The Most Useful Baby Gear for new Parents, According to Experienced Parents
We asked experienced moms and dads: "What's the one piece of baby gear you couldn't live without?". Here's what they said.
“What’s the one piece of baby gear you couldn’t live without?” That’s the question my sister asked me eight months after my daughter was born. A new parent herself, she was quick with an answer ⏤ the Miracle Blanket Swaddle for the first kid and the Rock ‘N Play Sleeper for the second. I took longer, but I finally landed on our Motorola MBP36S wireless video baby monitor. Sure, an audio-only monitor is perfectly fine, but the ability to see the entire nursery on screen without having to tiptoe around a sleeping baby was, for me, an absolute game changer.
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Since that conversation, I’ve turned that question into something of a party game when I’m around new parents ⏤ similar to asking “What would your death row meal be?” or “What song would you want to be playing when you arrived at work, as though you were a baseball player stepping up the plate?” (linguine with clam sauce and Ludacris’s “Stand Up,” naturally).
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This time, I reached out to friends and coworkers, all new(er) parents, and asked them for one piece of gear they couldn’t live without when their kid was a newborn. I received enthusiastic and eclectic recommendations. Here are the essential products they wouldn’t want to be caught without during baby’s first year.
Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit
“When you have that child that abhors sleep, especially when your little bundle of joy wakes the fuck up after being asleep for fifteen minutes, it’s time to bring in the sleep combat gear a.k.a. the Magic Sleepsuit. It’s like a tiny version of those inflatable sumo suits, allowing enough movement for your kiddos to be comfortable without letting sudden muscle jerks wake them. Heads up: if you have one of these and show it to your friends/neighbors, they are likely to ask you if they make them for adults. They do not.” ⏤ Will Horne, 42, father of two, Belmont, Massachussetts
WubbaNub Pacifier
“How many times have you gotten up in the middle of the night just to put a pacifier back in Junior’s mouth? We used to throw about 10 NUKs in the crib and hope for the best. Then we found the WubbaNub. Our son could search for the stuffed monkey, find it, and put in all by himself. That little monkey saved my marriage, and it came with us everywhere. And when our son got too old, we just cut off the pacifier. He still sleeps with monkey nightly, even at four years old.” ⏤ Brad Mercer, 36, father of two, Amherst, Massachussetts
“If you’re lucky enough to get a baby who will use a pacifier, the WubbaNub is great. It has a small stuffed animal attached to it which can rest on the baby’s chest and keep the pacifier close to the baby’s mouth. It also makes the pacifier easier to find in a crowded diaper bag and prevents it from rolling way under the crib when it inevitably falls out at 3 a.m.” ⏤ Dan Moylan, 36, father of two, Easthampton, MA
Boppy Lounger
“It was something comfy for the babe that I could carry all over the house with me. I was in mourning when she grew too big for it.” ⏤ Karlyn, mother of one, New York
City Select Baby Jogger Stroller
“For two-kid transport, this thing is the bomb. It can fit a car seat and a toddler seat, or two toddler seats, and we love how our Maxi Cosi car seat snaps right in making for a smooth transition ⏤ don’t wake the sleeping baby! We’ve had it for over four years ⏤ through three kids ⏤ and it still rides as good as new.” ⏤ Jason Weakley, 36, father of three, Amherst, Massachussetts
Keekaroo Peanut Changer
“Soft, comfortable, and easy to clean. We’re still using it.” ⏤ Ben Ronne, 38, father of one, New York
aden + anais Blankets
“There are plenty of things that have made our lives easier as parent, that we really liked: the BOB stroller, a click-in car seat. But the one thing that’s held true for all three kids are aden + anais blankets. They’re big, soft muslin cotton blankets that you can use for pretty much anything: as burp cloths, to lay your kid on, to put in the car seat or crib, etc. My wife also uses them as nursing covers. They’re a staple in our diaper bag, and we never leave the house without one.” ⏤ Caleb Machak, 35, father of three, South Hadley, Massachussetts
Bright Starts Lots of Links
“These are great for hanging any interesting objects near the baby (activity gym, stroller, etc.). She also just liked playing with them on their own.” ⏤ Amy Karafin, mother of one, Brooklyn, New York
The Puj Tub
“Quite possibly the most functionality one can pack into a single piece of foam. When folded and connected (by freakin’ magnets), this mini-tub fits in your sink for a perfect baby bath vessel. When you’re done, the tub unfolds and can be hung on the towel rack to dry. Also, no matter how hard I try, this product makes me think about hats, broaches, and Pterodactyls.“ ⏤ Will Horne, 42, father of two, Belmont, Massachussetts
Solly Baby Wrap
“Because a baby sleeping tightly held to your chest is a beautiful thing.” ⏤ Tyghe Trimble, 37, father of two, New York
Nest Cam Indoor
“Same as your standard video monitor, only with better security/encryption. And one day when the kids are old enough, I can use it as home security camera, as it was designed.” ⏤ John Patrick Pullen, 39, father of two, Portland, Oregon
Graco SnugRider Elite Frame Stroller
“This, in my opinion, is better than a proper stroller. It’s really compact, has tons of storage, folds up nicely, allows you to have one less thing, and lets you to use the carseat in a continuous way (e.g. if the baby’s sleeping, no need to transfer).” ⏤ Amy Karafin, mother of one, Brooklyn, New York
BabyBjörn Crib
“Everybody loves the Pack ‘n Play, and so did I until we got our hands on a Björn Crib. It folds like a pancake, so you can put it behind the seat of your car with the baby’s car seat hovering over it. And, it’s so easy to set up that Grandpa can do it without instructions.” ⏤ Brad Mercer, 36, father of two, Amherst, Massachusetts
NoseFrida SnotSucker
“It’s gross, but this thing sucks out a babies’ snot with a clever tubing system and filter that prevents you from swallowing snot rockets. It’s simple, and it works better than any other thing I’ve tried to remove an infant’s boogers. This thing was a game changer.” ⏤ Carlos Mejia, 34, father of one, Hartford, Connecticut
ezpz Happy Mat
“Love this little mat with built-in bowls and a sticky bottom. It stays in place no matter how hard your baby tries to sweep it off the highchair tray in disgust.” ⏤ Jeff Foss, 36, father of two, Denver
Apple Watch
“My wife and I text all the time (who doesn’t?). When we had our first son, I also got the Apple Watch. Having the notifications on my wrist as I held/swaddled/fed/changed him was vital as I wondered where the hell she was and when the hell she was getting home. As he has gotten older, using it for turning on lights/smart home stuff has been great, but its killer app is the timer. I set timers all the time. Especially for putting him in ‘time out.'” ⏤ John Patrick Pullen, 39, father of two, Portland, Oregon
Halo SleepSack Swaddle
“I hate traditional means of swaddling a child in a blanket. It’s something I could never master. We got a couple of the Halo SleepSack Swaddle wearable blankets for our daughter, though, and they were awesome! You just put the baby in the sack, zip ’em up, fold their arms into the ‘wings,’ and you’re done. Even an amateur like myself can do that. The baby doesn’t easily escape and stays asleep longer. I would highly recommend them to any new parents.” ⏤ Garrett Postema, 30, father of two, South Hadley, Massachusetts
Skip Hop Pronto Signature Changing Station
“It’s the best thing ever. You don’t really need a diaper bag. It’s an all-in-one, plus a changing mat.” ⏤ Amy Karafin, mother of one, Brooklyn, New York
Ergobaby Baby Carrier
“I loved my Ergobaby carrier. Strap that bad boy up, stick in a kiddo, and I’m good to go. Dishes done, cleaning done, sleeping baby … done.” ⏤ Stu Handel, 32, father of two, Amherst, Massachusetts
Great for “grocery shopping, daycare drop-offs, everything, and anything.” ⏤ Evan Kaufman, father of one, Brooklyn, New York
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