As a first time mom with little experience in parenting, it was important for me to use quality products for my newborn. My only problem was how to get some of the things I wanted: clothes made with 100% bamboo; organic beauty products; BPA-free plastics; my favorite brands etc. It was a frustrating process for a pro-organic consumer who lived in an environment that probably cared less about such. Just when I had given up on my search for local physical stores, I discovered Simply Infants and Early Years, a local online store for children.
After three successful orders from Simply Infants, I’ll rate my experience at somewhere between okay and good – that should be about 3.5 stars on a 5-star rating system. This low rating is because there are three items I’ve ordered on two occasions that had a musty smell, possibly due to being kept in storage for too long. These included a breastfeeding nursing cover, crib liner and a Fisher Price kids’ bottle bag. While this may seem like a turn off, it shouldn’t be because other products have been fine and I would’ve washed them before using anyway regardless of the state in which they arrived. One thing to commend though is their customer service. If I were to rate that separately, it would’ve been a 4 on a 5-star rating system. Products are delivered in a timely manner; they’re quick to respond to orders and call customers soon after an order is placed online to confirm before immediately making arrangement for delivery. Customers are given the option to pay cash or make a bank transfer upon delivery which is always a plus. Their line of products, though not a wide variety, cover popular global brands and most importantly are original. I appreciate that they indicate on their website which of the products are made in China to give you an opportunity to decide if you want it. They also have a physical store in Yaba.
Early Years is another online store for children I discovered soon after Simply Infants. What I love about Early Years is the fact that they have a wider variety of products from trusted global brands such as Medela (almost everything you can think of from milk storage bags to breast pumps and a whole lot more), Tommee Tippee, Dr. Brown, Graco and others. Just like Simply Infants, you’re given the option to pay in cash or make a bank transfer upon delivery. I have ordered only once from them so I might need a few more experiences to make accurate conclusions but so far, my issues are as follows: It took longer (at least 24 hours), compared to Simply Infants, for them to call to confirm my first order, which was actually three times more than I’ve spent at Simply Infants at a time. Their prices are slightly higher than Simply Infants although most of the products and brands are the same. Also, some of their products though displayed online as in stock are actually unavailable – I was quite bummed that they didn’t have two items I ordered online. Additionally, a box containing Medela milk storage bags I ordered looked a bit worn out which could indicate that the products had been in storage for a while.
Despite the cons outlined for both stores, I’ll still recommend them because so far, they haven’t disappointed me on any order. What I’ve ordered is exactly what has been delivered to me, thus, allaying fears of purchasing fake, hazardous products for my child.
Are there any legitimate online children stores you’ve used? Tell us about them by tagging us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.