Rating: 
Summary: Baby Bargains
Review: This book is very helpful and has so much great info in it. My daughter was born 8 months ago and I am still using it. Has info in it from cribs to clothing and every thing in between. A must have while shopping for that new baby.
Rating: 
Summary: Helpful, but...
Review: There is a lot of valuable information in this book regarding quality and price ratings for many essential baby products and accessories. However, this being the third edition, I find it incredible that this book is filled with so many typos, errors, and inconsistencies. It was quite distracting to me while reading to see these errors constantly. Another problem with this book is the shape and size of it--very tall and narrow, making it impossible to read with one hand. I also found that even though this book is copyrighted 2000, a lot of the products mentioned are either updated and under a different name in the stores, or are impossible to find by the name referenced in the book and sold by product number only. This was confusing. I would advise you to check this book out from the library instead of buying it.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a first time parent with no clue!!
Review: I am a first time mom and I do not have any friends or family with a newborn. I wanted a book that would give me up-to-date information on what to buy for a baby. I really had no clue where to start! This book gave great reviews of products, from a safety and savings standpoint. I was able to sit down and make a list of all the items I would need and the best manufacturer. I was all prepared to go register at a baby store and I did not get hassled by sales people. The book is also easy to read (funny at times). Good luck!
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Summary: This is a must have for any expectant parents!
Review: There's a lot of baby equipment out there.. Just walk into Babies R Us and you can quickly get overwhelmed!Thankfully, I went armed with this book! It is true that many of the top suggestions are pricey, but I have found that you often (though not always!!) get what you pay for in terms of quality and features. If you get a less expensive and poorly constructed item, you may end up having to buy another to replace it. The authors do consider value in their ratings, so a less expensive and good quality product would get a better rating than a more expensive and good quality product. I used it mainly as a ratings guide and to figure out what safety/convenience features to look for when shopping for baby equipment and what to avoid. I also liked their listing of outlets. Sometimes I felt the authors let their personal design preferences affect their ratings, especially in the sections on bedding and clothing. Also, since they have two boys, they are more familiar with boy's stuff. In some areas, they only list one or two options, and a couple of times I have disagreed with their choices, based on experience. Some of the information and pricing is outdated, but thankfully they have a website full of updates. Nowadays you can get great deals online with coupons and rebates: their next issue should have more information on online shopping. Since I bought this book, I have emailed the authors a few times to ask questions about baby products and, miracle of miracles, they actually replied with a personal and useful response! I always recommend this book to my pregnant friends and relatives!
Rating:
Summary: A better resource than the Consumer Reports version.
Review: Put this one in the "I shoulda payed attention" category. I noted, while checking the reviews to the Consumer Reports book "Guide to Baby Products," that the Fields' book was clearly given the nod as the better book. Still, I've been a Consumer Reports subscriber for many years, and I reasoned that "Guide to Baby Products" must surely have information that "Baby Bargains" lacked. So, I bought both of them. My advice? Those other reviewers were right. "Baby Bargains" is as least as complete in its evaluations of products, and it's a much better source of background information. To boot, it's warmer in tone, funny, and a more enjoyable read all around. Buy "Baby Bargains" and skip CU's book.
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Summary: Absolutely worth it!
Review: If you are a new parent/parent-to-be, this book is a definite must have! After reading this, we realized we didn't have to spend $500 on a quality crib (not including the mattress!) and ended up spending half that (including the mattress!) and probably got a better quality crib than what we might have purchased. True, a lot of what the book says are the best are the most expensive items, but the authors are also careful to note that the "best" isn't always necessary. We have used this book to guide nearly every major purchase for our baby. Wouldn't have had a clue what to do without it!
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Summary: If you have a pulse get this book!
Review: This book is an invaluable asset to any new or old parent who is looking for some help. The discounts are fair but on some of the things I have been searching for (crib & car seat) I have not found too much of a savings. This book is incredibly helpful in giving suggestions and helping you find what you need in a huge array of areas. The ratings are one of my favorite parts. They go through and explain their reasons for the rating and different options it gives. Defiantly a lot of work went into this book. The people who said this book is focused toward the "posh baby" as the best are usually the most expensive products. Unfortunately this is often true but so is the reality that they say when they feel things are over priced and often the better items are more expensive; often you get what you pay for. Unless you are just paying for a name that is! This book seems to help discriminate between the two. It's just awesome! Go get it!
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Summary: One Stop Comparison Shopping
Review: This book is an excellent resource, particularly for new parents. It provides practically all essential baby and maternity gear information in one place. The authors do an independent review of numerous products in all the important categories from cribs and furniture to diapers and disposals to strollers and diaper bags to things you probably never even thought of. They provide good guidance on when to spend more on items and when to save yourself some dollars on items. They also provide very practical information of what they like and not like and why from their own experience -- a good tie-breaker when you have it narrowed down to between 2 to 3 products that you just can't decide upon. Moreover, they don't accept advertisements and the sales of this book appear to finance their work. Overall, if you're expecting this is the one book you should get.
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Summary: My #1 Recommendation for anyone with a baby on the way!
Review: I have a 5 month old and used this book extensively to wade through all our purchase decisions before he was born. It made so many overwhelming decisions more manageable. No matter what your budget, stocking up for a new baby, especially a first baby, is very expensive. This book helped me decide where to cut costs and where to splurge. It also helped me minimize purchase mistakes -- you know, where it looked good in the store, but didn't really work well with an actual baby. If you care to know what you are getting for your money you must have this guide!
Rating: 
Summary: Great product reviews
Review: We found this book extremely helpful for product reviews and descriptions. It didn't really help us save any money, but it did help us pinpoint what we needed-why we needed it-and what was the "best" brand for the money. Their website offers updates and more current information so it is a good idea to check the website also before buying.
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