Goodbuy Gear vs. Rebelstork – I Tried Both to See Which is Better

If you’re a parent diving deep into the world of baby gear – a realm of strollers, cribs, and all things tiny human, you might have stumbled upon two popular platforms: GoodBuy Gear and Rebelstork. Both have great deals on secondhand (or open box) items, and you’re probably wondering if they’re legit.

I’ve bought several times from both platforms and I have thoughts. They may seem like the same thing on the surface, but they differ when it comes to policies and customer experience.

Here’s everything to know in the showdown of Goodbuy Gear vs. Rebelstork:

(TLDR: After trying both, my experience was more positive with Goodbuy Gear.)

What are Goodbuy Gear and Rebelstork?

Goodbuy Gear and Rebelstork are both online consignment boutiques that sell used and ‘open box’ baby gear.

What is open box? It’s usually a return, floor model, or overstock that is sold at a deep discount, but probably is no longer under warranty. I see many strollers (including otherwise pricey UPPAbaby Vistas), pumps, high chairs, and more in open box condition on both platforms, and it seems like if you’re willing to roll the dice with the warranty, you can get some great deals.

GoodBuy Gear was founded in 2016 in the US by Kristin Langenfeld and Kendall Law, two moms with a mission to make parenting more affordable and sustainable. They’ve rehomed over half a million baby items and donated $25,000 to select Children’s Hospitals throughout the nation.

Founded in 2019 by Jessica Reznick in Canada, Rebelstork aims to disrupt the traditional retail model by providing a dynamic and exciting shopping experience for parents with operations in the US and Canada. While they have some used gear, it’s mostly open box and overstock. They estimate that for every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurs $106 million in returns. By selling these items (that are still new) they’re able to help curb this issue.

Both help baby gear continue to get used instead of going to a landfill, which I can get behind, especially since billions of pounds of baby gear go into landfills each year!

Goodbuy Gear and Rebelstork Inventory

I’ve found more than I ever expected on both platforms, from clothes to toys and gear, and what they carry is fairly similar. They have everything from Babyzen Yoyo strollers to Coterie diapers and wipes for a nice discount. Right now I’m seeing a Willow Pump for 20% off, and a BabyBjorn carrier — one of my favorite Artipoppe dupes — for 60% off on Rebelstork!

On Goodbuy Gear, I initially bought a color pack for said Babyzen stroller, then an open box Bentley Trike for $315 (normally $489). Right now I’m seeing a new Stokke Tripp Trapp for $30 off, a bunch of open box Dagne Dover diaper bags for up to $80 off, and some gently used Lovevery playkits for half off.

Goodbuy Gear vs. Rebelstork Quality Control and Return Policies

Here’s where my experience with the two platforms has differed. I initially bought a GB QBit stroller on Rebelstork, which arrived broken. Since Rebelstork only offers a 24 hour window to check for any issues, I didn’t realize and the time had passed once I did see that it was broken.

To their credit, they did offer to send me a new stroller (they no longer had the GB so I went for the Babyzen Yoyo), however that also arrived broken. This time, I checked and informed them before the 24 hours was up and they provided a refund. While I appreciate the customer service, it’s worrying to me that TWO strollers arrived broken. You can read my full Rebelstork review for the full story.

However Goodbuy Gear has a 7-day return window, which, while still short, gives a little breathing room at least. They sent me a coupon to buy a Bentley Trike so I could try out their return policy, but since it arrived in perfect condition, I didn’t need to make use of it.

All of that said, I still bought from Rebelstork again when they had a great deal on an overstock 7am Enfant snow suit (pictured above) that I nabbed for $77 (normally $110). I’d buy from them again for things like diapers, baby carriers, or things that aren’t likely to arrive broken.

However for strollers or other items that I’m counting on to function, I feel more comfortable with Goodbuy Gear’s policies and my more positive firsthand Goodbuy experience. Goodbuy gear also offers a purchasable 2-year limited warranty on select strollers for $39.

Goodbuy Gear vs. Rebelstork Seller Policies

What if you want to offload baby gear that is still in great condition? If you live in Denver, Philadelphia, NYC, or DC, you can schedule a pickup for drop off with GoodBuy Gear, and they’ll take photos of the gear, list it, and sell it on your behalf for a 15% fee.

If they were available in my area, I would definitely give it a try since I mostly have to stick to Facebook marketplace (a bit difficult in my smaller community), Mercari, or Poshmark, which take more than 15% but do none of the work. (Read more about how I buy and sell baby gear here).

If you’re interested in selling on Rebelstork, they will send a prepaid label and you can send in your items to be listed. If they do not sell within a certain timeframe, they will lower the price, or you have the option of recycling the item or paying to have it returned to you if it doesn’t sell within 120 days. Rebelstork has a handy tool that gives you an idea of what the resale value can be of the item before you send it in.

I have not personally sold gear on either platform since I tend to just do it on Mercari or Poshmark, but both have pretty good overall scores on trust review aggregators.

Final Thoughts on Goodbuy Gear and Rebelstork

I prefer Goodbuy Gear to Rebelstork simply because I’ve had better experiences buying from them, and I like that they have a longer return window, but I will continue to buy from both of them.

In the case of an item that really needs to have a solid warranty, like the SNOO or a breast pump, I would probably still lean towards buying new, but for everything else, like strollers, high chairs, and soft goods like baby carriers and toys, honestly, why not buy open box or used?

As parents, I think we all have our responsibility to explore options other than brand new whenever possible. With so many open box items that are still in like-new condition, why not save a little money and save the planet at the same time? So take a look at what they have – you never know when you might find a great deal for the exact item you want!

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