Is Buying Children's Furniture At The Thrift Store A Good Idea?

If you have kids, you are familiar with the endless joy they bring. You also know a thing or two about the endless expenses that come with being a parent. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to cut costs, including buying generic brands and borrowing items instead of purchasing them. Another great way to spend less when you have kids is to buy things secondhand. When it comes to children's furniture, purchasing from a thrift store, depending on the item, can save you hundreds of dollars. However, there are certain children's items, even when sold at a hefty discount, that should not be purchased secondhand. You may already know that buying car seats from the thrift store is a big no-no, but there are also a lot of kids' furniture pieces that shouldn't be purchased there, either. Cribs, high chairs, antique furniture, and anything that is upholstered may come with risks that outweigh their low prices.

As frustrating as it may be to find the perfect piece of furniture for your child at a dream price, there are good reasons not to buy certain types of furniture at a thrift store. Some of these reasons could actually impact the health and safety of your child. From lead paint to safety recalls, it's a good idea to know what to look out for on your next furniture thrifting trip.

As mentioned, car seats should not be purchased at thrift stores (or through other secondhand markets) because there is no way to verify whether the seat has been in an accident. Since the plastic in car seats can weaken or break in accidents, it makes them unsafe for further use. Strollers with missing hardware or that operate improperly should be left on the shelf, as well. Other furniture you should avoid buying for your kids at the thrift store includes upholstered items, which can harbor odors and pests, including bed bugs, and antique furniture, which may be covered with lead-based paint. 

As far as purchasing cribs from thrift stores goes, that's a bit of a gray area. You might be able to find a perfectly safe crib at a thrift store. Newer fixed-side cribs that are in good condition may be a suitable option. There are some rules to go by before you buy, though. 

The first is to make sure the crib was made after 2011. That's when federal safety standards took effect, which required cribs to be manufactured without the drop-side design. You can find the manufacture date on the crib's label, along with the model number. While you are checking the date, you should also check for recalls on the specific model number. You can search for it on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website. It's also a good idea to see if you can find an instruction manual online for that specific crib. If everything checks out and the crib is in good condition, you are good to go. If there is no label on the crib, it's best to think twice before buying it at the thrift store. 

The news about buying thrift store furniture for your kids isn't all bad. There are still plenty of things that are fine to buy. Dressers, toy boxes, and dollhouses are all great kids' furniture finds if they're newer without the risk of lead paint. It's even fine to buy changing tables, play yards, and high chairs second-hand, provided they are in good repair. 

There are caveats, though. Changing tables are safer when they have straps. Play yards that were manufactured before 2013 come with an elevated risk of suffocation and strangulation due to the lack of safety standards, so stick with newer models. As far as high chairs go, you should only thrift one with a five-point harness and a crotch post to prevent your little one from falling out. Just as with a crib, though, it's always best to run the model number through the CPSC website to check for recalls. If you find one of these items that checks all of the boxes, you are good to go.

When buying any children's furniture item at a thrift store, it's important to keep a few things in mind. Sometimes, people donate items to declutter that are in perfectly good condition, but other people get rid of things that are defective or otherwise problematic. Always inspect the quality of the piece you are buying. If you push on a piece of wood furniture and it moves a little, it's not solid wood. Check for cracks and splinters that could become dangerous. For plastic furniture, inspect the entire piece, including the underside, for cracks. Check pieces like high chairs and changing tables to make sure they're stable and won't tip easily.