So your friend/sibling/neighbor just had a baby, or is having a baby soon. Huzzah!
Now you’re trying to figure out what to get them for the holidays… and, well, it can get a bit overwhelming. There’s so much stuff for babies and new parents, all marketed in a way that makes it all seem absolutely crucial. It is, of course, mostly not.
For this gift guide, I tried to focus on stuff that is truly useful, doesn’t exist solely to freak new parents out and is tough enough to last multiple years/kids.
Step one? Ask the parents what they need — everyone’s situation is different, and they’ll absolutely know best. If they’re running short on ideas, though, here are some things they’ll probably really appreciate.
This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission. Need more gift ideas? Find our other gift guides right here.
Image Credits: Matthew Panzarino
When you’ve suddenly got this precious thing in your life requiring 99.9% of your brain bandwidth, it can be hard to remember where anything else is. Particularly on the go, when — especially for those first few months — you’re probably toting around about 3x the amount of stuff as you were pre-kid. Your wallet… did you drop it, or just leave it at home? Did the diaper bag fall out of the bottom of the stroller, or is it back in the car? Wait, where did I even park the car?
Apple’s AirTags are only a few months old and didn’t exist when we first had our kid, but oh how I wish they did. These little puck-shaped discs can be tucked anywhere, allowing you to track an item’s (read: bags/strollers/etc., not the baby’s) location anywhere there’s an iPhone nearby — any iPhone, not just yours. The battery lasts a surprisingly long time and is easily user replaceable, and you can make an AirTag beep if you need help triangulating exactly where something is in the house.
One catch: These things are only for iOS users.
Price: 1 for
Image Credits: Snoo
It’s arecommended by the NIH.)
The Snoo will only work until a baby is about six months old — but it’s very, very easy to pass on to another kid. We split the purchase with friends because their kid would outgrow it right as ours needed it; it’s since been handed down four more times, with minimal maintenance required beyond a deep cleaning.
Price: \)"> 1,600 from HappiestBaby. There’s also a rental option that works out to around
Image Credits: Keekaroo
I fully did not understand why we’d spend \)">130 on a changing pad. A zillion diaper changes later… I get it. The Peanut is designed to keep baby from rolling off the table during a diaper change (though, of course, you still need to stay close), is way more comfy for baby than a hard wooden table and is, crucially, super stain resistant. When my kid finally did manage to stain it permanently (beets, it’s always beets) the company had a replacement shipped out immediately.Now you’re trying to figure out what to get them for the holidays… and, well, it can get a bit overwhelming. There’s so much stuff for babies and new parents, all marketed in a way that makes it all seem absolutely crucial. It is, of course, mostly not.
For this gift guide, I tried to focus on stuff that is truly useful, doesn’t exist solely to freak new parents out and is tough enough to last multiple years/kids.
Step one? Ask the parents what they need — everyone’s situation is different, and they’ll absolutely know best. If they’re running short on ideas, though, here are some things they’ll probably really appreciate.
This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission. Need more gift ideas? Find our other gift guides right here.
AirTags
Image Credits: Matthew Panzarino
When you’ve suddenly got this precious thing in your life requiring 99.9% of your brain bandwidth, it can be hard to remember where anything else is. Particularly on the go, when — especially for those first few months — you’re probably toting around about 3x the amount of stuff as you were pre-kid. Your wallet… did you drop it, or just leave it at home? Did the diaper bag fall out of the bottom of the stroller, or is it back in the car? Wait, where did I even park the car?
Apple’s AirTags are only a few months old and didn’t exist when we first had our kid, but oh how I wish they did. These little puck-shaped discs can be tucked anywhere, allowing you to track an item’s (read: bags/strollers/etc., not the baby’s) location anywhere there’s an iPhone nearby — any iPhone, not just yours. The battery lasts a surprisingly long time and is easily user replaceable, and you can make an AirTag beep if you need help triangulating exactly where something is in the house.
One catch: These things are only for iOS users.
Price: 1 for
Snoo
Image Credits: Snoo
It’s a
Price:
A really, really good phone case
Image Credits: Otterbox
Phones light up and make fun noises. Babies like things that light up and make fun noises. Babies also like to throw things.
Add those things together and you’ve got the recipe for a broken phone screen. If your new parent friend is the type that likes to forego the case in favor of a slim device, maaaaaybe try to convince them to pop a case on for at least a year or two. Otterbox’s commuter case saved our phones probably a dozen times, and is relatively slim for the amount of protection it provides.
Price:
Hue bulbs
Image Credits: Philips
As I noted in our under-
Collapsible Radio Flyer Wagon
Image Credits: Radio Flyer
Someone bought us one of these for his first birthday, and I honestly can’t believe how much use it’s gotten. When he was still in a stroller, we’d use it to lug everything out onto the beach. Now that he’s far too big for a stroller, he’ll gladly hop in this for long rides around the neighborhood or trips to the zoo.
It folds up enough to fit in the trunk, and two zipper pulls convert it into a bench for snack time anywhere. Radio Flyer’s warranty is also pretty great; when I busted one of the wheels at no one’s fault but my own, they had a new one out to me within days.
Price: Varies...