With relentless anxiety and planning, the path to parenthood is not simple. You have endless choices to make, and they all feel like life-and-death decisions in the heat of the moment.
This makes it easy for would-be parents to target the baby-gear market, which has expected to top $100 billion by 2025. That’s the life I’ve been leading for the past year, essentially.
But now that Sophia, my daughter, is almost six months old, I have a better idea of what technology she truly needs to use and what a waste of money it is. Below are some great baby gadgets to make life easier for you and your baby.
Doona Car Seat & Stroller
For us, the Doona ends up being the best option. It’s lightweight, but it doesn’t overwhelm sidewalks or shop aisles like so many other strollers. Our baby fits snugly inside it. Moreover, she has no problem sleeping in it.
At 14.3 pounds, the Doona is also lightweight, and one-handed lifting is simple, which is a big benefit when going up and down subway stairs. There is one more plus.
They’re straightforward to fly with. There is a foundation that you can mount in your car that it clips into. Or, you can protect it with a standard seatbelt. It’s the strategy that we have always relied on in cabs.
Eufy Space View
Then, Eufy produced Space View, which is about every way was an upgrade. With a beautiful HD screen and 15 hours of battery life, it has a sleeker monitor.
The Space Vision also has a much longer range and a sensor that can pan up to 330 degrees than the Baby Optics’. The only major downsides are that installing the camera requires a bit of effort.
Also, the kickstand of the monitor looks a bit flimsy. Otherwise, what I was hoping for was just what I was looking for: a genuinely new classic spin.
Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother
The Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother is on the other end of the engineering continuum. It has an oversized plastic doll that lights up and plays music with colorful characters. It’s one of the best baby gadgets.
But that’s the best mix to divert a crying boy; it turns out. During our first month with Sophia, it was invaluable because seemingly any diaper change led to a crying fit.
She was enthralled at first by a soother. Yet Sophia kept engaging with the characters as time went on. It’s almost like they were the stars of a TV show.
Hatch Baby Grow
My wife and I also decided we needed some interactive baby scale around as we set up our nursery. It might sound like a privilege, but we’ve learned from many friends that they’re great.
It’s because it’s hard to calculate how much breast milk they’re drinking to keep track of baby weight early on. We decided on Hatch Baby Rise, one of the more costly solutions out there but one of the most beneficial.
