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The Ultimate Guide to Baby Gear, Essentials, and Non-Essentials Too!

By: Author Janessa

Posted on Last updated:

Congratulations! You’re pregnant or have a new little baby and ready to dive into the world of baby gear!

The truth is that you can get by with a minimal amount of baby gear. The keyword there though is “get by”.

Baby gear was invented to help make your life easier and so, while not required to raise a happy, healthy baby, it’s worth spending some time researching your options!

shopping for baby gear

My Must-Have Baby Gear Items

As a mom of 7 and baby gear expert, there are a few things I consider must-have baby gear items.

For our family, those items include a car seat, stroller, baby carrier, playard, playmat, swing or another motorized seat, crib and mattress, dresser, and of course, diapers, wipes, and baby clothes.

My must-have baby gear list is going to differ from yours, depending on your family and circumstances.

Of course, those are my must-have items but I also own many other “bonus” baby gear items that make my life easier.

For example, you don’t really NEED to own special small baby towels, but I like that they are smaller (so you aren’t washing a huge towel each time) and the hood is great for keeping the baby’s head warm.

Since I’ve been blogging since 2010, there are now tons of baby gear reviews on my site. And, while I could tell you what my favorite pieces of gear have been over the years, you’ll want to also check out the reviews for individual items, since what works well with my babies and in my home might not necessarily be what’s best for you and yours.

Baby Product Reviews

Diapers, Wipes, and Diaper Bags

Biking with Babies Products Reviews

Baby Clothes Reviews

Car Seat Reviews

Stroller Reviews

Tricycle/Strollers

Travel System Reviews

Bassinet Reviews

Feeding Product Reviews

Breastfeeding Product Reviews

Bath, Health and Safety Baby Product Reviews

Baby Tech Product Reviews

Miscellaneous Baby Product Reviews

Helpful Baby Gear Posts

I had a few additional posts that I feel would be helpful to you if you are researching baby gear.

Baby Gear Checklist

I wanted to share a comprehensive baby gear checklist with you today. You may look at this list and decide that some of them are not necessary for you. That’s perfectly fine and expected. Decide which products YOU most need and want.

  1. Diapering
  2. Big Gear Items
  3. Clothing
  4. Nursery
  5. Feeding
  6. Breastfeeding
  7. Entertainment & Miscellaneous
  8. Health, Wellness and Bath

So there you have it! That’s a full list of all of the baby gear options available to you. As always, if you have any questions as you navigate the world of baby gear, feel free to ask as a comment below or on social media.

Peggy Nunn

Monday 20th of September 2021

I am using your list to make a gift basket. Thank you for sharing.

Peggy Nunn

Tuesday 14th of September 2021

I like this list. It helps make good gift purchases.

monique s

Saturday 17th of April 2021

My sister is expecting and I am going to share a link to this post with her

Helga

Thursday 4th of March 2021

This is a very comprehensive list for new moms, thank you, will share.

Dana Rodriguez

Friday 4th of December 2020

This is a great list. Some nice shower ideas !