19 Weirdly Useful Baby Products You’ll Definitely Want to Add to Cart

One product that definitely earns the “weirdly useful” badge? Puppy pee pads. Yep, the kind made for actual puppies. Tons of Babylist parents swear by them as a low-effort way to keep messes contained. “These things have saved me from getting my changing pad dirty. You can take them to a restaurant or on airplanes and just dispose of them. I also use them to change her in our baby playpen, where we have a softer fabric flooring. I use them all the time!” one parent told us. Another shared, “We take them everywhere as a changing table cover. We use them at home to keep from washing our changing cover every day. Made life so much easier!” A bonus? They’re pretty affordable compared to disposable changing mats marketed for babies.

I didn’t have this with my first baby—and my lips regretted it. A sound machine that makes a human “shushing” noise might sound like a gimmick, but it’s anything but. Babylist parents consistently called this out in our most-loved products survey, with one sharing, “It was so useful in the early days. I never even heard about it before being gifted.”

For my second, this little gadget was the only thing that soothed her in the car seat—and helped her fall asleep in the Solly baby carrier when we had to be out during naptime. Turns out, shushing really does work. This just saves your voice.

Yes, you read that right. Among Babylist parents, this bouncer has earned the affectionate nickname “the magic poop chair”—because for some mysterious reason, babies tend to, well, get things moving when they’re hanging out in it.

Though that’s reason enough to add it to your baby gear, parents also swear by it as the next best thing to an extra set of hands. “I didn’t believe people that it was so useful, but you can’t really beat a safe place to set the baby for a few minutes!” one told us. Lightweight, portable and designed to last from the newborn stage through toddlerhood, this bouncer earns its cult status. The fact that it may also help with diaper output? Consider it the weirdly wonderful bonus no one tells you about—until you’re in the club.

Breastfeeding in the heat? Not fun. That’s why Babylist parents are obsessed with this genius nursing cover that’s actually breathable. But the “coolest” part? It comes with a built-in fan. The fabric is light and airy, and a clever sewn-in panel keeps the cover off your baby’s face (so you can still see them while nursing). The fan slides right onto that panel to keep both of you cool and comfortable, especially on warm days or while nursing in public. One Babylist parent raved, “Peace of mind, confidence and comfort—all in one product. This never leaves my diaper bag!”

I was one of those parents who swore I wouldn’t have loud, colorful toys all over my living room—until my mom gifted me this one. Turns out, parents say their babies can’t get enough! The gentle lights and soothing music completely held my baby’s attention, and it bought me those precious minutes to get things done (or just drink coffee while it was still hot). It was especially helpful while we were working on independent play.

When you become a parent, you quickly learn that “organized” doesn’t just mean tidy—it means survival. And one of the weirdly useful hacks that parents swear by? A diaper caddy. On paper it sounds simple, but in practice it becomes the Swiss Army knife of baby gear.

Babylist parents told us they were just as surprised: “I didn’t think that they would be necessary, but they hold all kinds of stuff and are very useful all over the house,” one said. Another called theirs a total “ride or die”: “It had everything I needed to survive those first couple of weeks postpartum.”

Yes, you can use it as a portable diaper-changing station. But that’s just the beginning. Fill one with breastfeeding supplies, stash another with snacks and water for late-night feedings, turn it into a bedside formula-prep kit or stock it with postpartum care essentials. Basically: it’s the junk drawer you actually want.

Cleaning up after solids? Not exactly the fun part of starting solids. There are tons of bibs out there—and the ones with pockets definitely help—but quite a few Babylist parents told us that smock-style bibs are the real MVP. “Baby smocks! So much more coverage than just bibs for early feeding,” one parent shared.

These offer near full body coverage (hello, sleeves) and help save clothes and sanity. Bonus: once your baby gets less messy (whenever that happens), they double as art smocks for toddler paint sessions and snack-fueled craft time.

Even the freshest knees get tired of kneeling over the edge of a bathtub. That’s why quite a few Babylist parents called out a knee and elbow rest as surprisingly clutch for bathtime. “Kneeling and elbow pad for bathtub—she’s 14 months old and we’ve used these since day one, since our sink wasn’t great for baths,” one parent shared. Bonus: Some versions come with built-in storage pockets for toys or bath gear, so everything you need is close by.

A genius little invention for soothing stuffy baby noses? The micro mist saline inhaler. A few parents in our survey with parents calling it a total game changer—especially for tiny babies. “Love love love the micro mist saline inhaler! Might not be the best but certainly a game changer for little babies and stuffy noses. You don’t have to stick anything up their nose and it wasn’t intimidating to use—they just get to breathe normally while using it!” one parent told us.

If your little one absolutely hates getting water on their face during bathtime, you're not alone. (Somehow swimming pools? Fine. But bathtubs? Not so much.) We tried the whole “look at the ceiling” trick, but one stray drip near the eyes often meant tears.

Enter: the bath visor. It’s a simple, kid-friendly tool that keeps water off their face while you rinse, and it made bathtime way less stressful—for both of us. One Babylist parent called it “a fun little addition that actually worked.”

Detachable shower heads can make bathtime with little ones much easier. But if you don’t have one, don't worry.  This little elephant sprayer was specifically called out in our survey, “I really loved the "Yookidoo Elephant Baby Shower Bath Toy." It is a sprayer that really helped with baby bathtime when she was a newborn/baby and works as a wonderful distraction now that she is a toddler,” one Babylist parent shared. It sits right in the bathwater and provides a light-pressure showerhead-like spray. It’s helpful because it gives you more control over when you’re rinsing baby off and it’s especially nice for hair washing.  

Cradle cap? Eczema? Chapped cheeks? Dry skin after a pool day? Throw some Tubby Todd AOO on it—seriously.

After I saw it work wonders on my first baby’s cradle cap and eczema patches, I made sure we were fully stocked before baby number two arrived. Tons of Babylist parents feel the same—especially those with babies who have eczema-prone skin. This stuff gets packed in diaper bags, stashed in bathroom drawers, and shared with other parents like a secret weapon.

It might feel early, but that first tooth tends to show up sooner than you’d think—and yes, you’ll want to brush it. This clever little toothbrush doubles as a teether, so it pulls double duty: the soft silicone bristles soothe sore gums and help your baby get used to the feeling of brushing. It’s one of those small things that makes a surprisingly big difference when it’s time to build healthy habits. 

My toddlers were not fans of the Nose Frida, but they would sit still just long enough for us to pick a booger out with this Oogiebear picker. And the aspirator in this set resembles those bulbs you get in the hospital (which I personally loved during the first few weeks after birth) but it’s much easier to clean.

When burps and bicycle legs aren’t cutting it, this little tool can help. The Windi is designed to safely relieve trapped gas and the tummy cramps that come with it—no medication required. Yes, it can seem a little intimidating at first, but plenty of Babylist parents swear by it when nothing else works.

Just make sure to read the instructions thoroughly before trying it out, and if you’re ever unsure, reach out to your baby’s healthcare provider.

Car seat buckles can be surprisingly tough to press—especially when you're doing it one-handed, in a rush or multiple times a day. That’s where this little tool comes in. It makes unbuckling way easier without compromising safety, and it's especially helpful for grandparents or anyone with limited hand strength. A small thing that makes getting out of the car just a little less frustrating.

Babies love to throw things—and these colorful link toys might just save your back. Use them to keep teethers and toys attached to stroller bars, high chairs or car seat handles so they stay within reach (and off the ground). You can also link a few together to make a simple sensory toy that’s easy for little hands to grab. One Babylist parent shared, “[They’ve] been so useful and a favorite toy for eight months straight. I didn’t realize how much mileage we’d actually get from them.”

Some products need no explanation—this is one of them. Babylist parents summed it up best: “Just get it.” Whether it’s blowouts, blueberries, or mystery stains, this spray handles it all. “It literally gets EVERYTHING out,” one parent told us.

A wet/dry bag sounds like a “nice-to-have”—until your baby has a blowout at the park and you need somewhere to stash the aftermath. Babylist parents say these reusable bags are lifesavers for containing messes on the go. Toss in wet clothes, a soggy swimsuit, used bibs (or whatever else needs quarantining) and zip it up until you’re home.

Another super useful thing to have in your diaper bag when you know you’ll be out and about during baby’s nap time is a portable sound machine. Whether you’re in the car or a noisy restaurant, they’ll help signal it’s time for nap and block out any distracting sounds so baby can take a quick snooze. 

These spinner toys will come in clutch on so many different occasions. Whether you’re at home or braving going out to eat with a baby or young toddler, this spinner toy will definitely buy you a few minutes of entertainment. They have a strong suction to keep them in place—think table, fridge, high chair, sliding door—and bright, engaging colors to catch their attention. And they’re not all fun and games; the spinning encourages motor development.