One minute you’re a kid, the next minute you’re scrambling to buy the perfect baby shower gifts for your BFF or to put together a registry of your own. If you’re worried about getting presents that are pretty but impractical or are clueless about what newborns need, don’t worry. We’ve done the legwork for you by polling our colleagues and scouring internet reviews for recommendations. Here’s a list of 8 life-saving accessories that will make perfect baby shower gifts.
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What it is: First on the list of baby shower gifts is the VAVA Baby Night Light. It comes in 2 models, both with different benefits. CL-009 has 8 adjustable colours and a dimmable light. CL-006 is slightly cheaper and comes with a charging pad base but without adjustable colours.
How it’s helpful: Both models are easy to operate (with a simple tap on the top) and are dimmable, great for late-night breastfeeding sessions. One reviewer noted that the light “was designed with breastfeeding in mind”. Another customer said it is a good option “for its portability, the fact that it’s so easy to use, its modern design and useful functions.”
A standout feature of the CL-009 model is its red light option. Red light helps to trigger the release of melatonin, otherwise known as the sleeping hormone. Setting the night light to red will be a convenient option to help ease a newborn into a fixed sleeping schedule.
CL-006’s charging pad base provides the light with extra stability. This means parents are less likely to knock it over when they’re groggy while tending to the baby in the middle of the night.
Cons: Unfortunately, there is no night light that comprises the useful features of both models. Opting for the CL-009’s colour-changing feature means giving up the extra stability of the CL-006, and vice versa.
Amazon
Price: $24.99 for CL-006 and $29.99 for CL-009
Shipping fee: Free delivery
Lazada
Price: $29.99 for CL-009
Shipping fee: $1.49, free delivery for orders above $50
Trekvue
Price: $29.99 for CL-009
Shipping fee: Free delivery
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What it is: A seat that provides a bouncing up-and-down motion. Babybjörn’s bouncers come in a variety of colours and materials such as mesh and cotton.
How it’s helpful: The bouncers are equipped with safety straps to restrict the baby’s range of motion. Furthermore, the bouncers are lightweight for ease of movement around the house.
Thanks to their rocking motion, Babybjörn bouncers are great for self-soothing. One colleague remarked that babies “can rock themselves and make themselves calm down while parents can just do their own thing”. This might be a saving grace for parents who work from home.
Cons: Babybjörn bouncers were designed to be placed only on the floor. Bending down to move the bouncer around might be a hassle, especially for those with back problems.
The bouncer’s claim to fame, the rocking motion, is also entirely manual. If the parent isn’t there to rock the baby or the baby lacks strength to bounce on his or her own , parents might be stuck with their baby crying away while working.
First Few Years
Price: From $279 for Babybjörn Bouncer Bliss cotton
Shipping fee: $4.90 to $6.90, free delivery for orders above $60
Mothercare
Price: From $279 for Babybjörn Bouncer Bliss cotton
Shipping fee: $5.90, free delivery for orders above $60
Pupsik
Price: From $289 for Babybjörn Bouncer Bliss mesh
Shipping fee: $4.90, free delivery for orders above $60
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What it is: A wrap carrier for infants that offers different positions for carrying the baby depending on stage of development. The carrier also sports Baby K’tan’s patented double loop design for ease of wearing. There are 5 carrier types, each constructed differently: Original, Breeze, Active, Active Oasis and Organic.
How it’s helpful: Baby K’tan Active is made out of a high-performance fabric that absorbs and wicks away sweat, perfect for Singapore’s eternally humid weather. It also comes with UV-ray blocking features so parents won’t have to worry about the hot sun.
With the Baby K’tan carriers, parents will be out of the house in no time. The double loop design allows users to slip on the carrier like a t-shirt, free from complicated straps and buckles.
You don’t have to just take our word for it. A colleague said that the carrier helps babies to “sleep like a dream in their early months so you can regain some semblance of a normal life”. The carrier is also “a quality product that delivers on the promise of making wrapping your baby extremely easy”, one reviewer praised.
Cons: Convenience comes at a cost. Without straps and buckles, the Baby K’tan carriers are non-adjustable and size-specific. Most parents will likely have to purchase 2 carriers if Mum and Dad are of different sizes.
Agape Babies
Price: $99.80 for Baby K’tan Active
Shipping fee: $4.90, free delivery for orders above $60
Mothercare
Price: $109 for Baby K’tan Active
Shipping fee: $5.90, free delivery for orders above $60
Pupsik
Price: $99 for Baby K’tan Active
Shipping fee: $4.90, free delivery for orders above $60
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What it is: A 360° camera normally used as a security camera with features such as cry detection that allow it to double-up as a baby monitor.
How it’s helpful: Being chock-full of features and at its price point, the security camera has all the makings of a good lobang.
It performs many essential functions of a traditional baby monitor. Our colleague shared that it can “capture visuals”, lets parents “speak through the camera” and is also “not limited by range” so parents can check on their baby while on the go.
That’s not all. As mentioned earlier, the security camera has cry detection so parents know when to attend to their baby. It even boasts motion detection so parents can catch pesky crawlers before they get into trouble.
And, once the child has outgrown the use of a baby monitor, the camera can go back to beefing up home security.
Cons: Parents will lose out on features like temperature detection and a dedicated remote commonly found in traditional baby monitors.
Price: $46.90 (U.P. $59) on Xiaomi LazMall
Shipping fee: Free
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What it is: Ditty Bird’s musical books are designed so that kids will have to search for a button in order to play the music. When a button is pressed, sounds or a song will play from the book.
How it’s helpful: Keeping a little one entertained can be an arduous task. Once the baby grows bored of games like peekaboo, parents will need something to fall back on.
Our colleague mentioned that the process of finding the button and playing the song will allow the baby to “self-entertain”. He also shared that “sooner or later, they will be able to sing along”, giving it an A+ for educational value as well.
A reviewer also assured that the books are “a very simple and easy concept for babies, toddlers and kids to use”. These song books will be a great asset the moment a baby can lift a lift finger.
Cons: Several reviewers noted issues with quality control of the recordings. Some stated that the songs cut off at awkward places and were sung off-key. Gift-givers, pair these books with a set of earplugs for your friends just in case.
Owl Readers Club
Price: $24.50 per book
Shipping fee: $5.50, free delivery for orders above $55
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What it is: A durable, well-cushioned and minimalist multi-use playmat from local brand Wander Mats. It is PVC-free and non-toxic, making it extra safe for infant use. The mats come in 2 shapes, regular and circular, and in a variety of patterns.
How it’s useful: Chic and practical, these playmats will help parents to complete their aesthetic nurseries. Couples looking to start an Instagram account for their child will be grateful for this baby shower gift.
Raising a baby can be messy business as well. Luckily, the playmats are waterproof and offer “fuss-free cleaning” as described by an online reviewer. According to our colleague, this makes the playmat great for “messy sensory play or diaper changes when the baby starts crawling everywhere”.
Cons: At over $200, it is a hefty price to pay for something that is ultimately just a mat. Thankfully, the quality of the playmats more than make up for the premium cost.
Additional pro tip: Use the code <BUNDLE15> to get 15% off the kawaii playpens from Wander Mats with any purchase of its playmats.
Price: From $218 for the circular playmat
Shipping fee: $8, free delivery for orders above $200
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What it is: A rechargeable portable white noise machine, equipped with a clip to hang it anywhere. The machine has 3 pre-loaded soothing sounds: Bright White Noise, Deep White Noise and Gentle Surf.
How it’s helpful: White noise is a tool that helps put babies to sleep. For those clueless about the life hack, it helps block out household noises that may disturb the baby. White noise may even serve as a source of comfort as it mimics the sounds heard in the womb.
While there are many white noise machines on the market, Marpac’s distinguishes itself through its mix of portability and effectiveness. One reviewer said, the “volume range is great, the sound itself is great, battery life is so impressive, and it’s portable”. Another customer shared that the machine can “get your baby falling to sleep within minutes”.
Cons: If white noise is used too much during development, the infant might become dependent on it. A user highlighted that the machine’s sounds are synthetic, with occasional static and cut-offs.
Amazon
Price: $58.88 for Marpac Hushh without warranty
Shipping fee: Free
Dropnoise
Price: From $75 for Marpac Hushh with 7-days warranty
Shipping fee: From $3.14, free delivery for orders above $80
Shopee
Price: $69.90 for Marpac Hushh with 1-year warranty
Shipping fee: $1.49, free delivery for orders above $35
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What it is: A sleep suit that functions as a swaddle, keeping the baby in an arms up position. It is a good substitute to muslin wraps and traditional cloth swaddles used for putting babies to sleep.
How it’s useful: Swaddling is important as it ensures that the baby remains sleeping on its back, preventing unexpected deaths. The zippers on the Love to Dream Swaddle UP saves parents the trouble of wrap swaddles unravelling or the baby wiggling out. One reviewer found that she slept better as she wasn’t “freaking out [that] the cloth swaddles would come loose and smother [her baby’s] face”.
If you’re skeptical about how sleeping in an arms-up position helps, here’s the rundown. It imitates the fetal position in the womb, allows the baby to move arms for self-soothing and prevents the baby from rolling onto the tummy. The Swaddle UP might assist in simple ways, but one customer feels “it is a lifesaver and [her] only regret was that [she] didn’t get it earlier”.
Cons: Unlike a wrap swaddle that can be used as the baby grows, opting for the Swaddle UP will require parents to buy a bigger size as the baby develops. At ~$50 per swaddle, constantly sizing up will cost a pretty penny.
Agape Babies
Price: From $49.90 for the Love to Dream Swaddle UP Original
Shipping fee: $4.90, free delivery for orders above $60
Mothercare
Price: From $49.90 for the Love to Dream Swaddle UP Original
Shipping fee: $5.90, free delivery for orders above $60
Pupsik
Price: From $49.90 for the Love to Dream Swaddle UP Original
Shipping fee: $4.90, free delivery for orders above $60
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From night lights to playmats, hopefully, the variety on this list of baby shower gifts will give you the inspiration you need to find the perfect present. Couples, be sure to keep this list handy when putting together your future registry for baby shower gifts.
If you are on the lookout for more adulting or parenting-related content, check out our guide on fertility health checks in Singapore.
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