Many of us have used AI to help plan a vacation or figure out what to cook with random fridge ingredients—myself included. So it only makes sense that parents are trying AI to help them research baby gear.

In Babylist’s annual Most Loved Baby Products survey, we heard from almost 7,000 parents, and 15% told us they used an AI tool to help build their baby registry this year. Among first-time expecting parents, that number rose to 30%.

It makes sense: Baby gear comes with a steep learning curve, and having somewhere to ask all your questions can feel like a relief. But is it as easy as it sounds? And should you give it a try?

Much like AI itself, the answer is…complicated. As Babylist’s gear editor, I spend a lot of time in research mode, and I’ve found it to be truly helpful for certain things. But I’ve also learned where it falls short, and which questions are better left to (human) experts.

If you’re curious about using AI for your baby registry, here’s how I’d approach it: which categories to focus on, what to ask, which answers to double-check and when to step away from the chatbot.

AI + Your Baby Registry: Where to Start

Find your favorite platform

Among Babylist parents who used AI to help build their registry, almost 90% chose ChatGPT—but there’s no right or wrong when it comes to finding the platform that works best for you. Explore your options; Claude, Gemini, Grok and Copilot are some of the most popular. Choosing a favorite is pretty subjective, so try a few before landing on your go-to.

Before you start chatting, a little housekeeping: Keep sensitive personal information out of the conversation.

A chatbot can help you narrow down stroller options without knowing your full name or street address. Keep identifying details like your family’s names, contact information and financial information private, and skip sharing medical details, too.

Why? Depending on the platform and your settings, the chatbot may store what you share or use it to train its AI models. Check the platform’s privacy policy and settings before you start.

You can still give it useful context for your registry questions. “I live in a small apartment and need a stroller that’s easy to store” gives it plenty to work with. And if you upload screenshots of your registry, crop out or cover any identifying information first.

Use AI to Kick Off Your Research—but with Some Caveats

No one appreciates a good research tool more than a person who has 50 new car seats to learn about every year (🙋🏻‍♀️). I’ve found AI to be the most helpful for getting oriented and narrowing down options. The key is knowing when to keep asking questions (and how to ask them) and when to take your research beyond AI.

Get the big picture

Feeling overwhelmed by unfamiliar brands? (Nuna, Doona, come again?) Don’t know the difference between a playard and a bassinet—and if you need one, both or neither? AI can help.

I recommend using chatbots for the basics of a product category before diving into individual products. It’s a great way to better understand a category before diving into decision-making mode. Start with questions like:

“What are the different types of strollers, and what are the trade-offs of each?”
“Explain the differences between wraps, ring slings and structured baby carriers.”
“What are the different types of breast pumps?”

You’ll always want to check your model’s sources, but getting a handle on the basics can make those first few research sessions feel a little less daunting.

Start researching big-ticket items

Big purchases like car seats and strollers take up a lot of mental energy. (Almost 50% of parents in our annual survey said they spent the most time researching which infant car seat to choose.) AI can help you start narrowing down your options. Before you start adding to your registry, however, keep a few things in mind:

Brands release new models and update existing products all the time, so be sure the information you’re getting matches the exact product you’re considering. A chatbot might mix up features from two versions of the same stroller, share an outdated price or recommend a product that’s no longer available.
Go directly to the manufacturer to verify product details. Before adding something to your registry, check the manufacturer’s website to confirm the model, features, specs and availability. If your chatbot provides links, open them: Does the source actually say what the chatbot claims?
Take extra care with car seats. These are safety devices with a big job, so researching them calls for more than just an AI chat—more on that below.

Have fun with the smaller stuff

Lower consideration baby products are what I like to think of as the “fun” stuff: anything you’re choosing based mostly on vibes or aesthetics, like the mushroom forest crib sheet you’ve been eyeing, the sloth footie you’re obsessed with or the bear ears hooded towel you can’t stop thinking about. This is where AI can be useful and joyful.

A few prompts to try:

“Help me figure out the best layout for my baby’s room.”
“I’m really into stripes. Can you help me find products that fit this nursery trend?”
“Help me brainstorm the best furniture and decor for a woodland nursery.”
“I love sage green. Can you show me some baby products that use that color scheme?”

Use AI to Fine-Tune Your Registry

Once you start adding products to your registry, AI can help you think through your list and work through a few of those “which one?” decisions.

Use it alongside your registry checklist

The registry checklist is one of my favorite Babylist registry hacks. This interactive, printable guide helps you track what you’ve registered for and what you still need, all in real-time. Pairing it with a chatbot can help you think through what makes sense for your family.

Stuck on a particular category? Screenshot that portion of your checklist, crop out any identifying information and upload it. Ask the bot to help you spot gaps or identify items that serve a similar purpose. You can also copy and paste a list if you’d rather skip the screenshot.

The more useful context you give it, the more tailored the suggestions can be. Try prompts like:

“Here’s the clothing section of my registry. We have shared laundry and usually wash clothes once a week. Are there quantities I should reconsider?”
“We live in a tiny apartment with very little storage. Which items on this list have overlapping uses?”
“We’ve registered for these bigger items. Which accessories are required to use them, and which are optional?”

Treat the suggestions as a gut check. A chatbot can help you think through your list, but you don’t need to add something just because it says you’re missing it. The goal is building a registry that works for your family’s specific needs.

Use it for product comparisons

You’ve spent longer than you care to admit researching strollers and have narrowed it down to two options—but you still can’t decide.

This is a good time to ask AI for help. Chatbots tend to be really good at product comparisons. They can organize information into a comparison table or a list of pros and cons, making it easier to compare how your options stack up.

A few ways to get a more useful comparison:

Give it the product details. Instead of asking it to compare two product names and leaving it there (“Help me compare the UPPAbaby Kona to the Nuna TRIV lx”), copy and paste the specs from each manufacturer’s website. Include the exact model names so you’re comparing the products you’re actually considering. Ask it to flag missing information rather than fill in the blanks.
Tell it what matters to you. “Compare these strollers” is a starting point. “Compare these strollers with a focus on weight, folded size and how easy they are to carry up stairs” is better.
Dig into reviews. Product descriptions can tell you how much a stroller weighs; reviews can offer firsthand perspective on how it feels to push or fold. If your chatbot can search the web, ask it to summarize expert reviews and parent feedback, with links you can check yourself. We’re partial to Babylist guides, of course 😀, but you can also explore sources like Wirecutter, The Strategist and Reddit. Just remember to keep other parents’ opinions in context; what works for one family may not fit your family’s lifestyle.

AI + Safety: Know When to Turn to the Experts

Checking sources and verifying product details should be a part of any AI research. But anything related to baby safety is where you need to use the most caution.

AI + car seats…it’s complicated

As a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST), someone specially trained in car seat safety and education, this one matters a lot to me.

Car seats come with lots of specific directions and technical terms, and it’s tempting to let AI take the reins. There’s a place for it in your research—but there’s also a point where you’ll want to take your questions beyond your chatbot.

A chatbot can help you learn the basics, starting with questions like, “What’s the difference between an infant car seat and a convertible car seat?” It can also point you in the right direction if you’re trying to solve for a specific need, like if you’re looking for a lightweight seat, something narrow or a seat to use in rideshares. Treat those suggestions as a starting point, then verify the details.

But car seat guidance is nuanced. Instructions can vary widely from one model to another, and your vehicle and your child’s size matter, too. A chatbot can make mistakes, miss those distinctions or pull from an inaccurate third-party source, even when its answer sounds confident.

For questions about a particular seat, it’s best to go directly to expert sources: the manufacturer’s website or the seat’s instruction manual. For installation, consult both the car seat manual and the car seat section of your vehicle’s owner’s manual.

You can also connect with a CPST through Safe Kids. We can help you think through seat selection, teach you how to install your seat, check your child’s fit and answer questions about your particular setup.