Products & equipment

There are many aprons on the market but the personalised with a name aprons from My First Years are a definite winner. Harriet Coates put one to the test.

Photobooks make a wonderfully personal present for any occasion so with Mothering Sunday in mind, Anne Coates has been working on a photo book from Vistaprint.

Organix has launched Cook with Organix, a new home cooking range set to revolutionise the babyfood aisle. Cook with Organix Recipe Bases provide the starting point for a meal, to which you can simply add the finishing touches and Cook with Organix Paste Pots allow you to create a meal from your own choice of ingredients, using a wide range of available recipes. Michaela Braisher put them to the test.

Designed by a father who wanted a more hygienic lunchbox for his own children, Kidzpod certainly scored highly in the Bell household.

Ruth Campbell has an eye for design and safety and was impressed by the Britax Baby Safe Plus SHR II car seat.

As the mother of 20 month old twins, Rebecca Bull already had tried various buggies none of which was ideal so she was looking forward to trying the Britax B – Agile Double Buggy.

An award winning innovation, The Scrubba™ wash bag is perfect for back-packers, festival goiers and families on holiday. Anne Coates tried it out on her trip to India.

Emily Elias was surprised when her son chose the Darth Vadar pyjamas to try out from Fabric Flavours but he loves them and his mum was impressed too!

If you gave up using a baby alarm when you felt more confident with your baby sleeping in a different room, you might think again with this video baby monitor from MOTOROLA. Gain reassurance that your child is safe and happy sleeping or playing. Keep an eye on a sick child. A perfect investment, writes Anne Coates.

Exclusive to Waitrose is a selection of ready prepared meals by top chef Heston Blumenthal.   Heston has given his special touch to well-known classics and the new Heston from Waitrose range features five main courses and two side dishes. Ruth Campbell tried them on her husband who had yet to be converted to the joys of ready meals.

No home should be without a thermometer – it’s the first thing we should reach for when a member of the family is ill. There’s a wide range on the market but this Aldi thermometer is multifunctional making it a cost-effective purchase.

Anne Coates tried out  the Vango Stone 20 rucsac and has decided it will be her day bag when travelling in India. It's also perfect for school children!

Non-slip grip socks that adjust to fit the shape of each foot from six months to four years – Grippa Socks as the perfect answer to indoor footware and slippery floors, writes Anne Coates.

Anne Coates put the Britax B-AGILE 3 pushchair through its paces on a recent trip to Brighton travelling by bus, train and across the stoney beach. B-AGILE 3 passed with flying colours!

Research by the Hygiene Council reveals that less that 44 per cent of lunchboxes are cleaned and disinfected daily. Cross-contamination can cause food-borne illnesses. Here are some tips and advice for lunchbox hygiene.

This year's collection of Clarks Back To School shoes is even more fashionable than ever. Louise Pollard took daughter Mathilde to the Clarks shop in Bromley to try out their fitting service.

Emily Elias has already seen two children – her daughter and older son – through toilet training so was ideally placed to try out the Tippitoes Boy's Toilet Trainer for her younger son, Sam.

Going to school or nursery your children's clothes and possessions need to be labelled. The Brother Labelling Machine will print as many or as few labels as you need and, of course, you can change the name for each child. So if it's back to school of just starting, Brother P-touch 1080 makes identifying clothing an belongings so much easier.