Essential baby gadgets for modern parents

Baby gadgets simplify bedtime, eating, and playtime, and some even offer insights into your baby’s wellness our parents never had access to at home. Read ahead for a guide on the essential baby gadgets that help modern parents get a little extra relief where they most need it.

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By Mackenzie Sangster

How do baby gadgets help modern parents?

You know that parenting will never be all baby giggles and rainbows, but smart technologies can ease some of the more challenging parts of infant care. From diaper changes to bedtime, there are many devices out there to help make all of your new baby routines easier to manage. Gadgets like Nanit Pro Camera can even give you real-time information about your baby’s health and wellness. It’s all about how to make life more comfortable for you and your new baby, so you can parent confidently.

Even if a baby gadget only saves you a few minutes each day, those moments really add up. If you’re able to save time warming your baby’s bottle, that’s extra time for you to bond with your little one or rest five extra minutes. If your baby goes to sleep faster (and stays asleep!), that’s extra rest for both of you.

Many of the baby gadgets out there today are being produced by parents just like you. As more tech workers become parents, it makes sense that they’d use their skillset to make their other full-time job easier. They know from firsthand experience which parts of their baby’s routine need to be streamlined, and they have the knowledge to make it happen.

For example, the Nanit family is made up of parents who harness the power of science and technology to help families everywhere thrive. In a 2022 Nanit Lab survey, 70 percent of parents who use Nanit products described their child’s bedtime routine as easy (yes, it’s possible!). A slightly higher percentage of those parents — 71% — even said they felt less anxiety after using Nanit. If technology can give more parents peace of mind, then baby gadgets are doing their job right.

The 8 best baby gadgets that make parenting easier

For every baby care-related task, there’s likely a gadget out there to help you out. Here are some of the most essential baby gadgets to alleviate some of the chores of parenting.

1. White noise machine

White noise machines play a soothing static that can help your baby fall asleep and stay asleep. This gadget uses audio technology to mimic the background noise your baby got used to in the womb, keeping them calm and relaxed. Smart white noise machines connect to your smartphone, so you can control the settings and volume from anywhere.

White noise can act as a cue to your baby that it’s time to say goodnight, which can make it essential for establishing a regular bedtime routine. Nearly all (92%) of parents who use products like Nanit Sound and Light maintain a consistent bedtime routine five nights a week. That also means five consistent nights a week of parents getting some much-needed self-care time once your baby has drifted off to sleep.

2. Bottle warmer

For generations, new parents had to go through the trial and error of learning how to get their baby’s bottle just the right temperature. Today’s bottle warmers take out the guesswork and can speed up the process of defrosting breast milk in a pinch. You can also connect to your phone via Bluetooth and operate your bottle warmer from anywhere. If you’ve found just the right position to soothe your fussy baby, stay put until you get an alert that the bottle is ready.

The Baby Brezza Safe + Smart Baby Bottle Warmer is compatible with most brands and sizes of bottles. You can use two different warming settings, either using steam heat or a warm water bath for defrosting. This bottle warming gadget also has an automatic off switch, so it stops warming once the bottle reaches the right temperature.

3. Night light

The night light has been a long-standing companion of bedtimes everywhere. Today’s night lights are a step up from the simple cartoon character plugins from your childhood. Adjustable smart lights can help you create a serene environment for your baby’s room, which can support sleep training. And if you need to check on your baby after they’ve fallen asleep, night lights can also help illuminate your path without disturbing them.

Nanit’s Sound and Light uses colorful lighting with custom settings to fit your bedtime and wake-up needs. Save your favorite color combinations and control them with the push of a button right from your smartphone. The more your baby gets used to their sleep routine, the sooner you can get back into good sleep habits of your own. And Nanit parents say they’re able to do just that — they report getting up to 36 extra nights of sleep per year.

4. Baby swing

Rocking your baby back and forth is one of the most universally known soothing techniques. With a baby swing, you can put your baby in a safe and secure seat, as they’re gently swayed to a calm state. Smart swings allow you to adjust the speed of motion and seat position for your baby’s optimum comfort while playing soothing music you control from your phone — all while giving your arms a break. Modern baby swings can connect to voice assistants such as Alexa, too, for even more hands-free control.

The Bluetooth-enabled Munchkin Infant Swing has a touchscreen display and a remote control for easy operation. This smart baby swing can also play music to keep your baby occupied.

5. Pacifier thermometer

While your baby will usually let you know when they don’t feel their best, they still can’t tell you exactly what’s wrong yet. Keeping an eye on your baby’s temperature can give you an idea if it’s time to call the pediatrician. A pacifier thermometer can be a much easier way to take your baby’s temperature. Soothe your little one and get important up-to-date health information at the same time. Brands such as Vicks offer pacifier thermometers that give accurate readings in two minutes without disrupting or struggling with a fussy baby to get an accurate reading.

6. Baby monitor

Baby monitors are your eyes and ears when you’re not in the same room as your baby. Your parents may have used something that looked like an upgraded Walkie Talkie, but today’s baby monitors offer so much more.

Smart monitors like Nanit Pro Camera give you a live camera feed and audio of your baby — but the features only start there. The monitor’s sleep tracking also provides helpful data, so you can identify your baby’s sleep and wellness patterns. With an adjustable floor stand, you can continue to reposition the monitor as your baby grows. And sensor free breathing monitoring can help give you peace of mind. The more you know, the smoother your parenting experience can be.

7. Electric nail trimmer

Cutting your baby’s nails can be quite a task, especially for a fussy baby. Electric trimmers are gentle and accurate, simplifying this difficult task and empowering parents to get the job done with ease. The Frida Baby Electric Nail Buffer includes an LED light, so you can keep a close eye to make sure nails are just the right length, with no jagged edges.

8. Baby food processor

If you prefer to make your baby’s food yourself, check out these one-stop baby meal-prepping shops. More than a food processor, baby food prepping gadgets can include features such as steamers that double as a bottle warmer, reducing the number of dishes you need to make delicious and nutritious purees. The Beaba Babycook Solo includes settings for steaming, blending, defrosting, and reheating your baby’s food. They also come equipped with freezer trays, so you can store future meals for later.

What to consider when choosing baby gadgets

If you’re trying to decide which are the best baby gadgets for your needs, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here is a quick checklist of features to keep in mind when shopping around.

Safety. As you know, safety is the first priority for anything related to your baby. Check a product’s safety ratings and research if it comes equipped with any extra safety features before buying. Security falls under this umbrella as well; make sure any device collecting information about your baby is HIPAA compliant.
Quality. You want a baby gadget that will stand up to the wear and tear of daily parenthood. Read product reviews to see if other parents can confirm a gadget will hold up over time. Keep an eye out for warranties, too, so you know you can repair or replace the item if something goes wrong.
Functionality. Is your baby gadget user friendly? Does it connect to any of your existing devices? A baby gadget only makes life easier if it’s easy enough to use in the first place.

Enjoy peace of mind with baby gadgets like Nanit

Today’s technological advances have led to baby gadgets your parents only dreamed of. Whether it’s easier food prep or using real-time data to learn your baby’s own sleep cycles and patterns, these devices are here to help you parent easier. With extra assistance from tools like Nanit’s, you can improve sleep for the whole family. And when everyone in the household is rested and cared for, that means better outcomes for everyone.

Nanit is dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable content for our readers. Our Parent Confidently articles are crafted by experienced parenting contributors and are firmly rooted in data and research. To ensure the accuracy and relevance of the content, all articles undergo a rigorous review process by our team of parenting experts. Additionally, our wellness-related content receives further scrutiny from Nanit Lab, our think tank of scientists, engineers, physicians, academic experts, and thought leaders.

Our primary objective is to furnish readers with the most current, trustworthy, and actionable information concerning a host of parenting topics. We strive to empower our readers to make informed decisions by offering comprehensive and respected insights.

In pursuit of transparency and credibility, our articles incorporate credible third-party sources, peer-reviewed studies, and abstracts. These sources are directly linked within the text or provided at the bottom of the articles to grant readers easy access to the source material.

CONTRIBUTORS

Natalie Barnett, PhD serves as VP of Clinical Research at Nanit. Natalie initiated sleep research collaborations at Nanit and in her current role, Natalie oversees collaborations with researchers at hospitals and universities around the world who use the Nanit camera to better understand pediatric sleep and leads the internal sleep and development research programs at Nanit. Natalie holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of New England in Australia and a Postgraduate Certificate in Pediatric Sleep Science from the University of Western Australia. Natalie was an Assistant Professor in the Neurogenetics Unit at NYU School of Medicine prior to joining Nanit. Natalie is also the voice of Nanit's science-backed, personalized sleep tips delivered to users throughout their baby's first few years.

Mackenzie Sangster is on the Brand and Community team at Nanit. She supports content development and editing for Nanit’s Parent Confidently blog as well as other marketing initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her friends, cooking, being active, and using the Pro + Flex Duo to keep an eye on her fur-baby, Poppy!

Holly Hays is a contributor and writer for Nanit, channeling her years as a mama and former magazine editor to create fun, useful content for fellow busy, trying-to-do-their-best parents and caregivers. Holly has written for a wide range of brands and media outlets (Ergobaby, HGTV, Manhattan Toy Company, OXO), loves to cook and read mystery novels, and leans heavily on her two daughters to keep her up to date on all the latest slang.