Australia's Top 5 Baby Must-Haves in 2023

Preparing for your baby’s arrival isn’t just about the birth and how you’re going to survive those impending sleepless nights and nappy explosions. Probably one of the best parts of expecting a baby is the acceptable excuse to go shopping!

We have put together a list of our top 5 most useful baby products in Australia based on our own experience parenting our two children and the feedback we have received from others. You can also bookmark this page for beautiful personalised gifts, keepsakes and home decor.

Our top 5 most useful baby items are: 

1. Kmart’s 12 Pack Cotton Terry Nappies

Whether you’re a cloth nappy Mama or not, you’re going to love these boring old white squares! For $20 (at the time of writing) you will get yourself 12 squares of 60cm x 60cm cotton fabric that has endless uses. Here is where we keep ours:

• Change table – lay one over the change table cover so you don’t end up changing the cover all the time because let’s be honest, who has more than a few change table covers! These squares are often easier to hang & quicker to dry.
• Dinner table – tuck one in over your baby or child’s legs in the high chair or at the table to catch all the drips and crumbs during meal time. This means there is less on the floor to clean up, less gunk in the high chair and clean pants!
• Nappy bag – keep one in the bottom of your nappy bag (we love the bag mentioned below) for emergencies whether that be nappy changes, spills, sun shade or because you’ve forgotten something for your baby to lay on at the park.
• Car – perfect for emergencies whether they be water, spew or other, having one of these bad boys in your car also means you will always have a towel to wipe down a wet slide so your child can happily play without getting a wet bum!

These Kmart cotton nappies often form part of any baby shower gift I put together for friends expecting their first baby.

2. Backpack Nappy Bag

When I had my first baby I was dead set in love with an expensive leather over-the-shoulder nappy bag so my husband bought it for my first mother’s day. I thought the backpack nappy bags were ugly and a silly idea but very quickly realised how wrong I was. I quickly learnt how impossible it was to wrangle a baby and pram in the rain, or a running toddler in a car park, whilst trying to control the heavy nappy bag with its disproportionate weight. I ended up selling it on Facebook Marketplace for $50 and buying a $32 eBay backpack nappy bag and have 100% never looked back. The best $32 I have spent in a very long time. Not only does it stay put on my back while I wrangle my two children in car parks and shops, it fits SO much stuff that I have everything I need including a change of clothes for each kid and even one of my beloved Kmart cloths mentioned above! To top it off, it’s black and cream so goes with almost any outfit and my husband doesn’t mind at all if he has to carry it.

3. Nail Snail

Hands up who loves cutting their kids nails! Yep, no one. The fear of cutting their delicate skin resulting in blood and an inconsolable screaming baby is too much for any parent. Enter the Nail Snail - an easier and safer alternative to nail clippers or scissors, the Nail Snail smoothly glides along the nail and has a handy little nail file underneath. I now buy one for every new Mum friend and sing it’s praises to anyone who will listen as I have not once come close to cutting either of my children’s skin while cutting their nails!

4. NoseFrida

The hilariously effective NoseFrida is called the ‘sucker moco’ in our house, a Spanglish name we gave it that basically translates to ‘snot sucker’. When I first bought it without warning my husband, he was slightly horrified at the idea of literally sucking snot out of our son’s nose using his mouth! Everyone I have mentioned it to since has listened with a similarly horrified look on their face.

But guess what?! He quickly fell in love with its effectiveness and the ease at which he could quickly help our tiny baby to breathe easier and sleep better. Both of our children at some point rather loved the NoseFrida as they knew it would help them to feel better and be able to breathe whilst sick with a cold or the dreaded flu. 

The NoseFrida is another product I buy for friends who are due with their first baby as it is legendary in my eyes and rightly so.

5. Ergobaby 360 Baby Carrier

I still remember the rainy day that hubby and I drove 20 minutes to the nearest baby store to buy a baby carrier in a desperate attempt to help our new son sleep during the day. He was a terrible sleeper and as most new parents do, we Googled all the thousands of ideas to help a baby sleep and this was one of them so we decided to give it a go!

We were pleasantly surprised at how the Ergo 360 baby carrier fit into our lives in so many ways. From carrying a tiny baby around the house whilst doing housework, to going on hikes with a 10 month old on our front and an almost 2 year old on our back, we definitely got our moneys worth. It lived in a bag in our car and had a fleece vest attached to it during winter for extra protection on bubs back. And the best bit – it still looks brand new!

I had researched so many carriers for safety, versatility and comfort, and this one definitely exceeded my expectations!

So there you have it. These are the 5 best baby products in Australia in 2023 as voted by me, a time-poor, non-millionaire Mum of two boys with back issues and sometimes limited patience!

Thanks for reading & while you're here, you definitely should also check out our beautiful range of quality baby and family personalised gifts, home decor and signage! This beautiful wood and acrylic name sign is one of my faves!