Nursery equipment and baby items bought secondhand or passed on as hand-me-downs, can save you money, but the goods need to be treated with some caution.

• Secondhand things may have been subjected to general wear and tear, or even accidents, but show no external damage. Make sure you know the history of the product
• They don’t always come with instructions. For things like car seats or stair gates, the original instructions are essential for safe installation and use
• Older things may not meet the most recent safety standards; for instance, old cots may have protruding parts that can catch on a baby’s clothes. They may lack safety devices to prevent the cot side coming down on the baby’s fingers. Family heirlooms may need to be kept for show rather than use
• If an item has been well used, it might be unhygienic. Some products, like wooden highchairs, can be given a thorough cleaning. Others, like mattresses or Moses baskets, are really hard to get clean

The Baby Products Association* (the nursery industry manufacturers’ trade association) produces a consumer leaflet setting out things to look for if you are considering buying something secondhand.