What's fine to buy second-hand

Most of it. Clothes, pushchairs, cots, highchairs and monitors can all come second-hand after a few checks. Two items are different: car seats, which the safety bodies advise against, and mattresses, where new is the advice and a checklist covers the times new isn't possible.

The Lullaby Trust's product guide calls second-hand "a great way to save money". Budget is a perfectly good reason to shop this way. So is not wanting to buy new for something a baby soon outgrows.

The checks for anything second-hand

The Lullaby Trust lists four, and they take a few minutes.

1. Instructions. Get hold of them and read them. Makers often have a download. The Trust warns off social media videos, as they may not match how the maker meant the product to be used.
2. Standards. A product that complies with a standard should say so on itself, its packaging or the website. Resale listings may not meet those standards, says the Trust.
3. Recalls. Search "product recalls" on GOV.UK. Do it with the exact model name.
4. Condition. No broken or missing parts. The Trust also says second-hand items should come from a smoke and pet free home.

RoSPA's line is blunter: buying second-hand "is never as safe as buying something new". That's a fair warning, and it's also why the checks exist. One more from RoSPA is easy to miss. Furniture should carry a fire label, and people often cut these off.

Cots

A used cot is a sensible way to save. For a new cot, the NHS says to look for BS EN 716, with the number in the instructions or marked on the cot. The current edition is BS EN 716-1:2017 (BSI, status Current, checked 3 November 2026). Older cots may predate it, so check what the seller has.

Earlier IKEA SNIGLAR cots have been recalled: in the EU in 2006 over the base, and in the US in 2011 over the mattress support, on cots sold to June 2010. Those notices are about older stock, but check the label on a second-hand one.

The NHS also gives checks you can do with a tape measure:

• Bars smooth, securely fixed and no more than 6.5cm apart.
• Moving parts that work smoothly and can't trap fingers or clothing.
• A mattress that fits snugly, with no space for a baby's head to get stuck.

Then the sleep advice, which doesn't change with the price of the cot. The NHS says on the back, on a firm, flat mattress, in a clear cot, in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months. Bumpers that came with a used cot stay out of it. Same for pods and nests. Our safer sleep basics go into why.

Highchairs

A free-standing chair is an easy second-hand win, as long as its harness is all there. RoSPA says to use a securely fitted harness, and that the use of table-mounted high chairs is not recommended, so pass on those even at a good price.

IKEA ANTILOP chairs from supplier 17389, made June 2007 to November 2009, were recalled in 2012 over the buckle. That notice is about older stock, but check the underside of the seat on a second-hand one.

Mattresses

New is the advice here. Our mattress list shows what the low end costs.

The Lullaby Trust says research has suggested an increased risk of SIDS with a second-hand mattress from outside the family home, "although this is not yet proven". It advises a new mattress for each baby, and adds "we know this is not always possible". The NHS says you can re-use one from your own home if it's been stored somewhere clean, dry and smoke-free.

If new isn't possible, the Trust's checklist says the mattress should:

• Have a well-fitting, fully waterproof cover.
• Have no rips or tears.
• Show no sign of water damage.
• Be firm and flat, not sagging in places.
• Fit the cot or Moses basket with no gaps.
• Have a fire-resistant label.

Worried about your own situation? Speak to your doctor or health visitor.

Car seats

Please buy this one new. Our view follows the strictest of the sources, and the savings aren't worth weighing against it.

• NHS: "Do not buy a secondhand car seat." It could have been damaged in an accident and may be missing parts or instructions.
• Lullaby Trust: it doesn't recommend buying or using one, because accident damage may not show and wear can affect the seat.
• RoSPA: it calls a car seat a "one hit" product, and says never to buy one second-hand unless you're assured of its history. Its child car seat site says the best advice is not to buy one at all.

The NHS and RoSPA do leave one narrow door open for a seat from family or friends: you know its full history, it's not too old, and it comes with its original instructions. The Lullaby Trust doesn't. Buy new if you can. RoSPA's best advice is "do not buy a second-hand child seat", and it keeps the family or friend route for when there's no other way, and only if you're certain of the seat's history.

RoSPA says prices range dramatically, and it isn't necessary to buy the most expensive seat. Our guide to choosing a first car seat has confirmed prices.

What about pushchairs?

I think these are among the better second-hand buys. The NHS asks you to check the brakes work, the handles suit your height and the frame is strong. For a young baby, the seat has to recline fully so they can lie flat. Take it for a push before handing over any money. I'd also fold it twice, because a stiff fold gets old fast.

How much you might save

We don't know, and neither did anything we read. We found no measured discount for UK baby goods. The three-year calculator uses 50% off new, which is our own estimate, and you can change it. Car seats and mattresses stay at new prices in there.