Warning:
This post is going to be a long one, but I promise that if you are a mama or a soon to be mama, this post will be helpful for you! I know that when we first found out we were pregnant, we were so overwhelmed with alllllll the baby equipment. Car seats, strollers, bouncers, and such…so many things that it can be super stressful when it comes to picking what you want. Now that we have used most of our gear for over a year, I thought I would do a I do a “baby seat” round up on here for all the expecting mamas or mamas that are just looking for good baby recommendations when it comes to those items.
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine
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Uppa Baby Cruz Stroller:
First up, our stroller. This is a big one and let me tell you, we were SO overwhelmed when we were picking this out. We wanted something that would last, something that was easy to travel with and something that had great space underneath for storage. We landed on the Uppa Baby Cruz and we have been super happy with it overall! We decided on the Cruz over the Vista basically because it was a little bit smaller and easier for travel (especially the wheels) and we felt like it was easier to maneuver. The ONLY thing that sometimes drives us nuts is that you cannot collapse it without using two hands, which let’s be honest, as mamas, our hands are always full! It overall has lasted and held up so well after a year and the warrantee while traveling is always such a perk. We have this travel bag for our stroller and if anything ever happens to it while at the airport or on the airline, it’s covered under warrantee. I have a whole blog post about how we travel with it HERE. (The color we have is Loic white/silver).
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Uppa Baby Mesa:
This was the car seat we used and really enjoyed until Eloise was about 11 months old (27 lbs). I loved that you could just snap it right into the base in the car and then pop it right out and put it in the stroller. She was very comfortable in it and it was great to travel with as it can come on the airplane as well. (Certain seats cannot so make sure you research this before buying a car seat if you plan on traveling). This seat has the same guarantee as the stroller and this is the travel case we used while traveling. It was also super easy to throw in the wash and clean & only slightly complicated to put back together. (I ended up Youtubing how to do it and learned real fast). Eloise found it super comfortable and would sleep in it with no problems.
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Uppa Baby Bassinet:
Another part of the Uppa Baby System is this bassinet. Is it a necessity?! Probably not. Do you use it for a long time? No. Is it great to walk around in when the baby is first born?! Yes. We only used this for about 4-5 months (until she outgrew it and wanted to be sitting up more) but it was great for those everyday walks when she was super little. She would sleep in there and loved it.
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Britax Click Tight Car Seat:
This is our newest seat and so far we are loving it! (Pictured at the top of this post). When Eloise started to outgrow the Uppa Baby Mesa (she didn’t reach the weight limit, but she just started to look too big and get uncomfortable in it), we knew that we would have to upgrade car seats. We switched her over to this Britax one at about 11 months and so far, so good. It’s definitely a big seat, but I feel such relief knowing that she is super safe in it. It’s extremely easy to install and switch from car to car if needed and she is very comfortable in it.
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DocATot:
Throwing it way back to when she was a teeny tiny baby, but I HAVE to mention our favorite and most useful baby item ever.If you are a new mama to be and look at the price tag of the Dockatot and think “Wow, that’s way too expensive” or “It’s just another bed, why do I need it”, well I’m here to tell you that you should definitely add to cart. This Dockatot saved us SO MANY TIMES. If it’s too pricey for you at the moment, add it to your registry and have friends & family share the cost. Eloise absolutely LOVED her Dockatot and if you are a traveler, this is a lifesaver. I promise…. I’ve had friends not get it, have their baby and then they ended up ordering it a week later! She slept in her Dockatot until she was about 6 months old and couldn’t fit in it anymore 🙂 I was able to easily move it to the couch, bed, living room and place her in it when I was doing other things and she would be contained. The best part is that when we traveled with it, she knew no different and thought it was her bed at home, so she slept amazingly on all our trips for the first 6 months. The cover is super easy to wash, clean and put back on and we had this travel bag for it and loved it. Can’t rave about it enough!
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Halo Bassinest:
Another item we loved. I was a little worried that this price tag wouldn’t be worth it, but for us it was. She slept in the halo bassinest for 6 months next to our bed before we “shipped her off” to her own room! HAH! This is especially a great piece if you have a smaller space as it’s easy to place right next to your bed. When she was super little, the bassinet was a little too big for her, so we put the Dockatot inside of the bassinet for sleep and she was way more secure (and slept better). It’s not recommended to do this, but our pediatrician gave us the ok since she was sleeping right next to us each night. Definitely consult your pediatrician before doing this, but we really think that it helped her sleep so well each & every night. We got the one with all the bells and whistles (vibration, music) and only used those features maybe twice. So that part is definitely not a necessity. (Also, the Ollie Swaddle was a LIFESAVER for us. We tried a lot of swaddles and liked them, but the Ollie was her favorite and really helped her sleep through the night at 2 months old).
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Baby Bounce Seat:
My mom actually was the first one to get this little seat for her house and every time we went over, Eloise loved sitting in it. We used it from about 2 months to 10 months and it was just another easy little seat to carry from room to room, keeping her contained for a little bit.
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Jumparoo:
My favorite purchase. (Just kidding). If you watched my Instagram stories during this time, you know that I CRINGED when I bought this thing because it’s big, bulky, WAY TOO COLORFUL and not the prettiest item for your living room. HAHA! But, I can say that after a while she ended up loving it, jumping in it like a crazy person and it was a great item that kept her contained in one spot too. We used it for about 3-4 months before it got shipped out to the garage and our living room was back to it’s pretty white self again 🙂
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Bumbo:
I think we bought this little seat a little too late in the game. She only used it for about a month and then she couldn’t fit in it anymore. I did like it for the one month though and I think it would be great & helpful if you used it from months 4-7 when your baby just starts eating solids! I loved that it was super easy to wipe down and clean after feedings too.
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4 moms highchair:
Another one of my favorite baby items we own! SO easy to wipe down and clean, the tray comes off with ONE hand and metal items stick to the tray! It comes with a bowl to use and it’s genius! It’s easy to move, not too heavy and a neutral color for those who care about their kitchen vibes. Me?! Nahhhhh. 🙂
(I have another post talking all about it HERE).
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Portable Playard:
We originally got this before she was born and honestly didn’t use it that much until she started moving all over the place. We grabbed this one off Amazon for a super affordable price and it’s been great for us. Easy to pop up & down (once you’ve done it once), easy to wipe clean and compacts into a super small item with a handle to carry. I like to use this when I need to do something around the house and can’t keep all eyes on her/don’t want her wandering around everywhere. When she’s in here, she’s safe and contained!
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Pottery Barn Chair:
Eloise got this for her first birthday from my mom and she loves it! It’s the perfect size for her and she knows it’s her chair 🙂 There are so many colors/patterns and it would make a great gift for any toddler! (I got so many messages from you all when we got it that your kids have the same chairs and have used them forever! They last!)
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Alright, I hope that was helpful for all you mamas out there!
There are SOOOO many other baby items and I’m thinking that if you like this post, maybe I’ll do a general baby items blog post too?! Baby monitors, nursing gear, nursery items?! Let me know what you think!
In case you missed it or are new here, I have a ton of other baby related posts that might help you:
- 5 ITEMS THAT MAKE MY MOM LIFE EASIER
- ELOISE FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY
- 10 TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO A BIG CITY WITH A BABY
- SIX MONTHS OF BREASTFEEDING & WHAT WORKED BEST FOR ME
- MY FIRST WEEKS AS A NEW MAMA & 10 TIPS I FOUND HELPFUL
Enjoy!
