Baby Must Haves (Registry Guide)
I remember the excitement of finding out we were expecting, and the first time we went out shopping for baby gear. It is SO much fun, but as any parent-to-be knows, when it comes to the necessities it can get a little overwhelming making sure you choose items that fit your lifestyle and budget while maintaining the highest quality.
We wanted to try and help make your search for baby gear a tad bit easier by sharing some of the top rated items for any budget, as well as our personal favorites when it comes to baby must-haves! Please note that there are SO many great brands for baby gear so of course we couldn't include all of them, but we tried our best to give you a great selection!
Most items that we selected are linked on Amazon to make things easier, but most are available at all big retailers (Target, Buy Buy Baby, etc.) We hope you enjoy the list we've put together, and can't wait to share more of these blogs in the near future!
TIP: If you're worried about brands, keep in mind that some stores allow returns up to one year when purchased from your registry, so if you end up not needing something, or something isn't quite what you hoped for you can always exchange for a brand that fits your family's needs better!
INFANT CAR SEATS
Budget: Evenflo Litemax
Splurge: Nuna Pipa
Hybrid: Doona Car Seat & Stroller
Our Choice: UPPAbaby MESA
Notes: We used the Maxi Cosi Mico 30, but after switching our transition car seat to UPPABaby we'll definitely go with them for our next infant seat! The quality is incredible.
TRANSITION CAR SEATS
Budget: Graco Extend2Fit
Splurge: Nuna Rava
Our Choice: UPPAbaby KNOX
STROLLERS
Budget: Graco Modes
Top Rated: UPPAbaby Vista V2
Our Choice: Joolz Geo2
Notes: We found our stroller brand new on Facebook Marketplace for half the price of a new one! While we definitely would have splurged on the stroller, it never hurts to check for good deals on Facebook! There are a lot of buy and sell groups that sell new or like new gear also.
Make sure you take note of if you need adapters to use your infant car seat with your specific stroller! The UPPABaby Vista and Graco Modes can be found in a bundle with the car seat included.
DIAPER BAGS
Popular: Fawn Design Diaper Bag
Top Rated: Skip Hop Mainframe Diaper Bag
Budget Friendly: Halova Diaper Bag
Our Choice: Dagne Dover Indi Diaper Backpack
CRIBS
Top Rated: Babyletto
Splurge: Crate & Kids West Storage Crib
Vintage: Million Dollar Baby Classic Abigail Crib
Our Choice: Storkcraft Equinox, Storkcraft Orchard 5
Notes: When it comes to cribs it's really all about the aesthetic you want for the nursery. We went with a crib that had the changing table and shelves attached which made nighttime changes easy, but it's also a bit bulkier than other cribs.
BABY MONITORS
Budget: VTech Video Monitor
Splurge: Nanit Pro Smart Baby
Our Choice: Owlet Baby Monitor
Notes: If you plan to return to work or go out without your babe it's great to have a monitor that offers an app so that you can check in on them from your phone!
BOTTLES
Top Rated: Boon Nursh
Popular: Nanobebe Bottles
Our Choices: Comotomo, Avent
Notes: Don't spend a ton of money on bottles right away because you never know what type your baby will like best! We invested in so many bottle sets that never ended up getting used.
DIAPERS
Top Rated: Coterie
Natural Option: Offspring Co
Budget: Millie Moon
Our Choice: Parasol Co
Notes: We've listed all diapers that we have tried and loved. Regardless of what brand you go with we think it's important to share more natural options as they reduce the chance of having diaper rash, PLUS we didn't get any leaks or blowouts (with the exception of Coterie diapers because they don't run as wide as the other brands, although it seems like we are the only ones who have had that issue).
WIPES
Top Rated: Water Wipes
Splurge: Coterie
Our Choice: Parasol Co
Notes: Just like diapers, we have preferred more natural options for wipes as fragrances and other ingredients can irritate a babe's sensitive skin.
BATH TUBS
Top Rated: Skip Hop Moby
Sink Bath: Puj Tub
Collapsible: Oxo Tot
Our Choice: Angelcare Baby Bath Support
Notes: Keep in mind that depending on how fast your babe grows, if you go with a sink support you may need to buy a second support for the bath once they get a little bigger!
SHAMPOOS AND WASHES
Top Rated: Aveeno Gentle Wash
Natural Option: Earth Mama Unscented
Our Choice: Natural Black Soap (From Ghana)
Other Poplular Choices: Babyganics, Tubby Todd
Notes: Be cautious about the ingredients and scents in your babe's bath products. Our number one tip is to stay away from products that list 'fragrance' as an ingredient as typically it contains ingredients that may irritate baby's skin!
BOUNCERS
Budget: Ingenuity Smartbounce
Splurge: Nuna LEAF
Our Choice: Babybjorn Balance Soft
Notes: Not all babies need both a bouncer and swing, they may have a strong preference to one, so while it's definitely ok to try both, don't stress if you'd rather test out one first before buying both! Our babe always preferred to be in her swing :)
SWINGS
Budget: Graco Simple Sway
Splurge: 4Moms Mamaroo
Our Choice: Ingenuity Dreamcomfort Inlighten
Notes: Not all babies need both a bouncer and swing, they may have a strong preference to one, so while it's definitely ok to try both, don't stress if you'd rather test out one first before buying both!
LOUNGERS
Budget: Boppy Lounger
Splurge: Dock-A-Tot, Snuggle Me Organic
Our Choice: Etsy Baby Nest
SWADDLES
Muslin: Mushie Muslin Swaddles
Arms Up: Love To Dream Swaddle Up
Velcro: SwaddleMe
Zipper: Happiest Baby Sleepea
PUMPS
Budget & Most Popular: Spectra (Available through insurance)
Splurge: Elvie
Our Choice: Haaka
HIGH CHAIRS
Budget: Antilop Ikea High Chair
Splurge: Stokke Tripp High Chair
Portable: Inglesina Fast Table Chair
Our Choice: 3-in-1 High Chair
Notes: Don't worry if you prefer to wait on the high chair -- we didn't get ours until our babe was 6 months because they can take up a bit of space. We do suggest going for a wood, plastic, or vinyl chair so that clean up is easier!
HUMIDIFIERS
Top Rated: Frida Baby 3 in 1 Humidifier
Splurge: Babymoov Hygro
Our Choice: Dreamegg Humidifier
Notes: Humidifiers are especially great during the winter months, but may not be as necessary in the spring/summer since the air isn't as dry so keep that in mind if you're debating whether or not to get one!
NOISE MACHINES
Top Rated: Hatch Baby Rest Sound
Budget: Jack and Rose White Noise machine
Our Choice: Hatch Baby Rest Sound
Notes: The Hatch is nice if you want the ability to adjust or turn the machine on and off from your phone because it offers an app.
WRAPS & CARRIERS
Budget: Infantino
Top Rated: Happy Baby Carrier
Splurge: Artipoppe
Our Choice: Amazon Wrap
Notes: I have chronic back pain and so finding a carrier that I liked was a long journey. I've found that it is extremely important to have a waist strap on the carrier so that weight is taken off of your shoulders and upper back. My favorite so far has been a simple wrap carrier because it can grow with your babe, it's comfy, and breathable.
BASSINETS
Budget: Mi Classic
Splurge: SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet
Top Rated: Halo Bassinet
Our Choice: Baby Delight Bedside Bassinet
Notes: keep in mind that all babies sleeping patterns are going to be different. If you plan to only use the bassinet for a short period of time this may not be where you want to splurge. There's also nothing wrong with seeing what your baby likes best before going for a higher priced bassinet!
GLIDERS & ROCKERS
Budget: Storkcraft Hoop
Top Rated: Baby Relax Addison Swivel Gliding Recliner
Splurge: Babyletto Kiwi
Notes: We personally think this is a great area to splurge if you plan to nurse or feed in the nursery!
DIAPER PAIL
Budget: Safety 1st Diaper Pail
Popular: Diaper Genie
Our Choice: Munchkin Step Diaper Pail
Notes: Diaper Pail bags are usually universal, so when buying refills we suggest going for generic brands like target's brand to save a few dollars!
PACIFIERS
Popular: FRIGG
Classic: MAM
Modern: Nanobebe
Notes: Our babe never wanted to take a pacifier so we don't have a lot of tips here, but we've listed some popular ones that other mamas have recommended!
ADDITIONAL MUST HAVES!
Frida Nose Sucker
Carseat Bundleme Bunting Bag
Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water
Sophia La Giraffe
Bumbo
Car Mirror