Nursery furniture

Nursery furniture is where the money goes, so the pieces worth spending on are the ones that last past the first year. A convertible crib becomes a toddler bed. A high chair that adjusts keeps working through preschool. The newborn-only pieces get outgrown fast, which is fine if you go in knowing it rather than discovering it at month four.

For anything your baby sleeps in, the checks are the same. A firm flat mattress that fits with no gap at the sides, a fitted sheet and nothing else, no bumpers or pillows or loose blankets. If you are buying or borrowing secondhand, look the model up for recalls before you assemble it.