Buying guide
What to buy second-hand for your baby
Pushchair and clothes, yes. Car seat and mattress, no. What to check on everything you are given or buy used, before it goes anywhere near your child.
In short
- Buy the car seat and the mattress new. The one exception for the seat – it comes from someone close to you, who knows its whole history.
- The pushchair, wooden cot, clothes and baby bath are good second-hand choices, with a few checks.
- Always ask for the exact model and year of manufacture, and look up whether there has been a recall.
- Anything that touches your baby’s mouth or the milk – teats, dummies, breast pump parts – is bought new.
A baby uses most things for a few months. That is why the second-hand market is full of almost-new pushchairs, cots without a scratch and bags of clothes worn three times. It is a good resource and worth using, with one condition: know where the saving stops and the risk begins.
The general rule: the bigger the role an item plays in your child’s safety, and the harder its wear is to see, the more you want it new.
In short
| Product | Second-hand? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Car seat | No, with one exception | You cannot see whether it has been through a crash |
| Mattress | No | Sagging and hygiene |
| Teats, dummies, breast pump parts | No | Contact with the mouth and the milk |
| Pushchair | Yes | Wear is visible and can be checked |
| Wooden cot | Yes, with checks | It must be complete and meet the current standard |
| Folding cot | With care | Locking mechanisms wear out |
| Clothes, sleeping bags | Yes | They can be washed |
| Baby bath, changing table, high chair | Yes | Simple items, easy to check |
| Baby carrier | Yes, with checks | Stitching and buckles |
| Monitor | Yes, with care | Reset and, for Wi-Fi ones, a new account |
| Breast pump | Depends on the type | Only those designed for several users |
What you only buy new
The car seat
A car seat is made to absorb the energy of an impact only once. After a crash, even one that seems minor, the structure can have cracks you cannot see, and manufacturers usually require it to be replaced. Buying from a stranger, you have no way of knowing what the seat has been through, however good it looks.
There are two more problems. Plastic ages, and manufacturers state a period of use – usually between 6 and 10 years from manufacture, given in the manual or on the shell. And an old seat may have been approved to an outdated standard; the current one is R129, explained in the car seat guide.
The exception: a seat given to you by a relative or close friend, which you know for certain has not been in any accident. Even then, check:
- the approval label is present and legible;
- the year of manufacture and the period of use from the manual;
- the harness straps are not frayed, and the buckle closes with a firm click;
- it has all its parts, including the newborn insert and the manual;
- it fits your car.
The mattress
A used mattress can be sagging in the middle, exactly where the previous child slept, and it is hard to deep-clean. Since firmness is one of the basic rules of safe sleep, the mattress is bought new, cut to the exact size of the cot. It is also one of the cheapest items on the whole list.
What touches the mouth or the milk
Teats, dummies, teething rings, the tubes and valves of a breast pump. Silicone develops fine cracks over time, and cracks cannot be cleaned. Buy these new.
What is worth buying used
The pushchair
It is the best deal on the second-hand market: expensive new, barely used, with wear you can see. Check:
- The frame: no play in the joints, no bends, no rust around the rivets.
- The fold: it closes and opens easily, and the safety catch that keeps it open locks firmly.
- The brake: it holds on a slope, with the pushchair loaded.
- The wheels: they turn freely without wobbling; on air-filled ones, ask about the inner tubes.
- The five-point harness: complete, with a working buckle.
- The fabrics: no mould under the mattress and in the basket. Smell it.
- The carrycot adapters, if you need them – they are often lost and hard to find for older models.
Ask for the exact model and year, and check the manufacturer’s website to see whether the series has had any recall.
The wooden cot
Fine if:
- it is complete, with all its original screws and parts – do not improvise with others;
- it does not wobble once assembled;
- the base has no cracked slats;
- it meets the current standard (EN 716), with bars at the correct spacing;
- it has not been repainted at home with a paint you know nothing about.
Avoid very old cots, handmade ones without documents, and those with a sliding side that no longer locks firmly. More in the cot guide.
Clothes and fabrics
No reservations. Wash them with fragrance-free detergent and just check the poppers, the zips and that there are no cords at the neck. Sleeping bags are fine too, if the zip works well and the size fits: a sleeping bag that is too big is not safe.
Simple items
The baby bath, changing table, high chair, wooden playpen, board books (see also our book selection). Check stability, the harness where there is one, and that there are no cracks.
What you take with care
The folding cot. The sides lock with mechanisms that wear out. Assemble it a few times and press on each side: it must not give way. Use only its original mattress.
The baby carrier. The stitching on the shoulder straps and the waist belt is what matters. Pull on it. Check every buckle and find the manual for the model, so you know from what weight it can be used.
The monitor. On those with a direct link, check the battery of the parent unit – it is the first thing to fail. On Wi-Fi cameras, ask the seller to remove the device from their account, do a factory reset and create your own account, with a new password. Otherwise someone else may still have access to the image.
The breast pump. Hospital-grade pumps are designed for several users, each with their own set of parts, which is why they are also rented out. Many personal pumps are not built that way: milk can get into the mechanism, where it cannot be cleaned. If the manufacturer does not clearly say the pump can be used by more than one person, buy a new one or rent.
Five questions for any seller
- What is the exact model and what year is it from?
- Do you have the receipt or the manual?
- Is any part missing? Has anything been repaired or replaced?
- How much and how was it used, and where has it been kept since? A damp loft and a dry wardrobe are not the same thing.
- Can I see it assembled and try it before I pay?
A seller who is in a hurry or does not want to show you the item taken apart has already answered you.
Our recommendation
The money saved on a second-hand pushchair and clothes easily covers a new car seat and a new mattress. That is the split that makes the most sense: used for what you can see, new for what you cannot.
If you are only just making your plan, the pregnancy shopping calendar shows you when it is worth starting to look.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it dangerous to buy a second-hand car seat from strangers?
A car seat is designed to absorb the force of an impact only once. After a crash (even a minor one), tiny internal cracks can appear in the polystyrene or plastic shell, invisible to the naked eye, and they cancel out the protection in a second impact. On top of that, plastics lose their elasticity 5–7 years after manufacture.
Which baby products must be bought strictly new?
The car seat (except one received from people you trust completely), the cot mattress (which loses its firmness and cannot be deep-cleaned), teats, dummies, teething rings and the breast pump accessories that come into direct contact with the milk.
Which baby equipment is worth getting second-hand?
The pushchair (check the brakes, wheels, folding mechanism and the condition of the fabric), a wooden cot that complies with EN 716 (with all its original screws), cotton clothes, the baby bath, the changing table and the high chair. The first family only uses them for a short time, and they are very easy to inspect by eye.
How can I check whether a second-hand product has been recalled by the manufacturer?
Ask the seller for the label with the exact model, the serial number and the date of manufacture. Then check the brand’s official website or the European Safety Gate portal (the rapid alert system for dangerous products) to see whether that batch has any recall notices.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.