Shopping

Children's clothes are a maths problem: growth rate times seasons times siblings. We cover sizes across European, British and American systems, what to buy in quantity and what to buy well, second hand that is worth it and the capsule wardrobe idea applied to a seven year old.

Fewer, better toys keep children playing longer. Blocks, dolls, vehicles, art materials and things to climb on outlast most branded plastic by years. We review toys by how long they hold attention, how they survive being sat on and whether siblings can share them.

The pushchair is the most over researched purchase in family life and still the one most people get wrong. Where you live, how you travel and whether a second child is likely matter more than the brand. We break down travel systems, city strollers, all terrain buggies and the compact ones that fit in an overhead locker.

Family furniture must be washable, stable and boring enough to survive a change of taste. We cover cots and beds, high chairs, sofas that cope with juice, tables that grow with children and how to buy once instead of three times.

Family tech is anything that saves time, keeps everyone in touch or stops an argument: a shared calendar, a robot vacuum, a good baby monitor, headphones for the car and, eventually, a first phone. We test by daily use, not spec sheets.