What do you need to buy before a baby arrives in Hong Kong?

Cot — second-hand is fine, Cot mattress — buy new, Bassinet or bedside crib — second-hand is fine, Swaddles and light sleep sacks — second-hand is fine, Baby monitor — second-hand is fine, Bottles and teats — buy new, Breast pump — either works, Steriliser — second-hand is fine, Muslin cloths — second-hand is fine, High chair — second-hand is fine, Infant car seat — buy new, Stroller — second-hand is fine, Baby carrier — second-hand is fine, First clothes — second-hand is fine, Stroller sun shade and rain cover — buy new, Diapers and wipes, first month — buy new, Baby bath — second-hand is fine, Changing mat — either works, Digital thermometer — buy new, Safety gates — second-hand is fine, Socket covers and corner guards — buy new, Nursing bras — buy new, and Post-birth supplies — buy new.

What is fine to buy second-hand for a baby?

Cot, Bassinet or bedside crib, Swaddles and light sleep sacks, Baby monitor, Steriliser, Muslin cloths, High chair, Stroller, Baby carrier, First clothes, Baby bath, and Safety gates. Together they come to about HK$6,100 used, against about HK$16,675 new.

Hong Kong admin steps

What to buy for a baby in Hong Kong

Q: What should you buy new for a baby in Hong Kong?

Cot mattress, Bottles and teats, Infant car seat, Stroller sun shade and rain cover, Diapers and wipes, first month, Digital thermometer, Socket covers and corner guards, Nursing bras, and Post-birth supplies. Cot mattress: Buy new: a used mattress may have sagged, be hiding mould from the humidity, and the safe-sleep advice everywhere is a firm, flat, new one. A firm foam mattress in the right size is HK$400 to HK$1,500. Infant car seat: Buy new: a seat that has been in a crash can be damaged invisibly. Since November 2025 a child under 8 and under 1.35 m must be in a restraint in a private car; taxis are exempt, which is how most car-free families get around. Infant seats are HK$2,000 to HK$5,000. If you will not own a car, a light carrier-style seat you can take in a friend's car — or no seat at all — is the honest answer. Diapers and wipes, first month: Around 300 diapers in the first month. Buy one small pack of newborn size before the birth and stock up after, once you know the baby's weight; the bulk boxes on HKTVmall are markedly cheaper than the pharmacy chains. Budget HK$400 to HK$700 for the first month including wipes.

23 things worth having before the birth, each with what it costs in Hong Kong new and second-hand. Buying everything new comes to roughly HK$25,850; buying used wherever used is sensible comes to roughly HK$15,275, about 41% less. 12 of the 23 are fine second-hand and 9 are worth buying new. Checked 21 September 2026.

General information, not financial advice; prices are estimates.

Things on the list: 23
Everything new: about HK$25,850
Used where sensible: about HK$15,275 — 41% less
Fine second-hand: 12 of 23
Last checked: 21 September 2026

Nobody pays Paperbump for anything on this page. The links are ordinary searches, so you can see what a thing actually costs today. If that ever changes, this line changes with it.

HKTVmall is the biggest local online shop and Carousell the place second-hand baby gear changes hands. Taobao is the most-visited shop of all but is in Chinese, and the expat Facebook groups are where most used gear actually moves — neither links to a search, so they are not here. Baby Central and Mothercare are the specialist shops in the malls.

The short version

Buy new: cot mattress, bottles and teats, infant car seat, stroller sun shade and rain cover, diapers and wipes, first month, digital thermometer, socket covers and corner guards, nursing bras, and post-birth supplies. Most of the rest is fine used, and that is where the HK$10,575 sits. Each thing below says which, and why.

Sleeping

Cot — new HK$1,200–HK$4,500, used HK$300–HK$1,500

Second-hand is fine A solid cot frame outlasts several babies, so a used one costs a fraction of new and loses you nothing; the mattress is the part to buy new. Hong Kong cots run from about HK$1,200 for a basic frame to HK$4,500 for a mid-range cot bed. Flats are small: measure the space and look at compact or mini cots before assuming the standard 120 × 60 cm fits.

All bars present and firm, nothing cracked or splintered.
A new mattress should sit in it with no gap at the sides.
Measure the internal size before buying the mattress.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Cot mattress — new HK$400–HK$1,500

Buy new Buy new: a used mattress may have sagged, be hiding mould from the humidity, and the safe-sleep advice everywhere is a firm, flat, new one. A firm foam mattress in the right size is HK$400 to HK$1,500.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Bassinet or bedside crib — new HK$600–HK$2,500, used HK$150–HK$700

Second-hand is fine For the first three to four months a bassinet next to your bed is easier than a cot, and in a Hong Kong flat it may be all that fits for a while. New from HK$600 to HK$2,500; used ones are plentiful because babies outgrow them in months.

Stable base, no wobble.
Mesh or slats intact.
A firm, flat mattress that fits with no gaps.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Swaddles and light sleep sacks — new HK$300–HK$800, used HK$100–HK$250

Second-hand is fine Summers are hot and humid and most flats run the air-conditioning at night, so a light swaddle or a 0.5 to 1 tog sleep sack is right for most of the year; keep one warmer sack for the damp winter weeks. Two or three cost HK$300 to HK$800 new, and used ones are cheap.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Baby monitor — new HK$400–HK$1,600, used HK$150–HK$700

Second-hand is fine Less necessary in a small flat than the marketing suggests. Audio monitors from about HK$400, video ones HK$800 to HK$1,600. Used ones are fine if the batteries hold and the app still works.

Battery holds a charge.
Camera pairs and streams.
Charger included and the plug is a Hong Kong one.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Feeding

Bottles and teats — new HK$200–HK$600

Buy new Buy new; teats wear and bottles scratch. A starter set with four bottles is HK$200 to HK$600. Buy a small set first, because babies are fussy about teats.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Breast pump — new HK$800–HK$2,800, used HK$300–HK$1,200

Either works A closed-system electric pump can be bought used if you replace the tubing, valves and shields; an open-system pump should not. Electric pumps run from HK$800 to HK$2,800 new, the wearable ones at the top of that. Some private hospitals and shops hire hospital-grade pumps by the month, worth it for the first weeks.

Closed system, so milk cannot reach the motor.
Buy new tubing, valves and flanges.
Motor runs quietly at every setting.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Steriliser — new HK$300–HK$1,200, used HK$100–HK$400

Second-hand is fine An electric steam steriliser is HK$300 to HK$1,200 new and used ones are common. Boiling water works too if counter space is short, which in Hong Kong it usually is.

Heating plate clean, no limescale.
Lid seals.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Muslin cloths — new HK$150–HK$450, used HK$50–HK$150

Second-hand is fine Ten or more; they are burp cloths, sun shades, swaddles and light blankets. A pack is HK$150 to HK$450 new; bundles of used ones go for almost nothing.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

High chair — new HK$500–HK$2,200, used HK$150–HK$900

Second-hand is fine Not needed until around 6 months, so buy it later and buy it used: high chairs wipe clean and get sold on constantly. New they run HK$500 to HK$2,200; a folding one earns its place in a small kitchen.

Harness complete and the buckle works.
Tray clips on firmly.
Legs level, no wobble.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Getting around

Infant car seat — new HK$2,000–HK$5,000

Buy new Buy new: a seat that has been in a crash can be damaged invisibly. Since November 2025 a child under 8 and under 1.35 m must be in a restraint in a private car; taxis are exempt, which is how most car-free families get around. Infant seats are HK$2,000 to HK$5,000. If you will not own a car, a light carrier-style seat you can take in a friend's car — or no seat at all — is the honest answer.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Stroller — new HK$2,400–HK$8,000, used HK$600–HK$4,000

Second-hand is fine Hong Kong is stairs, escalators, narrow pavements and the MTR, so a light, compact stroller that one person can fold and carry beats a big pram everywhere except the Peak. New from about HK$2,400 for a good lightweight one to HK$8,000 for a well-reviewed travel system; the designer names go past HK$13,000, which is a different decision. Used strollers are the best-stocked category on Carousell and in the expat groups, with premium models at a third of the price.

Brakes hold on a slope — there will be slopes.
Folds and locks one-handed.
Harness and buckle intact.
Wheels roll straight; humidity rusts cheap bearings.

Price from sassymamahk.com, checked 21 September 2026.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Baby carrier — new HK$500–HK$2,000, used HK$150–HK$700

Second-hand is fine For a city of stairs and packed pavements a carrier is used more than the stroller in the first months. A soft structured carrier is HK$500 to HK$2,000 new; a mesh version is worth it for the summer.

Buckles click and hold.
Straps not frayed.
Waistband padding intact.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Clothes and covers

First clothes — new HK$500–HK$1,500, used HK$150–HK$400

Second-hand is fine Light cotton for most of the year and a few warmer layers for the damp January weeks. Newborns grow out of everything in weeks, so used bundles are the way to buy the first two sizes. A new starter wardrobe is HK$500 to HK$1,500; used, a fraction.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Stroller sun shade and rain cover — new HK$100–HK$350

Buy new A proper sun shade for the summer and a rain cover for the typhoon months are both cheap new, HK$100 to HK$350 together, and not worth buying used.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Diapers and care

Diapers and wipes, first month — new HK$400–HK$700

Buy new Around 300 diapers in the first month. Buy one small pack of newborn size before the birth and stock up after, once you know the baby's weight; the bulk boxes on HKTVmall are markedly cheaper than the pharmacy chains. Budget HK$400 to HK$700 for the first month including wipes.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Baby bath — new HK$150–HK$500, used HK$50–HK$150

Second-hand is fine A plastic tub, HK$150 to HK$500 new; a folding one matters in a flat with a shower and no bathtub, which is most of them. Used ones are everywhere.

No cracks.
Non-slip base intact.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Changing mat — new HK$150–HK$400, used HK$50–HK$150

Either works A wipe-clean mat on a chest of drawers is all a changing station is. HK$150 to HK$400 new; used is fine if the cover is intact.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Digital thermometer — new HK$150–HK$500

Buy new A digital ear or forehead thermometer, HK$150 to HK$500. Buy new; it is a medical instrument and you want it accurate.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Home safety

Safety gates — new HK$300–HK$800, used HK$100–HK$300

Second-hand is fine Only for homes with stairs or a kitchen you want closed off; most flats are on one level. Not needed until the baby moves, around 8 months. HK$300 to HK$800 new, used for a fraction.

All fixings present.
Latch closes and locks.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall · Carousell

Socket covers and corner guards — new HK$50–HK$150

Buy new Cheap and worth doing in one go before the baby crawls; Hong Kong's three-pin sockets take the UK-style covers. HK$50 to HK$150 for a set.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

For you

Nursing bras — new HK$300–HK$800

Buy new Two or three, bought in the last weeks when your size has settled. HK$300 to HK$800 for a few.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Post-birth supplies — new HK$300–HK$700

Buy new Maternity pads, comfortable underwear, nipple cream, a peri bottle. Around HK$300 to HK$700 and worth buying before the birth so it is in the bag.

Paperbump's own estimate from typical prices at HKTVmall and Carousell, checked 21 September 2026. Not a quote, and not taken from one page.

Look at HKTVmall

Where these figures come from

Paperbump's own estimate of what each thing costs in Hong Kong, not a quote and not a price anyone is offering you. Each range is pitched at a well-reviewed mainstream version — not the cheapest on the shelf and not the top of the market — and was set in September 2026 from prices listed by the main baby retailers in Hong Kong as they appeared in search results. Nobody paid to be on this list, and no shop page was opened to set a figure, so treat every range as an order of magnitude rather than a price tag. Your own figure always wins, and the moment you type one it replaces ours in the chart.

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