How To Choose The Best Baby Shower Gifts
I know what it's like: one of your friends is about to have a new child and they're having a baby shower! Regardless of whether it's just an intimate gathering or a huge party, you need to get a gift! You have so many choices in front of you and it is very difficult to decide which would be best. This site is a compilation of all of the most amazing baby shower presents a mom-to-be could ever want, and I really hope it can help you choose a gift. Enjoy!
This baby deserves an awesome present!
What Makes The Best Baby Shower Gifts?
The best baby shower gifts have a few defining characteristics:
- Unique: Trust me, the new mom doesn't want to get a dozen packs of diapers and pacifiers. A truly great gift is something that nobody else is going to buy as well (just hope that your friends don't come to this website too!). Presents that are a bit out of the ordinary or special in some way are the ones that a mom is going to remember for a very long time.
- Useful: Sure, that mini lawn chair might look great in the online shop, but no parent is ever going to use that. Instead, go for a bassinet or a bouncy chair that the baby will actually enjoy!
- Thoughtful: You might think that a super-soft mini-mattress is a great idea! After all, doesn't the mom-to-be want her baby to be comfortable at night? Well you might want to give that bedding a second look, as soft mattresses can put babies at risk for SIDS. Think about every present before you give it.
So now that you've nailed some of the criteria down, let's think about the categories you could buy from.
What Types Of Baby Shower Gifts Are There?
One category is the expendable items. These are typically the most uninteresting gifts, although there are exceptions! Some of the boring presents in this group are diapers or pacifiers. While every parent does need these, I think they would rather receive a more interesting and memorable gift! One great idea for an expendable gift is customized greeting cards. These could be pre-done to announce the baby's birth, or they could just be cards that the new mom can use for whatever purpose she wants! These can be a really fantastic goodie if they are done well.
A customized baby shower card!
You can also get the baby toys. The key here is to follow characteristic #1 of a good gift – uniqueness. You could buy a few balls and letter blocks, or you could take it a step further and get a really cool activity mat or other toy that strays a bit from the norm. I keep saying this, but it's really important to get a memorable gift. You can tell it's a good gift if the mom comes up to you months or years later and says, "Remember that toy you got my baby? (S)he still loves it!" So take a leap and get something interesting!
An activity mat!
Clothes are yet another option. While they may not be as unique as some other good gifts, a great pair of soft, well-fitting, pretty footie pajamas can be exactly what a mom wants for her baby. If you get some with a unique design made with high-quality materials, you've found a really classic and appreciated gift. Of course, those ideas go for any soft of clothes the new baby might need.
I know you've been waiting for me to suggest this: a baby carrier. The classic version is from BabyBjorn, and I think it is the gift that every mom-to-be really wants. There isn't a whole lot to be said here other than the fact that if you don't have any other good ideas, this is a great fallback plan.
An extension of that group of gifts is what I affectionately call a "baby holder." These can be cribs, bassinets, or strollers – literally anything that a parent puts their baby down into. Although more than one guest may buy one of these for a new mom, I think that duplicates of these are still good, since the mom-to-be will want these all over the place so she doesn't have to lug a single one all over.
The last category is everything else! There are thousands upon thousands of unique, useful, and thoughtful presents out there that just take some looking around to find! Hopefully this site can help you out with that – if you scroll down you'll find reviews and mentions of some really great gifts along with the classics. Just to give you a few ideas right now, I've seen some really great gifts like a "first meal set," which had some basic utensils and a plate for the baby, or a foldable high chair.
Just remember, a baby shower is a celebration that deserves the best gift possible! Good luck finding the one!
BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light
This is one of the coolest baby shower gifts I've seen – it's a portable crib that is incredibly easy to set up and disassemble. Here's a video of somebody doing this really quickly!
I'm sure you can imagine why this makes a great gift – if a mom is ever traveling overnight with her baby, this would make an invaluable addition. It's made by BabyBjorn, a very trusted brand, so you can rest assured that it has passed all safety specifications and tests available.
The bedding is comfortable and supportive for a baby, and the frame is sturdy and well-made. This could even be used as a permanent crib if the new parents don't have another one. But, as I said, I think its true value lies in overnight trips and naps away from home when the new mom doesn't want to hold her baby for hours at a time.
A travel crib is one of the best baby shower gifts!
While it is on the expensive side (typically over $200.00), I still think it is a fantastic gift for a baby shower. It's made by a trusted retailer, and it is really useful – what more could you want?
Pacifier Case
I'm a big fan of cute little gifts like a pacifier case. They are useful (who wants to carry around a wet pacifier in their purse?) and unexpected. Most people wouldn't think to buy one, so you're almost assured of not double-gifting it! Plus you can often find great, unique designs on pacifier cases, which makes the gift even more memorable and special. You can get these at practically any major retailer online, so do some searching and you'll find a really fantastic pacifier case which will make one of the best cheap baby shower gifts you can get for a new mom.
Pacifier cases make great baby shower gifts!
I also love these because of the price. They are almost never more than $15, which means you can either get another nice gift or just be happy with how much money you've saved! Cheap, useful, unique, and thoughtful – this present has it all!
Dinner Providers
This is a gift that new parents will appreciate immensely! All you have to do is get a few friends to prepare dinner for the new parents a couple times a week for the weeks after the baby is born. I think that the best way to do this is to have each participant deliver a hot, delicious meal to the new household once or twice a week. When you have a tiny baby, dinner often becomes an afterthought. But I think we all know that new parents deserve a great meal more than anyone else!
A hot, delicious meal
While your dinners don't need to be as extravagant as that turkey, really try to do a good job and make a hearty meal!
The cost for this gift will vary depending on what you make and how often you make it! It often ends up being very cheap because you're only really making dinner for two people twice a week – but they will be immensely grateful!
Bath Kit
Some of my favorite gifts are the ones that you can customize however you want, and a bath kit is certainly an example of that. I'd start by getting a nice, pretty bag to hold all of the toiletries. Then find a great, baby-friendly shampoo and soap that the new mom can use on her baby. Make sure that it smells wonderful and if nice and soft. Add in a lotion to soothe the baby's skin and you're all set with the liquids!
I'd get a few super-soft wash cloths with bright colors and fun designs to make bathtime fun for the baby! Here's a great example:
Soft washcloths are a great addition to a bath kit
I love hooded towels like the one I pictured below, so you might want to toss one of those in too!
Hooded towels are great too!
Round out the package with a couple of toys for the baby to play with (like the classic yellow ducky!) and your customized bath kit will be a perfect gift for a baby shower! The price will vary widely depending on what you get for this kit, so you can just spend a little or really splurge!
A cute yellow ducky
Bouncy Seat
A really fun baby shower gift you can get is a bouncy chair. These come in two varieties: one hangs from the ceiling or a doorframe by bungee cords and the other is a self-contained chair which has a base made of bendable metal. Either version allows a baby to bounce up and down while sitting or lying down. I love these are gifts for several reasons:
- They are fairly inexpensive, starting at around $20.00
- They are very useful – parents can get chores done around the house while their baby bounces up and down contentedly
- They are very fun for the baby! Babies can be endlessly amused by jiggling up and down in their seat
- The hanging ones help babies begin to learn how to walk and jump
Here are a couple of pictures of the various versions:
A Hanging Bouncy Seat
A Sitting Bouncy Seat
I think that either version is a good way to go – both types will be loved by a baby! I really think that bouncy seats can be one of the best baby shower gifts for a new mom.
As always, you should make sure that the seat passes all safety tests available. I would recommend going for a non-electronic version (some seats rock back and forth automatically), as I like to reduce the risk of mechanical failure as much as possible. And finally, make sure that the seat looks pretty and will be appreciated by the new parents!
BabyBjorn Carrier
A BabyBjorn is one of the classic baby shower gifts. It is a baby carrier that puts the baby in front of you while you walk around. I truly think that every mom wants one of these when they throw a baby shower – they are just incredibly useful. No matter where the new mom goes, she can easily carry her baby with her. The BabyBjorn has adjustable straps so that the mom-to-be will always be comfortable, and she can change the orientation so the baby is facing either towards her or away from her. It is incredibly sturdy and comfortable, and most importantly, leaves a mom's hands free to do whatever she needs to. Of course, the BabyBjorn has proper support for babies so they are comfortable and held well. I found a really cute video showcasing the BabyBjorn:
I very highly recommend purchasing the BabyBjorn as a baby shower gift. It's every mom's dream to have one. Depending on what model you buy and from where, the BabyBjorn costs between about $60.00 and about $150.00 – although, as usual, you can find prices both higher and lower than that range. It's a worthy splurge for a worthy mom!
BabyBjorns are some of the best baby shower gifts
Activity Mat
One great gift you can buy is an activity mat! These are soft mats with a sort of canopy above them with hanging toys that the new baby can play with. These really stimulate and amuse new babies, and I highly recommend getting one! Look for one that has a nice, soft bottom that the baby will be comfortable lying on. It should also have quite a few toys hanging down that the new child can play with – if there are only a couple, they will get bored more easily. Finally, make sure that it is brightly colored with lots of cool patterns. Having a strong visual component can really help keep the baby interested. Here's a video of a baby playing with one:
Activity mats typically cost around $75.00, although you can certainly find some for more or less money. I think that, in general, it isn't worth it to spend more than $100.00 on an activity mat, nor should you spend less than $50.00. As with all baby toys, make sure that the mat you're buying has passed all safety specifications available.
Activity mats make great presents
Any mom would be happy to receive a great activity mat for a baby shower – it's one of the best baby shower gifts out there!