The best gadgets for new parents to make the newborn phase easier


by Samantha Ball |
Updated on

With technology developing quickly and new products being released almost every other day, it can be hard to keep on top of the latest gadgets. But there's no denying the best gadgets for new parents can make life with a newborn a whole lot easier.

At the push of a button you can see and hear your baby in HD on a baby monitor, and even make up formula bottles in just over two minutes, saving you time and offering priceless peace of mind. But with so much on the market, it can be hard to know what is actually worth investing in. As a mum of two, I've used my knowledge of what I needed for my little ones (and what I didn't!), to help you narrow down the must-buys.

When is Black Friday 2024?

In the UK, Black Friday 2024 will fall on Friday, November 29, following the American tradition of holding the event the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday has become a major shopping event in the UK, with retailers offering huge discounts both online and in stores. It's a prime time for shoppers to grab bargains on electronics, fashion, toys, and more as the holiday shopping season kicks into full swing.

The best gadgets for new parents 2024

The Gro Company Groegg2 Colour Changing Room ThermometerAmazon
Price: £83.78

With a large, easy to read digital display, the Groegg2 Colour Changing room thermometer will check nursery temperatures so you know if your little one is dressed suitably for the night. It also acts as a gentle night light, so you don’t have to turn all the lights on when changing your little one. One review said: "One of the few baby related items that aren’t a waste of money. We have several of these which we used in different rooms and at grannies house when my little boy was newborn. Now that he’s a toddler I still use one in his room to help me decide what's best for him to sleep in and which sleeping bag to to use. A very handy and reasonably priced item that I would recommend."

Read our review of the The Gro Company Groegg2 Colour Changing Room Thermometer.

Tommee Tippee Ollie the Owl Light and Sound Sleep AidAmazon

White noise is always recommended in helping babies fall asleep, so why not invest in this light-up critter that comes with four soothing sounds that plays for up to 20 minutes at a time? The secure Velcro fastening means you can attach it to anything and take it on the go. One happy customer said: "Little Ollie the owl has really helped us with getting our baby girl to sleep in her next to me crib. The choice of lullabies and white noise sounds are great. We use the rain one as this works best for us. The sounds go on for 20 mins and the light for 30. It is really handy that they go off themselves so that if you manage to fall asleep you’re not having to worry about turning them off."

Read our review of Tommee Tippee Ollie the Owl Light and Sound Sleep Aid.

Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Day & Night
Price: £284.33

This perfect prep machine is a must for parents bottle feeding their little ones! Make fresh bottles at room temperature in minutes and save time during the night feeds waiting for boiling water to cool. It works with any powdered formula and dispenses the correct amount of water. Review: "Bought for second child and love it! The baby is screaming hungry at 4am? You are trying to warm a bottle or cool it down as you are half asleep and who can make a perfect temperature bottle in that state? This machine allows you to press a button twice and about 40 seconds later you have a bottle ready to go! Yes it can seem pricey (hint... buy it on offer) but it gets used A LOT and it really makes a difference all day round, not just at 4am!"

Read our review of the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Day u0026 Night.

Dreamview Audio and HD Video Baby MonitorAmazon

Feel reassured that your baby is safe when they sleep, with the portable parent unit so you can keep a close eye on your little one's movement thanks to the five inch display. It also has 3 lullabies and 2 soothing sounds to play for your tot .tucking your baby into their cot. One buyer said: "This has been the best purchase for our newborn. Complete peace of mind with this monitor. Easy to use and set up. Quality is superb. I would recommend this to everyone and I have to my friends as this really does ease those worries and help you sleep soundly."

Philips Avent SCH480/00 Baby Bedroom and Bathroom Digital ThermometerAmazon

Take the guess work out of testing your baby's bath water with this bath thermometer that floats in the water to give an accurate digital measurement. It’s also safe for little ones to play with in the bath! A must-have piece of equipment for peace of mind, this digital thermometer is certainly one of the best gadgets for new mums and with 29% off in the Prime Day deals, it's a great price too! One customer happy with its durability said: "Fabulous product. Great for checking what temperature a room or bath water is at. Comes ready to go and feels durable. It has a clever design too, standing with a slight tilt for easy reading."

Elvie Electric Wearable Smart Breast Pump Amazon

Hands-free pumping? Yes please! With Elvie's wearable breast pump you can run your errands, go to work and live your life as you would, with nothing tying you down. The revolutionary technology minimises noise, and the complementary Elvie Pump app allows you to monitor milk volume and track pumping history for each breast. The Elvie is one of the best breast pumps out there and with 20% off for Amazon Prime Day, now's the time to buy.Review: "This product is amazing. So easy to use and can still be mobile and be busy around the house. I felt I was missing so much time with my baby trying to pump and was about to give up and move to formula when I decided to buy this. I can now be feeding and changing my baby while expressing milk."

Read our review of the Elvie Breast Pump.

Maxi-Cosi CoralKiddies

Your newborn baby might seem tiny now, but she’ll get quite heavy quite quickly. Throw in the weight of a car seat, too, and you’ll soon find yourself with a real armful! so we love the Maxi-Cosi Coral, which features an outer isize car seat shell for safety, with an ultra-light, super-snug, detachable inner carrier – ideal if you’re always on the run, or if you’ve had a c-section. It also contains a special inlay designed for extra newborn comfort, plus a three-point safety harness. One buyer said: "This is the best car seat I've tried! The detachable soft carrier is brilliant, it's so much lighter to bring in and out of the house plus you don't have a car seat littering your home. This was my favourite feature however the safety features are the best I've come across too. The 3 lights to confirm the chair is fitted correctly into the base and the base fitted correctly to the car is great and so reassuring. The base is larger than others but actually doesn't feel that heavy. The seat its self is also very light and the shade is great too. I love that it's easy to pull out and stays in place. It's discreet and not at all bulky to fold back. I love this car seat!"

Read our review of the Maxi-Cosi Coral.

 Snoo smart sleeper Happiest baby

Make no bones about it, it’s pricey, but the Snoo smart sleeper is said to boost your baby’s sleep by an extra hour or two each night! It combines womb and white noise with gentle rocking and swaddling, to help your young baby gently adjust to the outside world. It’s been available in the US for three years, where it’s won bucketfuls of awards. A new parent said: "We bought this for my very premature baby shortly after she came home from hospital. As she’s small and came so early I’m hoping we’ll really get our money’s worth. She sleeps way better than my firstborn did for which I credit the SNOO, now sleeping 8 hour stretches at night. I wish the app allowed you to make your own notes, and you could use the white noise even when she was out of the cot. But these are minor complaints in the scheme of a great purchase."

didofy Lotusdidofy

When your baby has woken up after a snooze out and about in her pram, the last thing you need is to have to juggle her and the pushchair to get them both safely into your car. Keep your hands on your babe with the didofy Lotus, which is battery powered to fold at the touch of a button. It also includes a built-in mobile phone charger on the handlebar, so is perfect for those low-phone-battery emergencies! It’s especially good for grandparents and parents with back problems, or mums recovering from a c-section.

tommee tippee UV steriliserAmazon

One of the best gadgets for new parents who are planning to bottle feed, the Tommee Tippee Ultra UV Steriliser uses the latest ultraviolet LED technology, to safely kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria, mould and viruses, and can sterilise your baby's bottles, soothers and breast pumps in just 60 minutes. Happy with their order, one buyer said: "This product really helps keep on top of sterilising the bottles. My husband would often give the bottle before bed and found preparing the bottle and sterilising when the baby was hungry really stressful. However, because the steriliser keeps the bottles sterile, these can be prepared in advance. We found that it helps prepare the bottles quicker when your baby is hungry."

Read our full review of the Tommee Tippee UV steriliser.

Bosch FreshUpbosch

This clever device promises to refresh your clothes without washing. It uses Bosch Plasma Technology to dissolve odour molecules, instantly remove unpleasant smells from common dry fabrics without any added chemicals or detergents. Suitable for use on all common dry fabrics, such as cotton, polyester, wool and silk, it also be used to treat items such as your little one's favourite teddy bear. Impressed with the quality, one buyer said: "I was really impressed with the textile refresher from the first use. It works really well and can be a life saver in this warmer weather. It is quick and successfully eliminates any bad or sweat odours. I have used it on the clothes that have been in cupboard for a while and i was amazed at how quickly and effectively it eliminated any odours. I think its a fantastic product which can be used in gym bags, on the go in my purse to be used at work or when on holidays.
Its fantastic gadget which works really well and has definitely exceeded my expectations. This is something i will be regularly using and will definitely recommend it."

Samantha Ball is a Commercial Content Writer and freelanced for the Mother&Baby website for two years before joining the team full-time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.

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Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.