How to get second-hand baby gear and what you should avoid

Pre-loved, pre-owned, vintage, hand-me-downs, nearly new. The fact that euphemisms exist for second-hand suggests that it’s still considered preferable to buy new baby products. But what if you can’t afford it, are on a budget or just want to try and reduce waste and live more sustainably?

When I had my baby I found that friends and family couldn’t wait to pass on their baby things. How nice, I thought. They want to see my little one using their precious, much-loved things. They are being so generous. I realised later they were mostly just clearing themselves some much-needed storage space and avoiding a trip to the charity shop.

So there’s a good chance you’ll be offered something pre-loved. Or if it was that wrap sling that I would get tangled up in and happily passed on: pre-hated. But is it okay to take every baby item that has been well and truly pre-dribbled on?

What baby products should you buy new?

There are only a few baby products that it’s advised are bought new.

1. Baby car seat

I’ll start by admitting I got a second-hand car seat. But it was from a good friend who didn’t even own a car. It was only a year old, had just been used occasionally in taxis and had never been in an accident. I machine washed the covers and it was as good as new.

But if you don’t know the history of a car seat, it could’ve been damaged in a way that is not obvious and no longer offer the right protection for your child.

You might not also know how old the seat is and safety standards have changed A LOT over the years. The first car seats in the 1930s were only designed to restrain the child or boost them up so they could see out of the window. There were no safety features or attempts to protect the child in the event of a crash. That wasn’t considered important until the 1960s and car seats weren’t even required by law in the UK until 2006.

Before then, they just tried to terrify you into using one. I drew this conclusion from a Department of Transport safety newspaper ad from 1986. This spoke of children being ‘hurled around’ and ‘battered mercilessly around the interior’ of the car. It finished with, ‘you might choose to ignore this advice but you could end up with a dying child on your lap.’ I’m really judging my parents now for putting me in a carrycot on the back seat.

While it’s best to buy new if you do get one given to you by someone you know, here are the things to check:

Any visible damage.
Whether it’s been in any kind of accident or collision.
How old it is. Manufacturers often say a child car seat should be replaced every five years. The date of manufacture should be on the label.
That you have the instructions. On paper or downloadable.
The label Look for an orange ECE approval label. A car seat must carry a label for R44.03, R44.04 or R129 iSize.
That the harness and buckle are working well.

2. Baby mattress

Nobody is going to let their newborn baby sleep on a mattress that wouldn’t look out of place in a scene from Trainspotting. But why shouldn’t you take a second-hand one that seems perfectly fine?

It’s all down to a 2002 study in Scotland that found an increase in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) when using a second-hand mattress. Bacteria linked to SIDS have also been found in second-hand baby mattresses.

This led advocates of safe sleep, The Lullaby Trust, to recommend a new mattress for each baby. But if this is not possible, here is how to greatly reduce the risk of SIDS.

Clean and dry it thoroughly and check that the mattress:

has been previously protected by a waterproof cover
looks in good condition
is still firm
fits the cot exactly with no gaps

3. Breast pumps

There have been warnings about second-hand breast pumps. The main concern is they’ve not been properly cleaned and sterilised in the past they could harbour dangerous bacteria.

This is more likely in an open system electric pump. With this type of machine, it’s possible for milk to enter the pump mechanism, which cannot be cleaned. Any resulting bacteria could then transfer back into the milk.

However, it is worth noting that there have been no documented cases of a baby becoming sick from a second-hand breast pump.

If you do buy second-hand, go for a closed system (sometimes also called overflow protection). These have a barrier that prevents the milk from entering the tubing and mechanism. Fortunately, more and more pumps are now using a closed system. For example, up until recently the only closed pumps by Medela were the hospital-grade Lactina and Symphony. But now the Freestyle Flex, Swing Flex and Swing Maxi Flex all have overflow protection.

What baby products are fine to get second-hand?

Everything else should be absolutely fine to buy second-hand. Although it’s best to avoid anything that goes inside your baby like bottle teats, dummies and those snot sucker/nasal aspirators.

With prams, you should check for a British Standard sticker BS 7409. This means it meets all the safety requirements of ‘The Wheeled Child Conveyances Regulations 1997’. And will give you a good excuse to decline the heavy old mildewed pram that your mother-in-law has been keeping for decades in the attic.

You should also check there is a five-point safety harness that’s in good working order, that the brakes work and that there is no damage to the frame.

Baby toys are also usually fine unless it’s a lead paint-covered doll with a sharp spike keeping her head on. Give that one a miss. For peace of mind, look for a CE mark, which ensures the toy has met certain safety standards. Also check that there is no paint flaking off, no cracked plastic and no small parts that have come loose. You could also look out for the Lion Mark, which is a British symbol and signifies safety and high quality.

Where can I find second-hand baby gear?

Here is a list of places where you may be able to find good second-hand baby stuff:

Facebook Marketplace
Local area Facebook groups, particularly those aimed at parents
eBay
Gumtree
Preloved
Charity shops
Rascal Babies - a place to buy refurbished, sanitised and serviced used baby items. They will also clean and service a second-hand pram that you’ve bought elsewhere.
Mum 2 Mum market - regular markets across the country where parents can buy and sell second-hand children’s stuff.
NCT Nearly New sales - regular markets across the country for buying and selling baby stuff
A sling library - rent a sling and also get advice on what’s best for you and how to put it on. There are a growing number of these in the U.K.
The Octopus Club - a marketplace where you can buy or sell everything you need for your maternity and parenting journey.
Vinted - buy and sell a variety of baby products.
Dotte - buy and sell second-hand children’s clothes

And it’s definitely worth asking around friends and family who may still have baby stuff and are looking to free up some storage space. That’s if they haven’t already shown up at your door with a van full of pre-loved (and hopefully not pre-hated) stuff. You’ll just need to start thinking about who you’ll pass everything on to next. And then what you’ll do with all that money you’ve saved.