When I was expecting my first baby, I spent hours researching the perfect nursery setup—reading reviews, watching videos, and adding way too much to my registry.
I wanted to be minimal but bought way more than I needed.
Now, three kids later, I’ve learned which baby items are truly essential and which ones just take up space. Here are a few of my nursery must-haves that we use every day in my third baby’s nursery!
Disclosure—This post also contains affiliate links. You don’t get charged any extra, but my family receives a small commission when you shop through one of my affiliate links, and we are grateful for your support!
Table of Contents
A Reading Corner is a MUST!
This is my daughter’s favorite corner of our nursery. We have spent countless hours reading these books (especially the touch-and-feel books these days), and I wish I had gotten one of these floor bookshelves sooner. The quality is incredible, and it’s perfect next to this rocking chair from when I was a little girl.
My baby’s current favorite activity is taking the books off of the shelf and throwing them around her room. IYKYK 🙂 Here are some of my favorite baby books on Amazon!
Skip the Diaper Pail and Do This Instead…
I have tried several Diaper Pails (Ubbi, Diaper Genie, etc.), and they ALL stink (literally). I tried charcoal and washing them regularly but couldn’t do it anymore.
When we lived in a smaller, one-story home, I would throw diapers away in our main trash can because it was taken out regularly, but if you live in a two-story house, that is not always doable. I personally recommend a bathroom trash can because it locks in the smell, is more affordable, and, due to its size, you will be forced to take it outside more regularly. Is this crazy, or am I on to something?!
An Easy to Clean Mold-Inhibiting Humidifier
Humidifiers are kind of gross, and I hear more and more about how they do more harm than good with the bacteria they release into the air.
Recently, I discovered Canopy Humidifiers, and while they’re a little pricey, they are worth every penny. Almost the entire machine (minus the motor) is dishwasher safe and it has mold-inhibiting technology built into it. It is easy to use and works really well. The nursery size is perfect for my baby’s nursery, and I even have a link that will save you 15%!
My Favorite Sleep Sacks!
Babies use a swaddle for a few months but sleep sacks for years!
After trying several brands, I found that my two favorite sleep sacks are Woolino (Save 10% with my link) and Kyte Baby (they make the cutest prints).
Woolino’s benefits include simple sizing and a single wool-organic cotton blend that keeps your baby warm in winter and cool and breathable in summer. It’s amazing!
Kyte Baby has two big sales a year that I always share about on my Instagram and have a lot of fun prints to pick from. They use a tog and size system. I personally own 1.0 tog in both small and medium for my babies.
Which Crib is Best?
Having a baby is expensive, but the crib doesn’t have to be!
With my first two babies, I used the Ikea SNIGLAR Crib and loved it. With my third, I got this GreenGuard-Gold certified Graco Mini Crib because we ran out of space in my house, and she slept in our room for nine months (they also sell a full-size version)!
If I could buy a crib today, I would get this one (I think it is so cute with the arches), but honestly, I don’t think it is worth paying more than $200/$250 for a crib.
I would love to buy fancy, non-toxic mattresses, but they have not been in our budget. I just looked for GreenGuard Gold certification (just like with the crib) and got this one for our full-size crib and this one for our mini crib.
I have a Newton Code (Link & STROLLER15), but do not own a Newton Crib Mattress. I love their travel crib; you can check out my review here!
A Few More Things…
A few more of my nursery must-haves include a glider (we got ours at Costco), sound machine (I currently use a Hatch in my big girls’ room and a Dohm in the baby’s room), dresser (Second hand), and changing pad (I love a basket one *I just try and avoid ones with handles on the side*, but I have heard good things about this one, too)! What are your nursery must-haves?
