The Most Useful Gifts for Parents
Practical and unexpected items that real parents loved the most in the early years—which would make great gifts.
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Published Sep 15, 2023|Updated On Oct 30, 2023
Published Sep 15, 2023Updated On Oct 30, 2023
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When it comes to preparing for a new arrival and building a registry, there are many great baby gifts and toddler necessities to choose from, all of which was designed to make parenting easier. It’s easy to find those on our gear guides.
And then there are the unexpected, everyday items that real parents say they can’t live without—the “lifesavers” they’ve discovered along the way. These sleeper hits fall into the category of “things I wish I knew about as a first-time parent,” and we’ve rounded up our favorites here alongside some endorsements from real parents.
We think they’d make great gifts, too, and we’ll continue to update this list as we discover new time-saving and problem-solving products you should know about.
Problem-Solving Gear for Parents
Personal recommendations (and reviews!) from Babylist parents.
Anyday
The Complete Set
To make nutritious meals for the entire family, these innovative bowls are a faster alternative to traditional meal prep.
Beyond Yoga
Spacedye Out Of Pocket High Waisted Midi Legging
A super-comfortable pair made extra practical with deep pockets—for stashing keys while their hands are full. (In maternity styles, too!)
iRobot
Roomba i3 EVO (3150) Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum
According to Wirecutter, it's the best for cleaning up after “a Cheerio-trailing toddler.”
Bombas
The Perfect Pair Gripper Slipper 2-Pack
Two pairs of soft feet warmers designed to keep them from slipping while they carry their little one(s) around the house.
SlumberPod
SlumberPod
A portable blackout cover for playards, mini cribs and toddler cots—for a good night's sleep (for everyone) away from home.
Our Place
The Wonder Oven
A compact air fryer that also bakes, toasts, roasts, steams and broils so creating meals (for parents and little ones) is quick and easy.
ZeeDix
Coconut Fibers Mulch Mat
To keep curious little hands from scooping fistfuls of dirt out of your indoor pots.
OXO Tot
Grape Cutter
Quickly snips grapes, tomatoes, blueberries and other fruits and veggies into perfectly quartered pieces—aka safe-to-serve sizes for early eaters.
Nespresso
Vertuo Plus Deluxe Coffee Maker And Espresso Machine By D...
For a single up of coffee or espresso, at any hour of the day.
BISSELL
Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery...
A popular portable carpet & upholstery cleaner to easily clean up little spills.
Carhartt
Beverage Holster
“This clip-on koozie was very useful to me when I was wearing my daughter a lot and didn’t want her to grab or kick the drink in my hand."
Trader Joe's
Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloth
“They are amazing. I just pop in the washing machine nightly, air dry after.”
Yamazaki
Dishcloth Hanger
“Now that we're doing 3 solid meals a day + snacks, we cannot have enough little wash cloths, which also means we need a place to hang them up to dry.”
Babylist
Shop Gift Card
A gift card is a classic present for a reason: they can pick exactly what they want, and you don't have to worry about sizing or returns!
hooga
Rechargeable Clip On Book Light
"Made the middle-of-the-night feedings and changes so much easier and way less stimulating."
Washin’ Jax
Laundry Agitators
"Started using for cloth diapers and discovered they got all of our clothes so much cleaner!"
Peach Street
Speed-Boil Water Electric Kettle
"By far my favorite way to heat up a bottle, but also started using it anytime we needed hot water and can't live without it now."
Latitude Run
Tufted Square Floor Pillow
"Having a comfy place for adults to lounge on the ground during tummy time and floor play = highly underrated."
Frigidaire
Mini Portable Compact Personal Fridge Cooler
"Got one so I didn't have to get out of bed after middle-of-the-night pumping sessions, but used it forever to store middle-of-the-night bottles."
NEWGEM
Linen Cross Back Aprons
"Obviously useful for cooking, but pretty handy for protecting your clothes from thrown food."
BOWERBIRD
Clear Toy Blockers for Furniture
"Has saved me probably 50 times in the last month of needing to pull little blocks from under the couch.”
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