Gear
The gear that earned its place in our house, and the stuff we wish we had skipped.
Baby gear is a minefield of marketing. Every product promises to save your sleep, your back, or your sanity. Most of it ends up in a corner or on the resale market within months.
Our approach is simple: we buy our own gear, we use it in our own house, and we report what actually happened. No sponsorships, no gifted products, no affiliate pressure. Everything here was bought with our own money, and the flops are documented as honestly as the wins.
If you are building a registry or a budget, start with the gear check: what earned its place in the first year, and what we wish we had skipped.
- 9 kids backpacks: 3 still hang by our door
Nine kids' backpacks crossed this flat across two kids of kita and playground years. Three still hang by the door, and the receipts plus one S-Bahn zip failure explain the rest.
- Winter suits: 9 bought, 4 stay on the hook
Nine kids' winter suits crossed our hallway hook across two Berlin winters. Four stay on the hook, one cost €12 and taught us the used-suit zipper rule, and the rest resold.
- Balance bikes: 6 we tried, 2 earned a parking spot
Six balance bikes came through our hallway between the toddler's 18-month mark and now; two stayed. What flat-foot fit, bike weight, and a 35-euro secondhand price taught us.
- 9 potty training buys: the 4 that earned their place
We spent €145 on potty training gear and kept 4 of the 9 products. Here is what a potty-training flat actually used, what came back, and where the money went.
- Gear Check: the playpen we borrowed and gave back
We nearly bought a playpen for the baby's rolling month. We borrowed one for ten days instead, and the escape log decided it: see why we gave it back.
- Gear Check: where your baby carrier money goes
We paid €35 for a wrap, €80 for a used baby carrier, and skipped the €220 model. See where carrier money goes, what's worth the splurge, and what to buy used.
- Used baby gear: 3 buys that paid off and 1 that didn't
Buying used saved us over €400 and burned us once. See the three secondhand buys that earned their place, the one that lost to a €25 new chair, and the five-minute check before every pickup.
- Gear Check: why the cheap high chair won
Three high chairs, two kids, one clear winner: the cheapest one. See the wipe-down test we run on any chair, what each cost, and the safety rules we kept.
- Gear Check: is a stroller worth it?
The stroller is the biggest baby gear purchase. See what to test in the shop, when to buy used, and why the basket is the whole product.
- Gear Check: what earned its place in the first year
A running review of the baby gear that actually earned its place in our house, and the expensive things that flopped. All bought with our own money.