The Best Gear and Gifts for New Dads
First Father’s Day on the horizon for your son, brother, or close friend? Shopping for a new parent used to be as simple, it seemed, as buying a crib and some diapers and calling it a day. Now there’s high-tech gear, screen-free gadgets to counteract said technological innovations, and beautifully designed strollers, baby carriers, and bottles. The best gifts for new dads are items that make raising a newborn just a bit easier.
Even if it’s not Father’s Day and you’re merely shopping for gifts for new dads, the options below will help him and his growing family in day-to-day life—and hopefully help everyone catch a few more ZZZs.
The Best Gifts for New Dads
1. Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon
They had us at “all-terrain.” But in all seriousness, like father, like newborn. If you crave adventure, chances are you’re going to want to take your youngster along for the fun. This high-quality stroller has rugged tires to handle sand, cobblestones, and even trails. Each seat can hold a child up to 55 pounds, and includes attachments for UPF 50+ canopies for shade and protection from the elements.
[From $299; evenflo.com]
2. UNest Contribution
In a blink, they’ll be 18. For a close friend, sibling, or son, consider contributing to a child’s college savings account with this first-of-its-kind app. The gifting feature lets you send money in a few clicks, but first you’ll need to set up the tax-advantaged investment account (you can start by investing as little as $25). Once the account is established, sit back and watch the savings grow with contributions from others, and special rewards from brands like Nike, DoorDash, Disney+, Old Navy, Intuit TurboTax, and more. P.S. Once family and friends sign up, it’s a no-brainer for them on what to get your kid for birthdays, holidays, and other milestones.
[from $25; unest.co]
3. Little Sleepies Matching Pajama Sets
Whether you opt for the new Father’s Day collection or one of the brand’s signature matching prints, you can’t go wrong with these custom-milled bamboo pajamas. They’re super soft, and the grown-up version comes with pockets.
[From $28 per pajama piece; littlesleepies.com]
4. Relax Melodies app
This app is regularly highlighted as Apple’s “app of the day,” because it’s a veritable sanity-saver for new parents—especially when sleep training is on the agenda. With soothing soundscapes, bedtime stories, guided meditations, and more, drifting off for tired parents just got so much better. With over 55 million downloads, and 91 percent sleep improvement rates, you can currently snag this shut-eye hero for 50 percent off with DAD50 at checkout on the brand’s website.
[$60/year for Premium access; relaxmelodies.com]
5. JP Outdoor Co. CoPilot CarrierPak
The CoPilot is said to be the first baby carrier built into a backpack, and we appreciate it’s also a discrete diaper bag, too. Designed by dads, the carryall incorporates plenty of thoughtful details like water-resistant fabric, removable mesh and nylon bags, and a built-in cooler for bottles. All of his fellow dad friends will be jealous.
[$190; amazon.com]
6. Dreame Bot L10 Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop
New parents are in for plenty of messes in the months ahead. That road—e.g. kitchen, living room, and bedroom floor—will be smoother and cleaner with this smart vacuum and mop that uses obstacle-avoidance technology to navigate your home. You don’t have to worry about it running into small toys or getting items stuck underneath it. With incredible suction power (4,000PA compared to rivals’ typical offering of 2,500Pa) and a 2.5-hour battery life, hands-off cleaning has never been better.
[$440; dreame-technology.com]
7. Yoto Player
Oh, hello, tots in wonderland. This speaker, controlled with physical cards, can be loaded up with a slew of incredible audio content including classics like “Winnie the Pooh” ($11.99) and “Alice in Wonderland” ($11.99), plus musical content such as Nursery Rhymes and “The Wheels on the Bus” ($8.99). Yoto Player recently launched exclusive Disney/Pixar (like “5 Minute Frozen Stories”) and also LEGO DUPLO content. For ease of use, Yoto’s free-to-download app lets parents control the Yoto Player remotely, so they can monitor their kid’s use of the device as needed.
[$100; us.yotoplay.com]
8. Filtrete™ Smart Console Air Purifier
Launched by 3M, a leader in residential HVAC air filtration, the minimalist design of this purifier won’t ruin the ambience of a nursery and offers top-of-the-line air filtration, while capturing up to 99.97 percent of airborne particles passing through the filter. In addition to using True HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration, it’s a breeze to operate since it’s compatible with smartphones, Google Home, Alexa, and Siri.
[$275; bestbuy.com]
9. CALPAK Car Organizer
Photo credit: CALPAK
Finding things in your trunk shouldn’t take the better part of an hour. That’s why we love this collapsible storage bag that has three main compartments along with a carrying handle so you can easily take it in and out of the car as needed. Stash it with emergency supplies, baby toys, spare diapers, and the like. This product will become an everyday essential for those who drive.
[$77; calpaktravel.com]
10. Owlet Monitor Duo 3 Smart Sock & HD Camera
This innovative heart rate and oxygen monitor foot wrap is suitable for babies up to 18 months old. Parents can track their tot’s heart rate, oxygen, sleep patterns, and quality of sleep, plus get notifications if the readings go out of the “safe zones” on their phone. The camera, meanwhile, streams an HD feed directly to your phone, so you can monitor them from afar. Tech this reassuring is chicken soup for the new parents’ soul.
[$399; owletcare.com]
11. PureBaby Wipe Warmer with Digital Display
Okay, changing your baby won’t ever be “fun,” but this gadget sure makes it suck less. In addition to featuring an LCD screen to display the temperature (choose three settings from low to high), the wipe warmer features an easy flip top for single-handed use and holds up to 80 standard wipes—not to mention the magnetic lid makes restocking easy.
[$40; amazon.com]
12. Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle (Pack of 3)
Who knew you could become obsessed with a bottle? BPA-free and featuring a breast-shaped nipple for an experience that mimics breastfeeding, these smartly designed bottles are easy to grip and feature the brand’s anti-colic technology to reduce discomfort.
[$21.99; amazon.com]
13. Mushie Silicone Bib
Unlike cloth bibs that need to be laundered every other meal, silicone bibs only require a quick swipe with a damp cloth and soap. The front pocket here also helps keep spills and messes into a designated zone. Designs on offer include dinosaurs, confetti, retro cars, and solid colors.
[$13; mushie.com]
14. BABYBJÖRN Bouncer Balance Soft
Whether a new dad is positioning his bundle of joy for easier communication or hoping to calm down his kid from a cry-fest, a bouncer is an asset to his toolkit. This one is plush and comfy, and holds babies between eight and 29 pounds. It also helps children develop motor skills and balance.
[$200; buybuybaby.com]
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