Growgether - Buying Better For Babies: A Practical Guide To Evaluating Safety, Quality And Everyday Use
A practical guide for parents on choosing baby products, focusing on verified safety standards, product quality, material checks and everyday convenience.
Few purchases involve as much research or as much anxiety as a baby’s first products. Parents compare prices, scroll through reviews and seek recommendations from friends. Yet many baby products are still chosen primarily on appearance, price and star ratings.
These factors matter, but they cannot tell a parent whether a high chair will remain upright when a toddler leans over its side, or whether a mattress is free from harmful substances.
A more reliable approach is to evaluate every product through three lenses, in a fixed order: safety, quality and everyday use. A product that fails the first should never reach the second.
Lens one: Safety that can be verified
The most important safety features of a baby product are usually invisible. A crib’s structural strength or a stroller’s braking performance cannot be judged from a photograph. What a parent can check is whether the product has been independently tested against a recognised safety standard.
When a product claims to be “certified”, look for three things. First, the exact standard it was tested against, such as EN 14988 for a high chair. Second, the name of the independent laboratory that carried out the testing. Third, a certificate or test report that the brand is willing to share.
Be wary of vague words such as “safe”, “non-toxic” or “premium” when they appear on their own. Such claims may be accurate, but without supporting evidence, parents have little basis for verifying them.
Some brands now publish this information openly. Growgether, an Indian baby brand, provides product-specific safety information on its website, including applicable standards and independent testing laboratories. “Because different products have different requirements, we prefer to state the specific standards and testing that apply to each product, and not make broad safety claims across the whole portfolio,” says co-founder Supreet Gill.
Standards at a glance
The table below lists some of the most widely used international standards for baby products, and what each one covers.
For high chairs, EN 14988 covers stability, harness and the risk of a child slipping out or becoming trapped. For cots or cribs, EN 716 covers the strength of the structure, spacing between slats and height of the sides.
For strollers or prams, EN 1888 covers brakes, folding locks, stability, harness and durability. For soft baby carriers, EN 13209-2 covers the strength of straps and buckles, and how securely the child is held.
For infant rockers or bouncers, EN 12790 covers stability, restraint and resistance to tipping. For car seats, UN ECE R44/04 or UN R129 (i-Size) covers crash performance and how the child is restrained.
For paints and finishes, EN 71-3 sets limits on harmful elements such as lead. For fabrics and mattress materials, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 involves testing for harmful substances in textiles.
For toys, look for the BIS mark, which has been mandatory for toys sold in India since 2021.
What to check, product by product
High chairs. Look for a wide, stable base and a 5-point harness, not merely a waist strap. Make sure the tray locks firmly and that any surface the child eats from is food-safe and BPA-free. Check the maximum weight the chair is certified to carry.
Cribs and mattresses. The mattress should fit the crib snugly, leaving no gaps at the sides in which a baby could become trapped. A base that lowers as the baby learns to sit and stand keeps the child safely below the rail. For safe sleep, choose a firm, flat mattress, place the baby on their back and keep the crib free of pillows, bumpers and soft toys.
Strollers. Test the brakes, the harness and the fold. A good stroller has a lock that prevents it from folding while a child is seated. Reflective details improve visibility in low light, and a canopy provides protection from the sun.
Baby carriers. A baby carrier should support the baby's natural M-position, with the knees slightly higher than the bottom to encourage healthy hip positioning. The baby's face should remain clearly visible, with the head and neck properly supported, the nose and mouth unobstructed, and the chin kept away from the chest to allow comfortable breathing.
Skincare and wipes. Words such as “gentle” or “natural” are not enough to judge a product’s suitability. What matters is the formulation and the evidence behind its claims. Look for products with clearly disclosed ingredients and evidence of dermatological testing. Check whether the formulation is suitable for your baby’s age and skin needs, and always review the batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date. “We would rather be deliberate about what goes into a product, and why, than have the longest ingredient list,” Gill says.
Lens two: Quality that can be stated plainly
Once a product has cleared the safety check, examine how it is made. Genuine quality is usually something a brand can describe in specific terms rather than in adjectives.
Ask what the product is made of. Solid wood such as pine or beech is generally sturdier and longer-lasting than particle board. Steel or aluminium frames should feel rigid, with no wobble at the joints. Fabrics should be well stitched, and zips and buckles should move smoothly.
Check what the product is built to handle. A clearly stated weight limit or age range is useful; a vague claim such as “suitable for toddlers” is not. For finishes and materials that a child may touch or mouth, look for specific testing information and evidence of compliance with applicable limits on harmful substances.
Finally, consider what happens after the sale. A meaningful warranty, a clear replacement policy and a customer-care team that can genuinely be reached are all part of quality.
“Quality should be something we can state plainly,” says Gill. “We tell parents what a product is made of and what it is built to handle.” At Growgether, that means specifying the New Zealand pinewood used in its Apex crib and the solid beechwood legs of its Orbit high chair, alongside clearly stated product warranties.
Lens three: How it fits into everyday life
A product can be safe and well made and still end up unused in a corner. The final test is how it fits into the reality of daily life with a baby.
Think about who will use it. In many Indian homes, the same product may be handled by parents, grandparents and a nanny within a single week. It should be intuitive enough that nobody has to reach for the manual. “You shouldn’t need a manual every time another family member uses the product,” Gill says.
Picture a busy day. Parents often have one arm occupied holding a baby. Can the stroller fold with one hand? Can the harness be fastened quickly? Can the tray or cover be removed and washed without a struggle?
Consider your home and the climate. Measure the available space before buying larger items such as cribs and high chairs. In India’s heat and humidity, breathable materials and washable covers make a real difference to a baby’s comfort and to hygiene.
Count the years, not just the price. Babies outgrow products quickly. A product designed for use across multiple developmental stages may offer better value over time, provided it remains appropriate for the child's size, needs and stage of development.
Skip what you don’t need. More features do not necessarily make a better product. “If a feature does not make a parent’s day safer or easier, we leave it out,” Gill says of Growgether’s own design approach.
Buy less, buy better
The best baby products rarely announce themselves. They simply work, day after day, without giving a parent one more thing to worry about.
Getting there means asking for proof of safety first, then examining closely how a product is made, and finally imagining it in one’s own home on an ordinary, tiring day. Parents who buy this way often find that they need fewer products, and that they trust the ones they choose far more.
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