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Whether you’re looking for help now or preparing for the next stage, we have you covered.

I am a contributor who has been writing for BuzzFeed Shopping for two years, with a focus on products that make parenting just a bit easier — and hopefully more fun — home decor, kitchen gadgets, and whatever deals I can scope out.

Once they're out of the swaddle, you can switch to the wearable blanket version that will keep your little one safe AND warm. 

Promising review: "This swaddle was a lifesaver for sleep. I was afraid it was too big at first, but it worked well at only a few days old. He unfortunately outgrew it before three months, but I used it as long as I could. Would definitely recommend." —Mary

Promising review: "This little sound machine is amazing! Easy to use, portable and good quality, plus the Bluetooth option makes it versatile for use outside of baby!" —bre

Promising review: "The instruction for the bottle warmer is very self-explanatory, and the operation is very easy. It heats formula and breast milk alike effectively and evenly in a timely manner. I also heated baby food with it, too, and it does an amazing job. Unlike my old warmer, which does not have a lid, the lid traps the steam, making my kitchen less humid, and it does the heating more efficiently. Overall, it's a great product due to said facts." —Luke

Price: $39.99 (originally $49.99; available in three colors)

So many people swear by humidifiers, but I had never used one prior to having a baby. If you're a skeptic like I was, I can verify that getting a humidifier has been so helpful, especially now that my kids are a bit older. Whenever I see the first sign of a sniffle, I pull the humidifier out and have seen a dramatic improvement, versus just gritting my teeth and holding on until it passed. 

Promising review: "This is the best humidifier I've owned! I have purchased three now — one for each of the bedrooms! It's silent! But has the option for white noise; my kids love watching the color-changing lights (although we turn that off for sleeping), and it is easy to clean! And the top loader is nice! We have a pitcher and fill them up about every other night (if it's been running on low)." —Val

Price: $54.99 (available in four colors)

Promising review: "This nasal aspirator saved me. I almost broke down because my baby caught a cold and had a lot of nasal mucus, but it was difficult to clean up because he was too young. But this nasal aspirator solves this problem very well." —Bertha

I have an older version of the Hatch for both of my kids and I love how easy it is to use and that I can set up several programs. They have different signal colors for staying in bed, playing quietly, and coming out of their rooms. Such an easy way to communicate with kids who can't tell time yet. 

Promising review: "Originally had a regular hatch, loved it so much we bought this for our room. Well, it's now the one we use in the nursery. Love how easy it is to read the clock at night, different light and sound options. Came with 6 months of hatch subscription for free which gives guides for sleep training and naps etc. Huge fan!!! Love that you can make a schedule to keep on track and help him wind down, sleep and wake on time. I can also tell the functions will be easy for him to use on his own as he gets older. The child lock option on the app is also incredible. Can't say enough good things!" —Jessica

Promising review: "Definitely a MUST-HAVE!!! My daughter is 1 and gets into everything. This product has every safety lock you can think of down to the wall plugs!!!! Love it." —Destiny

Price: $19.99+ (also available in a two-pack)

This monitor is simple — it's a camera and a screen — but has some great features, including two-way talk-back, night vision, optional night-light, and a temperature sensor. I used this brand for both of my babies and loved it. I saw too many horror stories of Wi-Fi being hacked that I put my little postpartum anxiety self at rest. I loved that I didn't need an app and the simplicity of it all. Can't complain about the price either!

Promising review: "This baby monitor is great! The video and noise quality is spot on! It's affordable and has held a charge for a long time! I'm so glad I went with this one vs. a more expensive one." —Christine

With my first, I got so many bibs. They worked for liquids only, but when we introduced solids I realized they were NOT going to work anymore. One run-in with spaghetti and the thing was absolutely ruined for good. Once I found these, I realized just how much of my laundry was bibs, and this cut down on a ton of stress. When my daughter was finished eating, I'd wash it in soapy water and hang it on the high chair for the next use. I even stashed one in the diaper bag for meals out. 

Promising review: "Very creatively designed bib. Especially for people like me who hate cleaning bib stains, all the dirt washes right off. Only downside to it is that the dirt doesn't get absorbed and can get on babys face if you dont remove it from the bib in time. Would definitely recommend!!" —Akiva

Price: $10 for four bibs (originally $18.99; available in three color sets)

I am the parent of a food, plate, and cup thrower. What started out as an "Oops! She dropped her cup again" ended up being about a stressful TWO-YEAR process of "WHY IS SHE STILL THROWING FOOD??" These straps came with us to restaurants, on the stroller, and were a permanent fixture at the high chair. I may not have won the food-throwing battle for a while, but just keeping the cup secure was a little win that I desperately needed. I am also happy to note that it IS a phase they eventually grow out of. 

Promising review: "Love that there's no Velcro for my child to undo. The nonslip works really well on all the cups we have! This is the best version I've found so far." —ProudPapa

Price: $11.98 for two straps (available in nine designs)

Promising review: "I love that the play yard is very easy to set up. My 1-year-old loves it. She has a lot of space to move around and play with her toys. I am able to watch her play in it while I work. It has helped us a lot because she likes to climb. It is made very well, and the bag it is in makes it easy to transport. I am a little upset my friends with kids didn't let me know about the play yard sooner!" —Jessica

Promising review: "I purchased these devices after seeing the mom on Shark Tank who designed the device. I gave one to my new-mom friend with long nails and another to a grandmother with arthritis. The feedback I received was that grandma would not have been able to get her granddaughter out of the rear-facing car seat without this device. I now give them as baby shower gifts!!" —Susan

Promising review: "Perfect size for little hands! We love using it for yogurt pops, but if you fill all of them, then they can be a little difficult to get out. We just fill every other one, and problem solved!" —Dana

Price: $4.89+ (originally $6.19+; available in four colors)

Promising review: "Super easy to put together. My 3-year-old grandson helped and had a good time, and then he was excited to use what he made. It folds up for storage, and he was able to put it on the toilet himself from the folded position." —Sarah

Price: $34.97+ (available in two colors)

Promising review: "Works well, I like it because I didn’t really want a big high chair taking up space plus my little can sit right with us at the table" —Savannah

Promising review: "This organizer fits perfectly in my Kia Telluride. I was looking for something to easily contain my children's toys, snacks, and water bottles. This checks all of those boxes. I also like that the strap at the bottom secures the organizer to the chair so it isn't moving around while we drive. I am happy with my purchase, especially given the great price." —Ryan

This pack comes with five different shapes of sandwich cutters, 11 mini fruit cutters in two sizes, 11 fruit or cheese shape cutters, 10 fruit forks, two cleaning brushes, and two rods.

Promising review: "These sandwich cutters are nice. The price was good, and I love that it comes with so many fun pieces. I think the designs waste too much of the sandwich, but if you don't always eat all the sandwich, it is a fun way to cut them. Also, the food picks are super cute!" —Jocel

Grapes, tomatoes, and other small fruits and veggies are choking hazards until AGE FOUR. FOUR. I was shocked when I learned that. Since you're going to be cutting grapes and tomatoes for a long time, you might as well make it easier on yourself. 

Promising review: "Easy to use and easy to clean." —Brig

For the longest time I was using a dustpan and broom to get my kid's crumbs after meals. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it was annoying. I finally decided to treat myself to a handheld vacuum, and I literally do not regret anything but waiting so long to get one. It's one of those really small things that really did make one part of parenting so much less work. Now that my baby is a big kid, she happily vacuums up after meals that are somehow still messy years later. 

Promising review: "I have kids! Enough said. I use this thing for everything. Pics up the smallest of crumbs. I even use it for the counters and stove top. Couch crevices. Car. It lasts forever because it rests on the wall charger. It's a must. Pets too!!" —Missy

This set includes 18 coloring pages and five Color Wonder markers. If you're on-the-go, it also comes in a travel kit version.  

Promising review: "I love the Crayola mess-free coloring products. My toddler is pretty wild, and knowing I don't need to worry about cleaning up marked walls and furniture when she plays with this is awesome." —Sam

Price: $8.97 (available in five versions) 

I slept on the idea of an explorer couch for FAR TOO LONG. Learn from my mistakes — these things are worth the investment. My kids crash, jump, and build to their heart's content, and my decidedly-on-a-budget furniture will, in return, get a few more years of use. This 10-piece couch includes balls for extra creative fun!

Promising review: "The best bang for your buck! We have had this for a year now (yes i'm just now reviewing) And it has been worth every penny! I'd 1000% buy it over and over (if i had to but this thing is durable!!) It's great for anything! We've used it to make climbers, slides, jump on it, sleepover guests bed (for kids) travel bed (take smaller part and fold it up and throw it in the car!) It's truly the best! If you have a bamboo crib sheet it fits on the top as well (bamboo is stretchy, little sleepies is a good brand if you want to try it out)." —Ryley

Price: $158 (available in five colors and patterns)

Read more about how to choose a weight, what these blankets help with, and how from Cleveland Clinic.

Promising review: "My son has some sensory issues and needs the deep pressure of a weighted blanket to help regulate him. He absolutely loves this blanket, and it helps him fall asleep easily." —Kelly

Price: $14.99+ (available in three weights and five patterns)

This is the brand I use for both of my kids, and I absolutely love these bags. They're so easy to store, and there's ice on both sides — ensuring safe food no matter when their lunchtime is. It's nice to be able to send a string cheese without remembering the room-temp, rubbery-by-mid-day cheese stick of my youth. 🤢

Promising review: "I love this pack. I found the smaller pouch in person with the same space theme, and I bought this one to match. It keeps my food cold for hours. The battery for my company vehicle went out on a hot, muggy, southern morning after I grabbed some perishable groceries. I shoved as much as I could into this pack, and it saved my food until roadside assistance showed up. Amazing design." —Jenna

I recently switched over to an electric toothbrush for my kids because I was tired of them popping out of the bathroom after 15 seconds proudly saying they brushed their teeth. This has helped take SO much stress out of the brushing process. 

Promising review: "This is the third time we've purchased this toothbrush. One of the kids dropped theirs one too many times and it stopped working—but this was after 4 years' of use. It's easy to use, gives little vibratory clues to the user that it's time to move to a different section every 30 seconds and stops after 2 minutes." —elleGee177

I recently switched my fine-haired daughter over to this leave-in conditioner, and we both love it! The citrus vanilla scent is SO good, and it actually works. I can spray this on wet hair after a shower or on a knot in dry hair, and it's equally great. 

Promising review: "The product was light and refreshing. Not too heavy on my daughter's hair. Definitely helped with the static and tangles. Enjoy using this!" —Brooke

Price: $6.96 (also available in a two-pack)

Promising review: "I’m really happy with this 12-pack drawer organizer! The dividers are sturdy, look great in the dresser, and keep all my clothes perfectly sorted. No more mess or digging around — everything is easy to find. Simple, clean, and super practical." —Sofiia

Price: $19.99+ (originally $23.99+; available in six colors)

Transitions are a CONSTANT battle in my house and have been since toddlerhood. Add a little "neuro-spiciness" into the mix, and we have either major time blindness or zero patience for transitions WITH NO MIDDLE GROUND. A visual timer has been so helpful for both of my kids and has given us all a little more harmony. I wish I had gotten one sooner. 

Promising review: "Awesome, easy to use." —Erik

Price: $19.95+ (available in six colors)

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Plus, kids' rugs and chairs, and finds from Uncommon Goods, Target, and Walmart.

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.