If you are expecting or shopping for a baby, and have been waiting for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, this is one of the best times of the year to pick up premium baby gear. That being said, not everything is worth buying just because it has a sale sticker attached to it.
After a year now of putting our baby items through the ringer, these are the things I’d happily buy again. And a few I’d skip or hold off on!
Baby Gear for the Home
Nuna PIPA Aire RX Infant Car Seat
It’s lightweight (your arm will thank you after a few months), installs easily, and the canopy coverage is great for stroller walks, while still allowing airflow (important!). I also appreciate that Nuna uses naturally flame-resistant materials without added chemical flame retardants, which was one of the reasons we chose Nuna in the first place.
The RELX base (hence RX in the name) makes it so easy to click baby in and out of the car. We ended up buying an extra base for our second car, it was that convenient. Baby grew out of the height limit around 12 months, and our PIPA Aire is safely stored in storage in case we have a #2 in the future. Love love love this seat.
Nuna RAVA Convertible Car Seat
The natural next step carseat for when baby grows out of the PIPA. Installation is straightforward, it’s comfortable, rear-faces for a long time, and fits surprisingly well in smaller cars. We drive a Chevy Bolt EV, which isn’t exactly known for having endless backseat space, and the RAVA has been a great fit.
Stokke Flexi Bath XL
We don’t have any bathtubs in our house, and needed something that would last from the newborn stage to toddler years. I recommend the XL version primarily due to it’s compatibility with the Angelcare insert, which is much more ergonomic than Stokke’s own newborn insert for babies under 6 months. Even with the larger footprint, it still folds flat enough to tuck away when you’re done.
BEABA Babycook Neo
I honestly wasn’t sure how much we’d use this since we planned on doing a mix of purees and baby-led weaning. The answer is – A LOT. One of the biggest reasons I chose the Neo is that it’s one of the few all-in-one steam-and-puree machines that minimizes food contact with plastic.
Even after we moved beyond purees, I kept reaching for it because it makes steaming vegetables so fast. We recently packed ours away and tried going back to steaming vegetables in our trusty Tatung… but it takes so much longer, we’re considering unpacking and bringing it back out lol.
On the Go Favorites
Baby Carriers
The Solly Wrap for the newborn stage, and Wildbird Aerial or Solly Carrier for around 2 months and up. I’ve written in-depth reviews comparing these carriers here and here, but the short version is that they each have their strengths during different stages.
The WildBird Aerial is still my overall favorite with its support and beautiful fabrics, while the Solly Structured Carrier is an excellent option if you prefer something a bit softer and lighter. You really can’t go wrong with either.
ergoPouch Portable White Noise Machine
I own the Hatch Go, but sometimes wish I purchased this one instead! The flatter shape looks much easier to throw into a diaper bag or stroller organizer, and the built-in night light is one of those thoughtful bonus features would be helpful to use when sleeping away from home.
Travel Strollers
The Bugaboo Butterfly 2 and Joolz Aer are the two best premium travel strollers on the market. I passed on these initially because of the high price tag, so a sale is a great opportunity.
If you’re trying to decide between the two, I’d probably give a slight edge to the Joolz Aer. The deeper recline makes a big difference for stroller naps while traveling, and that’s one feature we’ve utilized the most on our Momcozy Velo (reviewed here), which is essentially a dupe of these two.
Quality Clothing
To be honest, all of the featured clothing brands this sale are great. I’d recommend looking at the following:
- We love these cotton joggers, they held up well through the crawling stages and the waistband seems most comfortable (ie. sturdy but not too tight)
- From the same brand, these cotton footie pajamas are nice if you are looking for a warmer pajama material
- If you need something more lightweight, these bamboo stretch pajamas are so stretchy and comfortable on the skin, without being cold at first touch like other bamboo materials tend to be
What I’d Skip (For Now)
Nuna REVV
Rotating car seats are a newer development, and make it much easier to get baby / toddler into the car when rear-facing. But, while I love Nuna’s other carseats, the REVV has much lower limits and will not last as long as the RAVA. So if you’re set on a Nuna convertible seat, I’d recommend saving the money and going for the RAVA instead.
Cybex Callisto G 360 Select
I’d actually recommend the regular Callisto G 360 instead. The Select version saves money by swapping to a standard fabric seat instead of the more breathable mesh fabric. In addition to the smooth rotating feature and canopy, the breathable mesh fabric on the regular version is one of the best features of the Callisto, especially if you live somewhere warm or spend a lot of time in the car.
I know the regular Callisto has a hefty price tag – but we love ours and for the number of years it will get used (as it also has booster mode), I think it will be worth it.
Stokke Tripp Trapp
We personally went with the Mockingbird High Chair, but the Tripp Trapp was one of our contenders when researching high chairs. Love the aesthetic, the grow-with-me capability and also the small footprint. But while researching, I read a ton of a complaints online about how difficult it can be to clean, and how finicky it can be to remove the tray.
The Mockingbird chair has been a dream, even during the messy early stages of transitioning to solids. We love ours, and expect it to last many years (and children).
SlumberPod
This one might be a hot take – I’ve read about so many families who absolutely swear by theirs. But, I’d just recommend waiting before buying one. As it ain’t cheap for what it is.
Our baby boy ended up being perfectly happy sleeping in rooms that weren’t completely dark, so we never felt like we needed one. Had we bought it before traveling, it would’ve been several hundred dollars sitting in a closet. If your baby turns out to be a very light-sensitive sleeper, you can always pick one up later.
Skiphop Montessori Activity Center
I have the “non-Montessori” version of this, and baby boy has gotten a lot of use out of it from about age 5.5 month through 12 months, when he started walking. However, I bought mine in almost new condition from FB Marketplace for 50% off — I’d recommend checking out your local FB Marketplace selection before paying close to ticket price for this.
Baby Bjorn Bouncer + Mini Carrier Bundle
Similarly, I have this exact bouncer and seat cover, and it was used daily (though not more than 15 minutes!) from newborn through about 7 months. However, this baby carrier is notorious for a wonky fit for baby, there are a ton of better carrier options out there including the ones listed earlier in this post. So I would pass on this particular bundle. Also, this is another item that pops up on FB Marketplace often.
What I’m Eyeing This Year
While we generally have all the baby gear we need, there are still a couple of items I’m tempted by:
- Thule Sapling Hiking Carrier: We tried this on at the store, and like it more than Osprey or Deuter versions, as the child seat is more ergonomic. It’s a hammock-like seat where knees are supported in more of an M position, which is great especially if you are planning to hike with a younger baby (eg. 6-12mo).
- Pico Portable Car Seat: We’re still early for this, but I’ve seen this highly recommended as the next travel seat option when baby grows out of our travel car seat around ~2 yearss
Partnership Disclosure: This blog post was not sponsored by any of the brands listed above. As always, all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, in which I earn a commission on purchases.
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