One Step Ahead

Full review
One Step Ahead specializes in offering unique products that cater to children from birth to 3 years old. I first discovered the website when Kid was only a couple weeks old as a result of receiving their catalog in the mail. I love to browse children’s products, and One Step Ahead is the best site I’ve found to do so.

Browsing

The site is divided up into sections to make browsing easier. One Step Ahead offers categories devoted to clothes (baby and maternity), bath and health, travel gear, safety, feeding, nursery, toys, and seasonal. Subcategories provide further breakdowns. For instance, the clothing category is broken down into subcategories such as outdoor wear, swimwear, costumes, etc. The feeding category is broken down into subs such as breastfeeding, bottle feeding, solids, accessories, etc.

The pictures for each product are large and clear and the descriptions are packed with information on features. Even more helpful, for the shopper who doesn’t have to buy and run, are the “Shop Smarter” tips provided in each category. In feeding, you can find tips on eating out with your baby. In bath products, you can find information on toilet training, and so on. It’s a bonus that a lot of online stores don’t offer.

The search function on the site is spot on, in my experience. Typing in a brand name never fails to bring up all the products by that brand. I also like that I can just type in the item number from my catalog to quickly bring up something I want to look into or purchase.

Product Selection & Pricing

A lot of the products offered on this website are One Step Ahead’s own innovations. But I do see many familiar brand names: Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Bumbo, Chicco, Lamaze, and Kidsline, just to name a few. If you’re looking for a place to buy just a few “standard” items, I’d probably not recommend this site. I don’t go shopping here if I need some replacement bottle nipples, sippy cups or diapers. But if you want to purchase some unique items alone or mixed with a few standard items, this is the place to find them!

This is primarily the site I look at for unique apparel, safety items, and toys. I’ve purchased several SPF clothing items, travel and home safety items and a few toys from One Step Ahead over the last 10 months and been pleased each time. Some of the more unique items that I’ve spotted on this site include a Tinkle Target for potty training, knee pads for crawlers, a car seat footrest, and a portable baby changer. Obviously, a lot of innovative baby products are not necessary, but they are fun to look at and sometimes to buy as gifts or luxuries. One Step Ahead still carries many more traditional items, including bouncers, carriers, swings, feeding accessories, potty chairs, and more.

The pricing from One Step Ahead is pretty competitive. But unless an item is in the Sale section, I don’t usually find any products priced lower than in the stores, so it’s not a bargain website. They do offer a price guarantee on products if you can call and provide information as to where you located the lower price so that they can match it. Shipping can be a little pricy because it’s based upon your order’s total cost as opposed to weight or quantity and increases with each $15 increment in cost. A $75 will cost almost $12 to ship standard (6-10 days).

Ordering & Receipt

Ordering on One Step Ahead is simple if you’ve ordered online before. When you wish to purchase a product, you simply type the quantity in the box on the product page, select any available options (color, size, etc.), and add it to your basket. When you are done choosing products, you can opt to Check Out. You are able to check out with or without creating an account. You’ll be prompted for your billing and shipping address, to choose a shipment option, and finally to enter payment information. One Step Ahead accepts checks, money orders and all major credit cards.

When I place an order, I immediately receive confirmation of it in my e-mail. When the order ships, which is usually about 2-3 days in my experience (for in-stock items), I receive another shipping confirmation e-mail with tracking information.

I’ve received all of my items from One Step Ahead within 5-7 days and in great condition from good packaging. I have never received a less than quality item, either. The clothes that I’ve ordered from there have run a little large (i.e.: 6 months fit closer to 9 months), but they have held up well through wash and wear. The toys and safety items have also been well-made and I have no issues or concerns about the quality of the products sold on the site.

One Step Ahead
www.onestepahead.com
1-800-950-5120