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Being a parent is an expensive experience. A stroller alone can easily cost over a thousand dollars, not to mention the constant new clothing as children grow, formula and food for them to eat, and the rising costs (and challenge to find) of childcare. Unfortunately, there's no reprieve in sight, especially thanks to the new tariffs.
While there have been delays on some tariffs hitting areas like consumer technology and cars, and tariffs for several countries have pauses until July, tariffs for China have already kicked in at up to 145 percent. A huge percentage of products like car seats and strollers are made in China, putting them immediately under the heat of higher prices. “We’re already seeing a significant—and potentially devastating—impact on the cost of baby items,” says Natalie Gordon, founder and CEO of Babylist.
Most baby gear brands I reached out to declined to comment on any price increases they expect to see as the tariffs set in. Only one has confirmed for me so far. Cybex, maker of strollers and car seats, sent me the following statement: “Due to the impact of current global trade conditions and ongoing supply chain challenges, pricing adjustments will be implemented effective May 1.” But I wouldn't be surprised if more baby brands are set to follow the same plan, and just have yet to make a public statement about it. It's the same plan I've seen in other categories like digital notebooks.
Babylist, in contrast to the brands themselves, is a third-party marketplace designed around parenting gear and baby registries, and it is already seeing price changes happen in real time. “Brands are delaying inventory shipments and actively exploring price increases,” says Gordon. “One major stroller brand is considering raising prices by $300 to $400 on some of their most popular models. Others are adjusting prices incrementally, product by product, but these decisions are shifting daily.”
Made in China
With the tariffs hitting China particularly hard, worries about buying a technology device in time were the first concern. But China's also a big maker of baby products, especially some of the big-ticket essential items you'd find on any baby registry. “Ninety-seven percent of strollers and 87 percent of car seats are manufactured in China. These aren’t optional purchases. New parents can’t go without them," says Gordon.
This is especially true for a car seat. Unless you live somewhere with fantastic public transit outside your hospital, something only a few major American cities can claim, you won't be able to take your baby home without a car seat to place them in. Some hospitals even ask that you load your baby into that car seat before you even head out to your car, so they see you do it. Kids also grow into larger car seats and booster seats over the years, all of which could see price hikes.
Gordon's concern with these tariffs are the effect they'll have on safety. “They create an unnecessary and unfair financial burden on families at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives,” she says. “This isn’t just inconvenient—it threatens access to critical child-safety gear. If these tariffs stay in place, we’re looking at skyrocketing costs and potential shortages of must-haves.”
A Murky Future
In a country where there's a push to increase birth rates (and concern about access to abortion rights), it's counterintuitive to see that the cost of having a child is only going to rise. The Trump administration is considering things like a $5,000 baby bonus after giving birth, which often isn't enough for the hospital bill, let alone enough to pay for increasingly expensive safety products.
“It shouldn’t cost more to become a parent in America,” says Gordon. “These tariffs are essentially a baby tax on already struggling families. And the reality is, you can’t delay essentials like a crib or a car seat—your baby needs them when they need them.”
Cybex also acknowledged the undetermined future (a phrase current parents have already heard time and time again between the pandemic and now) ahead in the company's statement. “While the future remains somewhat uncertain, we understand the challenges facing our customers during these unprecedented times, and we’re continuing to evaluate market dynamics and operational costs in real time.”
Where does that leave us? Gordon expects a big move to secondhand purchasing. Babylist recently took a poll and found 67 percent of expecting parents who answered it planned to purchase things secondhand, and there are Facebook communities like Buy Nothing groups and parenting groups where you can find or sell secondhand items. Babylist also has support for this, with an “open to secondhand” option you can add to a baby registry and tips about how to shop secondhand baby gear.
The most important product to check if you're shopping secondhand is car seats. These have expiration dates, so be sure to check them if you're shopping for a car seat secondhand.
What to Buy Now
So, should you shop now ahead of more tariffs? Gordon says yes. “If you know what you want and you're in a position to purchase directly or share your registry now, it could be a smart move— especially for big-ticket items,” she says.
While Cybex has confirmed increased prices, it's been a maker of some of my favorite baby gear. I'm currently testing the Cybex Callisto G 360 car seat, which is a rotating all-in-one car seat you could use from infant stage all the way until a child is up to 120 pounds. Yes, you read that right—Cybex claims it can fit 10-year-olds with its adjustments. All-in-one car seats like these are a great investment right now, since you won't need to upgrade to a different car seat later, though you'll miss out on the convenience of carrying an infant car seat inside or moving it from the car to a stroller.
Speaking of strollers, those are another big-ticket item that can rise in price. The models I've found myself using the longest are actually travel strollers, since these tend to work better with your kid for longer and are more compact to use every day. These have limited compatibility with car seats for infant use, though, and don't face inward (but that's a pretty short-lived stage). My favorite is the Nuna TRVL, but the Bombi Bēbee V2 is pretty similar for a cheaper price, and has car seat adapter straps that work with a ton of popular infant car seat brands like Graco, Nuna, and even Uppababy.
There are plenty of other big-ticket items to consider beyond these—cribs! bassinets! breast pumps! baby monitors!—but it's up to you to figure out what to invest in now, and what you might want to gamble on the price of later.
