A baby essentials list can be quite a daunting thing for parents-to-be as they can be lengthy and there is so much to choose from. From the pushchair to choose (that's the big one, and most expensive), to which travel cot suits your needs, the baby carrier to opt for and the best white noise for babies, there's a lot of kit that these tiny humans need. We've rounded up the best options for the big pieces that you need from your baby essentials list to help sort through the noise so scroll down to see our recommendations for the best cot, best compact pushchair, best car seat and more.
Best baby bouncers:
Stokke Yoga Baby Bouncer & Swing
This two-in-one bouncer and swing means this smart little chair from the Norwegian brand famous for their Tripp Trapp high chair is a game changer for when you need to do tasks around the house that would be much easier without carrying a baby. While many bouncers go up and down, this multitasker also swings sideways which mimics a baby being in your arms more naturally. It's powered by baby's natural movements, so when they kick, wiggle or bounce, the chair stays moving. The fact that it's natural movements and not motor-powered or automated means that your newborn is working on enhancing their motor skill development. The set up takes seconds, it's lightweight enough to move around the house with you and the fabric is a whizz to remove for any emergency washes that may be needed.
BabyBjörn Bouncer Balance Soft
There is nothing cuter than seeing a baby thrash its leg with glee and bounce around while safely strapped into its bouncer, but more than that, a baby bouncer offers a safe place to pop baby while you get on with tasks around the house or take a much-needed shower, albeit it with a tiny friend bouncing away beside you. The Baby Björn Bouncer Balance Soft in cotton is the one to choose, for its silky fabric that is kind to little ones' delicate skin, sweet trio of colour options (sky blue, soft pink or beige) and additional extras such as the Googly Eyes bar or Flying Friends bar to keep babies entertained and help with their developmental skills. It's just a shame there isn't one for adults.
Best prams and pushchairs
Best travel pram for easy fold: Joolz aer2
Dutch brand Joolz is well-loved for its well-built, luxurious prams. The Joolz Hub 2 is known for its sturdiness in city life, and the aer+ was a favourite for travel or zooming around a compact city, being lightweight and small enough to fit overhead in a plane's cabin and navigate on buses and trains. Now, the aer2 has upgraded the travel pram to an even more convenient level. Weighing 6.5kg, it's one of the most lightweight popular prams on the market. One of our favourite features has to be the complete ease of folding this pram with one hand (while wriggling a baby with the other). It takes all of one second to collapse, including the baby carrycot attachment. It stands up on its own when folded, and there's a very convenient strap to carry it on your shoulder, too. For such a lightweight pram, the wheels are large and sturdy enough to easily navigate city streets, while the shopping basket is also pretty large, holding 8kg. It's a particularly stylish option too, with a faux leather handlebar and plush fabrics. Like all of Joolz’s pushchairs, it's got sustainability credits to boot, using eco-friendly fabrics made from recycled PET bottles.
Best compact pushchair: Bugaboo Dragonfly
For people who live in small flats or don't have a hallway space to house a pushchair when not in use, a compact, foldable design is the only way to go. However, most of the compact pushchairs on the market are remarkably fragile and can barely handle an uneven paving stone, let alone a gravel path or cobbles. Bugaboo are constantly innovating the pram game and their Dragonfly model is aimed at city parents who want the best of both worlds: something not massive but durable. It weighs just under 10kg, which is not necessarily lightweight but the payoff is that you can fold it with one hand (key when holding a baby and navigating public transport) without having to remove the seat or even bassinet attachment. Where it also wins over more compact pushchairs is with the storage capacity, with 10kg basket space underneath the seat and an additional removable rear pocket should you need more. There's an adjustable leg rest for older kids too, as well as the incomparable Bugaboo buggy board addition if you have more than one child.
Best lightweight pram for size: Stokke YOYO³
Fact: if you walk past a stroller-pushing parent in London, there's at least a 90% chance it's a Stokke Yoyo. This city favourite is lining up in playgrounds and parks, easily whizzing across busy tube stations and easily being lifted into plane cabins. It's tiny, lightweight and easy to carry with a shoulder strap. This nimble and popular pram is ideal for city living – and it comes in heaps of colours and prints. Improving on its predecessor, the Yoyo3, Stokke's third iteration of the travel pram has a longer, UPF 50+ water-repellent canopy, a new mesh ventilation window and a peek-a-boo panel for better breathability and double the capacity in the under-seat basket (now holding up to 10kg).
Best sturdy everyday pram: Joolz Hub 2
Compact and lightweight enough for navigating busy high streets and public transport, but sturdy enough to go over bumps and uneven surfaces (and not be pulled in all directions when walking a dog, too), the Joolz Hub 2 is an easy win for a sturdy everyday pram that also looks stylish. The carrycot (which is sleep safe) can easily come up at the press of a button and those using the regular seat can also make us of the multi-recline options, including a lie flat position that's ideal for sleepy newborns.
Best double pram: Bugaboo Donkey 5
Whether you are having twins or welcoming a second (or third) child into the family, a double buggy is, quite literally, a big consideration to make. A side-by-side model is more comfortable for the kids in the buggy as they have more space and one isn't crammed into the bottom, but it does mean a lot more width. One of the biggest double prams there is is the Bugaboo Donkey 5, which is also the most adaptable – and stylish – on the market. While it may be large, it is certainly impressively manoeuvrable and can be wheeled one handed with ease, quite the feat given the weight and width of it. But what really sets it apart from the rest is its capacity to work for any family situation. You can configure it with a single bassinet or seat and the side basket (its best feature), or widen the pram and add on a second bassinet or seat. Whether you need two bassinets, a bassinet and seat or two seats, you can do whatever you want at any given time with a very easy swap system. It's brilliant. It is fairly simple to fold down and pop in a car though be warned, it is not compact. Across the board, it is hard to beat the Donkey.
Best newborn car seat: Nuna Arra
When it comes to car seats, they are all pretty similar to a certain degree and it can be hard to navigate the market to decipher what's best for you, other than on price and which might work with your chosen pushchair. However, the Nuna Arra offers something quite unique that makes it stand apart: the car seat can recline to three different positions, including 157°, which is almost flat and makes it easier and more comfortable for baby to sleep in the car or if you're using the car seat as a pushchair modular attachment. This ability to lie baby flat offers the best ergonomic position to support healthy growth in the first few months, and makes longer car journeys much safer and more comfortable for little ones.
Best car seat for longevity: Joie i-Spin 360
The other consideration when it comes to finding the best car seat for your lifestyle is budget and longevity; as many car seats are suitable from birth to about 15 months, you need to eventually buy another model to suit your growing child. Not so with the Joie i-Spin 360, which is suitable for use from birth to when your child is about four years old, giving a much longer window to get the most for your money. The name ‘i-Spin 360’ refers to the car seat's ability to spin 360 degrees on its base, making it much easier to get baby in and out of the car without having to contort to all sorts of different positions. What's more, the deep padding makes it extremely comfortable and should, hopefully, help little ones drift off during car journeys.
Best cot: Stokke Sleepi cot
Having a child can feel like a never-ending procession of money out, new items in. They grow very quickly and constantly need new furniture and clothes. Not so if you choose the Stokke Sleepi cot system, which starts as a tiny cot for newborns and can expand to become a larger cot for older babies, before expanding again – and again – with the child's growth to end up as a bed large enough to fit up until around the age of ten (at which point, you'd transition the child to a normal bed anyway). The initial cost is certainly higher than other cots, but the ability to keep one piece of furniture for a decade and not have to add to landfill and have three to four cots overall is well worth the extra cost when you're expecting. What's more, it's incredibly good quality and suitably stylish – with the ability to add a draped curtain for a little extra sweetness in the nursery.
SnuzPod5 Bedside Crib
Speaking to friends who are already parents, every single one of them recommended I try the Snuzpod bedside crib for the baby's first six or so months. Bigger than a Moses basket but smaller and more easily movable than a large cot, the Snuzpod bedside cribs are a well-loved the next-to-me option. The 3-in-1 design means it's multifunctional too – a bedside crib, a standalone crib and a lift‑off bassinet. The crib rocks and has a zip-down wall for comforting your newborn from bed. The brand's latest iteration, the Snuzpod 5, also fixes a lot of the tiny bugbears I'd heard from parents of older models. The main improved feature is its roomier sleeping area. The Snuzpod 5's mattress is 17% larger than before, allowing for taller babies to stretch and move comfortably for longer. The lift‑off bassinet is also lighter, making it easier to move between rooms during the day, while the mesh panels down the side have been enhanced with new technology and a bigger window for better breathability and visibility.
Best high chair: Stokke Tripp Trapp
The Tripp Trapp is a design icon in its own right and will be part of the Scandinavian design lexicon for years to come, but it is also a brilliant piece of baby kit. Much like its sister cot, the Tripp Trapp is a chair for childhood and can be used from the moment you bring a newborn baby home, thanks to two attachments: the baby seat and the high chair. The ‘newborn bundle’ is an attachment that allows baby to be at the same height as you during mealtimes, or simply have a comfortable, safe place to sit while you potter around the room. Once you hit the weaning stage, you can buy the ‘baby set’ which turns the chair into a highchair that they can then use all the way until they're confident sitting on the Tripp Trapp without being harnessed in. The adjustable slat system means it's always the right height, no matter their age, and a range of colour options (including a rather fetching new 'Fjord Blue' colourway) make it suit any interior. It's a no brainer, and so much more than just a high chair.
Best baby carrier:
Best baby carrier for newborns: BabyBjörn Harmony
A Baby Björn baby carrier should be on every parent-to-be's list, for easy, hands-free trips with your little one. They're practically a household name, and for good reason as their ergonomic design and padded straps mean there is no back pain, regardless of how chunky your little one might be getting. Baby Björn have a few models to choose from but the Harmony is the practical choice; it can be used from birth to three years, has the option to have baby facing you or out into the world, or be worn on your back, and is made of breathable, comfortable mesh and soft jersey. Once you've mastered how to put it on the first time, it's a doddle and you'll miss it once your child starts walking and no longer wants to be nestled in to you.
Best baby carrier for quality and design: Artipoppe Zeitgeist Carrier
There are a lot of naff baby items out there. Artipoppe's Zeitgeist carrier is not one of them. The luxury baby carrier has been the brand of choice for design-conscious parents over the last few years for good reason. The high-quality carriers come in eye-catching colours and patterns and luxury materials like light cotton, linens, and even cashmere, silk, velvet or vicuña. It's not just about fashion (though that's where the hefty price tag comes in), the design is genuinely comfortable and functional too, supporting front carry facing in for newborns and facing out and back carry positions for kids between six months old and two years. The supportive waistbands and crossed-back shoulder straps are also comfy, distributing baby's weight well.
Best baby carrier for active parents: Carifit Core Baby Carrier
Getting back into exercise after pregnancy and birth is no easy feat. Not only physically, but also logistically – whether that's finding childcare or needing to be on hand for feeds. This fitness-focused carrier aims to solve that with a movement-friendly design that's breathable, ergonomic and secure enough to do light exercise classes in. The carrier also comes with access to a 12-month subscription to the Carifit app, which has on‑demand fitness workouts available as well as guidance from experts and posture support tips. London parents can also go to 30-minute whole body workout classes led by founder Vern Hill in person.
Best bottle washer: Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro
Put away the fiddly bottle brushes. Dedicating a little kitchen counter space to a bottle washer like this Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro can take so much stress off new parents' plates. If you're after efficiency, time-saving and not having to worry about mixing baby's things with everything else on a dish rack, this is such a saviour. How does it work? Using 20 high-pressure spray jets, the washer automatically handles everything from washing to sterilising and drying bottles, pump parts, sippy cups and nipples. One of its biggest perks is being able to actually reach every nook and cranny of these fiddly items - something a brush or standard dishwasher often misses - and therefore elongating their shelf life a little more. There are six different cleaning modes too: wash‑sterilise‑dry, wash‑dry, wash only, sterilise‑dry, sterilise only, dry only. It uses 50% less water than hand washing too – making it a more eco-friendly option. Win-win.
Best pregnancy pillow: Bbhugme pregnancy pillow
If hip pain during the night is ailing your sleep, invest in a pregnancy pillow. They make the world of difference and none is more comforting or supportive than the bbhugme – it's also relatively stylish, in so far as giant sausage-shaped pillows can be. The bbhugme is adjustable and can be used in various ways to help alleviate whatever joint pain or aches you might be having. Slot it between your knees and ankles and you'll find the pressure on your hips is gone, or tuck it under your growing bump if you feel you need support there. It can be used to support you as you sit too, if you curve it behind your back and then, when it comes to breastfeeding, you can curve it around your front too and use it to help support your baby (a real help if you're recovering from a caesarean section and want to protect your incision in the early days). They are at the higher end price-wise when it comes to pregnancy pillows but as they don't lose their shape or support and are so versatile, it's absolutely worth the investment.
Best baby monitor: Owlet Dream Sock
Highly anxious, sleep-deprived new parents may find peace of mind with Owlet's medically certified baby monitor, the Dream Sock. What is sort of like a newborn Whoop or Oura ring comes in the form of a nifty and comfortable little sock. It might look like a gizmo, but the innovative device can then track the baby's pulse rate, oxygen saturation, sleep quality, and frequency of awakenings and send you real-time updates via the Owlet app, sending alerts if any of the readings are outside of the normal ranges – a huge relief for parents who stress out when their baby is asleep. One of my favourite features about the sock is the Predictive Sleep feature. If you struggle figuring out nap times and wake windows, the app automatically tracks sleep and wake windows, letting you know when your baby is ready for their next sleep. While so many parents find the sock to be a game-changer, it's worth noting that to some it can also be a cause of anxiety with getting false alerts from the app or being overwhelmed by too much data.
Medela Magic InBra Wearable Double Electric Breast Pump
Lightweight, discreet and ‘whisper-quiet’, Medela's smart, sensor-controlled breast pump is a serious purchase for on-the-go breastfeeders looking for a hands-free pumping option that doesn't take up a lot of space. It's totally hands-free, unlike many options on the market right now – that means no tubes or external bottles to lug about. The lightweight, wearable pump also has snazzy technology that keeps milk warm during expression and sensor-controlled phases to minimise leaks – all connected to an app for tracking and control. It's certainly an investment, and a little more complicated for beginners, but those who are after efficiency, discretion and ease of carrying around will find the pump worth the price tag.
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