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Which is the best baby shop to buy your pushchair and car seat from?
Baby retailers have been disappearing from the high street for some time, and although shopping online offers convenience and competitive prices, it can be a minefield if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
To make it easier, we’ve quizzed thousands of shoppers to reveal the best and worst baby retailers, rating them on their product quality, customer service, value for money and more.
From buggies to babygrows, Which? reveals who topped our list, plus the retailers you shouldn't bother with.
Which are the top baby and child shops?
The table below shows the 10 highest-scoring shops in our survey (links take you to retailers' websites):
| Retailer | Which? customer score | Product quality | Staff helpfulness/knowledge | Value for money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online4Baby.com (WRP) | 81% | |||
| Silver Cross | 81% | - | ||
| Maxi Cosi | 80% | |||
| John Lewis (WRP) | 79% | |||
| Next | 78% | |||
| Smyths Toys | 78% | |||
| Mamas & Papas (WRP) | 78% |
*The results are based on an online survey of 3,293 respondents. Our customer score is based on satisfaction with the brand and likelihood to recommend. The survey was conducted in May 2023. A dash (-) means the sample size is too small to give a star rating.
- Find out more: best and worst baby shops detailed in full
Which? Recommended Providers for baby revealed
Four shops in our top 10 list were awarded Which Recommended Provider status.
It’s worth pointing out that we only award WRPs to stores which have top customer scores, plus at least four stars for staff helpfulness/knowledge and delivery and three stars for value for money. They also need to give customers at least 28 days to return non-faulty goods.
Online4baby.com
Online4baby was the joint-highest scoring baby equipment retailer with a customer score of 81%. It scored four stars in every category including value for money, product quality and staff helpfulness/knowledge.
The family-run business, established in 1987, sells products from all the major brands, including Cybex, iCandy and Joie. There’s a 365-day exchange policy – useful if you're buying before baby arrives.
Shoppers applauded its easy-to-navigate website, great product range and the cost savings to be had. They also praised its customer services team, saying that they were knowledgeable, offering support seven days a week.
One respondent said: ‘The product was very competitively priced and arrived within 24 hours. Unfortunately the user manual was in French, but after contacting the customer service team they tracked down an English translation and emailed it to me within a couple of days, despite the intervention of a weekend and bank holiday.’
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John Lewis
John Lewis is a staple on the high street, and came third in our table scoring 78%. It scored four stars for its product quality and staff helpfulness/knowledge, and three stars for its value for money.
It has a 35-day return policy, and despite scrapping its famous ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ price-match policy in 2022, it still offers refunds if the product you purchased from John Lewis drops in price within 35 days of purchasing.
Customers love the quality of its products, the range it offers and the helpfulness and knowledge of its staff.
One shopper said: ‘They never let you down.’ Shoppers also praised its quick delivery and easy-to-navigate website.
One happy customer said: ‘It feels like a really loving experience, like they cherish you as a mother, everything is laid out beautifully and is the best quality.'
- Find out more: best pushchairs of 2023
Mamas and Papas
Mamas and Papas scored 78% in our survey. It achieved four stars for its product quality and staff helpfulness/knowledge and three stars for value for money.
The UK-based nursery brand manufactures prams, pushchairs, baby products and maternity wear. It was established in Huddersfield in 1981 by David and Luisa Scacchetti, who wanted to bring Italian design to the UK buggy market.
The company went into administration in 2019 and had to close six stores, however it still has 22 Mamas and Papas shops and several locations in Next branches.
It has a 28-day return policy and can arrange a courier to collect the item if you’re unable to return it instore.
Shoppers praised the quality and range of products in store which are ‘durable, safe and last a long time’.
One commented: ‘You are made to feel that the shop workers have time for you and you are not a burden. The store is not too crowded and you’re able to look at items without feeling pressured.’
- Find out more:baby first aid essentials 2023
Joie Baby
Joie Baby scored 75% in our survey, receiving four stars in every category including value for money, product quality and staff helpfulness/knowledge.
Joie is a global baby gear brand founded in 2011 and its products are designed to grow up with users from birth onwards. Its top-selling products include car seats and prams.
It has a 30-days return policy and a return label is included with each item, with instructions for returning your product via DPD.
Shoppers go to Joie Baby because of the quality of its products and good reputation. One respondent said: ‘It has a great reputation and I didn't feel let down at all. The quality is sturdy, a bit higher on price, but worth every penny.’
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Which other retailers impressed customers?
Both Silver Cross and Maxi-Cosi obtained high customers scores, however they didn’t meet all the benchmarks set to become a Which Recommended Provider.
For Silver Cross we did not have a big enough sample size to give a star rating for staff helpfulness or delivery, so we were unable to award our WRP endorsement.
Silver Cross - dubbed the ‘Rolls-Royce of prams’ - came joint first in our table with a customer score of 81%. It offers prams, car seats and nursery furniture. Customers felt that it makes high-quality products but offers less value for money than other retailers.
Maxi-Cosi came in close second with a customer score of 80%. The retailer, predominantly known for car seats, was praised for its high-quality products and good value for money. It also makes pushchairs, highchairs, travel cots and more.
It didn’t become a WRP because it scored a 3 in the staff helpfulness/knowledge category, and WRPs need at least a 4.
- Find out more: best and worst baby products according to parents
Which stores came bottom?
The table below reveals the three retailers that received the lowest customer scores in our survey.
| Retailer | Which? customer score | Product quality | Staff helpfulness/knowledge | Value for money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Range | 67% | |||
| Bella Baby | 67% | |||
| Baby Monitors Direct | 65% |
*The results are based on an online survey of 3,293 respondents. Our customer score is based on satisfaction with the brand and likelihood to recommend. The survey was conducted in May 2023.
At the bottom of the table is Baby Monitors Direct, which achieved a customer score of 65%. It received two stars for its product quality and value for money, and three stars for staff helpfulness and knowledge.
Also towards the bottom is Bella Baby and The Range, both scoring 67%.
The Range got two stars for its staff helpfulness and knowledge and for its product quality. It received three stars for value for money.
Bella Baby received a mediocre three stars in every category across the board.
- Find out more: best baby and child car seats of 2023
Online vs the high street - which is the most popular?
Baby retailers have been disappearing from the high street for some time. Mothercare closed its UK stores in 2019-20 and there are fewer branches of Mamas and Papas and even John Lewis to visit these days.
Numerous factors are behind this, from high rents to post-pandemic shopping habits.
Given the decreasing number of stores and often lower prices online, it's not surprising that three-quarters (74%) of shoppers made their most recent baby-equipment purchase online.
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