Hello Mamabees!
After 18 months with our beloved son, Nathan, I have finally put together our most used baby items. As you mamas know, babies require a few basic essentials and with the number of baby products out there, it can be overwhelming to know which products are actually useful. So I’ve narrowed down the list by sharing our most used baby items below.
- Munchkin water bottle. Once Nathan transitioned from the nipple bottle to a sippy/straw bottle at the age of 1, we experimented with a few different bottles until we finally landed on this Munchkin water bottle which we love! This Munchkin water bottle is amazing because it’s leak proof, comes with a weighted straw so it will stand up right, and it has a lid which covers the straw for when you’re on-the-go. We love this bottle because it also slows down the flow of fluid which was great for our son because he had a hard time with learning to drink with a straw at first due to the fast flow of the liquid which resulted in him coughing a lot of the time. With this bottle, he has more control over the flow, which makes it so much easier for his transition to a regular bottle.
- Bottle sterilizer. We were gifted this bottle sterilizer from our family and we ended up using this everyday since our son was born up until we started to wean him off breastfeeding at 18 months so this was definitely on the top of our most used item list. We didn’t know how long we would continue to nurse but this was super convenient and easy to use to help make sure all of our son’s bottles and breast pump parts were properly sanitized.
- Uppababy Vista 2 Stroller. As first time parents, we didn’t know whether the Uppababy stroller was worth the hype but we ended up splurging on this because we knew it would be well-loved and well-used. We also justified our purchase by telling ourselves that we could always resell the stroller on the second market because it held its value really well. It turns out that we use this stroller everyday! Even when we traveled, we preferred this stroller over our lighter travel-friendly Uppababy Minu because this stroller has so many great features and customization for baby’s riding comfort. While we didn’t get to test out other strollers, we are pleasantly happy with our Uppababy stroller and have no regrets!
- Woolino sleep sack. Since our son was born, we went through dozens of swaddles and sleep sacks hoping that the next one would be the one that would let him sleep longer and through the night. Well, we tested all the popular sleep sacks out there and the Woolino sleep sack has definitely been our favorite so far. It’s light, breathable, easy to put on and super comfy! Our son loves this sleep sack and won’t sleep without it!
- Step 2 push car. Our son is in love with anything that has wheels on it and we had purchased a few different push cars and scooters but none of them compared to the Step 2 Push Car. This car comes with a seatbelt so it’s more safe than his other cars to ride on the sidewalks and we love that it comes with a cupholder and extra storage space underneath the seat. This car is always popular amongst the kids. Whenever we bring it to the park, all the other kids want to ride it! We purchased ours used through Facebook Marketplace and after cleaning it up, it’s as good as new.
- Vaseline. Vaseline has become a staple in our household. Our son has eczema so finding the right lotion for his skin type was really challenging. We tried everything from Aquaphor to Tubby Todd to California Baby, and eventually we gave up and saw a pediatric dermatologist who recommended a steroid cream along with vaseline. We’ve already used up two large jars of vaseline because we rub it all over his body 3x daily. Vaseline is also great for minor cuts, dry skin and skin protectant so it’s versatile.
- Baby Einstein baby books. We were gifted this bookset from a dear friend as a baby shower gift and started reading these books to our son since he was born. Our son loves these books and even ‘til this day, he flips through the books on his own. We love that it’s tiny enough for his little hands and makes for a great distraction when we’re on the go.
- Bath nonslip mat. Once our son transitioned out of his baby bath tub, we realized we needed a way for him to safely take a bath and not slip all over the place. This was something we didn’t realize we would need so soon but our son grew out of his baby bath tub quite quickly at around 6 months. He wanted to crawl and move around and didn’t like feeling confined to a smaller tub. Once we purchased the bath nonslip mat and a few bath toys, bath time has been a lot more enjoyable for everyone!
- Hatch sound machine. We use our Hatch sound machine everyday during our son’s nap and bedtime. This is a must for him since we play the sound machine during his sleep. And anytime we turn off the sound, he knows that it’s time to wake up. This sound machine has a lot of other great features such as different lighting and sound effects to notify your child when it’s time for sleep or time to wake up.
- Bandana drool bibs. Our son was a chronic drooler, especially when he was teething which felt like every month so these bandana drool bibs came in handy and put to great use. We love them because we no longer needed to constantly carry a washcloth with us and chase him around to wipe his drool. These bibs are super useful because you can easily change them out once they are damp and they make a great fashion accessory piece!
- Nanit baby camera. Baby smart cameras are a must-have nowadays. It’s so easy to setup and amazing to be able to check in our child while we’re out of the room or if another caretaker is watching them. It has helped put me at ease and allows me to monitor his sleep more closely.
- Boppy nursing pillow. For nursing mamas, this is a must have! We loved our boppy nursing pillow and used it up until 18 months old. It’s versatile because it can be used as a seat support for your child or pillow. Our son loves this pillow so much that we even take it on our plane rides because it makes it so much easier to nurse him and have him sit on our lap during the flight.
- Diaper caddy. We initially purchased one of these caddies before our son was born but ended up purchasing a second after he was born because we realized how useful it was! We wanted one for each of our bedrooms and it just made it so much easier for those diaper changes and storing our breastfeeding essentials.
- See Kai Run Shoes. Once our son started walking, we knew we needed to look into comfortable shoes for him. We initially purchased a cheap pair of shoes at Carter’s but they were heavy and very stiff that it made it really difficult for our son to walk in so we decided to upgrade to a pair of See Kai Run shoes, which was recommended by a mommy friend. They are significantly better than the Carter’s shoes! It’s easy to put on and light and flexible enough for him to walk and run around in. We now cannot see ourselves going with any other shoe brand.
- Nugget couch. I went back and forth on whether we truly needed the Nugget couch because of the price but eventually I caved in and purchased two sets because other moms mentioned you can’t really build much with one set. It turned out to be well-used and loved by our son. We use the nugget couch everyday! I love that we can build different forts with them and it makes his play area a much safer place for him when he’s climbing and jumping on the couches. We do not regret splurging and purchasing our Nugget couches.
- Bucket hat. On a family trip to Hawaii, we ended up purchasing a bucket hat for our son because we had lost his other sun hat. This bucket hat ended up being a great buy because it stays on so much better than other hats we’ve tried and is comfortable so that our son doesn’t try to take it off. Once we returned back from our trip, we ended up losing our hat and purchased a second one because we loved it so much!
- Northface toddler jacket. We were gifted this jacket from a dear friend and it has become our son’s most-used jacket during the cold winter and fall seasons. We love this jacket because it’s comfortable, easy to put on, and reversible. It’s great for windy days and rainy weather.
- Munchkin snack cups. We use these snack cups everyday. Our son loves his snacks and we love the ability to prepare and pack his snacks in this cup so that he can feed himself while not worrying about him spilling. It’s definitely a must have for toddlers who love to snack!
- Stokke highchair. We invested in high quality highchair because we knew our child would be using it everyday for years. We love that the Stokke high chair is ergonomic and provides a foot stand for our son so he can sit upright in a 90 degree angle. Also, the chair grows with the child so they can use it at any age.
- Little Partners learning tower. We love our learning tower because it makes it so much easier for our little one to wash his hands and brush his teeth. And it saves our arms from having to carry him to the sink. We also love that this learning tower is adjustable as our son grows and we plan to use it in the kitchen as well so our little one can help us prepare meals!
- Ergobaby 360 carrier. While we don’t use this carrier as much anymore since our son begin walking, we really appreciated how comfortable and easy it is to strap him on our chest for those longer hikes and trips to the groceries. We love that this carrier allows our child to face forward or backward towards us. He has napped many times in this carrier when he was an infant.
That covers our top 20 most used baby items! What has been your most used baby item not listed on here?
