Only the Best: Kids and Baby Products We Actually Value

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Last updated on June 23rd, 2025 at 09:47 pm

The more kids I have, the more I’ve honed our list of must-haves for life with these little people. There are certain things that just make the busyness of baby days and the whirlwinds of the toddler era that much more enjoyable and doable.

To be clear: You don’t need piles of stuff to parent well.

In fact, I consider myself a wannabe minimalist Millenial trying to get over a “Treat Yo Self” habit. (I think I’ve landed somewhere squarely in the middle.)

In my three years of motherhood, a circus of products have paraded through our doors– few remain. Few are steadfast.

Here’s what I wished I knew about baby and kids products back when I was pregnant.

Making Product Decisions is Multifaceted

First, I feel it necessary to say that it’s okay to have multiple considerations before welcoming a product into your home. The ads you see online are often one-dimensional, highlighting the benefits only.

Most of us have budgets. We need to weigh the benefits of the product against its costs.

So here are my three main considerations when choosing a product. I call it my Decision-making Matrix:

When I’m considering a product, I’m thinking about the following:

1. How affordable is it?
2. Is this product healthy or sustainable? How much?
3. Is this something that would make me happy?

These factors compete for center stage. Sometimes a product is chosen using one of these considerations as its main reason. Other times, decisions are made that reflect the considerations fairly equally.

That being said, I get that it’s complicated to choose products. I get the desire to choose high-quality items that fit into one’s budget and lifestyle.

And regretting a purchase is the worst.

So here is my list of favorite baby and kids products:

Pregnancy

As someone with limited funds and limited space to house things, I really try not to buy single-use items.

Maternity clothing can be a big culprit of the single use.

What I’ve learned from two pregnancies is that certain garments are multipurpose. They can fit me during my third trimester to postpartum breastfeeding days to regular, non gestating non lactating life. True Renaissance pieces!

The key is to find a garment with good stretch. My favorite find that fit these factors were dresses that have shirred tops. The elastic at the top stretches generously enough to accomodate nursing. And the waistline is free– so no worries about baby bumps fitting there.

Here’s a better view of the shirred dresses. These are both from Quince (not affiliated):

See? Some ample opportunities for s t r e t c h. And cottagecore cute, too. A keeper for the wardrobe in any life stage!

Let’s move onto my next favorite pregnancy piece: the humble gingham boxer short.

When I tell you I live in these…

The elastic waistband accomodates any stretch needs in pregnancy, postpartum or thereafter. And they’re all-cotton, too. Here’s the Amazon link to the gingham shorts of dreams. I may or may not be purchasing these in multiple colors!

Blissful, Blessed, Busy Baby Days

The early days of welcoming a newborn home can be busy in the best of ways.

This stage has a way of humbling you. Of slowing things down and turning them upside down, too. Bleary-eyed, you’ll emerge from another sleepless night wondering what day it is and where you placed your coffee mug.

Some things make the baby phase easier.

Swaddles

We have tried a myriad of swaddle brands. Mostly because we received them for free at our baby shower and thought we’d give them a go.

And, honestly, there are a lot of great swaddles out there to cocoon baby nice and snug. But some favorites emerge. In our household swaddle Olympics, here’s which brands topped the charts:

• Third place: The Ollie (this one is great for parents who are confused by wrapping swaddles correctly, especially at 3 in the morning… aka me!)
• Second place: The Halo (this one is quite versatile… both arms in, both arms out, one in and one out!)
• First Place: Love to Dream Swaddle Up to start with and their transitional swaddle for once baby gets old enough to roll over

I want to be sure to impart this wisdom: Swaddles alone cannot “fix” baby’s sleep patterns, in our experience, but they do help.

For when the babies grow older, we like using Burt’s Bees sleep sacks because they are made of organic cotton.

Next up: The Boppy!

We are a Boppy household. I never knew I would show so much brand loyalty for a nursing pillow, but here we are.

How did women breastfeed in the days of yore? Squishing baby into the cross cradle position with a regular pillow?

I shudder to imagine.

Yes, you can survive without a nursing pillow. But we use our Boppy multiple times a day. For every feed. The Boppy has shown it is here to stay.

I’ll link the faithful Boppy nursing pillow and a Jersey cotton cover we use, too. (I find it’s useful to have a cover or two handy to switch out when the pillow gathers those inevitable milk stains!)

Babywearing

I recently thought I’d lost my baby carrier after leaving it at the park, and legit almost had a major freakout.

(Luckily, my trusty carrier was right where I left it on the park bench!)

It is a fact that I use this WildBird Aerial buckle carrier every single day. As a mom of two, it enables me to juggle looking after my toddler while also caring for my newborn.

Full discolosure: This carrier took us a couple of weeks to warm up to. My newborn didn’t love it and kept sinking dangerously low in it (there are safe ways to babywear that are important to learn). I had to practice, practice, practice. But I was determined to find something that worked for both of us. At $175, this carrier was a big investment for our budget-conscious family.

After watching some tutorial videos, adjusting the various straps and buckles, help from my husband, and practicing more, we finally found our groove.

And let me tell you– every cent of that price tag is worth being able to support my baby so closely and being able to care for both my children at once.

Our WildBird carrier is sturdy and has endured several months now of daily use with no signs of wearing down. It’s made from linen, a natural fiber, which is important to me given how much it’s against my baby’s skin (and how much he ends up gnawing on the straps!).

I can’t sing the praises of this product enough. It has truly made a difference in our lives. I’d recommend this to anyone who can afford to invest in it.

Babywearing is a wonderful tool for love and care in your baby’s early days, and I’m so happy this carrier supports that so easily and practically. You can find the carrier on the WildBird website or on Amazon.

Double Stroller

I was hesitant to invest in a double stroller. I’d heard from several moms online and in real life that said their toddlers suddenly lost interest in riding in a stroller, so the expensive double feature was useless.

But we really value getting outside for walks. I kept the idea in my mind, researching strollers that would be affordable and fit our needs.

During our first few outings as a family, I’d pull out the single baby stroller for the baby. We’ve had this trusty machine ever since my first was a baby. My toddler started getting FOMO, and cried that she wanted to ride in the stroller. This happened several times.

I took that as a sign that a double stroller wouldn’t be a waste.

After some research, I found the most affordable double stroller option that ticked the boxes for me would be the Graco Ready2Grow. I really wanted a double stroller that had the infant seat facing me. With my baby still so young, I wanted to keep a close eye on him in case he slumped over in his seat.

(Surprisingly, many double strollers are made with both seats facing outward. A no-go for us.)

I found that these types of strollers can get expensive. My first tactic was to check Facebook Marketplace to secure one secondhand. After a week or so of checking lackluster listings, I decided to buy new.

The Graco Ready2Grow can be purchased new on Amazon for around $330. I purchased ours lightly used from a discount kids products site called Kidsy. We paid about half the price by buying secondhand on Kidsy.

We don’t use this stroller all the time (now my daughter likes to walk herself, too). But we have used it enough to get our money’s worth– and enough for me to recommend this product wholeheartedly. If I want to take a walk with both kids and don’t want to babywear the baby, this is my top pick. It has truly been a blessing.

Best Toddler Items

I must confess something:

I am a Crocs convert.

Before kids, I would have deemed them unsightly and unnecessary. But now?

These colorful vinyl clogs are amongst my toddlers’ greatest hits. I’d recommend them again and again. When we outgrow them, I’ll buy them again and again.

The function! The ease! The versatility!

Because of Crocs, I can simply tell my toddler that we’re going somewhere, and she knows how to retrieve her Crocs and put them on.

What a gift. I will cherish it.

I got my toddler Crocs on Amazon. What are you waiting for?