50 Best Baby Shower Gifts, Picked By Parenting Experts
Unique gift ideas for baby boys, baby girls and even the mom-to-be.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
When it comes to getting a friend, family member or co-worker a baby shower gift, there are several routes you can take. You can check to see if the parents put together a baby registry with carefully selected picks. But for new parents especially, they might not know everything they need, so you can also try to use expert recommendations to fill in the registry gaps. You could go super practical and get something you know will be used every day, or something just-for-fun like all the adorable stuffies and baby clothes just look so cute as they're being unwrapped. Or you can say to heck with the baby entirely and get a gift focused on the new mom or dad.
No matter which direction you choose, whether you're looking for a baby boy gift, a baby girl gift or a gender-neutral gift, these are the best baby shower gifts to buy in 2024. This includes gear that has been tested by Good Housekeeping Institute experts and vetted by real families. These have been found to be safe, durable and — yes — helpful to the families of testers who gave them rave reviews (plus some other best-sellers and editor's picks we threw in just for fun).
'Tummy Time: Farm'
This book was a mega-hit with our Good Housekeeping Institute family testers, who were wowed by the way it folds out, stretching more than three feet. It also stands on its own, giving infants something to look at during tummy time. "It’s great for bringing on the go,” said one tester with a 3-month-old. Ages 0+
Britax Willow Brook Travel System
Get that baby on the go! This travel system won a Good Housekeeping Parenting Award because of its ease of use — the buckles were especially easy to click tight on a squirmy baby — and the fact that it can take a little one from birth through preschool. The seat snaps into a car seat base or a stroller, so you can lift the baby seat out of the car and snap it into the stroller without having to un-buckle and re-buckle the baby.
They'll be trying their first solid foods sooner than you'd think! When the time comes, they'll be ready with this bib two-pack, which has a curved spill pocket to catch any mess. It can also be thrown in the dishwasher, which makes for easy clean-up.
Vicks 3-in-1 SleepyTime Humidifier
One bad thing about babies? They can't blow their own noses. So colds — of which they get many — keep them up at night, which keeps parents up at night. A humidifier in the room can help, and this one is a humidifier, a night light and an essential oil diffuser all in one. Parent testers also found it lightweight and compact.
Keekaroo Peanut Changer
Parents are over the moon about this changing pad because it eliminates the need for changing and washing covers (and changing and washing them again when the baby pees on the clean one instantly). Instead, this has a liquid-impermeable shell over a soft foam filling inside, which makes it both comfy and easy to clean.
New parents put a lot of time and care into their baby's names, so if they've shared it before the shower, shout it from the rooftops! As part of its expanded baby line, Jellycat — which is known for making toys so ultra-soft that adults love to steal them — will personalize this adorable lovey in your choice of thread or font. You can get other friends, too, like a bear, bunny, sun, moon or dragon, among others. Ages 0+
Graco On-the-Go Pack 'N Play
Good Housekeeping Institute experts appreciated that this playard has just the basics — keeping things light if you're on the go and traveling. There's an arch with a couple toys for entertainment, and the feet have wheels so you can move it out of the way. (And maybe get a Graco playard-size crib sheet to go with it?)
RELATED: The Best Pack 'n Plays and Playards
Edushape Sensory Balls
These Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award-winning balls can be used in different ways as babies grow. When they're first born, they can explore the different textures. As they get older, they can work on grasping them and shifting them from hand to hand. And then they can try throwing and catching them — they're a little less inflated, so they're easier to grip.
It wouldn't be a shower without a diaper cake. But if your DIY skills are ... lacking, you don't have to spend your time unwrapping and arranging diapers. Instead, the Honest Company can do it for you, in a stack that includes 35 diapers in one of its fun prints.
When a baby is stuffy at night, no one wants to flick the light on (and possibly wake the baby) so they can clear the nasal passages. This nasal bulb not only has a powerful suction, it lights up so parents can use it in the dark. When kids get older, too, they get a kick out of hearing, "Here comes a narwhal that wants to eat your boogers!" It comes from Playhouse, MD, which has a whole line of products intended to make health/medical-related tasks less scary and more fun for kids, like medicine dispensers in the shape of rocket ships and butterflies.
CeraVe is good for those with sensitive skin — the wash and shampoo won a Good Housekeeping Parenting Award for it — and testers liked how good it feels on a baby's skin. These necessary items are always nice to gift, especially if you throw in something cute like an animal bath towel.
HonestBaby 10 Pack of Short-Sleeve Bodysuits
Spit-up, spills and diaper leaks — oh my! Parents might not even realize how many outfits they can go through in a day. Make sure they're set up for success with this set of GOTS-certified organic cotton bodysuits, which come in a rainbow of colors. You can also get a long-sleeve version, or a pastel set in short sleeves or in long sleeves.
There are so many ways to use this toy. First, it looks good sitting on a shelf as room décor. It's also made of platinum silicone, which means it can be used as a teether or as a bath toy. As kids get older, they can practice stacking it together like a puzzle.
Baby pajamas might get all the glory, but baby bath goods are secretly the cutest. Who could deny a newborn in a hooded bath towel? This gift set comes with two, plus a baby bath robe (OMG!) and a set of washcloths, all in the Burt's Bees Baby's ultra-soft cotton.
BabyBjörn Balance Soft Bouncer
Parents love everything about this bouncer: It looks nice, it's easy to clean and it even folds up flat so it can be stored out of sight. And Good Housekeeping Institute experts appreciated that babies are soothed by the gentle rocking that's powered by the child's motion, not a motor, so you don't have to worry about changing batteries or being near an outlet.
RELATED: The Best Baby Bouncers
Baby shoes are adorable, but ultimately impractical. These booties keep tootsies warm, and snap on and off, so they're easy for parents to remove, but harder for babies to take off. Plus, they come in a rainbow of fun colors and prints.
Pure Enrichment Bear Air Purifier
Parents loved the cute, bear-shaped design of this air purifier, but Lab engineers were also impressed with how quiet it was, despite having a powerful fan. It's designed to clean rooms that are just over 260 square feet.
Babies as young as 4 months can use this as a tummy-time helper; they lay on the contoured surface, push with their feet and use it to roll across the floor (not carpet) while working on those gross motor skills. The gator, a previous Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award Winner, even comes with a pad for extra comfort.
Trunk of Hearts Elephant Bodysuit
Parents wear their hearts on their sleeves — babies can wear it on their one-piece bodysuits. This adorable elephant design comes in five colors, and in sizes up to 24 months.
There's so much this little night light can do besides glow (in several different colors). Using the app, adults can set up different routines, complete with a light show and white noise or other relaxing sounds, for bedtime or wake-up time. The Hatch, a previous Good Housekeeping Parenting Award Winner, can also read bedtime stories, and toddlers can use it as an okay-to-wake clock. Testers really appreciated that the light could be controlled through an app, so you don't have to try and sneak into the baby's room to turn it on if you forgot.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
22 Unusual Gifts for Tween Boys
Actually Cool Gifts for 16-Year-Old Boys
50 Unique Gifts for Teen Boys
The 15 Best Gifts for Smurfs Fans
