I’m excited to share an updated Baby Registry Guide, some baby favorites and what we’re finding to be the best of baby for 2020. We’ll be updating on social media as we use and find more baby favorites over the next few months when our newest bundle of joy arrives. I didn’t register this time around… because 5th baby… but realized the last time I registered was over a decade ago and certainly a lot has changed. Over the past few months, I have spent a lot of time researching gear, attending a baby gear show and chatting with moms that had their first babies this year and last.

It was a lot of fun and I feel like with the combo of knowing what we actually used with each of our other babies plus researching all the new gear, this is a pretty concise guide as to what to register for. These were the categories I felt were “baby registry must haves” and items I needed to update for the new baby. Enjoy and please let me know if there are any other Best of Baby for 2020 that should be on the list! What’s are your baby favorites?

Baby Favorites 2020: Registry Must Haves

Lounge

1. DockATot: I think every mom I asked that has had a baby in the past couple of years (since I last had a baby) “what’s one must have?” they all say: DockATot! This was for sure the most recommended item. There are 2 sizes (Deluxe for 0-8 Months, Grand 9-36 months) and a variety of covers you can order in cool prints. The DockATot is a multi-functional lounger, co-sleeper and playtime lounger that is all natural, 100% cotton. It’s hand made in Europe and so soft. Please read their site for sleep safety info. We have a special coupon code for DockATot: usa code CHIRPING10 for 10% off
valid through March 14.

2. Maxi Cosi 2-in-1-Kori Rocker: Maxi Cosi has been a go-to brand for us for years. I was excited to see their new rocker: the Maxi Cosi 2-in-1-Kori Rocker . It’s a beautiful design, comes with the comfort of knowing a safe brand like Maxi Cosi created and can easily switch between rocking and stationary mode. Also, I always look for seats that can be tucked away easily and this one folds flat (we all know how baby gear can quickly take over a room!).

3. Plum + Sparrow: I have wanted to find a Moses basket for a while. After much research and talking to other moms, decided on the African Moses Basket from Plum + Sparrow. If you think they look beautiful online, trust me when I say they are even more beautiful in person. This was one piece of baby gear that my other kids were even excited to see when it arrived! I also chose Plum + Sparrow for the story behind their baskets: they are all handmade by a group of weavers in a village in Africa. Plum + Sparrow also ensured that everything made is Fair Trade. 10% of every basket purchased at Plum and Sparrow is given back to the African village weavers. In addition the brand works with their supplier and non-profit partner to provide additional aid to their communities. So your purchase helps these weavers and their families in several ways —including family healthcare and schooling for young children.

Sleep

1. Plum + Sparrow: Adding this here in sleep too! Now that it arrived, I’ve seen the insert, mattress, etc and the size, I am thinking this will be a great spot for baby to sleep downstairs. As always, please read their site for sleep safety info and ask your doctor.

2. Chicco Close to You: Turns out the only nighttime sleep solution I had used in the past has been recalled. After hunting for a great bedside basinet, I decided on the Chicco Close to You. This 3-in-1 bedside bassinet is height adjustable (which I was looking for), easy handle that’s also a brake and mess sides. It can also be used as a changing station later on, which makes it useful past the basinet stage.

3. Tiny Love 6-in-1 Here I Grow Activity Playard: For a more traditional playard with sleep space, changing area etc, my pick is the Tiny Love Playard. There’s ample space to play, sleep, be changed, store diapers, etc. We always use one of these downstairs as a 2nd space for baby.

4. Micralite Sleep & Go: We’ve had a few go-to travel beds but I was on the hunt for something to use when the baby was really small as we have some travel planned early on. When looking for travel beds, my top two (well first is always safe, then these 2): easy to use and light weight. The Micralite Sleep & Go hits all key must haves for a travel bed and more. The newborn insert makes it great for 0-6m, then it’s a perfect travel cot for 6m on up and a playpen too. It also opens and closes with the press of a button, so no wrestling to try and set it up.

Carriers

1. Solly Wrap: I polled many moms before choosing the 2 carriers to feature at the “best of 2020” because there are a lot out there and I wanted to make sure I had the easiest to use carriers and so did other moms. Solly has quickly become a favorite amongst moms. There are a lot of wraps out there, so what makes Solly different? Their fabrics are custom made and dyed, using only the finest knit fabrics available with the perfect stretch. They are much lighter and slimmer than any traditional wraps to avoid overheating you or baby, making it ideal for year-round use.

2. Boppy: Boppy, the brand with my favorite nursing pillow, now has 2 cool carriers and moms are raving about them. There is the Boppy ComfyChic and the Boppy ComfyFit carrier. Both are soft, have a great design and babies and moms are loving them. Read both descriptions closely to decide which would be the best for you:

Boppy ComfyFit // Boppy ComfyChic

Carseats

1. Britax: I always tell moms to make sure to register beyond the infant carrier when registering for carseats. Babies quickly move into a convertible car seat around a year of age and then a Harness-2-Booster when they are ready to be forward-facing. Any of these seats make a great gift for a baby shower or for older siblings.Carseats for each stage are great gifts for a baby shower . For many (10!) years, Britax has been our go-to for carseats. I trust the safety and love the improvements they keep making. For a family with many kids and not enough “latches” in our car, their Click Tight system was a game changer for us. The newest seat we’re using: Grow With You Click Tight. This Harness-2-Booster seat is the perfect addition to our car for 2020 and comes with Clean Comfort Fabric which resists stains, wicks away moisture and has extra padding.

2. Maxi Cosi Infant Car Seats: I have tried a number of infant carseats over the years and in my opinion none compare with the Maxi Cosi seats. They are SO much lighter to carry than other seats and have great safety ratings. They are also soft and easy to clean. This time we are using the Mico Max 30 .

3. Chicco Fit4: This is a new seat I got to preview at the baby show I attended. As someone who has kids in carseats from 0-10, I was super impressed by the design and how I truly think kids from 0-10 could be comfortable in the seat as it advertises. It changes positions, has different inserts, etc making it a seat you will use for years. This is a perfect registry addition.

Strollers

1. Maxi Cosi Maxi Taxi: This is an old favorite and something I used every day. It goes with the Maxi Cosi Infant Carrier listed above and is super easy to use.

2. Micralite: For a stroller that grows with the baby, with more siblings, but is still compact and EASY to use, my vote is Micralite. Moms like a stroller that you can start with a basinet, switch to a regular seat and eventually add a seat for a sibling. Often I find these stroller systems to be cumbersome and not very easy to quickly set up and break down. Micralite solves those problems, still has a sleek cool looking design and are made to last.

3. Ultra Compact Stroller: I still haul around our double stroller and will continue to but 1 thing I never registered for the 1st time that I highly recommend adding to a registry is an super lightweight, compact stroller. I know people always focus first on their “main” stroller (which I always suggest a lot of research/testing before investing/picking that) but many times you forget about the lightweight stroller. These are key for travel and just having something simple to use on the go. For my “favorite” I am picking the Safety First Teeny Ultra Compact. It has a great price point, an ultra-compact fold with one hand, stands on its own when folded (more important than you’d think), comfy for baby and even though it’s compact there’s still a large, easy-access storage basket.

Bath

1. Boon Soak: We’ve always loved all things Boon and their tub, Soak is a great design for baby. It’s a 3 stage tub so you will be able to use it from bath one up until toddler.

2. Tubby Todd: We LOVE Tubby Todd! With 5 kids in the house, it really helps to have a line I like using from newborn up to tween. Tubby Todd is safe and effective for all of them. For baby registry, gifting etc, Tubby Todd has GREAT bundles and gift sets. The newborn gift set is perfect and even comes with a set of super soft wash clothes.

3. Towel/ wash cloth update: this is something that we needed to update after 4 kids and 10 years… I like the Target brand for these and 1 night hooded one (Pottery Barn Kids are always cute!). Also, one thing we have always used for bath are the receiving blankets you get in the hospital. They are warm and I find dry baby great after bath (so bring some home from the hospital!).

Play

1. Lovevery Play Gym: Have you heard of Loverly? They have amazing monthly subscription boxes for babies and toddlers. Their subscriptions make great baby gifts as well as their Play Gym. The Lovevery Play Gym was carefully designed to have everything baby needs to enjoy for the first year —from batting to teething to learning to focus. It was designed by child development experts.

2. Tiny Love Gymini and Activity Mats: These were a favorite of ours with the last baby and I love the updated mat designs. These are soft, fun and easy to take with you. Both the Gymini and the Activity Mats are super interactive and fun for babies.

3. 4–in–1 Here I Grow Mobile Activity Center: Once baby is ready to be upright and bounce around for fun, it’s time for an activity center! The Here I Grow from Tiny Love is my pick because it’s fun, safe and is designed to promote growth and discovery. It also folds flat for storage (and we all know how bulky and activity center can be!). This is the one I find easiest to store.

Safety/Health

Here are a few things that we made sure to get new/have on hand for new baby:

1. Monitor: We needed a new one and will be trying the Safety 1st HD WiFi Monitor

2. Humidifier

3. Thermometer

4. Hygiene Kit

Eat

1. Boon Flair: For a highchair, make sure you pick one that you’ll like looking at in your kitchen for months and is easy to clean. With meals and snacks, you’ll be cleaning it over 4 times a day sometimes. I remember the 1st chair I got years ago was really tough to clean and wasn’t one you could just “wipe down” rather I felt like the padding needed a run in the washing machine all the time. This is why I have picked the Boon Flair for this baby and our choice for the guide. The high chair will be able to slide right up to the table so baby can join their siblings and it can easily be cleaned after each meal.

2. Baby Brezza: I am so excited to use this. I have heard the best things from everyone I know that has used it. The Baby Brezza automatically makes a warm bottle for baby. No more mixing and measuring formula powder and warming baby bottles. We’ve always done a combo of breastfeeding and formula, and I expect we’ll do the same this time. The Brezza is going to be a game changer in our kitchen! There’s lots more helpful info on their site.

3. Boon Lawn: After trying a few drying racks, the Boon Lawn is our favorite and a kitchen staple when there’s a baby in the house.

4. Boon Nursh & Jewl: Boon is clearly a favorite of mine in the feeding catagory but we’ve always liked what we’ve tried and their feeding products hold up great with lots of washing. So for new bottles, we went with Nursh and new pacifiers Jewl. I was able to preview them at the baby show and ask tons of questions.

5. Feeding Booster: Registering for a high chair is key but so is registering for a portable booster. You can use this (and save space) once baby is outgrowing the high chair and it’s awesome for travel. I love the Safety 1st Easy Care Feeding Booster because it’s super lightweight, compact for travel and easy to clean (we put the tray right in the dish washer sometimes).

Clothes & Gifts

Besides just “gear” it’s fun to register for things you’d like to use for baby like clothes, diaper bags, toys, blankets, etc. I also like to find a few “gifting favorites” so when a friend has a baby I know exactly what to send. These are my current favorites for baby and for mom (because mom deserves gifts too!).

1. Giggle: When I was pregnant with Maggie, the very first clothing item I bought was a little green sweatshirt/jacket I spotted in Giggle in NYC. In the 10 years since, all my babies have worn it. In those 10 years Giggle has changed – they’re now all online but one thing I noticed the same: the cutest finds EVER for baby. Currently my favorite Giggle baby gift is their adorable pajama line. The designs and how incredibly soft they are make them a top baby gift. It’s also not always easy to find gender neutral pajama, hat, blanket sets but Giggle has so many cute options. I went with the monkeys for our new addition! In addition to the pajamas Giggle has lots of other great gifting options like their line of cashmere blankets and also baby swaddles.

2. Quincy Mae: If you want to shop baby outfits and accessories in natural, muted colors, Quincy Mae is the spot to go. So many options for mixing and matching and also tons of gender neutral options. Their clothes are also all made from organic cotton.

3. Apple Park: Apple Park is such a neat brand and makes perfect baby gifts. The brand was founded in San Francisco ten years ago with a vision to create environmentally responsible and luxurious products for babies and children. They have a whole range of super soft plushes, toys, accessories and apparel, Apple Park products are safe for little ones and the planet. Apple Park items are:

100% GOTS certified organic cotton – natural & biodegradable
Naturally hypoallergenic & use 100% plant-based non GMO corn fiber fillers
GOTS standard low impact eco friendly dye
Uses eco-friendly packaging printed with soy ink
Polyester free

4. June & January: Here’s another spot I’ve shopped for years and their baby clothes keep getting better and better. This is a favorite spot of mine for bright, fun baby clothes and gift ideas. June & January’s baby essentials are just too cute and perfect for coming home from the hospital. They are always launching fun new lines, like their current rainbow stars!

For Mom

1. Storq: I think the best brand I discovered for ME this pregnancy was Storq. I shared this in my 3rd trimester update but after 5 pregnancies and tons of maternity leggings, can say with 100% certainty that the Storq leggings are my favorite and most comfortable. In addition their robes (and I am not a robe person), clothes, etc are all well made and comfortable. For the hospital and the next few months, I added their nursing bras and tanks to my wardrobe. Storq also makes great bundles of maternity clothes, baby items, etc that are all packaged together and ready for gifting too.

2. 7 AM Enfant: We have a 7AM Enfant travel and diaper bag that’s been going strong for almost 5 years now. It’s my favorite and their whole line is perfect for registering for and baby gifts. I have washed both in the washing machine many times over the years and they come out looking like new. In addition to bags, 7AM has a great line of stroller blankets and accessories. For this new baby arriving, I got this bag to use for the hospital and then for travel after: SoHo Satchel.

3. Giggle: Giggle is mentioned above but I am including for Moms too because their diaper bag options are really cool. My top pick is the LESPORTSAC X GIGGLE DIAPER BAG TOTE they did as a Giggle exclusive.

4. Breast feeding supplies: There are lots of items to consider registering for in terms of breastfeeding support and supplies. Many have to do with personal preferences, what pump you choose, etc. But one thing I’d recommend adding to a registry for any mom: a Boppy nursing pillow. I have used mine for all of my babies and the simple design, easy to wash covers, etc make it an old favorite that comes back out with each new baby.