Tried and True: The Best Baby Gear for Now and Later!

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Judie’s Picks

Nokia Thermo

This thing has been so handy — both on sick grandkids or on Kev and me. I like that I can sneak a temperature reading without waking up one of the grands, and I love that it doesn’t have to go from one sick person’s mouth to another’s. The battery lasts forever, and it works like a champ.

Huggies Cucumber & Green Tea ‘One and Done’ Baby Wipes

I thought that after my daughter, Sarah, was potty trained, I’d never need to buy wipes again. Wrong. I use this particular wipe in this particular flavor for everything. It gets stains off of clothing, it wipes grubby prints off of white walls and doors, and it leaves a clean fragrance when I wipe my desk down with it. I keep a pack of them in my car, and I use them when I’ve touched gas after filling up or for other cleanups. These things are also great in the bathroom, just saying, but remember to never flush them! And yes, I buy them in bulk.

Baby Einstein Play Mat

Sarah inherited one of these from her mother-in-law, and I watched it in action — it kept her two babies occupied for hours on end; it was easy to clean, and the grands liked lying on the mat, entertaining themselves with the hanging toys.

Graco Pack ‘n Play

Pack ‘n Plays are perfect if you travel with your baby or even to keep an eye on them while they are napping in your living room. Sarah had one when she was little (there were frequent trips back to Texas when we lived out-of-state), and when she had her first baby it was an early purchase. We kept one at our house for when she visited, and after the babies were older they were still in good enough shape to pass on to friends.

Boudreaux’s Butt Paste

Diaper rash is no fun, and this is the product that kept it from happening for Sarah’s kids. I don’t know how many tubs of this stuff she went through, but it works!

Graco Simple Sway

Fussy baby? This will quiet them down. Both of Sarah’s girls loved using the simple sway. I can’t count how many times they fell asleep in this thing, and it should hold up well enough to pass down, too! 🙂

Tip: don’t get suckered into buying a fancy diaper trash can that needs a certain type of bags to work. A rubber 13-gallon trash can (that’s easy to wash out) with a tight-fitting lid will work just fine, and using one will ultimately save you money

Do you have any items to add to this list? Leave a comment!

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She got her start in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie has written for or been profiled by nationally known sites and magazines, and she has served on multiple industry hardware and software award panels. She is best known for her device-agnostic approach, enjoyment of exploring tech, gadgets, and gear, and her deep-diving, jargon-free reviews.