What's in the Amazon Baby Box - and is it worth it?

Every mum and mum-to-be probably already has Amazon on tap. You're knackered, you're at home a lot - it's the obvious place to pick up books / DVDs / toys / nappies. And since you can do it with one hand whilst feeding at 3am, the online behemoth already has a big chunk of the parent pound. 

But it wants more - so now it's launched the Baby Box. This is a freebie that's going to be sent out - from today - to anyone who sets up a nursery wish list (aka baby registry in the US) and has Amazon Prime. This £79/year membership currently provides unlimited speedy delivery, unlimited cloud photo storage (amazing for those gazillion newborn snaps), and access to Amazon's own film and TV streaming service. Now parents can nab this box of goodies, too. You don't have to make a purchase from your set up Wish List, but, if you were thinking of using the loophole of getting a month's free Prime trial, receiving the box, then cancelling, you can't: it's only sent out after the end of any 30 day trial. So is it worth it?

Opening the box, I was surprised. Most free baby services, like Emma's Diary and the Boots baby club, give a few sample-size freebies. This is more premium. The items collectively are worth £40. They include:

1x large (46in by 46in) muslin swaddle blanket, with a cute hedgehog design

1 x Lamaze bunny toy

1 x Disney Winnie the Pooh teether 

1 x tube of Medela Purelan lanolin (amazing on sore nipples!) - sample size

1 x bottle - either MAM anti-colic bottle or a Tommee Tippee easi-vent one

1 x Weleda Baby Derma nappy cream - sample size

1 x Angel Care Nappy bag dispenser or two bags of refills

1 x Organix baby rice or porridge

1 x Amazon parenting book (which is mostly advertising)

It's a pretty nice bundle to receive. Sure, it's a marketing rouse - but Amazon didn't get to be the biggest online retailer without being clever. If you're not going to get value out of a Prime membership independent of this box, then it's probably not worth your while - you likely won't use every item in the box, for example - and some might hang around for a bit (the porridge until weaning time, for example) and take up space. 

But if you're already a Prime member or reckon you'll use the other benefits too, this is a lovely, useful load of baby goodies that'll fab for any parent or parent-to-be to unwrap.


* The Amazon Baby Box was sent to Run Out of Womb, and we decided to review it. Rest assured, though, that we're seriously gobby and would never rant about something that's rubbish...