17 brilliant products baby experts say all new parents should buy
Expecting parents have plenty to worry about and very little time to spend worrying about it. Nine months can go by fast when there’s so much to do and buy before your baby arrives.
So Joel Johnson and his sister Rachel Fracassa, who is a mother and Dula, created the NightLight, a website dedicated to extensively reviewing all the products parents need for their new babies, from nail clippers to car seats.
The team does extensive research and talks to experts to help them decide which products to recommend to new parents.
As new products come on the market, the team goes back and re-reviews products they’ve already spent hours researching and testing to make sure they’re suggesting the best possible product, Matt Lee, an editor and writer for the site, explains to TI.
Here are some of their recommendations that all new parents should have:
A good convertible car seat is one of the first products new parents will use.
To choose the best convertible car seat, the NightLight team went through 19 car seats and spent 38 hours testing in three different vehicles. Lee explains to Tech Insider that the team really does their research to find the best product possible.
They eventually chose the Chicco Nexfit 65 for its easy installation and because it protects babies whether they’re facing forwards or backwards.
Buy it here: $300
Cribs are one of the most important items a baby will ever need.
NightLight decided that solid wood was the best and most durable material for a crib.
After 20 hours of testing — that involved using dummies, real children (safely), and a myriad of objects to inflict damage — they decided the Oeuf Rhea crib was the best of 24 options for its sturdiness, price, and design.
Buy it here: $670
If a crib is the most important thing to own, a mattress is second most important.
To test this mattress, Lee said the team actually put urine on it. They did this “to make sure that it was easy to clean and that it was actually waterproof, so that was a lengthy process,” Lee tells TI.
A crib mattress was one of the first products the team ever reviewed about three years ago. The Moonlight Slumber All Foam Littler Dreamer is their current top pick.
Buy it here: $197
There are so many different types of strollers out there, but the Mamas and Papas Armadillo Flip came out on top.
The crew at the NightLight found that this full-size stroller was the best out of the more than 30 they considered.
The parents they consulted revealed that weight, fold-ability, and ease in maneuvering were top priorities for parents looking to buy and the Mamas and Papas Armadillo Flip came out on top.
Buy it here: $400
Concealing the smell from stinky diapers is a must — that’s where the diaper pail comes in.
When you have a baby there is no way to avoid dirty diapers. To choose this Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail as the best, the team used it for a full week to see how much odor would escape.
Lee tells TI, “Most of the writers are parents and in terms of the test subjects, the kids do play a role in that,” so there was no shortage of diapers to use to test the nine different pails.
Buy it here: $80
A good baby swing can provide the help new parents need.
No two babies are the same and each one has a different preference when it comes to the motion of a baby swing. NightLight’s reviewer spent two full months testing eight different swings to choose only the best.
The Graco DuetSoothe Swing and Rocker offers different settings for motion so that no matter what setting your baby prefers, it can soothe him or her.
Buy it here: $169
A pack n’ play may not be a necessity, but it sure is helpful to have.
Out of 60 different play yards and after 30 hours of researching and testing the safest play area, the NightLight team chose the Graco Pack N Play Playard Bassinet.
Play yards come with all sorts of features now, and this one converts into a changing station. “It’s rewarding to be able to help people save money and time,” Lee says about reviewing products for new parents.
Buy it here: $60
High chairs go through some of the most damaging conditions, so parents need something that will last.
Getting pureed peas out of a high chair seat shouldn’t be hard. The OXO Tot Seedling High Chair nabbed the number one spot because it has a sturdy tray and an easy to clean comfy seat.
Safety is also a clear concern with something like a high chair, so the team ruled out anything that lacked a “five-point harness, locking wheels, a secure crotch post, and a sturdy base,” according to the site.
Buy it here: $120
For parents bravely traveling with their babies, a travel high chair is essential.
The reviewers of NightLight tested the chair for six months bringing it wherever they brought their babies — weddings, dinner, or to visit family.
The Inglesina Fast Table Chair came out on top because it’s lightweight, folds up, and comes with a carry bag.
Buy it here: $70
Clipping your infant’s nails can be a challenge with high stakes.
The last thing any parent wants to do while clipping their infant’s nails is nick their delicate skin. To choose the Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clipper, the people at the NightLight consulted with parents and a top pediatrician in addition to trying out different trimmers on an infant.
“For stuff like the best baby nail trimmers there’s not a whole lot that changes,” Lee explains, but when a new product comes on the market, the team does check it out.
Buy it here: $5
A bassinet makes it easy to keep your baby nearby while they rest.
You can’t bring a crib into every room you move to throughout your day, but you can easily bring a bassinet. The HALO Bassinest Swivel Sleeper is a top pick. A bassinet is great for parents looking to keep their newborns close but who don’t want to use a co-sleeper that attaches to the bed.
The testing process involved having parents use the different bassinets throughout their days as usual.
Buy it here: $200
For parents who can’t be near their babies at all times, a baby monitor is the solution.
The Withings Home video monitor is a top-pick baby monitor. It connects to the cloud so parents can stream their sleeping babies right to their phones and see them sleeping without having to disturb them.
It’s a bit pricier than regular monitors, but Lee explains, “In terms of price it comes down to how useful they [the products] are. You have to have some perspective on it.” A video monitor can give parents more comfort than a traditional monitor.
Buy it here: $200
Babies get colds too, but they don’t know how to blow their noses. That’s when to use a nose aspirator.
A nose aspirator will come in handy for most parents at one time or another. The NoseFrida, an aspirator that uses human generated suction (it’s not as gross as it sounds), is the pick the NightLight chose.
The team at the NightLight consulted seasoned moms and a pediatrician to decide which option is best for un-stuffing a baby’s nose. This one was simple and effective.
Buy it here: $14.50
Parents who don’t want to wake their baby when they go check up on them should have a nightlight.
A concerned parent checking on their baby can accidentally wake them by tripping over something or bumping into furniture in the dark. A good nightlight can help avoid such upsets.
Based on recommendations from sleep experts and closely read Amazon reviews, the NightLight team chose the Kinderglo Portable Night Light as their top pick.
Buy it here: $20
A play mat isn’t a necessity, but it can be good to have.
Play mats offer a safe intellectually stimulating place for baby to play with mom or dad nearby.
The Tiny Love Gymini Activity Gym passed the baby test. “We try to use a real world environment and put the products through a fair amount of abuse,” says Lee.
Buy it here: $32
Diaper bags offer organization for all the necessities for your baby on the go.
While not a necessity, diaper bags can save parents time and stress by making it easier to have things like diapers, wipes, and bottles on hand at a moment’s notice.
The reviewers at the NightLight tested diaper bags by stuffing them full of the necessities and ended up choosing the Ju-Ju-Be BFF bag for its comfort and easy accessibility.
Buy it here: $115-255
All babies get sick at one time or another — buy a thermometer to be prepared.
Baby thermometers range greatly in how they work and how to use them.
The team at the NightLight found that the Safety 1st Gentle Read Rectal Thermometer was best quality for the cost after reading many articles, reviews and expert opinions.
Buy it here: $7
To see a full list of the products reviewed by The NightLight check out their website.
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