Baby products that parents do and don't need, revealed
Parents said baby hammocks and washing bowls were among the most useless products on the market
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Your support makes all the difference.The pressure on parents to never falter, particularly when it comes to bringing up their first child, can see confused mums and dads being coaxed into buying ultimately useless products which companies claim will save time and keep their baby safe.
Now, researchers have compiled a list of the least useful baby products, which they believe could save families around £275.
To make their findings, Which? surveyed over 2,000 parents with children aged 5 and under, and asked them to rate baby products they have bought or used.
The essentials: pushchairs, car seats, high chairs, and cots, were excluded from the survey.
The item which topped the ‘least useful’ list was the door baby bouncer, which bobs a child up and down in a harness hanging from a door frame, but most parents found largely useless.
Other products which parents said were a waste of money included baby washing bowls, manual breast pumps, baby hammocks, and fabric slings.
Nappy stackers and nappy disposal bins were also flagged as largely useless,
Parents also reported that Bumbo seats, designed to help children who can’t sit up by themselves, were not as useful as they would have hoped.
Perhaps one of the most surprising items on the ‘least useful list was the seemingly ubiquitous cot mobile, which parents reported did not soothe their baby to sleep as well as expected.
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Meanwhile, items that parents couldn’t be without were largely those which helped to keep children safe, helped save time, or aided families on the go.
The simple and effective stair gate, designed to save infants from injuring themselves on the stairs, audio and video baby monitors, and digital ear thermometers all made the ‘most useful’ list.
Baby changing bags, electric steam and microwave steam steriliser kits, baby sleeping bags and travel cots also made the cut.
Richard Headland, editor of Which?, said: “Deciding which baby products to buy, especially if you’re expecting your first child, can be overwhelming. Our survey of parents showed some clear winners that will make life with a newborn much easier, and those you can probably do without.”
Top 10 most useful:
Stair gate
Baby change bag
Audio baby monitor
Electric steam steriliser kit
Microwave steam steriliser kit
Video baby monitor
Baby sleeping bag
Digital ear thermometer
Baby bouncer or rocker chair
Travel cot
Top 10 least useful:
Door baby bouncer
Baby washing bowls
Manual breast pump
Baby hammock
Fabric sling
Nappy stacker
Bumbo seat
Cot mobile
Swaddling blanket
Nappy disposal bin
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