Shopping for a new baby can add up quickly, especially when you account for all the big ticket baby items you may be considering. I’m sharing my thoughts in an effort to give you my honest opinion and help you decide which products are worth it and which ones you should pass on. Feel free to drop any questions you have in the comments at the end of this post or shoot me a DM on Instagram.
*This post DOES contain commission links, but is not sponsored by any brand so I’m sharing my unfiltered opinion on all of these products!
4moms Mamaroo Swing
My rating: 7/10
Price: $240
Kennedy didn’t love the 4moms Mamaroo Swing when she was younger, but now that she’s a little older she’s enjoying it more. I like that this swing can be controlled with my phone so I don’t have to get up and walk across the room each time I want to speed it up or slow it down (yes, I’m lazy!) It has 5 speeds and several swing settings. “Car Ride” is Kennedy’s favorite! The reason I gave this a little lower rating was because of the price. I really don’t think it’s worth the high price. In my opinion, if you’re trying to save money it’d be best to go with a cheaper version of this swing. I’ve linked a swing that is similar to the Mamaroo below. It doesn’t have the specific swing settings like “Car Ride” and “Wave” that the Mamaroo does, but it does have 6 speed settings and it’s only $100.
SNOO Bassinet by Happiest Baby
My rating: 11/10
Price: Rent for $150/month
By far, my #1 recommendation for new moms is the SNOO!! This thing is absolutely incredible. Kennedy started sleeping in this the night we brought her home from the hospital and loved it right away. The first time she slept through the night was when she was a month old. Now she averages about 11 hours straight through the night. Seriously, a miracle! I’ve included screenshots from the app below that show how Kennedy slept for 5 hours and 47 minutes straight when she was 10 days old. The second screenshot is from when she was 5 weeks old and slept 9 and a half hours straight one night.
I also love that SNOO has a rental option because it is a pricey product if you go the purchase route. If you rent, it ends up being $150 a month and it’s recommended that babies transition out of the SNOO and into their cribs around 4-6 months. Some babies don’t love the motion of the SNOO and have a hard time sleeping in it. So if you decide to rent and find out your baby falls in that small minority, there’s no commitment and you can cancel your rental at any time.
Willow Wearable Breast Pump
My rating: 1/10
Price: $500
Alright this review is going to be a little longer because I’ve got a lot of thoughts. Out of all of my big ticket baby items, this Willow Wearable Breast Pump was by far my biggest disappointment. (I’m not sharing any links to this item because I truly don’t want anyone to purchase it). All of the advertisements made this product look amazing and unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype. For starters, it’s $500 and absolutely non-returnable once the seal on the packaging is opened. There’s no way of knowing if this product is going to work for you or not without opening the box and voiding your ability to return it. Most breast pumps are around the $100-$200 range and insurance can help a lot. That’s not the case with this pump. Not only is it 5x the price as other pumps, insurance doesn’t cover much of the cost because it’s an “upgraded” model.
In addition to the absurd cost, the product works nothing like advertised. I only used mine about 8 times and they were so uncomfortable. Because they’re “wearable”, you’re supposed to be able to wear them under your shirt and go about your day. These things are huge and so heavy that I had to stay seated with little movement while pumping to avoid excruciating pain. I could never get the apps to work properly. It was super difficult to even get the milk out of the containers after I was done pumping. I ended up switching to formula when Kennedy was 5 weeks old partially because I had such difficulty using this pump. I absolutely do not recommend this product and definitely suggest getting a different breast pump if you plan on going that route.
SnuggleMe Baby Lounger
Rating 7/10
Price: $108
I knew I wanted some kind of plush lounger for Kennedy to hang out in while she was younger. We opted for the SnuggleMe lounger over the DockATot because they seemed almost identical and the SnuggleMe was half the price. I also purchased mine during their Labor Day sale when it was 40% off, so I only ended up paying about $60. When Kennedy was a newborn, this was BY FAR our most used baby item. It was so easy to put her down in while Matt and I were hanging out on the couch and she napped in it so easily (while we were right there watching her, of course!). The sides of the pillow concave in which makes babies feel super cozy and safe. Now that Kennedy is 3 months old, she uses this item a lot less because she likes being able to sit up and look around. But the amount of use we got out of it in her first two months made the cost well worth it.
They do sell covers for their loungers, but we thought they were super overpriced. We just ended up wrapping thin swaddles over ours in case she spit up and we needed to clean it easily!
Owlet Camera Baby Monitor
Rating: 7/10
Price: $150
When looking for a baby monitor for Kennedy’s nursery, I knew I wanted one that connected to an app. I came across the Owlet Cam Baby Monitor and was really impressed. I love that it connects to an app so that Matt and I can check on Kennedy while we’re at work and she’s home with one of our moms. The camera quality is really clear and it has a night mode. The camera itself is super discreet and looks great on her shelf above her crib. The set does come with equipment the attach it to your crib if you’d like, but I like having the ability to see her whole room. The app sends motion and sound alerts to my phone even if I don’t have the app open. For us, this camera has worked really well and we’ve been pretty happy with it!
Baby Brezza Formula Dispenser
Rating: 9/10
Price: $200
This Baby Brezza Formula Dispenser is definitely our most “extra” baby item. It’s essentially a Kuerig for baby formula. All you have to do is set your bottle under the spout and press the button. The machine perfectly mixes your formula with the right temperature of water and makes a bottle within 10 seconds. If you’ve ever had a baby wake up screaming in the middle of the night, you know just how important it is to give them their food fast. When we first switched to formula, we would make such a mess in the kitchen trying to pour out just the right amount of powder and trying to mix up the consistency just right. With this convenient machine, I can make Kennedy’s bottle with one hand in a matter of seconds. This item is definitely not a necessity (I ended up purchasing it from Amazon at 2AM when I was super tired one night), but it does make life easier. And as a new mom, I want every gadget I can find to make life a little less stressful.
Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System
Rating: 9/10
Price: $400
When searching for the best car seat and stroller, I really loved the Chicco KeyFit30 because of its stellar safety reviews. That’s how I came across the Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System. The carseat itself is $220, so I thought going with an all-in-one travel system would be a smart call. I love how easy the carseat is to snap in to the stroller. I also love that the stroller can be used by itself (without the carseat) as Kennedy gets older. I can fold the stroller up with one hand which makes traveling with it so easy! The wheels are super smooth and make pushing the stroller set a breeze. Although the carseat feels heavy when carrying it by itself, the stroller system feels light when I’m pushing her in it. It comes with a decent amount of storage underneath and has cupholders and a small basket on the handle. I know there are a lot more expensive stroller systems out there, but this price still isn’t cheap. I’m really happy with it so far and think i’ll continue to love it as Kennedy gets older.
These were the most expensive baby items I’ve purchased so far and I wanted to share my honest review with any of you who are deciding if they’re worth the investment. If you’ve tried any of these items out, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!