Baby Gear Recommendation Thread

missnc77 · April 2016

@PYLWhammy - If you want to splurge, I love the one we got from PB Kids.

https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/comfort-rocker-and-ottoman/?pkey=bslipcovered-upholstered-chairs&&bslipcovered-upholstered-chairs

The slip cover fabric you pick can up the cost a lot, so if you go that route be careful. We didn't realize the fabric we picked was the most expensive, and to be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the slip cover. The chair and ottoman itself however, are amazing. I actually fell asleep rocking myself in it yesterday while my husband was wallpapering.

In other news, now that I've had my baby shower, I went and tallied all the things left on our amazon registry. $2100 (most of which is a Vista Uppa Baby stroller). With the 15% off, it brings it down to $1800. If anyone needs me this weekend, I'll be panhandling. I appreciate the completion discount amazon gives, but they only let you use it for one transaction, so we're going to have to buy everything at one time. Boo. It would help if we could spread it out over two more paychecks.

jageller · April 2016

PYLWhammy said:

So...glider/rocker recommendations anyone? I imagine I'll be using it the most, but DH will use it sometimes, and he's a big guy (tall, big frame). Don't want him to be uncomfortable. Thoughts?

We got the West Elm Graham Glider
https://www.westelm.com/products/graham-glider-g667/?pkey=cliving-room-chairs||

We had it delivered last weekend and both love sitting in it! We didn't get the ottoman since we don't have the room.

Purchased during a 20% off sale and sweet-talked them into knocking off the shipping charge. It was our winner because it was deep enough for me to sit cross-legged in and tall enough for the headrest to function for my husband. Not sure about the width though, I think it's slightly narrower than most.

Good luck in your search (and with the rest, of course

)

ayeshaohara · April 2016

missnc77 said:

@PYLWhammy - If you want to splurge, I love the one we got from PB Kids.

https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/comfort-rocker-and-ottoman/?pkey=bslipcovered-upholstered-chairs&&bslipcovered-upholstered-chairs

The slip cover fabric you pick can up the cost a lot, so if you go that route be careful. We didn't realize the fabric we picked was the most expensive, and to be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the slip cover. The chair and ottoman itself however, are amazing. I actually fell asleep rocking myself in it yesterday while my husband was wallpapering.

In other news, now that I've had my baby shower, I went and tallied all the things left on our amazon registry. $2100 (most of which is a Vista Uppa Baby stroller). With the 15% off, it brings it down to $1800. If anyone needs me this weekend, I'll be panhandling. I appreciate the completion discount amazon gives, but they only let you use it for one transaction, so we're going to have to buy everything at one time. Boo. It would help if we could spread it out over two more paychecks.

I'm with you! We ended up with a lot left to buy. Thankfully friends have stepped in and given us a bunch of gear second hand because it was all the expensive stuff left. I've also taken on the attitude that, she doesn't need it YET. We can still buy as we go along when things go on sale. She has all the necessities for now so I'm happy enough with that. If it helps, we made 2 lists..."must buy now" and "can wait" to help us sort through what was left.

yogahh · April 2016

PYLWhammy said:

So...glider/rocker recommendations anyone? I imagine I'll be using it the most, but DH will use it sometimes, and he's a big guy (tall, big frame). Don't want him to be uncomfortable. Thoughts?

I got a Stork Craft one. Almost everyone- Kohls, Target, etc- sells them, so you can almost always get it at a really good price. DH is 6' 3", 210 pounds and broad and finds it comfortable.

missnc77 · April 2016

@ayeshaohara - Yep, that really helped on my Babys R Us registry which was much smaller to keep people a brick and mortar store. I bought the cheap stroller frame that goes with the car seat we bought, but I want the Uppa Baby now because it has a bassinet for the stroller as well. However, the BOB that I want and a high chair? Those can wait.

KidShrink · April 2016

@missnc77 : the Uppababy Vista (and bassinet) are awesome. Pricey for sure, but really worth it from what we've seen so far. We got a jolly jumper bassinet stand that we'll be keeping in our bedroom for the first few weeks, but it's also light enough to be transported everywhere super easily. So even if I go for a walk and baby falls asleep in the bassinet, I can just choose where I want him to sleep and let him keep on doing his thing. Our friends have two kids- a 3 year old and a 2 months old baby. They've been our guinea pigs for a lots of things we bought. The little one slept peacefully in the bassinet, and the big guy loved the stroller. We also have the Mesa car seat, and when we went to get it checked for proper installation, we were told by the tech it was his favorite seat given how easy it is to install properly. Bonus: it clips so easily in the stroller as well (no adaptors).
Because we're planning on trying for #2 sooner than later, having a stroller than can become a double was a must.

PYLWhammy · April 2016

@missnc77 @jageller thank you for the recommendations! They might be a bit out of our price range but we'll check them out. @yogahh I keep coming across stork craft, might be an option for us.

katykatykaty · April 2016

I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, but the My Brest Friend nursing pillow worked much better for me than the Boppy, especially the first time around when nursing was new. I also have a Tula, Ergo, and Beco Gemini, and I would recommend the Tula and the Beco much more highly than the Ergo. And my kids hated the Rock N Play and loved their cradle swings, so another vote for all kids are different.

missnc77 · April 2016

What are people's thoughts on baby mobiles? I love some that I see on etsy, but should you get one that spin and play music? I've read that you should buy a mobile that is interesting for the baby, not something you think fits nursery decor. However, I also read that spinning and music can actually hurt sleep. Any STM opinions?

balamama · April 2016

I think this may have been discussed on this or another thread but I'm not finding it...

We got a baby bjorn carrier but I was talking to a couple of moms who suggested getting a wrap-style carrier for when the baby is very small. There seem to be some similar styles like K'tan, Boba, Moby, etc. I just want it to be very user-friendly... any recos from S+TMs?

katykatykaty · April 2016

@babyfmama The K'Tan is much more user friendly than the Moby since you don't have to worry about wrapping it yourself. I don't have any experience with the Boba, so I'm not sure about that one. I really like the K'Tan the first month or two.

js8812 · April 2016

@babyfmama I registered for and received the original K'tan. I tried it on with a stuffed animal and then a jug of milk and it just wasn't that comfortable for me (I'm tall and it felt a bit short?). I returned it and ordered the Solly Baby Wrap and I LOVE it. Yes, you have to do the wrapping yourself, but it's not hard at all. The fabric is much softer and more lightweight, too. Another bonus is that it fits all sizes, whereas the K'tan only fits people in that size category. The only negative is that it is super long, so if you are tying outside or in a public place the ends will likely touch the ground.

ETA: I ordered this print because I think it will be great at disguising any potential spots (and it's cute!).

Image: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0218/6894/products/Natural_Grey_Stripe_065-2_1024x1024.png?v=1457499710

slfezz · April 2016

I just had a baby gear win yesterday!!

Since this is number 3, I've been trying find a way to fit an infant seat, convertible, and a bottom only booster in my current car (sonata). We already brought a van this year and really didn't want to have to upgrade my car as well. But I actually found a car seat combo that's tight but works!

I have a diono Rainer FF behind the passenger, graco snugfit infant with base in the middle, and a bubblebum booster behind the driver (another booster would have worked but it would have been hard to get to the buckle).

This was seriously stressing me out but it's all installed now and I'm really liking my new Rainer and still get to use my old infant seat which snaps into my single and double stroller.

LadySamLady · April 2016

@js8812 I have the same Solly Baby Wrap and love it too! I've only practiced on stuffed animals and milk but it really is easy to wrap, the tutorials are so straightforward. The material is amazingly soft and light weight and I love how it can be folded up into a little pouch. Now, FX the LO likes it as much as I do!

swflJD · April 2016

I am still struggling to decide which chair/rocker/glider/recliner to get for our nursery. My sister loves her Storkcraft wooden frame glider and ottoman, but I'm not sure if that's what I want. I like the looks of the more plush upholstered gliders and rockers, but I'm afraid they will take up too much space in our small nursery. I guess I need to measure the space before I make a decision. I think I want a small recliner, as opposed to a glider/rocker and ottoman. It seems like that would save more space, but I'm not sure how practical it would be. STMs, what type of nursery seating did you use? Would a recliner be practical, or would I be better off going with a more traditional rocker/glider and ottoman? Is an ottoman necessary? I'll most likely order something from BRU because I have over $400 in gift cards to there after our showers. I'm leaning toward this recliner from there:

Image: https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91-2AyRYxDL._SX522_.jpg

But I am still still considering a wood frame glider & ottoman set like this:

Image: https://www.toysrus.com/graphics/tru_prod_images/Stork-Craft-Hoop-Custom-Glider--pTRU1-20073535dt.jpg

Or a rocker like this:

Or a glider like this:

I have no idea what to get at this point. What features were most important to you when choosing your nursery seating?

kbrands7 · April 2016

@swiflJD We have a recliner that rocks. I love having something that has more cushion to it, but if I had to do it all over again, I would choose something like your fourth option so that I could put my feet up on something or push my feet off of something to rock rather than having to mess with a lever-- and because it looks both structured and comfortable. Now that I'm pregnant, I have to put two or three pillows behind me when I rock DS so that I don't get stuck in the chair because it's a fairly cushy recliner rather than soft and springy. I also like that there doesn't appear to be anything that could crunch or catch a finger/hand on that option and it likely has a good center of balance which means it won't tip or shift across the floor as you're rocking.

swflJD · April 2016

@kbrands7 Thanks for your input! It's really helpful!

If the dimensions work for our nursery, I may go with #4.

ayeshaohara · April 2016

Have we had a discussion about baby monitors yet? Because I have no idea what to get. They're SO expensive!!!! Is it really worth getting a $200 monitor? So many have such crap reviews as well

balamama · April 2016

ayeshaohara said:

Have we had a discussion about baby monitors yet? Because I have no idea what to get. They're SO expensive!!!! Is it really worth getting a $200 monitor? So many have such crap reviews as well

I got a Foscam monitor which is not specifically a baby monitor but serves the exact same function (video, night vision, sound, etc.) and you can download an app on your phone/iPad or watch from your computer. We got ours for under $60 on Amazon.

amberraysofdawn · April 2016

@swfljd Honestly, my decision came down to whichever was easiest to get into on the first try. I'm somewhat short (5'2") and had to readjust myself with every single other chair I tried in the store (BRU, because we also had gift cards). But in the one I picked out, I was in the perfect spot as soon as I sat, and it had the bonus of having a high back so I can keep myself straight and still lean my head back, and is cushy enough to sleep in if for whatever reason I feel the need to stay in the nursery with LO.

The specific chair I picked has since been discontinued, but this is a very similar model by the same brand:

https://m.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=83827226&cp=2255957.2273443.68293816.2256245.50629046.50628876&s=A-UnitRank&s=A-UnitRank&parentPage=search

lionstigersbears · April 2016

LadySamLady said:

@js8812 I have the same Solly Baby Wrap and love it too! I've only practiced on stuffed animals and milk but it really is easy to wrap, the tutorials are so straightforward. The material is amazingly soft and light weight and I love how it can be folded up into a little pouch. Now, FX the LO likes it as much as I do!

Love love love Solly Baby. The stripe was my first too....then I got a yellow one, I think firefly? Just for variety! I'm drooling over the new purple color and the blush but realistically don't need it at all...

balamama · April 2016

I feel like I constantly have baby gear questions so thank you for humoring me everyone... We have an uppababy vista stroller and plan on having baby sleep in the bassinet for the first few nights home at least (it's a sleep-rated bassinet). Do we need a sheet or anything between baby and the bassinet mattress? They don't appear to sell uppababy bassinet sheets so I assumed no but now I'm wondering about it.

KidShrink · April 2016

@babyfmama : we have the same and bought a jolly jumper rocking stand for it (tried it with our friend's baby and worked out great). I bought standard bassinet sheets (from Walmart) and it fits just fine.

folamij · April 2016

ayeshaohara said:

Have we had a discussion about baby monitors yet? Because I have no idea what to get. They're SO expensive!!!! Is it really worth getting a $200 monitor? So many have such crap reviews as well

We have the Summer Infant Wide View Monitor. It has 2 way communication which I like. We got ours for a little over $100 with tax which I didn't think was bad considering it had both audio/visual/night vision with a 600ft range, and plugs in to charge.

folamij · April 2016

@swflJD I also have a Storkcraft glider and ottoman and love it! I've even had MH pull it out of the nursery because its the most comfortable chair for me atm.

kami09 · April 2016

Where the HELL are all the Graco Classic Connect double strollers?! I had one on my target registry but it's gone now. It was $135. They are all our of stock everywhere else except amazon & there they are like $220!! What the heck!

ayeshaohara · April 2016

folamij said:

ayeshaohara said:

Have we had a discussion about baby monitors yet? Because I have no idea what to get. They're SO expensive!!!! Is it really worth getting a $200 monitor? So many have such crap reviews as well

We have the Summer Infant Wide View Monitor. It has 2 way communication which I like. We got ours for a little over $100 with tax which I didn't think was bad considering it had both audio/visual/night vision with a 600ft range, and plugs in to charge.

That one is about $200 in Canada! We pay more for everything

arj14 · April 2016

Do crib mattresses need a mattress pad??

mello13 · April 2016

kami09 said:

Where the HELL are all the Graco Classic Connect double strollers?! I had one on my target registry but it's gone now. It was $135. They are all our of stock everywhere else except amazon & there they are like $220!! What the heck!

I saw this recently! I bought a Click Connect back in like November from Target because it was on clearance and I stacked coupons. I noticed earlier this year that they started phasing them out in store, etc. I'm guessing a newer model is going to be released, at least for the Click Connect. But with the Classic I don't know since it appears all the car seats are being switched from Classic to Click.

ETA: I saw this on Buy Buy Baby, but I don't know how expensive it would be to ship to you.https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/graco-roomfor2-trade-classic-connect-trade-click-connect-trade-stroller-in-gotham/1044695279?Keyword=graco+classic+connect

Walmart has it too in a different color for $139 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-RoomFor2-Duo-Stand-Ride-Double-Stroller-Classic-Click-Connect-Glacier/48126001

mello13 · April 2016

arj14 said:

Do crib mattresses need a mattress pad??

I never used one. Our mattress was waterproof, and I felt like a pad was unnecessary and an additional risk factor since it could overheat the baby and provide too much cushion. However, I do know people that don't have the wipe-able waterproof sort that have used very thing mattress pads for that reason.

folamij · April 2016

ayeshaohara said:

folamij said:

ayeshaohara said:

Have we had a discussion about baby monitors yet? Because I have no idea what to get. They're SO expensive!!!! Is it really worth getting a $200 monitor? So many have such crap reviews as well

We have the Summer Infant Wide View Monitor. It has 2 way communication which I like. We got ours for a little over $100 with tax which I didn't think was bad considering it had both audio/visual/night vision with a 600ft range, and plugs in to charge.

That one is about $200 in Canada! We pay more for everything

Yikes! I didn't realize you were in Canada! That's such an increase from the prices here. So sorry! Do you by chance have any friends stateside that would be willing to ship you one? My SIL lives in Canada and we ship things there for her since we can get it cheaper if she can't make the trip across the border to get it herself.

kami09 · April 2016

mello13 said:

kami09 said:

Where the HELL are all the Graco Classic Connect double strollers?! I had one on my target registry but it's gone now. It was $135. They are all our of stock everywhere else except amazon & there they are like $220!! What the heck!

I saw this recently! I bought a Click Connect back in like November from Target because it was on clearance and I stacked coupons. I noticed earlier this year that they started phasing them out in store, etc. I'm guessing a newer model is going to be released, at least for the Click Connect. But with the Classic I don't know since it appears all the car seats are being switched from Classic to Click.

ETA: I saw this on Buy Buy Baby, but I don't know how expensive it would be to ship to you.https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/graco-roomfor2-trade-classic-connect-trade-click-connect-trade-stroller-in-gotham/1044695279?Keyword=graco+classic+connect

Walmart has it too in a different color for $139 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Graco-RoomFor2-Duo-Stand-Ride-Double-Stroller-Classic-Click-Connect-Glacier/48126001

Thanks!! My sister found one too that was like $130-something. I apparently can't google search that well lol

ayeshaohara · April 2016

folamij said:

ayeshaohara said:

folamij said:

ayeshaohara said:

Have we had a discussion about baby monitors yet? Because I have no idea what to get. They're SO expensive!!!! Is it really worth getting a $200 monitor? So many have such crap reviews as well

We have the Summer Infant Wide View Monitor. It has 2 way communication which I like. We got ours for a little over $100 with tax which I didn't think was bad considering it had both audio/visual/night vision with a 600ft range, and plugs in to charge.

That one is about $200 in Canada! We pay more for everything

Yikes! I didn't realize you were in Canada! That's such an increase from the prices here. So sorry! Do you by chance have any friends stateside that would be willing to ship you one? My SIL lives in Canada and we ship things there for her since we can get it cheaper if she can't make the trip across the border to get it herself.

Unfortunately no but i did manage to find the previous model second hand but never used for $140...so I'm going to go with that!

amberraysofdawn · April 2016

For those of you who are HOH mamas like me, these just came in today, and they seem to be fantastic so far...will obviously have an adjustment period for sensitivity levels when LO arrives, but otherwise seem to be be pretty good.

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