Best sites for buying baby equipmentTop tips when buying online

Buying online can be a convenient alternative to tramping around the shops, but, like anything, it has its pros and cons. In this guide we give you the lowdown on loyalty schemes and parents' forums, both of which are likely to come in handy when shopping for baby equipment online. We also help you to compare prices before you buy and to know your rights when buying online.

Loyalty schemes

As an added attraction to shop with them, some stores offer loyalty schemes applicable to shopping both in store and online. If you're in the market for nursery items, below is a list of the loyalty schemes you're likely to encounter and what they offer. All are free to join. Essentially, you give the shop some personal details (to a greater or lesser extent) in exchange for some perks. It's up to you to decide what you are comfortable with and if you feel the return is good. 

If want to know more about loyalty schemes and how to understand if they are good value, see our guide to cashback sites.

Babies R Us

Joining the Babies R Us Mother and Baby club means you'll receive mailings of useful product information and helpful hints and tips, as well as money-off coupons.

Boots

The Boots Parenting Club, for families with children under two, offers a joining present, double points when you buy certain products, as well as offers and mailouts with hints and tips for new parents.

Ikea

Ikea Family offers discounts on selected Ikea products, email updates, a free quarterly magazine and reductions in its restaurant.

Mothercare

The Mothercare Mothercard offers reward points, one point per £1 spent, which will be issued to you as reward vouchers to spend in store, as well as frequent bonus points promotions and special offers from Mothercare and partners. The card also entitles you to free delivery on website or catalogue orders of £100 or more.

Variations on loyalty schemes include receiving regular updates from a shop (for example the Argos customer scheme will email you updates on latest sales, deals and offers and a heads up about new products) or benefits from paying with a card attached to where you're shopping from (for example Tesco operates a 'buy now pay later' scheme for certain purchases made with a Tesco credit card).

Parents' forums

If you don't know any parents who can suggest good products to try, why not consult the wider community of parents out there using a parents' forum online? These sites are places where parents meet to exchange views and respond to queries posted and can be a source of buying advice, with spec info, buying guides and even user reviews of many of the most popular products on the market. Unlike Which? they won't have tested all of the products they discuss for safety and performance.

Babycentre

Babycentre contains a wealth of advice for mums-to-be, focusing on the needs of babies at different stages of their development.

Bounty

Bounty is the biggest online meeting point for mums in the UK.

Gurgle.com

Gurgle.com is Mothercare's social networking site.

Mumsnet

Mumsnet has ongoing discussions, and tips and tricks from other parents. You can also search the site for suggested retailers or post your own query about where to buy.

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT)

The National Childbrith Trust encourages parents to share their experiences of pregnancy, birth and your child's early years in a variety of groups focusing on different topics, some open to all, others members-only.

Netmums

Netmums is a social network that offers advice and information for your local area.

Tesco baby and toddler club

Tesco baby and toddler club - the name says it all for this supermarket social network.

Your Silver Cross

Your Silver Cross is an online club for sharing experiences of parenting.

Comparing prices

Our product reviews give a typical price for each product we test. Use this price as a guide to what you should pay, and with a bit of research you can generally expect to pay less online. If you want help comparing prices online Which? Compare – our own price comparison site – can help for many products. You'll get help when comparing pushchair prices, but for products that we haven't tested, you might have to opt for another price comparison site. Sites like Price Runner and Kelkoo will help you get an idea of where you can get a child car seat at the lowest price. Both include any delivery charges as part of the total price they quote. 

Although not a price comparison site per se, you might find BizRate helpful as it links to retailers selling particular products. You can't buy direct from them, but it is useful for finding a stockist if you know which product you want to buy. Equipment like pushchairs and child car seats are covered.

Your rights when buying online

You'll be glad to hear that if you buy online from a UK or EU-based company you have the same rights as if you'd bought from a shop. Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described when sold. And you also have a seven-day cooling off period in which to change your mind about the purchase penalty-free and without having to give a reason.

With any website you buy from, satisfy yourself that you're happy with the small print. Check how much delivery costs. Are goods in stock? Can you send them back if they're not what you expected? All this should be listed on the website for you to peruse. For more on you rights when shopping online see our handy guides to shopping safely online and online shopping problems.