The Best Baby Stores in Toronto

At Spadina and Baldwin one building north of the red green liquor store there's a small store whose name I can't remember with smaller stuff (bibs, shoes, socks, blankets etc) that are WAY WAY WAY cheaper than these places...

Little Lola over at Annette and Jane streets is a fantastic store that didn't make the list.

I'd just be a little hesitant about the origins of the stuff - there isn't a great track-record for cheap baby stuff. Lead paint, magnets etc. You really have to go shopping with your eyes wide open.

Babies?
Ugh!

As a first-time mama due in November, with so much other research/prep stuff going on, this list is a godsend!! Thank you!

Love Baby on the Hip, can vouch for it being super cool and they have super fun finds.

I had a really, really bad experience at Crayons. Not going to bash, but I didn't love it.

I have to give two thumbs up for the awesome selection at Dear-Born Baby also (http://www.dearbornbaby.com) which may have not made the list as it's in Thornhill, but my parents shopped at the store (it's been around for-ever) and so have I since my little wee one joined our fam.

Love the list!!!

Well said DDT.
Babies are ok for the most part(when sleeping) but seriously i'd love to know why baby owners thing they are above all rules as well. Just the other day at home (i live in a gated residence) some parent had the audacity to post a sign on the gate "to ensure we dont let the gate close to loudly as their baby is sleeping". Umm...ya...not sure that some parent has any say in how people close the gate in their own home simply because they chose to have said child and live in this community. Needless to say that sign was removed within mere hours of its posting. Give your heads a shake baby owners.

Baby on the Hip...
Kool Kid...
Ella and Elliot...
Hello Sunshine...
This is definitely the a top 10 for the elite. Way too expensive and way to little brand selection. I've been totally ignored more than once in Kool Kid.

Mom's to be and More - a great store in my experience.
Diaper-Eze - another great local store. Awesome sales people; knowledgeable and friendly and will take all the time in the world
to explain diapers and diapering.
Macklem's is also a gem.

I would add Honeybunch Homestore in Bloor West Village. For clothes, I also really love the new-ish Bumbleberry Kids consignment shop in the Beach for those trying to save a few bucks. She stocks really great gently used brand name items. http://sweetmama.ca/toronto/sweet_nothing/8309/tor_snappy_secondhand

I shop at baby on the hip all the time because it's close by, and I think it's a bit of a misconception that it's for the elite....i find their prices to be quite competitive. Plus, it makes sense that some of the items are a little pricier, it's usually for the fair-trade, organic etc. items, which you're probably used to paying more for if you're into that stuff. Great picks...I'd have to agree with the top 5!

I just came across this site & i love it. I think I do something very similar for Seattle - a girl's guide to the city! :)

I love this list of stores- from what I saw, I noticed you could shop some of these stores online, which reminded me of a seattle-based website: http://www.wishpot.com. The site allows you to create wish/shopping lists, so you can add your fave items from these stores to your list & then do price comparisons to find where to get them cheapest! amazing!

hope it helps. love the site- will definitely be back!

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Susan

http://toddlergirls.net

Regarding the store on Spadina, it's called Precious Creations, and it also has cheap brand name lingerie! Yipee! It's a fantastic Toronto find.

agreed, mel. yes, there are rude parents with strollers, but there are plenty of rude pedestrians pushing us off the sidewalk. of course, parent-bashing has become quite the trend in toronto lately.

If they are going to breastfeed a wonderful gift is by Oopsie's called "Hot Totties". You can get them at Li'l Niblets and Baby Spouts. Canadian Made and all natural. I used them around the baby in stroller after I was done using them for nursing. You can heat them up or put them in the freezer to take away discomfort. FANTASTIC!

I agree with most of this list, except I expected Little Niblets to be in the top six (the six best in town, IMO). As for people bashing "baby owners"? They're called PARENTS. Please. Who is being pretentious?

Also, I feel I must defend Ella and Elliot after the comment above. Though they carry expensive things, the people who work there have been nothing but lovely to my partner and I. Klaire, I'm pretty sure there was another furniture store there before, so I have no idea how a new furniture store (albeit for baby) could "destroy" the community. Asking people not to shop in a store that is in your neighbourhood is more of a disservice to your "community" than anything the shop owners could have done. For shame.

Klaire, DDT, and Colic should have kids before judging parents. Yes rude parents do walk around running people over but idiots that think it's easy to take care of a child also walk around giving u dirty looks when ur child is crying because of gas or what about idiots that sit on the bus, streetcar and subways looking at ur huge pregnant belly and don't get up and offer the seat to u or the old man holding a cane that can't even stand straight.

Comments from Klaire have been removed as they were determined to be slanderous and did not include sufficient facts to support her claims.

As a first time parrent I have been to and purchased many items at quite a few of the stores listed here. Baby on this Hip is great with a fantastic staff. Crayons is also quite good and knowledgable on the products they carry.

My only warning from this site is Lil Niblets...be very careful when dealing with them as they have absolutely no idea whatsoever about what they are doing. I ordered furniture for my nursury 12 weeks before my child was born and waited 12 weeks after she was born to receive the products. I was patient and waited the 12 weeks and even gave an additional 2 weeks after my daughter was born to start calling and making my inquiries. I would have cancelled if everywhere else was not quoting 8 to 12 weeks as well. Problem here is that I had to be the one to call countless times to find out where my furniture was!! They never once called to let me know what was going on. Got your money so we don't care attitude. Be very carefull if you intend on dealing with them.

If you go just north of the city about 20-30 mins you can save HALF OFF THE PRICES OF ANY STORE IN DOWNTOWN listed here!!!No doubt these stores are wonderful, Ive been to a few. but you must check out THE CRIB SHOPPE ! -- www.thecribshoppe.com --
I got a crib , dresser/change table and a rocking chair with foot stool for only $1,000!! it was worth the drive. Here in downtown , I was quoted $2800 for the same sets which I couldnt afford.

I'm a proud "baby owner" of 2 beautiful girls. Though I do consider myself a parent. Guess some of these people who have nothing but slanderous things to say didn't have parents they can appreciate or are jealous. Either way...remember that you were a baby once and your parents were "baby owners" too. One day you'll wake up and realize that you aren't the center of everyone's universe either =). You'll be the first one complaining if you ever have kids and these things happen to you. I've had my fair share of rude pedistrians..but I've had just as many rude drivers...drivers that HONK at me when I'm crossing on a white man with my toddler who DOES walk slower than an adult. Since when did parents and children become less important citizens?? I must have missed that by-law, then again with Toronto, I suppose it's only time before that happens. I'm leaving the city soon, can't wait to see Toronto in the rear-view mirror =)

The nursing tops at Evymama are super expensive. They only carry Boob. I much prefer Momzelle nursing tops (www.momzelle.com). They are just as nice for almost half the price! I bought three tops at the Momzelle boutique at Bloor and Christie and I wear them all the time. They do not sell anything else than their nursing tops, so it is not really a baby store, but still, I thought I'd mention it here!

I'm a father of 2, plus expecting one more. Kids are expensive and I've done my due diligence of price shopping. I have yet to see any store in Canada even come close to the deals I get from USA retailers. Its ridiculous the amount I've saved shopping south of the boarder.
http://www.albeebaby.com is excellent for on line shopping.

http://www.buybuybaby.com is an excellent bricks and mortar store. They accept coupons from Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and even from babiesrus. Using a coupon, I just bought an Alpha Omega Elite for $86 USD. The same seat sells in Canada for $200.

If Canadian retailers want my support, they should do a better job at fighting for price equality.

PS I also just bought a 2010 Toyota Sienna from USA. MRSP in Canada is $35k, same car in USA is $28k. You do the math.

ooh, I only found this now. Many of these stores carry our wooden building blocks. I'm so honored that they are "la creme de la creme".

Cheers, Hans (from Ukoonto)

Hi Everyone,

This is the best list I have seen so far. Thanks for having this up.

We just went by Dear Born and although it didn't make the list, it was a great place in terms of their selection.

To save to be parents a trip in the future I'd like to share our story about Crayons. We just went looking for Crayons: their first store on Kingston Rd. we learned was relocated, due to a sign on their closed store, so we rushed to the relocated store in Mall space further west on Kingston Rd. just to learn that it was shut down in that location as well. We were very disappointed, since we didn't expect such a popular store to have gone under.


Hope it helps.

Good luck all and congratulations!

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Moms To Be and More's managers are horrible. They told me my crib would arrive prior to my baby's due date, and it arrived when she was two months old! And they wouldn't give me a refund! All they did was offer me a used "loaner" bassinet. Their front line staff is great, but their managers are horrid.

You have to check out this website I stumbled across: www.roomstogrow.ca She is this wonderful lady who is also designer - she sells wholesale furniture from her website and out of her home in Oakville. She has the best selection of cribs and kids furniture and she gives free design advice when you purchase from her. I bought a convertible crib and large dresser combo for $650 plus taxes and that included a mattress. It's by appointment only but when you go to her home and she has a small showroom with a few sets on display. You can tell by the way she's decorated her home and the room she showcases her furniture in that she really knows what she's doing - gorgeous! She is also really nice and when you meet her you feel like you've known her for years. Better still, she has the lowest prices in town!

There is a shop I found just outside of toronto....not far...QEW and Erin Mills in side the sheridan mall called Baby's Palace. This store should definantly be on this list. The selection of product is astonishing. They have everything and I mean everything. Cribs, Dressers, Strollers, car seats, highchairs, pack n plays clothing shoes etc. The service and prices were unbelievable. All major brands cheaper then anywhere else. Trust me its worth the drive. We got everything from them. They have another location in brampton somewhere.

Gina:
BOTH these companies offer refunds if you are not happy, why dont you just get one? rather than write lies. Both companies carry solid wood collections as well as mdf. I bought a solid wood crib and dresser at the crib shopp and am very happy with it. Its certainly NOT seconds, if you want seconds or used go to once upon a child or the fleamarket. this sounds like a phony comment to me.

re: pricing, manufacturers set a MSRP that all retailers, (boutique retailers) abide.
its not the retailer pricing the items, its the manufacturer.

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hi i plan to purchase items online from Aleebaby.com but they don't ship to Canada, do you have any idea on how to be able to purchase from them and ship the items to Ontario Canada?
I plan to buy stroller,car seat,crib and feeding bottle gift set for my 1st baby due this Oct.
Hope to hear from you.

Thank you.

I live close to a store called Dearborne Baby - I have shopped there and have had friends shop there - the service is absolutely terrible with the exception of one sales clerk in my experience. I have been in teh store many times where the manager or the owner (not sure of her position) - is telling the customer a 'too bad no return policy' - not very sympathetic at all and this had to do with a car sear that was not suitable for their child even though the store clerk recommended it. My last visit there I was going to purchase some items for my newborn and the sales lady was so rude I basically left the items at the register and walked out. I later found a store on Avenue - Lil Nibletts and Baby Sprouts - much friendlier. I would much rather give my business to someone who deserves it.

One place i think everyone should avoid is Top Kids in Square One. It is ridiculusly expensive, has a terrible return policy and HORRIBLE customer service. The two ladies actually talked about me too each other while I stood there.

Hi,
I bought my crib at The crib shoppe (www.thecribshoppe.com) in Vaughan. I went to the factory and paid $299 for a solid wood convertible crib, the dresser/changing unit was $399 and I got an organic mattresse for $149 - (which retails $249 in stores in the downtown core). I picked up at the factory and everything went smoothly. Loved the fact that the prices are so low and I SAVED ALOT! also all the items are always in stock at the warehouse. Quality is good, heavy duty.
Will be back for my second.

I'm quite surprised that 2 of the best children's stores serving Toronto's parents & children for over 20 years -Jacadi - Hazelton Lanes & Bayview Village are not on your lists or reviewed. It makes me wonder how you miss the best while listing stores that are no longer in business.

I should have mentioned my last furniture purchase 2 weeks ago for my oldest child's room was $550.oo cheaper than Dearborn Baby!!!
Cheers!

Let's have babies people!
Who will pay our CPP when we get old?
We need young people, too much old folks in Canada
Don't you think?

We found this trendy baby store in Yorkville called BB Buggy, and bought our stroller and car seat from them. They are specialized in the Bugaboo Stroller and very knowlegable with their products, answered all our questions and gave us a great demo on how to assemble and use the stroller. They even deliver the products to our condo in downtown. This is great experience for new parents like us.

i agree with you, that everything is a lot cheaper in US. But how do you bring it in to Canada? Many online stores do not send goods to Canada. Could you share your experience?

Wow, this got a little fierce for a bit. The truth is, we can all be a little wandery and inconsiderate from time to time in Toronto. It's a big city and people get grumpy. But for all the jerk-faces out there there are lots of great people who want to help and be pleasant. Thank you, Polyanna.
Aaaaanyhoo, my question for y'all is "what is the ideal stroller for a car-less Torontonian who walks alot - in rain, sleet and snow - takes TTC and doesn't have a butt-load to spend on a stroller?" Any advice?

hi...
Would anyone be knowing where i can find an Indian Style baby swing for my 6 months old daughter (around Toronto /Markham).

She is used to the side ways movement of an indian style swing. Having a tough time making her sleep.

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Although L'il Niblets does have a great selection, their customer service is very, very poor. I have purchased several products and recommended two friends register here, but I am no longer a fan. I recently purchased child proof locks from them and when they did not fit my cupboard I asked for a refund. They said since the packaging was open I couldn't have my money back ($29.99) - how would I know they didn't fit if I didn't open the package?? They had clearly never been installed. Odd thing was I had over $250 worth of merchandise on the counter I wanted to purchase. The sales clerk called the manager, who didn't have the decency to come out a speak to me. Since they keep a record of all purcahses on file I thought she may have looked me up to see what a loyal customer I was, but I guess that didn't matter. Further the sales clerk looked shocked when I walked away from my purchase. I will not shop there and I will not recommend them. As a busy parent trying to provide for my child I find it offensive that Lil Niblets would not be more accomodating