Whether you’re buying for your child, a friend, a significant other, your coworker or even yourself, consider going the gadget route. Chances are Mom and Dad have loads of baby clothes, nursery necessities and plenty of diapers — and will receive more where that came from. Why not take the road less traveled and give a new parent something that’s technologically impressive and makes their life easier? You’ll go down in the books as “best friend/coworker/parent/spouse ever.”
We’ve rounded up a list of fifteen gadgets for parents to get you started.
NYNE Cruiser Speaker, $79.95
If there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s our love of music. And honestly, what parent doesn’t love listening to music while tidying the nursery, cleaning the kitchen or going on a stroll through the neighborhood with baby? This portable “Cruise Speaker” by NYNE “comes with handlebar clips to mount on to Mom or Dad’s bike, exercise machine or baby stroller for on-the-go music enjoyment.” In addition to being functional and transportable, it also delivers crisp, clear music and comes in four colors.
Difrax Smart S-Bottle Warmer, $110
Forget about running to the kitchen in the middle of the night to heat up your sweet babe’s milk bottle. Difrax’s “Smart S-Bottle Warmer“ takes care of that for you! This portable bottle gently warms milk to the correct temperature in three minutes flat and can sit within easy reach on your bedside table or in the nursery. Bring it on, sporadic, middle-of-the-night feedings! P.S. This gadget is the recipient of a 2014 Red Dot Product Design Award.
StickR TrackR, $24.95 to $149.95
Between doctor appointments, play dates and copious errands, new parents are forever on the go, go, go. Rushing from place to place with a baby in tow presents many opportunities for leaving important items behind (or losing them completely). The TrackR gadget was designed to remedy that issue by allowing you to connect important devices — such as luggage, remotes, gym bags, strollers and keys — wirelessly and then find them via a free smartphone app. Pretty cool, huh? Imagine all the time people could save if they weren’t always searching for that one missing item…
Prep Pad Smart Food Scale, $102.64
Whether you’ve got a few lb’s to lose post-pregnancy or simply want to stay on top of your nutrition, the Prep Pad Smart Food Scale may help. When paired with the free iOS app “Countertop“, it helps you “visualize nutrition in a simple, beautiful and meaningful way.” In short, it provides an easy-to-understand nutritional breakdown of your caloric intake, macro and micro-nutrients, minerals and vitamins by food item and entire meal.
Infanttech Always In View Baby Monitor for Cars, $199.99
You’ve got a monitor for the nursery, why not the car? This is definitely one of those must-have tech gadget for parents that’ll put their mind at ease on a long road trip, or as they drive around town running all those errands. This car baby monitor by Infanttech always keeps baby in view, which means you don’t have to stop every five, ten or twenty minutes just to make sure baby is OK. It also cuts down on all that unsafe head-turning you’d otherwise have to do. The camera’s installed in a cute toy and wraps around the back headrest of your car. It then transmits live footage to a monitor placed on the front windshield, much like a GPS.
Steamboy PRO T3– Reliable Steam and Scrub Mop, $119
Worried about chemicals making baby sick? Tired of spending oodles of money on mop pads and cleaning solutions? Want to be a little more green? Meet the Steamboy PRO T3, an eco-friendly 3-in-1 mop that’s designed to simultaneously steam hard-surface floors and freshen carpets. Unlike other mopping kits, this one doesn’t require you to keep buying refills, which is ultimately more costly. Because it uses steam to clean, it kills 99.99% of common bacteria and germs, destroys dust mites and helps control allergies. Both you and baby will sleep more soundly knowing that.
Pail Refresher Motion-Activated Odor Eliminator, $19.95
Do you smell that? Your guests do too. Having a newborn baby means newborn baby diapers filled with you-know-what. Instead of trying to forget about the unpleasant scent, get rid of it. The Pail Refresher is exactly what it sounds like: a product that nixes foul odors inside trash bins. Stick it on the interior of any trash can to keep stinky smells at bay and stop worrying about the odor monster. It’s non-toxic and motion activated to “automatically release a fresh smelling spray upon any movement of the pail, door or cover.”
Wahl The All-Body Massager, $21.99
OK, so this one’s definitely more for parents than it is for babies. As a busy mom or dad, you probably don’t have time to schedule a massage appointment at your local spa. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t benefit from a massage, though. Thankfully, the hand-held “All Body Massager” by Wahl has got you covered. It has two speeds (gentle or deep) and is “ergonomically designed with a multi-grip handle for complete comfort.”
Exergen Smart Glow Temporal Scanner Thermometer, $65.98
It’s no fun for anyone when baby gets sick. You can make it easier, though, with a non-invasive thermometer such as Exergen’s Smart Glow Temporal Scanner Thermometer. It features a softly illuminated display for easy reading — even in a dark room where baby is sleeping — and automatically retains the last eight temperature readings so you can keep track of fever progression. Plus, you don’t have to stick any cold instruments in baby’s ear, as it scans heat emitted from the forehead.
Baby Brezza’s Formula ProTM, $159.99
Think of this parent-approved gadget as the “Keurig for Infants.” It’s designed to perfectly mix up a batch of formula milk in increments of 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 ounces. It also makes sure the formula is heated to the perfect temperature for baby. Baby Brezza’s Formula ProTM is sold online and is available at various retailers, including Babies R’ Us and Target.
Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Nighttime Pals, $18
Here’s a fun little tech toy that helps baby fall asleep easily. When your sweet nugget is ready to hit the hay, all you have to do is press the heart button and the toy will play soothing lullabies for ten minutes. The toy is also educational. When you press its tummy, it plays songs and phrases that help your child learn colors, counting and more.
The ChildMinder SoftClip, $80
You’re running on very little sleep, you’re extremely busy and all you want to do is get your errands taken care of as quickly as possible. A situation like this doesn’t always breed a major misstep — such as forgetting baby in the back seat when you run inside the pharmacy — but you want to take every precaution possible to ensure you’re always on top of the ball. The ChildMinder SoftClip helps you do that. It’s a tiny, clip-on device that beeps for eight seconds when you move more than fifteen feet away from a child in his or her car seat. It’s easy to install and is spill proof.
Bellabeat, $129
Get a load of this, currently pregnant moms. Now you can actually hear your unborn baby’s heart beat in the comfort of your own home. We are officially living in the future. This is a device that you place on your belly and then hook up to either an Android or Apple device. Then all you have to do is turn it on to listen to your new best friend’s heart pitter pattering away!
The First Years Talk & Soothe Digital Video Monitor, $99.99
Now you can see, listen — and, most importantly, talk — to your baby from anywhere in your home or yard. This digital video monitor boasts an impressive 600-foot range and 2.4-inch color LCD screen that allows you to digitally zoom and pan. Not only will be you able to hear baby crying, you’ll be able to see baby and talk to him or her.
PackIt Baby Bottle Cooler, $18.99
We’ve talked about a product that heats up your baby milk, so we figured we ought to feature one that keeps it cool. Spoiled baby milk is no good, after all. The PackIt Baby Bottle Cooler allows you to store your breast milk on the go for up to six hours. To use, store the cooler in your freezer for twelve hours. When you head out the door, load up the milk and rest easy knowing that your momma’s milk isn’t going to sour.
