Plastic that is cracked, cloudy or scratched is worth replacing rather than cleaning — it cannot be cleaned properly.

Test every fold, brake and lock on a pram several times. On a cot, check the bar spacing, look for damaged slats, and confirm the mattress you have fits snugly against all sides.

If a cot has been repaired or modified in any way, walk away.