Harrogate Nursery Fair 2026: the new nursery brands worth knowing
Last week I shared Hegen's win at Harrogate International Nursery Fair. This week I want to tell you about the new nursery brands I found walking the halls. A trade show is where you see a brand's heart: the founder on the stand, the product in your hands, the story in their own words. Three stands stayed with me, and each one has something to teach every founder in our industry.
Designed for dads
When I met Stephen McGuinness at Harrogate, he proudly introduced himself as the founder of Will & Finch, and as a stay-at-home dad. Out and about with his child every day, he needed a changing bag, and he felt there was a gap for dads like him who didn't want to wander around with the more feminine changing bags that are widely available. So he designed his own: changing backpacks designed for dads. What I loved most when we talked was what he hasn't done. He hasn't added gadgets or built-in technology, which add cost, complexity and more things to go wrong. He's kept it simple and focused on the essentials: a clamshell opening so you can see everything at once, and two compartments to keep the baby's things apart from your own. I think that's exactly the right call. And parents agree: the AXF backpack won Gold at the Project Baby Awards 2026 for best changing bag under £150, and Gold at the Dadsnet Awards 2026 for best dad product. It ships with no plastic packaging, too.
Start with one, save every week
EcoKinly is an Irish brand, founded in 2023 by Kate Doyle in County Wexford. As a mum of two, Kate was shocked by how many disposable nappies end up in landfill: more than a million a day in Ireland alone. Her patented Grab & Go nappy is a one-piece reusable that's quick to put on, and this year EcoKinly was named Sustainability Champion at Ireland's Business of Craft Awards. What struck me on the stand was the message: start with one, save every week. EcoKinly isn't asking parents to go all in. Its starter bundle is built around reusing for just one or two days a week. That's how you change behaviour: make the first step small and easy, and let the habit grow.
Kate has made the first step easy for retailers, too, and this is something I've been talking to several brands about recently. The minimum order is £150 across the whole range, with no minimum per product, and the range comes on a free wooden floor-standing display: 57 units across 11 products, from newborn kits to swim nappies and potty trainers.
If your product is tricky for a retailer to display, or needs a fixture they don't have in store, offer them one. Whether it's free, costed into the price of the product, rented or lent, a fixture filled with product at a set price makes it a frictionless trial for the retailer. Agree the detail up front: how long the trial runs, and what happens at the end. Think about size, too, so it slots into a small space in a smaller store. Either have a modular stand you can add to as the trial grows, or a choice of sizes, so a small independent can start small and a bigger retailer can make a bigger commitment. And if your product is eco-friendly, make sure your stand is too. A plastic fixture for a reusable range would be out of line with your brand values. A wooden one, like EcoKinly's, says it for you.
Turning dead stock into something good
The stand that moved me most wasn't a brand at all. Newlife, the Charity for Disabled Children, is led by Chief Executive Fiona Robinson, an old colleague of mine from Mothercare, and talking to her team I was amazed by the work they do. For 35 years Newlife has been changing disabled children's lives through three things: expert support for families, the specialist equipment children need for more freedom and independence, and the chance to play. It describes itself as the UK's largest charity provider of specialist disability equipment. Part of how it pays for that is its stock partner scheme. Brands and retailers donate end-of-line stock, customer returns, samples and seasonal surplus, which Newlife sells through its own stores or recycles responsibly. In 2024 to 2025 the scheme saved 9,273 tonnes of CO2e, largely through reuse and resale. Stock that would otherwise sit in a warehouse, or worse, go to landfill, becomes funding for a child who needs it.
What this means for you: a trade show isn't only about orders on the day. It's where buyers, press and partners see who you really are, so let your stand say it for you, as Will & Finch and EcoKinly did, with one clear promise and the awards to back it. Keep your product honest and simple, because parents notice. Make the first step easy for your customer, and for your retailer: if your product needs a fixture, offer one, sized for a small space and in line with your values. And take a hard look at the stock sitting in your warehouse. End-of-line, returns and samples could be funding equipment for a disabled child instead of costing you storage, and you may be able to claim tax relief on what you donate. If you make products that could help disabled children directly, Newlife would love to hear from you too.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When is Harrogate International Nursery Fair 2027?
Harrogate International Nursery Fair returns from 17th to 19th October 2027. It's the UK's dedicated nursery trade show, and this year's New Brands Zone made it easier than ever for new nursery brands to exhibit.
How can a brand donate surplus stock to charity?
Newlife, the Charity for Disabled Children, runs a stock partner scheme for brands and retailers. It takes end-of-line and clearance goods, customer returns, samples and seasonal stock, resells what it can through its stores and recycles the rest, with the money funding equipment for disabled children.
Do I have to use reusable nappies full time?
No. Many families start with one or two days a week and build from there. Even part-time use cuts the number of disposables going to landfill, and it's a much easier first step.
If you think your brand could help Newlife, by donating products that could help children with disabilities or by passing on end-of-line and dead stock, I'd love to hear from you and make the introduction. And if you'd like help making your next trade show count, just get in touch with The Nest. That's what we're here for.
The Nest News lands every Tuesday: three insights shaping maternity, baby and children's products, and the actions you can take. Sign up at thenest.uk.com
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