Buying Kids' Clothes and Gear on Sale: A Practical Guide

2026-10-25 · 5 min read · By RarDeals

Sale shopping for kids has one brutal truth built in: whatever you buy will be outgrown. That makes it the category where smart timing saves the most money — and where overbuying wastes the most.

Buy next season, not this one

The best kids' clothing deals appear at the end of a season, when stores clear stock. The trick is buying for the season ahead: winter coats on clearance in February, swimsuits in August. You need to guess a size ahead, which brings us to the next rule.

Buy one size up, never stockpile one size

Growth spurts do not follow your shopping plan. Buying five shirts in the same size because they are cheap is how you end up with five shirts that fit for three weeks. Buy a size up, buy fewer pieces, and accept that some of them will be worn a little big at first. Kids do not mind; your wallet will notice the difference.

Gear has a safety line that clothes do not

Clothes, shoes, and toys are fine secondhand or on deep clearance. Safety gear is not: car seats and helmets should be bought new, because a previous crash or drop can compromise them invisibly, and both have expiry dates. Check for recalls on any gear before buying — a recalled item at any price is not a deal.

The hand-me-down math

If you have more than one child, durability beats price. A slightly more expensive item that survives two kids costs less per wear than a cheap one that falls apart before the second child gets it. For single-child items, the cheapest acceptable option usually wins, because resale value on kids' clothes is low anyway.

Shoes: the exception to every rule

Shoes wear out and get outgrown fastest, and badly fitting shoes actually matter for developing feet. Do not buy shoes far in advance or in bulk. Buy shoes when they are needed, in the size that fits now, and treat shoe sales as a bonus rather than a stocking opportunity.

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