Shopping for nursery and baby furniture, such as high chairs, can be part of the fun of having a baby, but be sure to be prepared for what you should be looking for. Highchairs enable an older baby or toddler to be able to join you at the table and have a position that is safe and stable for them to eat. Be sure never to leave your child unattended in a high chair.

Here are some features to consider in a suitable high chair.

Make sure the chair is large enough, especially if you are planning to use it for a longer period. However the larger the chair the more room there is for a smaller baby to slip. A cushion will help in this situation
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A harness will help keep your child secure and prevent them falling or climbing out. Falls from high chairs can result in serious injuries. The harness should be adjustable so that it can be expanded as your child grows.

The high chair construction should be should sturdy and be recommended for use within the anticipated weight range for your child. The chair legs should taper outwards for increased stability.

Make sure there are no sharp corners or places fingers can get caught or crushed.

High chair legs with castors must have brakes – be sure to and use them.

A good high chair will have arm rests or sides to prevent the child from slipping out sideways.

There should be a crotch strap or bar to stop slipping out downwards.

An adjustable footrest supports feet, so as not to strain your child’s legs when sitting.

A removeable and adjustable height tray is very useful and their should be a bar to prevent the child from falling forward if the tray is removed.

A foldable chair is great if you have limited space. Foldable chairs should be easy to operate and lockable once in position.

A secondhand highchair may not have all the necessary safety features and be in good enough condition. Beware of rusting bits, frayed straps, cracks and breaks, sharp edges, loose bolts or screws etc.

Looking for a high chair online can be a great way to save money, as you can easily check a number of sites to find the best offers. Many baby and nursery furniture sites have a gallery of available products to facilitate the choice of style and features that suits you best. Some of online businesses have less overheads because they do without a showroom and have a requirment for less staff. This allows savings to be passed on to the customer.

A baby cot, or crib, is one of the first things that a prospective new mother has to think about. When choosing a cot for your baby it is important to make sure that it will be safe. Very young babies can easily suffocate or choke, older babies and toddlers can injure themselves by falling when trying to climb out, or by catching limbs or their head in between bars or on catches.

Cots are required to conform with Australian standards. Here are some of the features your baby crib should include:

• No spaces in which limbs can be trapped – no gaps wider than your hand.
• No horizontal bars which make it easy for a child to climb out.
• Secure locking mechanisms that are easy for adults, but difficult for young children, to operate and which also clearly show when it is locked and unlocked.
• If more than 2 castors are used on the legs, brakes must be fitted.
• Snug fitting mattress.
• No decoration which could present a choking hazard.

If the cot requires assembly make sure you do so according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and keep the instructions in a safe place for future reference if required. You should check and tighten any nuts, bolts or screws regularly. If the cot has brakes make sure that you use them.

If the mattress position is adjustable set it to the lowest position to make it harder for your child to climb out. Keep the cot away from any shelves or furniture furniture that could provide leverage for climbing and away from other potentially dangerous items such as heaters, power points, windows and mirrors, curtains and blind cords. Make sure there are no pictures or other items, which could potentially fall on the child, positioned above the cot.

Small toys left in the cot could present a choking hazard and large toys can be a suffocation risk or a climbing aid. Don’t leave anything (eg mobiles, toys) with cords or elastic over the cot while you are not there. You shouldn’t use pillows for children under 2 years as they pose a suffocation risk.

An older or secondhand cot needs to be checked for the following possible hazards, as it is not worth risking the health, or possibly the life, of your precious baby just to save some money:

• Bar spacing – not too wide, not too narrow.
• Sides high enough to make climbing out difficult.
• High corner posts – posts may catch clothes and be a strangulation risk.
• Child proof catches.
• Some older cots may have poisonous lead-based paint.
• No rust, broken parts or sharp bits.

When looking for cots the internet is a good place to start. You stand a better chance of finding a bargain deal on a cot than with traditional baby stores, which can be expensive. Check around on baby supplies websites and see what is on offer.

A good functional baby pram is an essential item for the parents of a new baby. It is the easiest way to take your baby out into the world with you and a pram is a good way for you to get out of the house with your new baby.

Prams have been used for many years the world over as the baby carrier of choice. Whether it is a baby stroller, a baby carriage, a 3 wheeled all terrain pram or a hybrid pram, it is the most convenient and comfortable way for you to get out and about with your baby.

If you are having difficulty getting your baby to sleep, an outdoor walk with the pram will sometimes cause your little one to nod off! This can be a life saver for sleep deprived parents. Most baby prams are portable and easy to fold away so that they can travel in your car when required, making them ideal for travelling any distance.

There are a wide variety of prams for your baby, including the double pram (for two babies or twins eg mclaren double pram) either side by side or inline, baby strollers, jane pram, jogger pram, three wheeled prams, baby buggy, baby carriages, all terrain prams, pushchairs and many others.

Major brands include Steelcraft prams, Valco prams, Emmaljunga prams, Peg perego prams, Baby Love prams, Maclaren prams, Mama’s & Papa’s prams, Quicksmart prams, Bootiq prams, Combi prams, Love and Care prams, Childcare prams, Quinny prams and Baby Jogger prams.

Normally you would buy a pram either some time before the birth of your child or shortly afterwards, depending when you first expect to use the new pram. Some mothers may not take their baby out in a pram for a little while, though others use them straight away.

Which pram you buy will depend on a few considerations such as:

Convenience
Do you need a pram that will fold easily and fit into your car?

Light Weight
Do you need a lightweight pram? Will you be taking it on public transport? If your answer is yes then a lightweight pram will be a much easier to manage for you and your baby. Also consider a lightweight stroller.

Versatility
Do you need a baby pram that is portable? A pram that will go wherever you go. All terrain, or 3 wheeled, prams are designed to go over most terrains and are often used as jogging prams because of this versatility.

Baby prams can be bought from many baby item retailers or department stores. They can often be bought online for a much lower price. If you want a cheap pram (or cheaper pram) you should consider shopping online where you will find many good deals available on a wide variety of prams types and brands. Also, buying your pram online can save you a lot of the hassles of time and travelling around.