Subscribe to Consumer Reports for Baby Stuff?

Is your local library pretty good? I can get Consumer Reports online for free from my own library's subscription. All I need is my library card number and a PIN they gave me and I can log in from home. But I agree, this wasn't the best resource for baby stuff.

I am almost positive that the go-to spot for this kind of info is the book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1889392146/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. It was a big help for me, with product ratings and practical advice on what isn't necessary. Congratulations and good luck to you on your bedrest. I know how tough it can be.

In addition to the book, I found the http://www.windsorpeak.com/babybargains/ to be very helpful both before and after pregnancy. They have updates to the current book edition, and the boards cover everything from car seats to maternity clothes.

Have you considered just subscribing to the Consumer Reports web site? It costs https://ec.consumerreports.org/ec/cro/order.htm?INTKEY=I61HLL0 -- as long as you remember to unsubscribe when you're done -- and you can research all you want.

This is what libraries are for. They will have the dead tree versions, and they most likely have access to the online version. Love your local library.

I hate CR. I'd suggest Amazon. The reviews for popular big brand products are super helpful. Pay special attention to the negative reviews. All products have 'em, of course, but the sort of complaints a product gets are revealing. I trust the crowd more than a single test agency most of the time. FWIW, Amazon Prime is a new parent's best friend. Almost everything you need to raise a child can be had on Amazon with free 2-day shipping. Toiletries, OTC medication, clothing, canned food, toys, etc. Decent priced diapers overnighted for $4 or second-day for free? It will cut your midnight diaper rash cream runs by 95%. You're stuck not moving around a lot and need something to do. But, really, I would't worry too much about buying stuff. Buy what you need as you need it. Aside from a place for it to sleep and something to clothe it in, it won't need much for a good long while.

Consumer Reports is sorta useless for baby stuff. Buy Baby Bargains. Don't feel weird that everyone else with the book owns exactly the same baby stuff as you. Don't buy that Fischer-Price high chair, though. That thing is ugly.

nth-ing Your Local Library for CR, but another good resource I've used is http://www.consumersearch.com/. They're a review aggregator, so it includes Consumer Reports if available, but also reviews from Amazon and other stores, magazines or newspapers, and specialty sites. It's good for narrowing down what you want in a specific product, e.g. http://www.consumersearch.com/strollers. It looks like Baby Bargains reviews are included as well. Congrats and best wishes!

Thank you all very much for your suggestions, your congratulations, and your bedrest empathy. I was puzzled by amtho's response at first, but then I realized that I had completely forgotten that Consumer Reports was published in print: I had been weighing the idea of getting an online subscription. i checked my library site last night. They do have a CR subscription, but the search interface isn't terribly intuitive. However, your library recommendations reminded me that I can use my local branch to browse the books that look good online, so I've already requested about 20 titles. Finally, my copy of Baby Bargains has been ordered and will arrive next week, and I'm digging through the Berkeley Parents Network info now. Thanks again!