Consumer Reports Guide to Baby Products

Rating:
Summary: No RATINGS == Useless Book
Review: The only reason I wanted this book to see the comparison for safety of car seats, strollers, play pens, etc. Instead, what I found was a shopping list of infinite length, and almost no ratings. Only 5 car seats were rated, 2 of which are no longer made. This, after at least 15 styles of car seats were discussed as "potential options" in the body of the book. I am very disappointed, and plan on returning this book. Don't bother with it... you can find the shopping lists that the book provides at Amazon.com's lists, and this adds no value at all.

Rating:
Summary: Not much information
Review: There is not much information in this book. It is more general info about buying products, not detailed analysis of specific products that I expect from the magazine article

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: This book did not give the info promised. It does not rate each product. Only gives a review of what something is. I was very disappointed with this book & do not recommend. Go get Baby bargains. It's been my bible!!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent tool, few ratings, but lots of good advice
Review: This book is an excellent tool--I don't think consumers do enough research before they buy a product. Even a simple or inexpensive product should be researched. Each chapter focuses on a different area of baby products--diapering, bathing, feeding, strollers, etc and it tells you all the things to look for. It describes low, medium and high grade products. It tells you which features are neccesary, features that are nice, and ones that are flat out bad (either expensive or unsafe.) It has a section about safety and also recalls. It has helped me shop effectively for my first baby. This book does not have as many ratings as I would have liked. There is a small section of ratings. I highly recommend this book. (My copy gave me 30 days of free access to the consumer reports web site!)

Rating:
Summary: Too General, too few products actually rated
Review: This book is too general and, while it does provide some advice as to how to shop for certain products, much of that advice is no-brainer. ie. "Look for a stable crib, with good construction" ...no kidding. I would NOT NOT NOT recommend this book for someone looking for concrete advice. Instead, check out BABY BARGAINS by Denise and Allan Fields. Baby Bargains is an amazing resource, full of clear, concise comparisions and really great practical advice.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: This book was not informative at all. I started to read the reviews after I bought the book just to make sure I was not the only one who was not impressed with the book. I took the suggestion of other readers and bought Baby Bargain. Now this is a wonderful book. I can't put it down, originally when I bought I was planning to just skim though and read what I thought was important but the advice was so good that I had to start reading the book from the beginning to make sure I wasn't missing out on any good tips.

Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile, but . . .
Review: This isn't a bad book. It has a good deal of useful information for first time parents. Still, as a long-time Consumer Reports reader, I was a little disappointed to find that more products weren't evaluated. I agree with some previous reviewers: Denise and Alan Fields' book, "Baby Bargains," offers more background information, educated opinions, and outright slams. (The sections on items to avoid is priceless for we first-timers who want the best for our babies, and sometimes get chumped as a result.) While the Fields probably haven't used the same scientific methods to arrive at their evaluations as has Consumer Reports, they have at their disposal years of feedback from their readers. If you plan to buy only one book on the subject, I'd recommend "Baby Bargains." However, the Consumer Reports book does compliment the information offered in the "Baby Bargains" nicely, and is worthwhile if you're given to seeking "too much information." (My wife's words.)

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful resource; take the book with you when you shop.
Review: While people have been disappointed that this book doesn't have "enough" product recommendations, it provides an even more valuable service to parents -- it tells them how to THINK about the purchases they make. The CPSC website shows that millions of infant products are recalled each year. As infant product companies are under pressure to put more and more products onto the market at greater speeds -- testing is taking a back seat. Not until thousands of babies are using the product in their homes or daycare centers, do the companies learn the product is defective. By then it's too late, since many people never hear about the recall. Pay close attention to Jones's last chapter on recalls -- she explains how these products are tested. This is the most important chapter in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Some good info, but could be better
Review: With a name like Consumer Reports on the cover you would expect LOTS of DETAILED reviews...but you'd be wrong. Brands are limited to just the few top-selling and oftentimes don't have any detail. Sometimes CR magazine can give too much detail, but with this book, it's too little. Some info. is actually incorrect: "use refrigerated breast milk within 48 hours after pumping." Studies over two years ago determined this to be seven days! Overall category discussions, tips, and advise are very good. But, you would expect with a whole book devoted to one category, it s/b better.