Babies Gear Parents' Best Baby Gear of 2022 We surveyed hundreds of parents about their favorite products and had families test-drive new ones to compile this list of the most helpful items, from basic PJ’s to a big-ticket stroller. By Jessica Hartshorn Jessica Hartshorn Instagram Jessica Hartshorn has covered the baby and kid-product market for 22 years and is a mother of two herself. At the holidays, she helms parents.com/besttoys. our editorial guidelines Published on February 2, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Marley Rizzuti The Big Stuff Here's the crucial gear you'll want to add to your registry. 01 of 27 Premium Stroller Marley Rizzuti The new three-wheeled UPPAbaby Ridge features all-terrain, foam-filled tires (so they never go flat), a storage basket that holds 20 pounds, and water-repellent fabric. "Easy to maneuver and fold, and it looks cool," one dad said. Jog with it, or make it the around town hauler. Birth to 55 pounds. Strollers purchased between July 2021 and August 2022 have recently been recalled but caregivers can contact the company to receive free replacement brake discs, which were at the center of the safety issue. To buy: UPPAbaby Ridge, $600; buybuybaby.com. 02 of 27 Bassinet Courtesy of Arm’s Reach Concepts Pull the Arm's Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper Bassinet next to your bed—one side folds down for easy access to your baby. Or keep it in the sides-up position in a corner of your room or the nursery. Mesh sides make it easy to see what's going on in there, and it's on wheels and is height-adjustable. "Being able to stash pajamas and burp cloths underneath was helpful," said a mom. Birth to 5 months. To buy: Arm's Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper Bassinet, $220; amazon.com. 03 of 27 Crib Mattress Courtesy of Newton Baby Inc. The breathable, hypoallergenic Newton Baby Crib Mattress is entirely washable. Toss the quilted cover in the washer, then shower off the inside (it's made of a food-grade polymer that just rinses clean). "I've detected that faint pee smell in friends' traditional mattresses, so I love that this can be cleaned to the core," said a mom of a newborn. To buy: Newton Baby Crib Mattress, $300; amazon.com. 04 of 27 Convertible Car Seat Courtesy of Graco Stretch out! The newest Graco Contender Slim Convertible Car Seat easily shares the backseat with other passengers thanks to its streamlined design and removable cupholder. Start it rear-facing and reclined for your baby, then face it forward until your child is 65 pounds. Adjust the headrest as they grow. To buy: Graco Contender Slim Convertible Car Seat, $150; buybuybaby.com. 05 of 27 Lightweight Stroller Courtesy of Zoe It reclines for naps, keeps the sun out, and folds small. But what really impressed parents was how Zoe The Tour+ can turn into a tandem: Buy a second seat and snap it on, a rare feature in an 11-pound convenience stroller. To buy: Zoe The Tour+, $249; zoestrollers.com. 06 of 27 Baby Carrier Courtesy of Ergobaby In addition to having sturdy straps and a storage pouch, the Ergobaby Omni Dream Baby Carrier, our readers' favorite way to wear their baby, is now made of softer cotton than ever before. Position it on your front or back, infancy through toddlerhood. To buy: Ergobaby Omni Dream Baby Carrier, $200; target.com. 07 of 27 Diapers Marley Rizzuti The new subscription-based brand Coterie got raves for absorbency. "No overnights needed. My son woke up with dry skin after ten hours in these," a parent said. "Plus, they're probably the softest I've felt." Each four-week supply arrives via mail. To buy: Coterie, $85; coterie.com. Play and Comfort These everyday items make life a little easier and more fun. 08 of 27 Baby Toys Marley Rizzuti This brand, famed for mail-order boxes of developmentally appropriate toys, now also sells playthings individually, like the Lovevery Organic Montessori Ball Baby Toy. "We can practically see the wheels turning as our daughter plays," a tester said. To buy: Lovevery Organic Montessori Ball Baby Toy, $15; target.com. 09 of 27 Nursing Pillow Courtesy of The Boppy Company, LLC Longtime favorite Boppy has a new, more portable size. The Boppy Anywhere Nursing Pillow launched last spring, and parents are loving that it's thicker at one end, making it so easy to hold your baby at the best angle for nursing or bottle feeding. To buy: Boppy Anywhere Nursing Pillow, $30; amazon.com. 10 of 27 Baby Cover Courtesy of Quilbie "Everyone asks us about this car-seat cover," one dad told us. "It's so good for keeping our baby calm." The parent-invented Quilbie Baby Cover dims sunlight (like blackout curtains), blocks heat, and reduces noise. Eight holes and a window ensure breathability. To buy: Quilbie Baby Cover, $70; quilbie.com. 11 of 27 Pacifier Courtesy of Philips Our readers' preferred pacifier now comes in this adorable shape. The Philips Avent Soothie Heart is silicone and contoured, so it feels soft against your baby's face. To buy: Philips Avent Soothie Heart, $6 for two; amazon.com. 12 of 27 Activity Center Courtesy of Fisher-Price Sort of an indoor playground, the new Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Servin' Up Fun Jumperoo lets babies stretch their legs in what resembles a food truck, turning every bounce session into comedy gold. Once your kid is walking, just place the truck directly on the floor. To buy: Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Servin' Up Fun Jumperoo, $130; amazon.com. Feeding Rely on these best baby gear products for easier mealtimes. 13 of 27 Mini Cup + Straw Marley Rizzuti The silicone EZPZ Mini Cup + Straw Training System helps your baby master drinking from a straw, then an open cup. It's tiny, so no crying over spilled milk. 12 months+. To buy: EZPZ Mini Cup + Straw Training System, $17.50; buybuybaby.com. 14 of 27 High Chair Courtesy of Nuna Nuna Zaaz is compact and actually looks great in the kitchen. Plus, it stretches from babyhood (with the tray) through the preschool years thanks to a hidden height adjuster. To buy: Nuna Zaaz, $300; nunababy.com. 15 of 27 Breast Pump Courtesy of Medela The new Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump weighs less than a pound, charges via USB, and holds its battery through six pumping sessions. "I loved that I could bring it somewhere and not need to plug it in," a mom said. It connects via Bluetooth to an app so you can track your progress. To buy: Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump, $250; amazon.com. 16 of 27 New Bottle Courtesy of Chicco Chicco Duo is a hybrid glass-and-plastic bottle made in the USA with the same patented technology used for vaccine vials. The permanently bonded materials ensure that inside, milk touches only glass, but outside, plastic makes the bottle lightweight and unbreakable. It's got an anticolic valve and is dishwasher and sterilizer safe. To buy: Chicco Duo, $20 for two 9-oz bottles; amazon.com. 17 of 27 Classic Bottle Courtesy of Dr. Brown’s With their signature removable vent system, Dr. Brown's Options+ Anti-Colic Bottles "make the milk go down easy," one parent said, and many babies don't mind going back and forth between these and nursing. To buy: Dr. Brown's Options+ Anti-Colic Bottles, $20 for four 8-oz bottles; amazon.com. 18 of 27 Drying Rack and Bottle Organizer Courtesy of OXO No one tells new parents how many bottle pieces, pump accessories, and, eventually, sippy-cup parts will invade their life. Trust our testers, an OXO Tot Space Saving Drying Rack can help hold it all together. To buy: OXO Tot Space Saving Drying Rack, $20; amazon.com. Innovations Novel features distinguish these car seats and strollers. 19 of 27 Car Seat-Stroller Combo Courtesy of Doona If your car seat turns into your stroller, that's one piece of equipment instead of two. On the infant-friendly Doona, wheels fold up for your backseat and come down for the street. Parents praised its space-saving size. From 4 to 35 pounds. To buy: Doona, $550; amazon.com. 20 of 27 Self-Folding Stroller Courtesy of Evenflo Squeeze a button on the leatherette handle and the Evenflo Gold Otto Self-Folding Lightweight Travel Stroller tucks itself into a self-standing position. "It's sturdier than most convenience strollers, with a bigger basket," a mom said. 6 months+. To buy: Evenflo Gold Otto Self-Folding Lightweight Travel Stroller, $180; amazon.com. 21 of 27 Rotating Car Seat Courtesy of Baby Jogger "Correctly tightening the harness is so much easier when your child is facing you," one parent said after testing the new Baby Jogger City Turn Convertible Car Seat. It spins to face the door for loading and unloading, then faces forward or backward for the drive. "Plus, it's basically a cushy throne." To buy: Baby Jogger City Turn Convertible Car Seat, $500; target.com. Green Features Earth-friendly fabrics earn these items eco credit. 22 of 27 Birth-to-Booster Car Seat Marley Rizzuti The new Chicco OneFit ClearTex All-in-One Car Seat holds babies as small as 5 pounds and kids as large as 100 pounds. In addition to the car seat's long life, its fabric is Greenguard Gold certified (for healthy air quality) and contains no chemical flame retardants. To buy: Chicco OneFit ClearTex All-in-One Car Seat, $300; target.com. 23 of 27 Playspace Courtesy of Century Baby This Century Play On 2-in-1 Playard and Activity Center is a 38-inch-square hangout for your baby and later a playhouse with a zippered door for your toddler. It's made from recycled materials, with two removable toys inside. The whole shebang folds and stores in its bag. To buy: Century Play On 2-in-1 Playard and Activity Center, $130; amazon.com. 24 of 27 Pajamas Marley Rizzuti For quick diaper changes, a full-frontal zipper is everything. Honest Baby Clothing Organic Cotton Sleep & Plays (newborn to 9 months) and Organic Cotton Snug-Fit Footed Pajamas (12 to 24 months) are the baby loungewear items you're looking for. To buy: Honest Baby Clothing Organic Cotton Sleep & Plays and Organic Cotton Snug-Fit Footed Pajamas, about $15 each; amazon.com. Top Tech Enlist some cutting-edge tools in the baby space. 25 of 27 Baby Monitor Courtesy of Miku Inc. Eye in the sky: This video monitor is sensitive enough to catch your baby breathing in the dark (and alert you if there's any change). Watch the high-def livestream from the Miku Pro Smart on your phone or tablet, let the app track sleep patterns, and use two-way audio. To buy: Miku Pro Smart, $399; amazon.com. 26 of 27 Scale-Changer Combo Courtesy of Hubble Connected Nursing moms sometimes question how much milk is going in. Track your baby's weight to put your mind at ease. The Hubble Grow+ connects to an app to save measurements, and the washable pad doubles as a diaper-changing area. To buy: Hubble Grow+, $80; target.com. 27 of 27 Soothing Seat Courtesy of Ingenuity The new Ingenuity AnyWay Sway PowerAdapt Dual-Direction Portable Swing incorporates all the motions: The seat rotates 180 degrees, swings in three directions, and vibrates or not—letting you dial in your baby's preference. Birth to 9 months. To buy: Ingenuity AnyWay Sway PowerAdapt Dual-Direction Portable Swing, $90; walmart.com. Our process We surveyed more than 300 families to discover the baby gear they love most. In addition, editors scoured the market for new products and had them road tested, vetted, and approved before deciding on the winners. This article originally appeared in Parents magazine's March 2022 issue as "Registry Must-Haves." Want more from the magazine? Sign up for a monthly print subscription here Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! 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