Quick answer
Buying second-hand kids' clothes is safe and sensible as long as you check three things: the fabric and seams at high-stress points, the hardware (zips, buttons, elastic), and anything that could be a safety issue, like cords or drawstrings around the hood and neck. Then wash everything before the first wear. A good pre-loved garment often outlasts a cheap new one, because it has already survived the wash cycle that fast fashion doesn't.
Children outgrow clothes long before they wear them out. That is the whole reason the second-hand kidswear market works — and why, in the Netherlands, it's become completely normal. Marktplaats and Vinted are the two best-known platforms for pre-loved clothing here, with kringloopwinkels, neighbourhood swaps and local Facebook groups filling in the rest.
But buying used still takes a bit of judgement. Here's the checklist we'd use ourselves.
Where to look in the Netherlands
Each source has a different trade-off between price, effort and how much you can inspect before you commit.
| Where | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Vinted | Specific brands and sizes, shipped to your door | You're buying from photos — ask for close-ups of knees and cuffs |
| Marktplaats | Bundles and lots, often collected locally | Mixed condition within one bundle |
| Kringloopwinkel | Low prices, and you can handle the garment | Limited sizes on any given day |
| Local swaps and neighbourhood groups | Free or near-free, and you meet the previous owner | Unpredictable — go with an open mind, not a shopping list |
| Curated pre-loved shops | Pieces already checked and cleaned | Higher price than a bundle — you're paying for the sorting |
Our own Twice Loved rail sits in that last category: pieces that have already been through a life with one child and still have plenty left.
The one-minute quality check
If you can hold the garment, this takes about sixty seconds. If you're buying online, ask the seller for photos of the same spots.
- Hold it up to the light. Thinning fabric at the knees, seat and elbows shows up immediately as a lighter patch. That's the garment telling you how much life is left.
- Run a thumb along the seams. You want intact stitching with no fraying or gaps, especially at the crotch, armholes and side seams where kids put the most strain.
- Stretch a cuff or waistband and let go. Good elastic springs back. If it stays baggy, the elastic is spent — fixable, but it's a repair job.
- Work the zip and tug the buttons. A zip that catches will only get worse. Buttons should be firmly attached; loose ones on small children's clothing are a choking risk.
- Check the fibre content label. Cotton, wool and linen tend to age better than cheap synthetics, which pill and go limp. If the label is gone, feel the fabric — synthetics feel slick and don't crease.
- Smell it. Musty means damp storage. Heavy perfume usually means something is being covered up.
The safety details that matter
New children's clothing sold in the EU is designed against a harmonised standard, EN 14682, which covers cords and drawstrings on clothing for children up to fourteen. Its strictest rules apply to the youngest group — drawstrings and cords in the hood and neck area are not permitted on garments for young children, because of the risk of entrapment. Older second-hand pieces, or things brought back from outside the EU, may predate that thinking.
So when you're buying used:
- Remove or avoid cords and drawstrings at the neck and hood on clothes for small children.
- Check that buttons, poppers, toggles and appliqué are firmly attached — anything that can be pulled off can be swallowed.
- Look at long ties or sashes at the waist and hem, and shorten them if they trail.
- For sleepwear, check the label for a flammability warning. If a garment has no label at all, treat it as an unknown and use it for daywear instead.
None of this rules out buying pre-loved. It just means the two minutes you'd spend inspecting a new garment are worth spending on a used one too.
Wash everything before the first wear
Wash secondhand clothes even when they look spotless — you don't know what detergent they were washed in, and a child with sensitive skin can react to residue from someone else's fabric softener. A gentle, fragrance-free detergent is the safest default for babies and for anyone with eczema-prone skin.
Beyond that, treat used clothes the way you'd treat your own: cool wash, inside out, and air dry rather than tumble. Second-hand cotton has already shrunk to its final size in someone else's machine, which is part of why pre-loved pieces are so predictable to fit — but a hot wash and a hot dryer can still take another few millimetres off.
What's worth buying used — and what isn't
Not every category is equally good second-hand. As a rough rule:
- Excellent used: anything worn for a matter of months. Newborn and baby sizes, party clothes, special-occasion pieces, sturdy outerwear, denim, knitwear in natural fibres.
- Fine used, with a check: everyday tops and trousers, as long as the knees and elbows are still sound.
- Better new: pieces where the technical performance has degraded invisibly — old waterproofs whose coating has worn through, or worn-out elastic in anything that needs to stay up. And underwear, always.
The pieces that hold their value best are the ones that were built to be handed on in the first place: natural fibres, generous cuts, plain colours that don't date. It's the same logic behind our oversized, gender-neutral pieces — a garment designed for a second and third child tends to still look like itself by the time it gets there.
FAQ
Is it safe to buy used baby clothes?
Yes. Clean second-hand baby clothes are generally considered safe, provided you inspect for hazards like neck drawstrings and loose buttons and wash everything in your own detergent before the first wear. Babies outgrow clothes so quickly that used pieces are often barely worn.
Do I really need to wash second-hand clothes if they look clean?
Yes. Looking clean isn't the point — the issue is unknown detergent residue and storage conditions. One wash with a mild, fragrance-free detergent solves both.
How do I judge condition when buying online?
Ask the seller for close-up photos of the knees, elbows, cuffs and inside seams, plus the care label. Vague listings with a single dark photo are the ones to skip. Sellers who describe flaws honestly are usually the ones whose items arrive as described.
Which fabrics survive second-hand best?
Natural fibres — cotton, wool, linen — generally age better than cheap synthetics, which pill and lose their shape. A heavier-weight cotton jersey or a good denim will look far better on its third child than a thin polyester blend does on its first.
What about shoes?
Shoes are the one category to treat carefully. A used pair has already moulded to another child's foot and gait, so if you buy them, choose pairs with very little visible wear on the sole and heel, and check that the shoe still holds its shape.
Is second-hand actually cheaper once you account for the misses?
Usually, yes — kringloop prices in particular sit far below retail. But the saving comes from buying deliberately rather than filling a bundle with things nobody will wear. The most expensive second-hand purchase is the one that goes straight into the donation bag.