Gift guide · 12 ideas
Baby shower gifts
The registry takes care of the car seat and the stroller. These are the everyday things new parents end up using around the clock.
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Most baby showers come with a registry, and the big decisions on it (the car seat, the stroller, the crib) are best left to the parents. Where a guest can really help is with the everyday things nobody quite plans for: how much light a 3 a.m. feeding needs, how tricky the first bath is with two hands, how loud the house is at nap time.
Each idea comes with our pick from one of our top lists, chosen for the first months at home, and all of them suit a boy or a girl and work just as well when you visit after the birth. The bigger ones make good group gifts.
A video baby monitor
For the first naps in the nursery, when every quiet minute brings the urge to tiptoe in and check. A video monitor shows the crib from the kitchen or the couch, and one without Wi-Fi has no app or account to set up.
GoodBaby 5 in Video Baby Monitor (SM663, no WiFi)
$30–$50
Steer the camera from the handset to follow a baby who rolls to the far corner of the crib: it turns through 355° and tilts 120°, with a 5 in screen, 2x zoom, two-way talk, eight lullabies and a room temperature alert. The 3,500 mAh battery gives as much as 30 hours in VOX mode, where the screen sleeps until the baby makes a sound, and there’s a feeding timer for the early weeks. The parent unit has a column of icon buttons rather than a D-pad, and it takes one extra camera.
What owners say: The picture and sound are clear and the night vision sees the whole crib in the dark, owners say, and they like that nothing connects to WiFi. Some found the battery didn’t make it through a night with the screen on.
A closer look: Mount the camera high on a shelf or the wall bracket, aimed down at the crib, with its cord well out of reach. The temperature reading sits in the corner of the screen, which saves a trip to check the nursery, and a second camera can be added later for a second room.
- Camera pans and tilts
- Range up to 1,000 ft
- Two-way talk
Heads up: With the screen on all night, expect about 10 hours. Set VOX mode at bedtime and the screen wakes only when the baby does, which is where the 30-hour figure comes from.
View on Amazon See our top 5 baby monitors →A baby bouncer
For the fussy hour before bedtime and the cup of coffee that needs both hands, a bouncer with gentle vibration settles plenty of newborns. It’s for awake time, so if the baby nods off, move them to the crib.
Ingenuity Keep Cozy 3-in-1 Grow with Me Vibrating Bouncer and Rocker
$50–$75
Bounce, rock or a still seat held by a kickstand at the back, with soothing vibrations for fussy moments. Ingenuity rates it from birth to 30 months and up to 40 lb, so it stays in use as a toddler seat long after the bouncing stage.
What owners say: Owners say it’s comfortable for a newborn and still gets used by a toddler, which is the point of it, and the vibration calms a fussy baby, though the button rattles. It rocks when pushed rather than on its own.
A closer look: The plush bolster cradles a newborn and lifts out once there’s more baby to fill the seat. The seat pad and bolster go in the washing machine, and the detachable elephant toy gives small hands something to reach for.
- Bounce, rock or vibrate
- For 0 to 30 months
- Kickstand holds it still
Heads up: The vibrations run on one C battery, which isn’t included, so have one ready for the first day.
View on Amazon See our top 5 baby bouncers →A white noise machine
Nap time rarely comes with a quiet house: the dog barks, the doorbell goes, the dishwasher runs. A steady hush covers them, and many babies settle better with it.
ColourNoise Soother Sound Machine (30 sounds)
$10–$20
Thirty sounds that don’t loop, from brown, pink and white noise to heavy rain, a fireplace and a heartbeat, with a night light in 12 colors and 10 brightness levels. When the timer runs out, the sound fades away rather than stopping dead.
What owners say: Owners enjoy cycling through the sounds and colors, and say they drift off within minutes. The spread of volume and brightness settings wins praise too.
A closer look: Using the same sound for every nap and bedtime turns it into a cue that sleep is coming. A dim, warm shade from its 12 colors makes a gentle light for night feeds and diaper changes without lighting up the whole room.
- 30 sleep sounds
- 12-color night light
- Fades out when time’s up
A newborn bath support
The first baths at home are nerve-racking: a slippery newborn and only two hands. With the baby lying steady, bath time can become the calm part of the evening rather than the tense one.
Angelcare Baby Bath Support
$10–$20
Both hands stay free to wash a newborn: a mesh cradle on a plastic frame lies in the bathtub or the sink and holds the baby at a gentle angle. The soft-touch mesh warms quickly in the water, water drains straight out, and it hangs from a loop to dry.
What owners say: Owners say the grippy mesh keeps a slippery baby from sliding, that it makes bathing a newborn alongside a toddler possible, and that it’s the first thing they tell other new parents to buy.
A closer look: Run a couple of inches of warm water, set the support in the tub or a clean sink and lay the baby on it so the mesh takes their weight while you wash. Stay beside them the whole time. Rinse it, hang it from the loop and it’s dry by the next bath, and it moves on once they sit unaided, at about six months.
- Birth to 6 months
- Mesh cradle on a frame
- Leaves both hands free
A night light for night feedings
Night feedings and 3 a.m. diaper changes go better in a soft glow than under the ceiling light, which leaves baby and parent wide awake.
G Keni Nursery Night Light
$10–$20
A plain white touch light made for the nursery: tap the top to turn it on, hold it to brighten or dim, and it remembers the level for the next feeding. Turned down, a charge lasts up to 65 hours, and a handle hidden underneath hangs it from a hook or a tent loop.
What owners say: Owners praise how long it holds a charge and the range of brightness, and say it’s just the thing for night feedings. Some expected it to be bigger, and a few report one that stopped working after a while.
A closer look: Set it to the dimmest level that lets you see the baby’s face and leave it there: the memory means one tap brings back the same glow every night. The hanging handle underneath turns it into a tent light on a camping trip, and it stands on a nightstand the rest of the time.
- Glows up to 65 hours
- Rechargeable by USB
- Tap on, hold to dim
A microwave sterilizer bag
Bottles and pump parts get sterilized again and again in the early months, and boiling them on the stove gets old fast. In the microwave it fits in between one feeding and the next.
Dr. Brown's Microwave Steam Sterilizer Bag (silicone, reusable)
$10–$20
Two bottles and their parts, or a set of pump parts, sterilized in three minutes in the microwave with 2 oz of water, in a silicone bag that goes through the dishwasher and is used again and again. It stands up on its own, has hooks to lift it out safely, and is flexible enough to squash into the diaper bag or a suitcase.
What owners say: Owners use it mostly for pump parts and for travel, as it packs into a suitcase, holds more than the disposable steam bags and goes through the dishwasher between uses.
A closer look: Pour in 2 oz of water, add the clean parts, snap the top shut and microwave on high for three minutes, then leave it to stand for ten before touching it: the steam inside is scalding. Only microwave-safe parts go in, so check pump parts against their maker’s advice. When it’s not sterilizing, it makes a handy travel pouch.
- Microwave steam bag
- Sterilizes in 3 minutes
- Squashes into a diaper bag
A diaper bag backpack
Leaving the house now takes a packing list: diapers, wipes, a spare outfit, a bottle, the parents’ own keys and phone. A backpack keeps both hands free for the stroller, and either parent will carry it.
RUVALINO Diaper Bag Backpack with Changing Pad
$30–$50
Built for traveling with a baby: insulated pockets take bottles from 5 to 11 oz, there’s a padded laptop pocket, and it switches from backpack to handbag or hangs off the stroller, so it can serve as a carry-on as well.
What owners say: Spacious and well made, it swallows a laptop alongside the diapers and bottles, and the padded straps stay comfortable for hours. Plenty like that it passes for an ordinary backpack, and it doesn’t stain easily.
A closer look: The parent pocket keeps keys and wallet apart from the baby gear, and the mesh diaper organizer makes a clean diaper a one-handed grab. Spot clean it, or hand wash cold and lay it flat to dry.
- Changing pad included
- Insulated bottle pockets
- Switches to a handbag
A diaper pail
The least glamorous thing on the gift table, and one of the most used: newborns go through diapers by the handful every day. A pail that seals keeps the smell in one corner instead of the whole house.
Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail
$50–$75
Steel doesn’t soak up smells the way plastic can, and the Ubbi takes any standard trash bag, so there are no refills to buy for as long as it’s in use. The sliding lid lets out less air than a flip-up one, rubber seals close it tight, and a childproof lock keeps toddlers out.
What owners say: Two weeks of a newborn’s diapers fit before it needs emptying, owners say, and it looks like a piece of furniture rather than baby gear, though some find the slide stiff to open and others want the smell held in better.
A closer look: Line it with a 13-gallon kitchen bag, tuck the edge under the rim and slide the lid back to drop a diaper in; set the lock once there’s a crawler in the house. A wipe with a dry cloth keeps the steel clean, and when the diaper days are over it goes on serving as a trash can anywhere in the house.
- Takes any standard trash bag
- Up to 55 newborn diapers
- Becomes a trash can later
A baby carrier
Plenty of newborns only nap while someone is holding them. A carrier lets a parent do exactly that and still eat lunch, walk the dog or fold laundry, and it’s a good gift for a group to chip in on.
Mabē Monarch Baby Carrier (Houndstooth)
$100–$150
A soft-structured carrier in cotton and linen, with crossing shoulder straps, a waist belt and a head-support flap, that goes from the early weeks to the toddler years in three positions. It looks more like a piece of clothing than a hiking harness, which is much of its appeal.
What owners say: Owners say the crossed straps take the strain off the back and shoulders, that it adjusts easily as the baby grows and fits both parents, and that the fabric is softer than they expected.
A closer look: Wear the waistband high on the natural waist and tighten the shoulder straps until the baby sits high and close, which is also what keeps a newborn’s airway clear. Facing out is for babies of six months and more who can sit up, and Mabē suggests no more than about 20 minutes at a time that way.
- For babies 9–45 lb
- Three positions, including back
- 88% cotton, 12% linen
Heads up: Mabē says the safest fit usually starts at about 9 lb, so a small newborn may need a few weeks before the straps can be snug enough; wash it in a garment bag and lay it flat to dry, never in the dryer.
View on Amazon See our top 5 baby carriers →A baby play gym
Every parent needs somewhere safe to set the baby down for ten minutes. A play gym gives the baby shapes to gaze at in the first weeks, toys to bat and kick later, and a soft mat for tummy time all along.
Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym
$30–$50
A kick piano that lights up and plays more than 85 songs and sounds, under a high-contrast arch for newborn eyes, and it adapts through four stages as baby grows.
What owners say: Owners say the songs are the kind you can stand hearing all day, that it goes together in minutes, and that it keeps going into toddlerhood once the piano comes off the gym.
A closer look: In the early weeks, lie baby under the high-contrast arch; later the piano moves to where little feet can kick it, and eventually it comes off to be played sitting up. The ten linking toys clip closer or further away as reach improves, and the mat goes in the washing machine.
- 85+ songs, sounds and phrases
- 10 toys plus a piano
- Removable piano for sitting play
Stacking cups
A small add-on that outlasts most of the gift table. Stacking cups are something to grab and chew at six months, then a bath toy and a tower to knock down, then sandbox molds for years.
Mushie Stacking Cups
$10–$20
Eight cups that nest, stack and tumble, and look nice enough to leave out on a nursery shelf.
What owners say: The little shapes on the bottoms and the muted colors win parents over, and the cups last for years without cracking. They don’t look out of place left out in the living room, either.
A closer look: Build them into a tower for a baby to knock down, and before long they’ll be building it themselves. Nested, all eight take up little more room than a mug, so they travel well in a diaper bag for a restaurant or a trip to the grandparents.
- From 6 months
- Eight nesting cups
- Made in Denmark
Heads up: The cups are on the small side, about 3.1 in across at the biggest, so they suit little hands best.
View on Amazon See our top 5 stacking toys →A travel crib with a bassinet
Visits to the grandparents and the first night away come sooner than new parents expect. A bed that travels means the baby sleeps somewhere familiar, and it’s one for a few guests to go in on.
Graco Pack ’n Play On the Go Playard with Bassinet (Kaden)
$75–$100
Graco’s plain travel Pack ’n Play folds its feet and wheels away for a small bundle, and the full-size bassinet folds up with it, so there are fewer parts to carry. A push-button fold, a toy bar and a carry bag come with it, and there’s nothing else to pay for.
What owners say: Up in a minute and down again as fast, parents say, and handy for trips and stays with grandparents. They like that it’s roomy enough for a toddler yet packs small, with the bassinet folding up inside.
A closer look: Before each use, check that all four top rails have clicked into place and the center of the floor is pushed down flat. Take the bassinet out once the baby reaches 15 lb, and the playard serves until 35 in tall or 30 lb; it folds into a 10 in square column 26 in tall for the trunk.
- Bassinet up to 15 lb
- Playard up to 30 lb
- Bassinet folds with the playard
Tips for baby shower gifts
- Buy from the registry if there is one, and if you go off it, tuck a gift receipt in the box: new parents end up with three of some things and none of others.
- If the invitation mentions a diaper raffle, bring a pack in size 1 or 2. Newborn diapers are outgrown fast, and the bigger sizes all get used.
- Nothing soft goes in the crib: the AAP’s advice is a firm, flat mattress with a fitted sheet, and no blankets, pillows, bumpers or stuffed animals. Padded crib bumpers have been banned from sale in the US since 2022.
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
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