General Gear Deep Dive

Bouncer
Recommended: BabyBjorn Cotton Bouncer with toy bar
We did not own a bouncer when Miss F was an infant but we borrowed one from a friend, and it was very handy to have. We loved it so much, we invested in the BabyBjorn bouncer before Miss E was born. While you aren’t supposed to use “containers” very often with infants, a bouncer is one of the best options for muscle development. You’re going to need a place to set your little one down sometimes (for us it was typically for eating and showering), and a bouncer can keep your little one engaged and happy, while helping to gently strengthen trunk and neck muscles. BabyBjorn is a great non-toxic option, it folds compactly for easy storage and travel, and it is operated by the baby’s own movement (instead of batteries you have to keep changing). While the toy bar is completely optional, it can help keep your little one entertained if you need a few moments to yourself.

Swing
Recommended: Graco DuetSoothe Swing or 4Moms Mamaroo*
We used the Graco swing for Miss F, and she loved it in her early days. As with the bouncer and any other container, a baby should not be placed in it for long periods of time, and definitely not for sleep, but the swing usually kept Miss F happy while I whipped up a quick dinner. The Graco swing is one of the few items on the registry list that is not non-toxic—it’s made with traditional materials—but we used it so infrequently that we were comfortable with it. The 4Moms Mamaroo is a very popular, but more expensive option. From my research, it is the only “non-toxic” motored swing currently available, but it does have bluetooth connectivity which can expose your baby to EMFs (granted, this feature can be turned off).

Lounger
Recommended: Snuggle Me Organic with cover
Infant loungers should never be used for sleep, but they can be handy if you need to set your little one down in a safe space next to you while you take care of a chore. We never had one with Miss F and didn’t ever feel like we needed one, but we did invest in one for Miss E. It was extremely handy, but I will admit that its usefulness was short-lived. By the time Miss E was about two weeks old, she was too alert to relax anywhere except her crib, so the lounger didn’t work much longer for her. If you do want a lounger, though, the Snuggle Me Organic is a great non-toxic option, and I recommend getting the cover with it to make spit-up and blowout cleanups easier.

Quick note: You probably do not need all three options between a bouncer, a swing, and a lounger. Every baby has different preferences, and unfortunately it’s hard to know what your little one will like until you try it out. If you can, I recommend borrowing from a friend initially, then making the investment if needed. If you do want to choose between a bouncer and swing, I personally would go with the bouncer because they are easier to store.

Light blanket
Recommended: Saranoni Bamboo Muslin Swaddle (2-3)
While this swaddle is not organic, it is a blend of bamboo and cotton, two of the cleanest materials. In addition, the company guarantees that they thoughtfully manage the manufacturing process; in their own words, “every aspect is considered from the thread to the dye, from the factory to the family who receives this muslin.” We received a lot of traditional muslin swaddle blankets, and this one was by far our favorite. It’s extremely soft and very breathable. When Miss F was an infant we’d use it as a light blanket or nursing cover; now, she often sleeps with it at night. On that note—we’ve been using our single blanket for two and a half years now and it’s shown no sign of wear.

Warm blanket
Recommended: Zestt Organics Cotton Knit Blanket (1-2)
These blankets were gifted to Miss F and Miss E by my best friend, and they remain one of our most-used gifts. Not only are they non-toxic, but they are a beautiful, soft, breathable-yet-warm blanket. They have a high-quality handmade feel and in colder months we use them frequently. If you live in a colder climate, you may want more than one to use in the stroller or car.
*Note: Zestt recently discontinued its baby line, but some of their products are still available at Spearmint Love.

Pacifiers
Recommended: Food-grade silicone (like Ryan & Rose) or natural rubber (like Natursutten*)
I don’t have a specific recommendation for pacifiers as every baby likes different ones. I do recommend buying a few of several different types before your baby is born, so you can see which type they actually prefer. Miss F actually never liked pacifiers, so my knowledge of pacifiers comes more from research than first-hand experience. You do want to be conscious of the shape of the nipple; for example, rounded nipples are best for breastfeeding, but flatter “orthodontic” nipples are preferred for palate development and tooth development. If you are nursing, you’ll likely want to start with rounded and gradually progress to orthodontic (but I’m not an expert, so definitely talk to your lactation consultant and pediatric dentist!).

Pacifier clips
Recommended: Ryan & Rose Pacifier Clip*
If your baby takes a pacifier, clips will save you hours of time trying to find and wash them when they inevitably fall out of your little one’s mouth. Wood and silicone are both good options, but wood can splinter so we opted for silicone ones similar to Ryan & Rose’s. Even though Miss F never really took a pacifier, the clips were still handy to attach small toys and later snack cups to the stroller.

Night light
Recommended: Vava Baby Night Light
You’ll want some form of dim light for late-night feedings and diaper changes (don’t wake your little one up more than necessary with a bright light!). Vava’s is handy as it’s easy to tap on and off and dim with one hand. One downside is that the battery life isn’t very long, so we had to keep ours plugged in nearly constantly. Not a big deal, but don’t expect to take this one on the go.

Travel play yard
Recommended: California Beach Co Pop N’ Go Playpen
While you easily could use a pack-n-play for a travel play yard, you may not want to deal with cleaning sand and dirt out of the same thing your baby would sleep in when traveling. We recently purchased a California Beach Co playpen to use for Miss E when we go camping, and we absolutely love it. It’s so handy to have a safe, clean place for baby to explore while you’re outdoors! This also could be handy to set up for your little one in your yard while you garden or tend to older children playing outside, for trips to the beach, etc.

Stroller accessories
Recommended: Uppababy Carry-all, foot muff*, rain cover*
All of these accessories are optional, and specific versions will vary based on which stroller you select. We use the carry-all with our Uppababy Vista frequently so it was a great purchase. If you live in a cold or rainy environment, the foot muff and rain cover could be very handy as well.

Stroller travel bag
Recommended: Uppababy Vista Travel Bag
If you plan to travel, I recommend purchasing an inexpensive umbrella stroller (we like our Summer Infant 3Dlite Convenience Stroller). However, when Miss F was younger, I found that I really needed the additional carrying space in the undercarriage of the Uppababy when we made our way through airports. If you do plan on traveling with a stroller you care about, definitely invest in a good travel bag to minimize damage. If you have an Uppababy, their bag is great because any damages sustained by the stroller while traveling will be covered under warranty, no questions asked, for up to two years after purchase. I had to take advantage of this warranty probably four or five times because baggage is handled so roughly, and I was so glad that I didn’t have to pay for replacement parts each time.

Car seat travel bag
Recommended: Any bag with both wheels and straps (like this one*)
First, note that it is recommended to not check a car seat on an airplane. After seeing how often our Uppababy stroller was broken, I have a better appreciation of how roughly luggage is treated. Considering you’re supposed to replace a car seat that has been in even a minor car accident, I’m sure many technically should be replaced after being checked for air travel.
That being said, you don’t have many options when you travel. You can always purchase a seat for your infant on the plane and carry the car seat on with you, provided it is FDA-approved. This wasn’t practical for us for a few reasons… first, spending the extra money to get Miss F her own seat during her first two years of life was not practical for our family. Second, I usually travel alone with Miss F, and I have no idea how I’d get us and our carryons AND her heavy carseat onto the plane by myself. Finally, Miss F has never been a fan of being confined in her carseat for very long, so forcing her to sit in it for a plane ride would mean a screaming infant for the flying hours. We instead opted to purchase inexpensive car seats to keep at the grandparents’ houses (the Cosco Scenera Next is a great option that is very inexpensive but gets really good safety ratings).
When we aren’t traveling to the grandparents’, we do check our Nuna Rava in a car seat travel bag. We do carefully inspect it after we land, but we know that we may not be able to see damage. A better option (that we haven’t tried yet) would probably be to buy a cheap car seat like the Scenera Next to check; at least if it was damaged, it’s not used often, and it’s cheaper to replace.
All that to say, if you’re going to be checking a car seat on an airline, you’ll want to have a good travel bag. Ours just has backpack straps and we have often wished that it also had wheels, so I linked one that has both wheels and straps.
One final tip if you’re checking a carseat. Most airlines won’t let you stuff additional items into the car seat bag, but we always try to in order to cushion it more (usually we put Miss F’s clothes in it). Many airlines don’t check or ask, so we’ve been able to get away with it a lot, but you need to have a backup plan if they do check. Many airlines do allow you to pack diapers with the carseat, which would be a great cushioning option as well.