# Baby gear

**What baby gear do we actually need?**

How much equipment you buy, and whether you go minimal or fully equipped, new or second-hand.

In short: Parents choose between 3 main approaches: Minimalist; Moderate; Fully equipped and tech-forward; new or second-hand. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: during pregnancy.

- Area: Everyday baby care
- Evidence: Your call
- Best settled: During pregnancy
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/everyday-baby-care--baby-gear

## Baby gear: what are the options?

1. **Minimalist**: You buy only the essentials.
2. **Moderate**: You buy the common items and a few extras.
3. **Fully equipped and tech-forward; new or second-hand**: You buy a full set of equipment including smart devices; and decide whether to buy new or used.

## Baby gear: what does the evidence say?

**Your call.** No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

No outcome research gathered on this yet — treat it as a preference.

## What else is worth knowing?

There is a large market for baby products, and most babies need few of them. Buying less at first and adding what you actually use saves money and space. Second-hand is fine for most items, with care over car seats and cribs.

## Questions to ask each other

- What do we really need, and what could wait until we know what the baby likes?
- Are we happy to accept hand-me-downs?
- What is our budget?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=everyday-baby-care&topic=everyday-baby-care--baby-gear