I am probably the complete opposite of a impulse buyer. I take centuries to make a decision when I buy something. It’s an agonizing process for everyone, myself included. I think it all comes down to the fact that dislike making mistakes and can get some bad buyer’s remorse. I think: what if I can find it for a better price, or what if I find something I like better? And I do this with practically everything. Maybe even gum. Okay, gum might be stretching it, but I do still ponder at the check-out if I really need the gum, which flavor, yada yada yada.

Over the years, I have found that knowing something about the item before I buy the items helps me make a quicker decision. This is where reviews and ratings come in. Again, no surprise, I now want to check everything I buy for some sort of review or rating first. The power of the internet for better or worse, eh?

Now, when it comes to kid specifics, I get even more review crazy. I want to be sure I really need it, then I want to find the best of the best (because there are so many options out there), and lately I want to avoid paying a fortune for it. Luckily, there is help out there. Although, you have to be careful as there are a LOT of sites and lists with recommendations – I speak from experience, it can get overwhelming (especially if you use Pinterest and picks up on your habits). I have my go-to sites and they’ve been pretty good at steering me in the right direction.

1) HelloBee – Yup, right on the site you’re currently on. In case you didn’t know, HelloBee has an excellent Best of Gear page and is a great resource. I love how it is categorized to help you easily find what you are looking for.

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2) Lucie’s List – This is another go-to site I love. If you read the reviews, they can actually be humorous. My favorite was when I was looking up swim diapers, ha!

3) Babylist – This is the site where I had my registry for Petit Macaron, but it also has a great section for best products. This had a nice navigation bar with different options like Gear, Sleep, Feeding…all the things you need to know (and worry about) as a mom.

4) The Night Light – There is not quite as many types of items reviewed or recommended on this site, but I do like the recommendations and methods behind the recommendations. I used this a bunch when I built my registry and when we were still purchasing many of the items at the start of the whole baby journey likes strollers, car seats, etc.

5) Bloggers – I follow lots of blogs – I mainly follow them for recipes since baking & cooking is a hobby of mine. But, may of the bloggers I follow are also moms and have shared some of their favorites. I think the best reviews come from friends and while they are not technically my friends on a personal level, I do feel like they are friends. Check out Cup of Jo, Jones Design Company, and How Sweet It Is.

6) Other Sites – This list could go on and on, but I try to keep it smaller so as not to bombard you with so many options (that’s a downfall of mine, I give myself too many options and then I get stuck in a non-decision-making pattern). If you want more options, you can also check out Pregnant Chicken, Baby Center, and Cribsie Awards for more.

There are times, believe it or not, when you need to buy something not necessarily baby related. In those instances, I head to one of these three sites.

1) The Sweet Home – I love this site and it really narrows down the options for me when I’m looking for something specific for our home. The products they review are all home focused like towels, sheets, etc. I appreciate the thorough testing and so I feel much more confident when making my purchase that it’s not just something I landed with randomly. In fact, I was just going to get popsicle molds and low and behold, it had a recommendation!

2) The Wirecutter – This is the sister site to Sweet Home, but this site is more focused on electronics and gadgets (think TVs, computers, etc). They have the same thorough testing and it makes me feel so much safer with my purchases.

3) Amazon – I love the reviews and star ratings that Amazon has for its products. Look for products that are 4+ stars and have tons of reviewers. I like to look at the star rating in conjunction with the reviews to be sure it’s not just someone ranting over something stupid. I almost hate buying things at the store without having checked out the ratings/reviews first.

4) Friends & Family – Always, always, always the first and best option for getting advice. I think my friends and family offer the best advice and would trust their judgement. So, ask your network and see what they say especially for those big purchases!

Do you have any sites you like to use before making a purchase?