Baby equipment you need Parents’ 10 least useful baby products

Parents-to-be often feel pressure to splash out on lots of gadgets and items of baby equipment, but many of these purchases get left in the cupboard. So we asked 1,005 parents with children under the age of three about baby products they’d bought - but didn’t actually need in the end.

Below you’ll find the top 10, ranked in order of the proportion of people who found the product useless for them for a variety of reasons (more background on each further down the page). Of course, some people do find these products useful, but it’s worth reconsidering whether you’re really going to use them before you buy as holding off could save you around £250.

And don’t feel you have to buy everything before your child is born. Often it is better to wait and try out products with your baby, to make sure you get the best to suit them.

Want to know which products you should be buying? Check out Parents’ 10 most useful baby products. In our video, parents discuss both the most and the least useful.

Least useful 

1. Fabric sling

2. Nappy stacker

3. Baby washing (top and tail) bowls

4. Nappy disposal bin

5. Bumbo seat

6. Door baby bouncer

7. Baby carrier

8. Ride-on toddler board for buggy/pushchair

9. Night light

10. Baby reins

1. Fabric sling

Three in ten parents who had bought or been given fabric slings told us that they didn’t actually need them. The top reason given was that the sling was more hassle than it was worth, and more than a third of those who didn’t use the sling said it was because their child didn’t like it, or didn’t take to it.

Fabric slings tend to be a bit cheaper than standard baby carriers, costing around £30-£50. 27% of parents who had acquired one told us that they were one of the most useful baby products they had bought, but clearly they don’t suit everyone.

There are several other options for carrying your baby around, such as a baby carrier or baby backpack – however, many parents also told us they didn’t need their baby carrier. If it’s at all possible, you should aim to try out the one you are considering – ideally with your baby – before you hand over your cash. See our guide to choosing a sling or baby carrier for more buying advice.

2. Nappy stacker

Nappy stackers are designed to be convenient and stylish holders in which to store your nappies, but in reality, many parents we surveyed who had bought (or been given) one ended up thinking that they were a waste of time.

In our survey 28% of parents who acquired a nappy stacker told us they didn’t need it. Of these, 48% said they just didn’t use it, while 28% dismissed it as a waste of time and 20% claimed that something else did the job more effectively.

In fact, most modern nappy boxes and bags are designed to dispense nappies one at a time in a tidy and convenient way – and it can be much less hassle just to take your nappies straight from the box.

Nappy stackers cost around £10-£20 and only 10% of parents who acquired a nappy stacker said they were one of the most useful products they had bought.

3. Baby washing (top and tail) bowls

Baby washing ‘top and tail’ bowls have two compartments to keep water and flannels separate when washing your baby’s top half and their bottom.

They’re not particularly expensive – costing around £3-£10 – but parents told us that two cheap plastic bowls will do the job just as well.

Of all the parents who bought or were given baby washing bowls, 27% told us they didn’t need them – and the top reason given was that something else did the job just as effectively.

Only a very small minority of parents (4%) who acquired baby washing bowls said they were one of the most useful baby products.

4. Nappy disposal bin

Nappy disposal bins typically cost around £10-£25 and promise to hygienically wrap individual nappies to lock away germs and odours.

20% of parents who acquired one said they were one of their most useful baby products, but 24% said they didn’t need it after all.

Of those who said they didn’t need their nappy disposal bin, 52% said it was more hassle than it was worth, 28% said it was a waste of time and 25% said it was impractical to use. You can get a similar effect by simply placing your nappy in a disposable nappy bag or in a bucket with a lid.

5. Bumbo seat

The Bumbo seat, a plastic seat which helps your baby to sit upright, was popular with some parents. 26% of those who bought or were given one said it was one of their most useful products - but 18% said they didn’t need it at all.

One parent told us: ‘I regret buying a Bumbo – expensive, and both kids hated it’, and the key factor for most of the parents who didn’t get on with the Bumbo seat was that their child didn’t like it or take to it.

The Bumbo seat costs around £30, and we would recommend you think carefully before buying one – ideally, trying it out with your baby first before you buy.

6. Door baby bouncer

Another product which several parents told us their child just didn’t get on with was the door baby bouncer.

17% of parents who bought or were given one said they didn’t need it, and of these, nearly half said they didn’t use it as their child didn’t like it or take to it. 25% said it was impractical to use, and 21% said it was more hassle than it was worth.

Having said this, 15% of parents who acquired a door baby bouncer said it was one of their most useful products.

Door baby bouncers typically cost around £20, which won’t break the bank, but if you get the opportunity to try one out before you buy, to see whether your child likes it or not, then take it.

7. Baby carrier

Baby carriers can cost anything from £20 to £100 and it’s important that you choose one which is comfortable for you and your child.

In our survey 23% of parents who bought or were given a baby carrier said they were one of the most useful products they bought, but 16% didn’t end up using theirs. The main reasons for this were that they felt the baby carrier was more hassle than it was worth (36%) and the child didn’t like or take to it (29%).

If possible, you should aim to try out a baby carrier you are considering – ideally with your baby – before you buy. See our guide to choosing a sling or baby carrier for more buying advice.

8. Ride-on toddler board for buggy/pushchair

Ride-on toddler boards were another controversial product in our survey, with 36% of parents who acquired one saying they were one of the most useful products - but 16% of parents saying they didn’t use theirs.

Less than one in five of all the parents we surveyed had acquired a toddler board, so we can’t analyse the reasons of those that didn’t need them in detail. However, some of the mentions included the toddler board being more hassle than it was worth and the fact that their child didn’t like or take to it.

As these ride-on toddler boards cost around £30-£50, again, it’s advisable to try before you buy if possible. It’s also worth noting that attaching a toddler buggy board to your pushchair may invalidate your pushchair warranty.

9. Night light

Night lights can cost anything from £3 to £20, and it might be worth seeing how your child reacts to a cheap one before splashing out on something more expensive. And, bear in mind that some baby monitors come with an in-built night light.

20% of parents who bought or who were given a night light said it was one of their most useful products, but 15% didn’t end up needing it. Of these, 30% said their child didn’t like it or take to it, while 28% just didn’t use it.

10. Baby reins

Baby reins typically cost around £5-£15 and can help you keep your child close once they’ve started walking, but not all parents find them useful.

14% of the parents we spoke to who had acquired baby reins told us they didn’t actually need them. Of these, 61% said it was because their child didn’t like or take to the reins.

On the other hand, 19% of parents who acquired baby reins said they were one of the most useful products, so this appears to be another hit-or-miss product that’s worth trying out beforehand if you can.

You can get a variety of baby rein designs and you might find the fun animal-shaped reins go down better with your children.

Want to know which baby products are most useful? Check out Parents’ 10 most useful baby products.

Our research

We surveyed 1,005 GB parents aged 16+ with children aged under three. The survey was conducted online, in January 2011. We asked parents whether, of all the baby products they’d bought or acquired, there were any that they didn't need in the end.

What do you think of this top 10 list? Are there other baby products you bought or were given but didn't actually need? Join the debate on Which? Conversation.