Rating: 
Summary: Just what the OB/GYN ordered!
Review: At one of my last prenatal appointments, I was telling my OB about how overwhelmed I was with having to buy baby stuff and register for my baby shower. As a first-time mom, I was getting lots of conflicting advice from friends and coworkers about what to buy, what to skip, what products were good, etc. Having giving birth recently herself, my OB mentioned this book. So I went out and bought it. I found it to be EXTREMELY helpful. It gives good, solid unbiased buying advice for all the baby products you'll ever need, as well as specific product rating information, which is what Consumer Reports is known for--from diapers and diaper pails to car seats and strollers. You even get baby-proofing pointers. After that, I started shopping and registering with this book stashed in my purse. I felt so much more in control because I knew what makes and models of products I was looking for. I had a totally targeted list. (Even the salesperson was impressed. He actually said to me, "Wow, you really know what you're doing.") I can't imagine preparing for a new baby without this book. It's definitely $16.95 well spent.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book for the unbiased advice
Review: I bought this book for my daughter who just gave birth to our first grandchild three weeks ago. I chose it because it has Consumer Reports behind it. My daughter has used it to buy a crib and a mattress and safety gates as well as a new car. The other books tell you what to buy based on their testing, but I don't know how they can compete with Consumer Reports, when they're not a major consumer advocacy organization who has been in business for decades. My feeling--when it comes to babies, especially my grandchild, go with the pros!
Rating: 
Summary: Not so great
Review: I expected this guide to give recommendations. Each chapter was quite brief, however, and didn't delve much into the actual pluses and minuses of the different products. Many of the products weren't even tested; they just gave a listing with the manufacturer's write-up. I found Baby Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields to be a lot more useful.
Rating:
Summary: A big help in buying a crib
Review: I just got this book as a gift from a friend who has triplets, so I knew it had to be good. I'm the kind of person who likes to research everything, but since I work full-time, I don't have the time to do the legwork myself. My big question was should I buy a bassinet, or go with a regular crib? I went with the regular crib, at the book's suggestions, because cribs are highly regulated for safety; bassinets aren't. It was also helpful in selecting the mattress. I like how the books gives general shopping advice and details on specific products, and and the ratings are helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Great Reference
Review: I loved having all of the info in one place. I trust the unbias info from Consumer Reports. You can't say that about most parent magazines who have paid advertisement.
Rating: 
Summary: BUY BABY BARGAINS INSTEAD!
Review: I ordered this book, glanced through it, and immediately returned it. I thought it would have ratings of specific brands, which it did -- but only of cameras & video cameras. On baby foods, it said, "ask your pediatrician." It gave tips on what to look for on things like swings, car seats, and strollers, but didn't name good/better/best brands & models.I had already checked out Baby Bargains from the library, and had hoped that this book would be a nice supplement. Don't buy the Consumer Reports book! Baby Bargains has specific brand name recommendations, and was extremely helpful with everything. If you're looking for info. on what to buy for your baby, go with Baby Bargains. I can't say enough how uninformative I found this book. Save your money -- or better yet, buy Baby Bargains instead!
Rating:
Summary: Go with a trusted leader
Review: I tried both Baby Bargains and Consumer Reports Best Baby Products and I liked the Consumer Reports book much better. It gave really well-researched advice on car seats, strollers, and cribs, which are the three big things I'm shopping for now for second baby (due in July). I found Baby Bargains, which I've used in the past, to be not as comprehensive. It tells you what to buy in a fun, breezy way, but it doesn't say how the authors came up with their recommendations. Consumer Reports Best Baby Products is the opposite. It gives you shopping tips to help you make sure you're buying the right product, product ratings and trusted recommendations that cut to the chase. I also liked all the money-saving tips. It's a good guide to read before you buy. I keep a copy in my purse so I can always go shopping prepared!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT baby stuff resource
Review: I used this book extensively to register for my baby shower and buy things for my baby I didn't receive from others. I don't know what I would have done without it! The product ratings, of course, were really helpful, but the book has also great money saving tips (like shop as your baby grows instead of buying everything at once). I read lots of parenting magazines, so I thought I knew everything about baby products. But you really need to read a book like this to get the big picture, and the finer points about how to pick the right product for your particular situation. I live in the suburbs, for example, so that's a factor when buying a car seat and a stroller (who knew?!) Definitely worth $16.95!
Rating: 
Summary: A good guide for new parents
Review: I'm due in a couple months but have already completed my baby registry. After reading this book, I ended up having to re-do my registry, delete items, add items, change items. I've been looking for a buying guide like this and not even any of the parenting websites I visited has as much useful information as this book has. I think it is an excellent guide for new parents that feel overwhelmed when it comes to shopping for baby products. After all, you don't want to go buy looks and price alone.
Just keep in mind though that this book rates only the essentials and that not all the items they discuss are actually rated. But at least the book makes recommendations based on safety factors.
But the best thing I learned from this book was that just because an item is expensive, it doesn't mean it's the best or safest product for your baby.
Rating:
Summary: Useful, but not authoritative
Review: I'm glad I bought this book, reading it explained a lot of things to me. However, the individual product reviews are cursory. A product will get a high score but you won't really get any details as to why. You're better off reading user reviews on an online site for detailed information.
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