WHAT MAKES THE CUT
I started Also Mom because I wanted to help moms sift through the marketing hype and overeager shouts of thousands of brands proclaiming to be “the best.”
I’m talking lists of “must have” baby items, often sponsored by brands themselves, featuring a bunch of junk no one actually needs.
I’m talking buzz words and artificial metrics that mean nothing.
I’m talking brands capitalizing on parents’ well-meaning but all-too-easily persuadable desire to provide “the best” for their baby.
Kind of a minefield, right?
I sift so you don’t have to, and I keep sifting until all the nonsense is removed and only the actual best of the best remains.
Also Mom’s lists and reviews are the culmination of thousands of hours of research which is always on-going and never finished. I never EVER let advertising dollars sway my opinion, and I am always open to new players beating out old ones.
These are the criteria for what makes the cut into Also Mom’s top picks:
The Product Must Be...
- ESSENTIAL – It must be necessary and/or make your life as a parent significantly easier over the long term. I’m generally not about quickly outgrown gizmos and gadgets, especially ones with high tech components for high tech components’ sake.
- FUNCTIONAL – It must do the job it’s intended to do, and it must do that job extremely well.
- BEAUTIFUL – It must look good and fit in with your personal style.
- DURABLE – It must stand the test of time, certainly for as long as your child needs it and ideally for multiple babies in the future.
- REASONABLY PRICED – It must be reasonably priced for what it is. (On the website, whenever possible, I include a variety of products at a variety of price points, and I’m always transparent about what you’ll sacrifice or gain by choosing a less or more expensive option. I’m not into super luxury for super luxury’s sake, nor do I seek out the cheapest budget picks at the sacrifice of quality. I also know that money isn’t infinite and we all have to draw the line somewhere.)
- ON-BRAND FOR YOU – It must suit your lifestyle. Someone choosing to raise babies in the Colorado mountains will want different baby gear than someone choosing to raise babies in urban New York City. An artist might want different baby gear than an athlete.
I Also Prioritize Products That Are...
- NON-TOXIC – Especially when it comes to consumable goods or anything that will come in contact with your baby’s skin, the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database is my guide. (For those unfamiliar, the scale starts at one and goes as high as ten, with everything above a three qualifying as a medium to very high hazard. I never recommend anything that rates higher than a three.) I always ding products that contain harmful ingredients regardless of their popularity in the mainstream mom-o-sphere.
- ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSIDERATE – I like to keep the environment in mind when I can, and I give an extra shoutout to products and brands that are doing their part to make the earth cleaner and safer.
- FROM DO-GOOD BRANDS – I love a good brand story. Anything that’s sourced and made ethically, produced in the USA, and/or from brands who are giving back to worthy causes will win bonus warm fuzzies.