"Within minutes of discovering I was pregnant, the algorithms knew. Alright, it may not have happened that fast. But it felt like suddenly my Instagram and TikTok feeds were jam-packed with content from other moms trying to convince me to buy something. When you’re starting from ground zero as a new parent, trying to figure out what your baby actually needs and what you can skip is overwhelming.
My husband and I decided to spend the first year of our baby’s life hunkered down in our one-bedroom apartment. I’m happy to report that almost four months in, living small is working out better than we ever could have planned. Staying put in a smaller space is my #1 parenting hack for first-time parents who aren’t ready to upgrade their space yet. Everything you need is always within reach, it’s easy to keep an eye on baby while also juggling chores, and keeping your space clean (without putting in too much work) is so much more doable. Part of the reason we can make this tight squeeze work is because we did not overload ourselves with baby gear (easier said than done).
When I started doing my research on all things baby gear, I realized that if I followed all of the popular recommendations, my home would be overflowing. As someone who hates clutter and wasting money, that didn’t work for me. Especially when I knew there was a chance my baby wouldn’t have any interest in my carefully chosen purchases. Enter: Babylist Try-it Kits. These kits, which let you sample a variety of popular baby brands across a handful of categories (think diapers, bottles, pacifiers, etc.), saved me so much money in the long run and helped me find the perfect fit for my baby.
What are baby try-it kits?
If you are expecting or already have kids, you are likely already familiar with Babylist. I discovered Babylist when looking for an app that would help me better understand what was happening with my baby and my body each week of pregnancy. After all, we all love a good “what size fruit is baby” update. Babylist is also a super popular registry option, and their website has helpful educational resources. When poking around on their website, I discovered their baby try-it kits, and they were a new mom game changer. So, what is a try-it kit exactly?
Try-it kits are essentially sets of a single type of product but from a handful of different brands. Let’s use their Swaddle Box as an example. The box contains four swaddles from different brands, giving parents the chance to find which style works best for them and their baby before investing in multiple of their favorite swaddles. While some brands offer samplers of their different products, Babylist seems to be the best bet for trying a handful of different brands at once.
Anyone who has a box of unused pacifiers, teethers, bottles, and other baby essentials knows how easy it is to accidentally waste money and storage space after having a baby. As an added bonus, you also have a better chance of finding the baby supplies that will make your life so much easier. Which is the goal of every parent—brand new ones or veterans.
Babylist Try-It Kits Review
Bottle Box
Bottles are a tricky business since you never know what style nipple your baby will take to. Even second-time moms could benefit from the Babylist Bottle Box as there is no guarantee their new baby will like the same bottles their first baby did. Which is why these kits are the perfect sprinkle gift for moms.
I had my heart set on using Chicco bottles because they are made of glass, and we love a few other products from them: our Chicco KeyFit 35 Car Seat (so easy to install and it’s very highly rated by Consumer Reports) and the Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer (this saves so much counter space and works like a dream). Alas, my baby responded best to the Dr. Brown’s bottles. I almost bought a big pack of Chicco bottles, but this kit helped me avoid wasting those when they didn’t end up being the right fit.
Baby Starter Library Book Gift Box
I waited until after our baby shower to buy any books to make sure we didn’t end up with any duplicates. To my surprise, we only received one book, and I had to get to work building my baby’s library. The Baby Starter Library Book Gift Box saved me so much time and helped me avoid making more decisions than I needed to (no one tells you how many choices you have to make during pregnancy) during an overwhelming time in my life. I love that this set has a mix of classic books and modern ones for baby to enjoy.
Pacifier Box
I did not buy the Pacifier Box, but boy do I wish I did. We received a few pacifiers at our baby shower, so I never bought any. When sterilizing them, I tossed all the packaging. Rookie mistake. My baby will only use one type of pacifier, and while I know the brand is Bibs, every time I try to order replacements, I can’t seem to find the right size or shape. I wish I had used this box instead so I would know the exact style and size of all the pacifiers we tested.
The Head to Toe 7 Piece Set
While The Head to Toe 7 Piece Set from Babylist isn’t one of the official Try-it Sets, it served a similar purpose for me. Again, I thought I knew what I wanted, but was so wrong. This kit helped me see the light. I wanted sleep gowns I could easily roll up in the night during diaper changes. My husband preferred pants and a onesie. Well, our baby had different ideas. He hates (with a fiery passion) having anything pulled over his head, and the long-sleeved zippered onesie became our go-to and helped guide future clothing purchases.
More Baby Try-It Kits to Consider
The Babylist Try-it Kits were a game changer for us as new parents and helped us avoid so much waste, but they aren’t the only solution in the baby marketplace. These are some other similar kits that helped make my parenthood and postpartum journey so much simpler.
I was at a loss for what toys to buy my baby after he didn’t show much interest in the ones we were gifted at our shower (he will play with them one day, I’m sure!). I subscribed to this toy kit, which delivers new toys geared at specific age groups every couple of months. Now I know I’m spending money on toys that are actually a good fit for his current stage of development. My baby, who wasn’t all that interested in toys before, showed an immediate interest in the ones that came in his first box.
It can be hard to know exactly what essentials you will need postpartum since your birth can go in a few different directions. Again, I wanted to give my brain a break and instead of ordering a bunch of individual supplies, I went with this affordable kit.
This is another postpartum essential kit I relied heavily on and in unexpected ways. For example, I was not anticipating being on antibiotics and needing a probiotic, but this kit saved the day. There are some better safe-than-sorry items in the kit that you will be glad to have ready and waiting and can pass on to another mama if you don’t need them.
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Jacqueline DeMarco, Contributing Writer
Jacqueline DeMarco is a freelance writer based in Southern California who graduated from the University of California Irvine with a degree in Literary Journalism. She has written on a wide range of topics including finance, travel, and wellness for publications such as The Everygirl, Coveteur, Girlboss, and Apartment Therapy. When not whipping up articles, she works with consumer brands like Gorjana, Voluspa, Underclub, The Well, and St. John to help tell their brand stories.