My Favorite Baby Items
- Elissa Lauber
- Jul 3, 2023
- 13 min read
Updated: Jul 4, 2023
Written by: Elissa Lauber on July 3, 2023
These are some of my top recommendations for baby products! As with everything, prioritize what matters most to you. You might consider some items to be worth the "splurge," and others not to be. Do whatever works best for you and your family.
Remember, babies don't need very much. They really just need a safe place to sleep, a car seat, clothes, and to be fed. And don't stress about buying every single baby item before the baby or babies is/are born. You never know what your baby or babies will like.
Note. I wrote this post and included all of my baby product recommendations. No, this isn't specifically about preemie products, but I can absolutely do a preemie-specific baby item post in the future. Additionally, I don't cover diapers in this post. I may do a separate post about diapers in the future.
Gear
Bathtub
For all of my boys, we used the Primo EuroBath 2-Stage Baby Bath Tub. We absolutely loved this thing because it has a newborn-side and toddler-side. I totally recognize that this is pricey though, but we felt it was worth it because we used it for years.
Bouncer
By far the most used baby item in our house for our 3 kids was the BabyBjörn Bouncer. Yes, this bouncer is pricey, but it's lightweight, and super easy to move around the house (or even outdoors). For me that was worth the cost. Another feature I loved was that you could remove the cover and wash it. I actually purchased a replacement cover for each of our bouncers for wash days. I also loved the BabyBjörn Bouncer Toy Bar that attaches to the bouncer. Our kids loved to grab and spin the toys.
Note. The BabyBjörn Bouncer is for babies 8+ pounds, so your preemie might not be able to use it for a bit!
Carrier
For many people, baby-wearing is super important, so I recommend you do your own research on this topic. For our kids we only periodically used the Baby K'Tan Original Baby Wrap Carrier and the Ergobaby 360 All-Position Baby Carrier. Baby-wearing just wasn't our thing, and we preferred our stroller.
Note. I would say the most common baby carrier brands I read about people loving are: BabyBjörn, Ergobaby, Lillebaby, Moby, Solly Baby, and Tula. I suggest reading review articles such as this one on Forbes called The Best Baby Carriers According to a Mom Who has Tested Dozens. You can also look for a Local Baby-Wearing Group to try on different styles.
Diaper/Pumping Bag
Our twins' NICU was kind enough to give me several "pumping" bags to hold my pumping parts, bottles, labels, ice packs/ice pack zippered bags, etc. If, however, your hospital doesn't provide this for you, any diaper bag or backpack will work.
Tip. I recommend purchasing a diaper backpack, so that you can be hands-free. I tried the more traditional one-strap diaper bag design with our eldest son, and ended up ditching it pretty quickly in favor of my husband's diaper backpack. It's so hard to wrangle everything you need to take when you have a baby or babies, so make it easier on yourself and opt for a backpack.
Check out Babylist's Best Diaper Bags of 2023 for a list of top brands.
I personally used the JuJuBe BFF Convertible Unisex Diaper Bag Backpack, because you could use it as either a Messenger Bag or Backpack. It was also easy to clean.
Stroller
If you are big on taking your baby or babies outside, I also recommend investing in (a) high quality car seat(s) and stroller(s). I absolutely loved our UPPAbaby Vista for our twins, but I recognize that it's a significant investment. What I liked about this stroller was that it had great wheels, a roomy basket, adjustable handle height, big sun canopies, and the bassinet is certified for overnight sleep. We actually purchased the UPPAbaby Bassinet Stand and used the bassinet + the bassinet stand as one of our primary sleeping spaces for our eldest son when he was a newborn.
Note. One other thing I loved about our Uppababy Vista stroller is that the purchase of the UPPAbaby VISTA Travel Bag ensures your stroller will be covered under their TravelSafe program. This program is for 2 years under the original product warranty + an additional 2 years. If your Uppababy stroller is damaged, Uppababy will send you a new stroller.
Note. For our eldest son, we purchased the UPPAbaby Cruz, which we loved! However, IF you plan on having more than one child within a few years of each other, your best bet is probably to buy the UPPAbaby Vista, since you can detach the rumbler seat and make it a single stroller.
Car Seat
Estimates vary, but between 46-85% of car seats are installed incorrectly! Far and above what brand of car seat you decide to buy, the most important thing you can do to protect your baby or babies is to make sure it is/they are installed correctly. The CDC's Child Passenger Safety website lists the most common problems with car seat installation, which include:
Incorrect recline angle for rear-facing car seats
Loose installation for all car seats
Loose harness for all car seats
Harness behind child’s arms, legs, or back in forward-facing car seats
Improper lap belt position for booster seats
Improper shoulder belt position for booster seats
Additionally, current car seat guidelines recommend that children stay rear-facing up to the height and weight limit of the car seat, which is typically between 2-4 years old. Note. Your child or children should start with (an) infant car seat(s) until the child or children reach(es) the max height and weight, and then move to (a) convertible car seats. Next, children move to a forward-facing car seat up to the height and weight limit of the car seat, which is typically until at least age 5. Finally, you should expect your child or children to be in a booster seat until they reach the height and weight limit of the car seat, which is typically between 9 and 12 years old. To read current guidelines, check out the website from the CDC on Keeping Child Passengers Safe on the Road.
Note. Expect to purchase 3 car seats/boosters over your child's or children's lifetime(s). You will start with an infant car seat, move to a convertible car seat, and, depending on whether or not the convertible car seat can covert to a booster seat, you will then need to purchase a booster seat.
For information related to car seat type, installation, etc., I recommend following @safeintheseat on Instagram, or going on to the Safe In the Seat website to read car seat reviews, view recommended car products, etc. Safe in the Seat also has affordable courses you can buy for additional information! I also have a subscription to Consumer Reports, and read their safety reviews before purchasing a car seat/booster.
Additionally, check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) website to find a local car seat inspection station. We did this with our eldest son, and it was great to have someone walk us through how to correctly install our son's car seat step-by-step.
For our family, we have purchased the following car seats/boosters.
Infant: UPPAbaby Mesa
Convertible: Britax Marathon Clicktight (Currently unavailable, so I linked the Britax Boulevard Clicktight, which has the same safety score)
Toddler Booster: Britax Growth With You Clicktight
Note. Britax, Chicco, Clek, Graco, and NUNA, all consistently have high ratings for car seats.
Car Seat Cover
We heavily used the Milk Snob Original 5-in-1 Cover for all of our boys. Not only are they car seat covers, but they are also breastfeeding covers for when you want to nurse your baby or babies. These covers are super soft, lightweight, and stretchy.
Nursing/Feeding Pillow
This was definitely a splurge, but I have zero regrets on purchasing The Nesting Pillow by Blessed Nest. We used this pillow (well, pillows since we bought 2) for years for when I nursed our eldest son, and when we bottle-fed our twins. This nursing pillow is super thick, and it saved my back from bending over to feed our kids. The cover is also machine washable, which is great.
Travel Crib
Personally, we loved our BabyBjörn Travel Crib because it's super light, folds up, and comes with a travel case. We were also able to order an extra fitted sheet for it when one of our kids inevitably spat up and we needed an extra.
Note. I have also read great things about the Guava and Graco travel cribs!
Wagon
Many people love having a wagon for their kids, so I wanted to share a brand that's been very highly reviewed across sites. The WONDERFOLD W4 Original Quad Stroller Wagon is definitely pricey, but has a lot of great features, such as an adjustable canopy, push bar, sides that unzip, many accessories, and is foldable.
Note. WONDERFOLD offers a 25% discount for families with a child or children with special needs. I know that for families who have to lug a lot of gear (e.g., oxygen tanks), the WONDERFOLD has been great. I have also heard that for a child or children who are immunocompromised, the Rain, Wind, and Winter Covers are great for acting as barriers.
Clothing & Accessories
Clothing
I struggled to find clothes for my boys that were timeless, high quality, and affordable. Our go-to brands over the years have been Primary, Gap, and Cat & Jack. For formal occasions I buy the boys' clothes from Janie & Jack and J.Crew CrewCuts.
Primary
Primary has such a great range of styles and colors of kids clothes without itchy labels and words on the clothes. We loved the shortie type of onesie for our boys! They also have great sleep rompers and footies, swimsuits, shirts, pants, etc. The majority of my boys' wardrobes are from Primary.
Cat & Jack guarantees their clothes will last for 1 year and have free returns with receipts. Additionally, they have an adaptive line, which is specifically for kids with special needs.
We typically purchase all of our boys' shorts from Cat & Jack. We particularly like the Woven Pull-On (i.e., lightweight) and the Knitted Pull-On (i.e., sweatpants material) styles. They're inexpensive ($6-8) and good quality. We also really like their swim trunks ($13) and rashguards ($15). Cat & Jack's rashguards are made of 50 SPF material! Tip. Be sure to buy swimsuits that are bright colors (i.e., not light blue), so that you can easily see your kids in the water.
We buy underwear, socks, and jeans from the Gap. The Gap consistently has sales, so we wait until things are 40% off to stock up on items. The savings from either using Gap Cash you've earned or waiting until the sales are typically equivalent.
I would be lying if I said clothes from Janie and Jack are inexpensive, because they are definitely pricey. I typically shop here for formal occasions. I always wait until they have a sale to purchase clothing. You can find a lot of their stuff 50% or more off at the end of each season.
CrewCuts is J.Crew's kids' line. It's not huge, but I often find a few fun prints each year! I also shop at J.Crew Factory. Similar to Janie and Jack, J.Crew is definitely pricey, so I always wait for a sale to shop here.
Burp Cloths
For burp cloths, I loved the quality of the Milkbarn brand. Yes, they are expensive, but they last forever. We used the same burp cloths for all 3 of our kids, and I was actually able to give our collection to my friend when she was pregnant.
Swaddle Blankets
We have almost exclusively used the aden + anais Silky Soft Swaddle Blanket 3 Pack. They are so soft, and our twins still use them for nap time in preschool.
Sun Hats
By far our favorite hats for our kids have been from Sunday Afternoons. They have a wide bill to keep sun off kids' faces and the back covers their necks. Honestly, I don't think we'll ever buy another brand! We have used these for years, and they're all still in great shape. Sunday Afternoons consistently has sales, so we typically purchase their hats for ~$20.
Toys
We try really hard in our home not to have too many toys, because my kids don't end up playing with very many, and the clutter is overwhelming! Nevertheless, there are a few toys that are worth it in my opinion.
Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy
The Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy is the best, and has more than 45,000 positive reviews on Amazon. It plays classical music, and is the only non-annoying musical toy we've ever had.
Bright Starts Oball Easy Grasp Classic Ball
The Bright Starts Oball Easy Grasp Classic Ball is great for your baby or babies to learn to grasp, and was highly recommended by our twins' occupational therapist. This ball also comes in a rattle-version (Bright Starts Oball Rattle Easy Grasp Toy: $5), which is great, too.
Fisher-Price Stacking Toy Baby's First Blocks Set
My boys loved the classic Fisher-Price Stacking Toy Baby's First Blocks Set, and used the bucket part for years after they were no longer interested in putting the shapes through the top.
Fisher-Price Baby Stacking & Nesting Stack & Roll Cups
My boys loved the Fisher-Price Baby Stacking & Nesting Stack & Roll Cups, which you can stack, or turn into balls.
The First Years Stack N Count Cups
These super simple First Years Stack N Count Cups were one of my boys' favorite toys. They're easy, they lightweight, easy to wash, and I promise your kids will use them.
Skip Hop Baby Activity Center
My kids all really liked the Skip Hop Baby Activity Center. They loved all the different toys on it, and really liked the musical keyboard. Note. Do not leave your child in an activity center for very long each day and never unsupervised. Please ask your healthcare provider how much time you can keep your baby or babies in (a) device(s) each day. For us I believe it was no more than 30 minutes. What I really liked about this activity center is that once the boys got a little older, we were able to take out the center seat and convert it to a play table. We then bought the Skip Hop Toddler's Activity Chairs to match.
Skip Hop Baby Play Gym
We really liked the Skip Hop Baby Play Gym (our version had lights and music, which were adjustable), but really any baby play gym will work. Our boys loved swatting at the toys above them, and we used these play gyms for tummy time.
Soap & Skin Products
Baby Wash & Lotion
My boys all have had significant eczema and cradle cap (which is eczema of the scalp), and one of the top brands that has been recommended by my allergist and our family's dermatologist has been Vanicream. We use Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser, Vanicream Gentle Body Wash, and Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion. I highly recommend them.
Butt Paste
We have used Boudreaux's Butt Paste with Natural Aloe Diaper Rash Cream for all of our boys. It works great.
Butt Paste Applicator
I also highly recommend the Bumco Diaper Cream Spatula -- 2 Pack. We had one at every diaper-changing station we had in our house (and at daycare).
Detergent
I don't have a preference for laundry detergent for my kids other than it is scent-free. I do not think Dreft or any other specific baby detergents are worth it. One of the brands we've used recently is the Kind Unscented Laundry Detergent Sheets.
Stain Removers
For removing stains from baby clothes, one of our go-tos has always been OxiClean Baby Stain Remover simply because it is scent-free.
Sunscreen
When our boys were young, we used Thinkbaby SPF 50+ Baby Sunscreen. The lotion is thick and stays on really nicely. Honestly, we may end up using this product again, because it's great.
Our family currently uses Alba Botanical Sport Sunscreen Lotion Mineral SPF 45 and also the Alba Botanical Sheer Mineral Sunscreen Spray SPF 50.
Bottles & Dishware
Bottles
For our eldest son, we used the Comotomo Baby Bottle, which we really liked. They were easy to clean, and comfortable for both us and him to hold.
For our premature twin boys, we used Dr. Brown's Natural Anti-Colic Baby Bottle. The Dr. Brown's bottles worked well for our twins, and I do think they helped with their severe acid reflux. However, there are a ton of parts, so be mindful that you will have so many pieces to wash and dry each day.
Note. I personally think it's important to introduce a bottle to your baby or babies within the first few weeks they're born. IF you plan to breastfeed, it's obviously most important to work on that first, but I think it's good for your baby or babies to learn to eat from a bottle, too. When I spoke to a lactation consultant about this she shared that she didn't really believe in "nipple confusion," which is the idea that your baby or babies will not want to breastfeed after using (a) bottles, or that your baby or babies will have a hard time switching between (a) bottle(s) and your breast. Instead, she told me she believes it's probably a "flow difference" between how quickly the baby or babies can get milk from your breast versus the bottle. All of this is to say that you can try different bottle nipple levels to see what works best for your baby or babies.
Note. There has been research done on baby bottle nipple flow rates, which I'll link below from Dayton Children's Hospital (File Name: "DBM-MilkFlowRates-Dayton-Article"). Particularly if your baby or babies has/have acid reflux, you will want to do paced bottle-feeding and use a nipple with a slower flow.
Cups
We have used a TON of different cups in our house due to one of our twins having Idiopathic Hypercalciuria, which just means that he creates calcium oxalate kidney stones. We discovered this when our son was only a few months old because we had to take him to the nephrologist for his hypertension. Our son's hypertension was (and still is) due to being born prematurely, so we did an ultrasound to see how his kidneys were growing. This revealed the kidney stone, which eventually got to be so large that it started to block his ureter. He had to have lithotripsy when he was ~1 years old.
Anyway, in order to combat our son's kidney stones, he has to drink a ton of water, which is why we've tried so many different types. I'll share our favorites. We use the following brands:
Note. My kids watch me drink water out of my Hydro Flask all-day every day, so we have invested in these cups for them. We also purchased Hydro Flask Kids Packable Bottle Sling for the boys, and they use them ALL the time. I highly recommend the sling.
Dishwasher Basket
I highly recommend you buy 1-2 dishwasher baskets to simplify washing baby bottle parts. We absolutely love the OXO Tot Dishwasher basket, and we still use both of ours almost every day to wash water bottle parts and other small dishware containers.
Pacifiers
My boys used the Philips AVENT Soothie 3-18 Months and WubbaNub Infant Pacifier. Every baby is different though, so don't spend too much money on buying pacifiers before your baby or babies is/are born and you know what your baby or babies like(s).
Plates
The plates we have consistently used over the years have been the Munchkin Splash Toddler Plates. When our kids were toddlers, we also bought a pack or two of the Munchkin Splash Toddler Plates and Utensils for the utensils.
Spoons
When our boys were infants, we most consistently used the Munchkin White Hot Infant Spoons because they turned white when the food was too hot to feed the kids.
Summary
As I wrote at the beginning of this blog post, babies don't need much. You do not need to buy a lot of baby gear, clothes, etc. before your baby is born. Prioritize what is most important to you, and spend your "big" money on that/those item(s). For everything else, look for discounts. And don't forget that you can purchase many baby items second-hand (e.g., stroller, wraps, etc.).
Comments