10 Expensive Baby Products That Are Actually Worth It, According to Moms

When I received the Ember Baby Bottle System to test out, I wanted to hate it. It seemed like an overpriced luxury product that wouldn’t actually be worth it. Unfortunately, this bottle system is amazing. My husband, who was even more skeptical than I was, tells all his dad friends about the Ember — it’s without a doubt his favorite baby product.

For anyone unfamiliar with Ember, the brand is known for its temperature control smart mug, which is perfect for office-going workaholics as well as busy parents. If a cup of perpetually hot coffee isn’t enough to entice new parents, the bottle system will win you over. The set comes with two bottles, a variety of nipples and collars, the Smart Warming Puck, and the insulating dome. The Smart Warming Puck heats the bottles to body temperature, and it holds two heating cycles when it’s fully charged. The dome keeps bottles cold until you’re ready to use them.

The system is expensive, yes, but it’s absolutely worth it for what you get. Not only is the Ember Baby Bottle System perfect for running errands, visiting family, and traveling, it’s also great at home. It warms up bottles faster than any other warmer we’ve tried, which is essential when you have a hungry baby who can’t wait 10 minutes for a traditional bottle warmer.

If you’re looking to splurge on a baby product (or want to put some luxury items on your registry), the Ember Baby Bottle System is my number one recommendation.

Although you can get by without a baby carrier, they’re an absolute game-changer if you ever want to have your hands free. I’ve tried a lot of baby carriers, and the Ergobaby Omni is without a doubt the most versatile one.

You can use it when your baby is a newborn (minimum 7 pounds) through their toddler years (maximum 45 pounds), and there are four different carrying positions: front facing in, front facing out, hip carry, and back carry.

This carrier also has a ton of additional features:

• Crossable straps
• Lumbar support
• A hood for sun protection/privacy
• Side pockets to store things like your phone and keys

It comes in various colors and fabric options, so you can find something that suits your needs and style. I personally love the Breeze carrier because it has great airflow and doesn’t feel as hot on the body.

There’s a lot that goes into choosing a baby monitor.

Do you want video and sound? Do you want it to have app compatibility? Do you want smart controls? Do you want music and/or white noise? Do you want it to alert you to temperature changes in the room? Do you want it to track baby’s breathing?

Nowadays, there are a ton of options, and they’re not all created equal. Gone are the days of baby monitors that resemble basic walkie-talkies; we’ve swapped them for high-tech video monitoring systems.

Before we tried the Philips Avent Premium Connected Baby Monitor, we set up another monitor in our baby’s nursery. Within a week, the camera stand had physically broken and the app was malfunctioning. We’d talked to friends who had tried a number of different monitors, all with varying levels of success.

After eight months, we’ve had absolutely no issues with the Philips Avent Premium Connected Baby Monitor — not only that, but we love all the features and rely on the monitor to ensure our daughter is safe and comfortable when she’s sleeping.

So let’s get into the features:

• Works with or without WiFi, since it has a parent unit with a 5-inch HD screen
• Encrypted links, so all data and images are protected and secure
• Sleep and breathing tracking to reassure parents
• Cry detection and translation (using an algorithm to translate five cries)

The SenseIQ Technology tells you if baby is awake, moving, or in light or deep sleep, and tells you baby’s breathing rate, analyzing millions of pixels per second to detect motion and breaths.

To be completely honest with you, I never thought a glider seemed really necessary — boy, was I wrong. We set up the Glider Plus during my second trimester, and it quickly became my favorite spot to sit. With an adjustable headrest, power recline, and automated lumbar support, it’s the ultimate nursery chair. We set it up in our living room (we live in a small house in Brooklyn), and everyone who comes over absolutely loves it.

In addition to the automatic movement features, the chair also has a built-in USB, a smooth glide, a 200-degree swivel, and stain-resistant fabric (and believe me, we’ve tested the fabric). Another thing I love about this glider is the design. Gliders take up a lot of space, but they don’t have to look bulky and oversized. This one has a simple, modern design that looks great in any room, big or small.

This is another product my husband was hesitant about. In order to make space for the Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro, we had to move our KitchenAid stand mixer to the basement. “We’re never going to use it,” my husband complained, “it’s just going to take up counter space.” Well… he was definitely wrong. We use our bottle washer every single day, multiple times a day. The device washes, sterilizes, and dries bottles, sippy cups, pump parts, pacifiers, and more, killing 99.9% of germs with steam and drying with HEPA-filtered hot air.

Although most bottles and pump parts can go in the dishwasher, we quickly realized we wouldn’t be using the dishwasher often enough to wash all the bottles our daughter was going through. Instead, we’re able to quickly wash, sterilize, and dry everything quickly, multiple times a day. Plus, the counter space it takes up is actually pretty minimal — it doesn’t use more space than an average bottle drying rack.

This ultra compact stroller is incredibly popular among parents, especially in big cities. Once we got the Stokke® YOYO³, I started seeing it everywhere. And there’s a good reason for it! It’s versatile, lightweight, folds quickly, maneuvers well, and has great storage. The stroller is perfect for six months and up, with a comfy recline and extendable shade.

For younger babies, there’s a newborn pack that allows babies to lay flat, as well as a hard-shell bassinet. Plus, there are car seat adapters to turn it into a travel system. And don’t even get me started on all the accessories, from a cupholder to a mosquito net to a rain cover to a footmuff to a ride-along board, to a bag to a parasol to skis! Best of all, this stroller is carry-on compatible, so you can take it with you when you travel.

This has quickly become our go-to stroller because it’s so lightweight and easy to use, especially in New York City.

I didn’t get a stroller wagon until my fifth baby, but it was a product that absolutely changed everything about my parenting. I would 100% recommend a stroller wagon over a traditional stroller any day, especially a version like the Evenflo, which has adaptors that can accept infant car seats.

The Evenflo can handle any terrain, folds for transport, and has built-in snack trays, cupholders, and shades. The wagon is a must-have for walks, trips outside, to the zoo, and we even used ours (thanks to the convertible handle) through the sand at the beach. Life-changing.

If you plan on spending any significant amount of time outdoors with your baby or toddler, a supportive, well-made hiking backpack is an absolute must. We live on a farm and have acres of trails and woods, so my youngest baby practically grew up in a backpack.

Unfortunately, that backpack was an old hand-me-down, and our backs paid the price for hauling her around. I would recommend a well-made hiking backpack with lumbar support, a weather shade, and supportive straps.

Let me tell you a little story about how my last baby was born prematurely and absolutely refused to nurse. I tried to become a full-time pumping parent until I realized how freaking hard pumping 24/7 is.

I was about to throw in the towel, and then in a last-ditch effort, decided to buy the Elvie, a wearable, wireless, hands-free breast pump. I hesitated because it was so expensive, but it turned out to be the single best thing I ever bought. It changed pumping entirely for me and made it nearly effortless. I was able to keep pumping for almost an entire year, all while working, caring for my other kids, and even doing laundry.

And pro tip: ask your insurance company if they will cover some or all of the pump. I was able to get reimbursed for a portion of my Elvie!

The Doona, a car seat that unfolds into a stroller, isn’t a necessity for every parent. But if you plan on doing any amount of car in-and-outs or traveling short distances with your car, it’s a product well worth your while.

I dragged a baby in and out of school drop-offs for years in a car seat on my arm, long before the Doona existe,d and the moment I saw it out in the wild, I wept a little at what could have been.

Take it from this experienced mom and make your life easier if you have the chance with any baby product that can lighten your load!