The Baby Products You Don’t Actually Need

There are so many baby products out there, it can be super overwhelming! The baby business is literally worth over 10 billion dollars (source) because we’ll buy anything to make our baby happier, healthier, and safer.

Babies are not cheap by any means and it can be tough to decide on what you actually need versus what you don’t really need. The marketing of these products doesn’t help either! It’s like watching those infomercials that create problems that don’t exist and suddenly you “need” this product. You buy it then never use it or it doesn’t work!

With that being said, every situation is different and some products may be useless to some and essential for others which can make these decisions more difficult. Well, here’s a list of what you probably don’t need for your baby and what you can use instead to save you money and time:

***This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love.  Before implementing any health advice, please check with your doctor first as I am not a medical professional.  Read my full policy for more information.

A Wipe Warmer

Wipe warmers do just that. They warm up your wipes so “your baby can have a comfortable changing experience!”. If you’re on a budget, you can definitely skip this product! They typically don’t last very long and most of these warmers need to be plugged in (which doesn’t help if your changing station is not close to an outlet!).

Instead, use a regular wipe dispenser. They are cheaper and a lot more durable. I use this dispenser which has lasted me through 3 kids. It has a weight so you can easily get 1 wipe at a time without pulling the entire stock of wipes you have!

If you’re on a budget, this wipe dispenser will work for you at a much lower price!

Newborn Size Clothes

Yep, your baby doesn’t need any clothes!!!… Just kidding, THEY DO!! But avoid the newborn sizes! Instead, buy the 0-3 month clothes. They’ll last a lot longer!

All my babies were over 8 lbs when they were born so none of them were able to fit in the newborn-size clothes. I wasted a ton of money on newborn clothes! Sadly I couldn’t return them because I washed them so they were ready for the baby’s arrival.

The 0-3 month may be a tad big but you can always roll up the sleeves and it will work just fine!

A Gigantic Box of Newborn Size Diapers

For the same reason as above, your baby will probably not be in this size for long. Instead, buy a couple of small packs. That way you can easily return any packs you don’t use! Perfect!

Once you hit size 1, they will likely be in that size for some time and the bigger box may be worth it.

Diaper Changing Pads and Covers

At first, I thought this was a great idea. It makes your changing pad look a lot better, you can make it match your color theme, and will be soft and warm for the baby. Awesome! Well, not quite!

My covers ended up with pee or poop for EVERY diaper change! It was a nightmare! I had to change the pad covers all the time! I just gave up and realized how much easier it was! No extra laundry and I saved a lot of time by not constantly changing the diaper pad covers.

All you have to do is wipe up any messes with a wipe! That’s it!!

Baby TeePees

So, if you’re expecting a boy, this product seems like an amazing idea. It’s basically a little tiny tent-shaped cloth that is supposed to go on your baby so it catches their pee when they are being changed. I was completely sold on this product.

I used it once and the thing never stayed in place and my baby’s pee still went everywhere (like up the walls everywhere!). This happens a lot when you are changing boys for some reason!

Instead, put a cloth or wipe over your baby and it will catch the pee better!

Baby Towels

Ok, so your baby will definitely need towels, but the small baby towels are simply useless! They don’t last and they are so thin, they barely dry your baby! I used these towels for all my babies and they are perfect! They dry well, they are long, they last for years (my 5-year-old still uses hers), and they are super cute!

Each of my kids have 3 different designs each!

Baby Slings or Wraps

So I was lucky enough to get one of those baby carrier wraps as a hand me down. Everyone was raving about them! I got it out and was super shocked! It was basically a long piece of material with a warning sticker on it saying your baby may fall out! Reassuring I know!

Anyways, $50 for a long piece of material seems like a lot. I tried it and I always felt like my baby was about to fall out! Didn’t seem safe or comfortable.

I was also given a sling that cost $100 and it was the same feeling!

Instead, just go for the legit baby carriers with straps. They do cost a little more but is well worth it! They are designed to keep your baby in the correct position to prevent injury and they are also designed to keep your back safe! Ergo lasted our family through all three kids and was likely the most used piece of baby equipment that we received.

Bottle Sterilizer

Oh boy! I got this for my first baby and sterilized all her bottles and pacifiers. I thought that is what you’re supposed to do! Turns out I wasted so much time and money on this! Whoops!

So, your dishwasher sterilizes your bottles and that is just fine. You don’t need to add this extra step unless you have been advised to do so by a medical professional. If you need to sterilize your bottles, you can just put them in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or use these microwave sterilizer bags (they’re a lot cheaper and quicker than a plug-in sterilizer). Each bag lasts for 20 uses and you can easily travel with them.

Otherwise, let your dishwasher do the hard work!

Bottle Warmer

This may come as a surprise to you but I have never used my bottle warmer with my second and third baby. Turns out I didn’t need it!

Now that being said, this product may be essential to you depending on how you feed your baby. If you feed your baby formula and you keep it in the fridge, you’ll definitely need a bottle warmer.

Now, I fed my first baby formula but I always made it with room temperature water when needed. I didn’t need to warm it up as she was happy with the temperature of the formula. It really depends on your baby’s preference here!

If you exclusively breastfeed, you don’t really need a bottle warmer. You’re probably thinking… “..but what if I plan on using pumped milk that has been chilled or frozen?”. Well, you can’t transfer frozen milk into a bottle to warm it up and you can’t put the frozen storage bags into a bottle warmer to defrost.

Instead of needing a bottle warmer, just run hot water over the storage bag of chilled or frozen breastmilk until it is warm. Not only does it defrost your milk, but it also warms it up! Perfect!! Just be sure to check the temperature of your milk using your wrist to ensure it’s not too hot!

Top Tip:

Be sure to purchase durable breastmilk storage bags to prevent leaks. The thicker the bag, the better. I use these storage bags and they are the best. I’ve never had any bags leak as they are very strong.

A Baby Food Maker

If you plan on making your own baby food, you don’t need to buy a baby food maker. In fact, there are some drawbacks to baby food makers. They are typically more expensive, they’re not as big (which is not ideal if you want to make big batches), and some are not dishwasher safe.

Instead, use the food blender you already have at home. It does the same job! If you don’t have one, I recommend purchasing a household blender instead of a baby one as it’s so much better and you can use it for all your future kitchen needs!

Non-Dishwasher Safe Products

I have so many products I don’t use because they aren’t dishwasher safe. As tempting as it is to buy a product that isn’t dishwasher safe because you know, it looks cute…you’ll never use it!

When you become a mom, you will utilize your dishwasher like never before and you’ll want to take advantage of this! After all, you don’t want to spend hours washing dishes all day!

Strollers Designed for Your Car Seat Only

I see these strollers everywhere and just don’t understand why people use them. Once your baby outgrows their car seat, you’ll need to buy ANOTHER stroller! Is it worth the price to buy 2 strollers?

Instead, buy a travel system like this one which can be used to snap in your car seat and can then turn into a stroller for your toddler. Now you have a stroller that can last at least 4 years instead of 6-12 months!

Personally, I love the travel system! When your baby’s asleep, you don’t have to unbuckle them from the stroller and move them to your car seat. You just detach and click into the base in your car and voila…you’re baby is still sound asleep! Perfect!!

Expensive Bassinets

So bassinets are a great option. They are typically small and can fit beside your bed which is what you need for the first few months. But remember, they are not supposed to sleep in a bassinet for long. Typically, 6 months is the longest your baby will be in one.

Your baby doesn’t need a $1000+ bassinet to sleep well (unless you got a lot of money to spend!). Also, your baby may hate the bassinet! You just don’t know until you try.

Spend what you think is reasonable for up to 6 months. My babies slept in their crib when they were 4 months so spending a lot of money on this was not worth a high cost.

Those Giant Diaper Bag Clips

You know, those clips that look like you’re about to climb some big rock or something! I got one as a gift and was excited to use it! I attached my heavy diaper bag to the stroller handle using the clip…. and then the stroller tipped over! Disaster! It was never used again!!

Instead, use the basket under your stroller to store your bag. Cheaper and safer!!

Reusable Nursing Pads

I wish, I wish, I wish these worked! It would save so much money! Instead, I lost a ton of money on reusable nursing pads. They’re expensive and I bought a bunch thinking it would be a great investment.

Well, I may as well have put wash clothes down my bra!! I woke up at night and I was soaked through! They didn’t work!!

Now, if you are determined to use reusable nursing pads, I recommend using them during the day and use disposable ones at night. When using reusable nursing pads, be sure to use a milk catcher every time you feed (as your milk will gush out on the side you’re not feeding on). Otherwise, you’ll be soaked every time you feed!

Pacifier Sterilizer

I literally saw a pacifier sterilizer that you can carry around and put your baby’s germy pacifier in and it will be clean and safe!

Well, a wipe will do the job just fine!! Save your money on this one!!

Top Tips When Shopping For Your Baby

– Buy from retailers with good return policies. That way, you can return what you don’t need.

– If you can, refrain from opening any boxes or packaging until you need them. You may change your mind and it will make returns a lot easier.

– Keep all boxes for at least 3 months once opened just in case something breaks and you need to return it. Most retailers ask for the item to be returned in the packaging it came with.

– Ask yourself, does my baby REALLY need this? Look beyond those marketing traps and decide if it’s really worth the cost. Are there cheaper options that do the same job?

– Read the reviews! I bought a product for $80 that was terrible. I then looked at the reviews and they were really bad! Everyone had the same issue as me! On the flip side, you can’t take every review to heart. Maybe they just had a faulty product or the reviewer’s expectations were too high!!

So there you have it! As mentioned earlier, some of these products may be essential for you and that’s ok! Every situation and circumstance is different.