Log in
The Most Useful Gifts for Parents
Updated on
October 30, 2023

The Most Useful Gifts for Parents

Practical and unexpected items that real parents loved the most in the early years—which would make great gifts.

By Alainna Wurfel
Babylist editors love baby gear and independently curate their favorite products to share with you. If you buy something through links on our site, Babylist may earn a commission.
Pinterest logo.
The Most Useful Gifts for Parents.

When it comes to preparing for a new arrival and building a registry, there are many great baby gifts and toddler necessities to choose from, all of which was designed to make parenting easier. It’s easy to find those on our gear guides.

And then there are the unexpected, everyday items that real parents say they can’t live without—the “lifesavers” they’ve discovered along the way. These sleeper hits fall into the category of “things I wish I knew about as a first-time parent,” and we’ve rounded up our favorites here alongside some endorsements from real parents.

We think they’d make great gifts, too, and we’ll continue to update this list as we discover new time-saving and problem-solving products you should know about.

Problem-Solving Gear for Parents

Personal recommendations (and reviews!) from Babylist parents.

Anyday The Complete Set.

Anyday 
The Complete Set

To make nutritious meals for the entire family, these innovative bowls are a faster alternative to traditional meal prep.
Buy
cookanyday.com$170.00
Beyond Yoga Spacedye Out Of Pocket High Waisted Midi Legging.

Beyond Yoga 
Spacedye Out Of Pocket High Waisted Midi Legging

A super-comfortable pair made extra practical with deep pockets—for stashing keys while their hands are full. (In maternity styles, too!)
Buy
beyondyoga.com$99.00
iRobot Roomba i3 EVO (3150) Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum.

iRobot 
Roomba i3 EVO (3150) Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum

According to Wirecutter, it's the best for cleaning up after “a Cheerio-trailing toddler.”
Buy
amazon.com$279.99
Bombas The Perfect Pair Gripper Slipper 2-Pack.

Bombas 
The Perfect Pair Gripper Slipper 2-Pack

Two pairs of soft feet warmers designed to keep them from slipping while they carry their little one(s) around the house.
Buy
bombas.com$85.50
SlumberPod SlumberPod - Black.

SlumberPod 
SlumberPod

A portable blackout cover for playards, mini cribs and toddler cots—for a good night's sleep (for everyone) away from home.
Buy
Babylist$179.99
Target$179.99
Nordstrom$179.99
The Wonder Oven.

Our Place 
The Wonder Oven

A compact air fryer that also bakes, toasts, roasts, steams and broils so creating meals (for parents and little ones) is quick and easy.
Buy
fromourplace.com$195.00
ZeeDix Coconut Fibers Mulch Mat.

ZeeDix 
Coconut Fibers Mulch Mat

To keep curious little hands from scooping fistfuls of dirt out of your indoor pots.
Buy
amazon.com$9.89
OXO Tot Grape Cutter.

OXO Tot 
Grape Cutter

Quickly snips grapes, tomatoes, blueberries and other fruits and veggies into perfectly quartered pieces—aka safe-to-serve sizes for early eaters.
Buy
amazon.com$11.99
Nespresso Vertuo Plus Deluxe Coffee Maker And Espresso Machine By Delonghi.

Nespresso 
Vertuo Plus Deluxe Coffee Maker And Espresso Machine By D...

For a single up of coffee or espresso, at any hour of the day.
Buy
target.com$199.99
BISSELL Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner.

BISSELL 
Little Green Multi-Purpose Portable Carpet and Upholstery...

A popular portable carpet & upholstery cleaner to easily clean up little spills.
Buy
amazon.com$109.95
Carhartt Beverage Holster.

Carhartt 
Beverage Holster

“This clip-on koozie was very useful to me when I was wearing my daughter a lot and didn’t want her to grab or kick the drink in my hand."
Buy
amazon.com$21.50
Trader Joe's Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloth.

Trader Joe's 
Super Amazing Reusable Kitchen Cloth

“They are amazing. I just pop in the washing machine nightly, air dry after.”
Buy
traderjoes.com$2.99
Yamazaki Dishcloth Hanger.

Yamazaki 
Dishcloth Hanger

“Now that we're doing 3 solid meals a day + snacks, we cannot have enough little wash cloths, which also means we need a place to hang them up to dry.”
Buy
amazon.com$23.80
Babylist Shop Gift Card.

Babylist 
Shop Gift Card

A gift card is a classic present for a reason: they can pick exactly what they want, and you don't have to worry about sizing or returns!
Buy
Babylist$0.00
hooga Rechargeable Clip On Book Light.

hooga 
Rechargeable Clip On Book Light

"Made the middle-of-the-night feedings and changes so much easier and way less stimulating."
Buy
amazon.com$12.99
Washin’ Jax Laundry Agitators.

Washin’ Jax 
Laundry Agitators

"Started using for cloth diapers and discovered they got all of our clothes so much cleaner!"
Buy
amazon.com$19.99
Peach Street Speed-Boil Water Electric Kettle.

Peach Street 
Speed-Boil Water Electric Kettle

"By far my favorite way to heat up a bottle, but also started using it anytime we needed hot water and can't live without it now."
Buy
amazon.com$24.99
Latitude Run Tufted Square Floor Pillow.

Latitude Run 
Tufted Square Floor Pillow

"Having a comfy place for adults to lounge on the ground during tummy time and floor play = highly underrated."
Buy
wayfair.com$46.99
Frigidaire Mini Portable Compact Personal Fridge Cooler.

Frigidaire 
Mini Portable Compact Personal Fridge Cooler

"Got one so I didn't have to get out of bed after middle-of-the-night pumping sessions, but used it forever to store middle-of-the-night bottles."
Buy
amazon.com$34.49
NEWGEM Linen Cross Back Aprons.

NEWGEM 
Linen Cross Back Aprons

"Obviously useful for cooking, but pretty handy for protecting your clothes from thrown food."
Buy
amazon.com$18.99
BOWERBIRD Clear Toy Blockers for Furniture.

BOWERBIRD 
Clear Toy Blockers for Furniture

"Has saved me probably 50 times in the last month of needing to pull little blocks from under the couch.”
Buy
amazon.com$14.98

Alainna Wurfel

Senior Newsletter Editor

Alainna Wurfel is Babylist’s Senior Newsletter Editor, a role that combines her enthusiasm for discovering new parenting tips and great baby gear with her love for writing. When she’s not curating emails and creating content to support them, Alainna enjoys gardening, sewing and cooking. In past lives, she was an editor at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Texas Monthly Magazine; and a marketing director at the design company Schumacher. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their two children.

This information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here. Babylist may earn compensation from affiliate links in this content. Learn more about how we write Babylist content and review products, as well as the Babylist Health Advisory Board.
Related Articles