Skipping these baby products could save you up to €450

Anyone else have useless baby stuff piling up in the spare room?

All new parents have fallen victim to buying something because it’s a ‘must-have’ or particularly trendy or even because it was on special offer, only to hardly ever use it.

Consumer organisation Which? has come up with a list of the ten most useless baby products parents have ever bought.

They surveyed parents on what they’d recommend and what they wish they’d never bothered with.

Number one on the ‘least useful’ list? ‘Top and tail’ bowls for washing baby in – a regular basin does the same job, according to most.

Other products deemed less than vital were door baby bouncers and both manual and electric breast pumps.

Most useful to new parents, on the other hand, were cot mattresses, stairgates and video baby monitors.

“Preparing for the birth of a child is incredibly exciting, but parents can find themselves overwhelmed by choice when it comes to purchasing baby products,” said Nikki Stopford, Which? director of research.

“Hearing advice from parents who have been through the process before can help make life easier for new parents, and knowing which products you can probably do without will save you crucial time and money.”

You could indeed save a packet, according to Which?’s maths. They estimate that not buying the items on the least useful list could save you up to £400 (around €448) – money you could put to good use with a new baby.

Least useful products

1. Baby washing “top and tail” bowls
2. Door baby bouncer
3. Floor-level baby seats with trays
4. Manual breast pump
5. Electric breast pump
6. Cot mobile
7. Baby reins
8. Nappy stacker
9. Air purifier
10. Bottle warmer

Most useful products