Here’s all of the stuff we used for our nursery
As we move on fully from the baby-era and truly into toddler realm, I wanted to take a look back at our nursery and all of the things we relied on in that room that we first welcomed a beautiful new life in. From sleepless nights, to sick mornings compiled with snot and sneezes, we’ve already been through so much together in one small room. These products played such a pivotal part of our daily lives in what felt like an eternity, but in reality they really only are with us for less than a single smartphone ownership cycle. As we transition into making our son’s room toddler friendly to deal with his jumping, climbing, and other monkey-like behavior he’s currently in, these are the items we’ll look back at fondly from his infant days as we strip down his nursery.
Disclaimer: Some items were sent to us free of charge to review, but all thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are our own.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees and support our channel by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.Grownsy Sniffease - $52.99
Grownsy Sniffease
A 3-in-1 tool to suck get the gunk out of your baby
Having a sick baby is arguably one of the most tiring aspects of parenting. And unfortunately, it plays a pivotal role as your child works on building their immune system and gets acclimated to the world. What we found to be most helpful when having a congested baby was a consistent routine of saline spray and suction. Grownsy has recently released their SniffEase Spa 3-in-1 baby nasal aspirator and we were thrilled to check it out. This handy wireless device suctions, sprays, and mists all in one without needing to swap equipment or products. Let’s take a closer look.
Cradlewise Smart Crib - $1,599
Cradlewise Smart Crib
It’s like having an extra caretaker for your newborn
Admittedly, our experience with our baby using the Cradlewise has been mixed. The entire purpose of this smart crib is to soothe the baby via bounce. And for the first two to three months of his life, our baby actually did go back to sleep with the bounce motion. That allowed us to get an additional 30 minutes or so of sleep each time which really helped when you’re running on fumes during the newborn phase. Remember, when the recommendation says that a newborn should eat every 2 hours, that doesn’t take into account the time it takes for the baby to actually eat, burp, and fall back asleep. The reality of it is that new parents likely have 45 minutes to close their eyes. If they themselves can’t fall asleep within 5-10 minutes, then its already time to get ready for the next wave. For the crib to be able to put the baby back to sleep for another 15-30 minutes that they would have originally been awake already if sleeping in a normal bassinet or crib is monumental.
Outon Smart Floor Lamp - $54.90
Outon Smart Floor Lamp
A smart lamp that lights up the room with color and customizability
I think Outon has a great product in the S1 floor lamp. They placed all the features you might use and need in it without creating an overly bulky product with unnecessary functions that might overwhelm you. The S1 can blend into any setting and is fully customizable at your fingertips through both the remote and app or even through voice. It also works well as both an RGB light and a lamp. The only true downside I see to the S1 is the amount of work it takes to put it together initially. I’d gladly be willing to pay a little more to have it pre-assembled a bit more for me to have less stress trying to figure out how to get the thing up and running.
Blueair Himidifier - $149.99
Every room with a little human sleeping in it needs a good humidifier especially if you live in a traditionally dry location. The Blueair Humidifier makes it easy to maintain and track by incorporating technology into a humidifier. It’s a top fill design for quick refilling of the tank which has a UV integrated pump with auto water detection that is dishwasher safe, making it extremely parent friendly to just get things running quickly. It runs up to 48 hours in a row, and can create schedules, adjust humidity levels, and track the filter’s life, all from the convenience of the smartphone app. The coolest thing about the Blueair is that it functions mist-free and runs on a night mode that automatically sets to the quietest settings when it senses dimmed lights. This is as baby-friendly as it gets for a humidifier.
Ubbi Stainless Steel Diaper Pail - $79.99
Diaper pails will either make you super happy you have the right one, or make you want to run out of the room to buy another one because it absolutely stinks in here. The Ubbi diaper pail is a popular option for many years now because it just works. Made from a stainless steel construction, the pail holds odor in by relying on an airtight seal when closed. The stench does still blast out the minute the lid opens, but at least the Ubbi does a valiant job housing poop odor when closed. The sliding lid has a lock that keeps naughty little hands from playing with the pail, and it’s quite simple to load and unload bags. The great thing about the Ubbi is that it looks clean and it fits into any nursery design to make it an extremely versatile option for parents designing their first baby room.
Leicex Portable Sound Machine - $16.99
With 33 soothing sounds that include nature noises, womb simulations, ambient white noises, and of course lullabies, the Leicex portable sound machine is a valuable tool for soothing the little ones as they get accustomed to life outside of their mommy’s tummies. The best thing about this little sound machine is that it is extremely portable and can easily clip onto a baby’s travel bag to be used in a train or hotel room. It lights up 10 different colors and can be set to turn off up to 3 hours later so a new parent doesn’t manually have to turn it off in the middle of the night. For such a small speaker, it surprisingly fills a room with substance.
Hellobaby No Wifi Monitor Camera - $59.99
A good camera and monitor to check in your little one is a must. I know every new mother wants to be with their infant 24 hours a day, but the reality of life is simply that it is impossible. We’ve relied on the Hellobaby camera and monitor setup since day one and it honestly has been such a great no-nonsense solution to giving us a little bit of space when we need it from our child. The camera can be mounted nearly anywhere on any type of surface using a clip. It can then be remotely controlled to pan, tilt, and zoom using the monitor’s built-in controls. That 5-inch monitor screen survives 30 hours off a charge so that even if you do forget to plug it in after an exhausting day, you’ll still have enough juice to keep an eye on your child the next day. It also automatically turns from day to night vision and has a built-in microphone and speaker that can push 2-way audio. If your baby needs a little soothing voice from their mother while in the crib, but doesn’t necessarily require you to go in immediately, this is the perfect way to tackle those spots. The best thing about this setup is that it doesn’t require an app or WiFi at all. As long as the monitor and the camera are within 1,000 ft from one another, this combination will work flawlessly.
Hudsoon 3-Drawer Changer Dresser - $429.99
There are a lot of dresser/diaper changing station combinations out there, but I’d be hard pressed to recommended another one that looks as sleek as this babyletto Hudson one. With it's mid-century design language, it kind of steals the show when you enter the nursery. It’s the first thing your eyes gravitate towards. With 3 pull out drawers and a two row storage cabinet, it holds enough space to house your little one’s first wardrobe. There’s a removable changing tray that has a little storage divider for diapers and wet wipes that we used every night when our son first came home. It’s the perfect height for average sized adults to change diapers with. It does not come with a changing pad, but it does fit most standard sized ones up to 31” x 16”.
Lida
As a former narrative journalist turned data scientist turned product manager, Lida’s always looking for gadgets that can adapt and optimize with her. Whether it’s a device that survives Lida’s torturous, adult working itinerary days or makes life easier for her as a new mom, she’s always thrilled to try something new and (maybe) give it the praise it deserves.