Best Holiday Deals on Baby Products

The budget-friendly Mama Bear Gentle Touch diapers did great in our tests, acing both the absorption and dryness evaluations. The newborn-size diapers have an umbilical cord cutout and are fragrance- and lotion-free. A wetness indicator signals when it’s time to change your baby’s diaper. Though there’s no plain design option, these diapers keep it simple, with an illustration of a bear and the brand name inked along the waist.

The diapers are made without elemental chlorine, perfumes, lotions, parabens, and phthalates, according to the manufacturer, though we didn’t test this claim. They’re for newborns (up to 10 pounds) to Size 7 (41 pounds and up).

Mama Bear Plush Protection Diapers were a close second in our disposable diaper ratings and did very well in our dryness and absorption tests. They’re a great bargain because they deliver a high performance at an affordable price. The diapers have a wetness indicator and an umbilical cord cutout to protect your baby’s bellybutton. The sizes range from newborn (up to 10 pounds) to 7 (41 pounds and up). According to the manufacturer, the diapers are made with sustainably sourced pulp and are free from elemental chlorine, bleaching, natural latex, phthalates, lotions, and fragrances, although we didn’t verify this claim.

This bottle sterilizer performed extremely well in our tests for both temperature and drying. Like other models we tested, it has an auto mode that runs both a sanitizing and drying cycle (though it doesn’t have a HEPA filter), and it also has selectable drying times. It has three possible configurations, thanks to an extra tray to hold bottle nipples and other items, but our testers found it less easy to use than other top models. It can fit up to 11 baby bottles, though there are only six prongs on the main tray to hold them in place and they’re very short, which doesn’t keep bottles quite as stable as models with taller prongs.

This Hauture sterilizer, now at the best price we’ve seen, performed the best of all the sterilizers we tested, and its design is intuitive and easy to use, too. Its auto mode runs both a sanitizing and a drying cycle, and a digital timer shows the progress. It also has selectable drying times and a storage mode that restarts the heated dry cycle periodically to keep items clean for up to 72 hours. You can fit up to 11 bottles in the sterilizer. They won’t have their own prong, but with that many bottles, they’ll be close enough together that they won’t fall over.

This crib is made from New Zealand pine, and it’s easier to change the mattress-support height than it is with other top-rated cribs. It’s also Greenguard Gold Certified, which means the product has been tested to ensure lower emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). But it’s a bit more difficult to put together than other cribs in our ratings. At 34 inches tall, this is one of the shortest cribs we tested, making it a great choice for petite parents, especially those with sensitive cesarean section incisions. The Emery converts from a crib into a toddler bed, daybed, and proper full-sized bed with headboard, so your baby can use this bed throughout their childhood. A daybed rail is included, but to convert to a full-sized bed, you’ll need to buy a separate conversion kit.

The Shyft DualRide conveniently combines a car seat and stroller, but comes at a steep price. With strong scores for maneuverability, safety, and ease of use, it’s a solid performer as a stroller, and it also scored well in our car seat tests. The drawbacks are that it lacks one-touch brakes and the ability to fold with one hand, and it doesn’t stand when folded. But it’s also suitable for infants and up until the child outgrows the car seat, and it meets Disney parks’ stroller-size requirements. When combined with the stroller, the Shyft is on the heavier side for an infant car seat.

The Chicco Fit2 is at a nice discount right now. It achieves a “Better” rating for crash protection and our highest ratings for installation when used with either the lower anchors or a vehicle’s seat belt. The Fit2 has a weight limit of 35 pounds and a 35-inch height limit. Its two-stage base provides a more upright position and greater legroom for older infants. This makes it easier for parents to keep a toddler rear-facing longer. Push-on lower anchor connectors, a no-rethread harness (meaning you can adjust the harness while your child sits in the seat), and an easy-to-read level indicator are some of the features that make this seat easy to use.

The Britax Grow With You ClickTight is a top-rated seat with excellent overall performance combining ease of use, booster fit, and fit to vehicle. It scores “Better” for harnessed crash protection. The ClickTight technology is easy to use to help provide secure installations. It’s a heavy and bulky seat, however, and might not be best if you’re moving it between vehicles often.

The pricier Fit4 excels at both installing via LATCH and a vehicle’s seat belt, whether rear-facing or forward-facing. This is important because this seat is a hefty 26 pounds, and that means you’ll have to switch from lower anchors to a belt installation sooner than you might with other seats. 

This seat features Chicco’s Super Cinch technology, which makes it easier to tighten the lower anchor strap. The Fit4 scores a “Best” for crash protection and has excellent belt fit in booster mode.

A simple and popular design from Stokke, the wood Tripp Trapp chair is available in a number of finishes and paint colors, with surprisingly easy assembly. This "grow with baby" feeding chair is attractive and can be used for many years. But for a chair whose base price is $249, having to spend extra money for each accessory is a bummer. We still wonder why the $69 Baby Set doesn’t come with a tray (sold separately, another $49). Still, it’s a solid option, especially if you can score a deal.

At 13 pounds, the GB Pockit + All-Terrain is a light and popular choice for travel. It is extremely compact when folded and should easily fit in an airline’s overhead compartment. The stroller comes with car seat adapters that work with GB, Maxi-Cosi, Cybex and Nuna infant car seats. Alas, it has a tiny basket and is not chock full of storage. Smooth pavement is best for this stroller—it did not fare as well on rougher terrain (despite the name!).

This stroller typically retails for $200, so you’re really only saving about $200, but it doesn’t go on sale often. We did see it drop down below $150 over the summer, but it hasn’t fallen quite so low for the holiday weekend.

The Baby Trend Snap-N-Go Double is a stroller frame that can accommodate two car seats. It performed excellently in our safety tests, and it’s as easy to use as the single Snap-N-Go. But it’s a bit harder to maneuver, as double strollers tend to be. It’s easy to fold and unfold, though carrying it folded can be a little awkward. It’s compatible with a number of car-seat brands, and it meets Disney parks’ stroller size requirements.

This bottle warmer from Kiinde Kozii earned a top spot in our rankings. It uses a warm water bath to warm baby bottles, so like the other models we tested that employ this method, it did not overheat our formula. Even after we left the warmer running for 34 minutes after the warming program was complete, the formula reached a maximum temperature of only 103° F. The dial on the device shows users how much time is left in the warming program, ticking as the time progresses much like a typical kitchen timer does, so you always know when the device is still running through a program. Because you select only the warming time and not the amount or temperature of the milk, you’ll have to keep the warming time chart handy to know how long to set the device for.

Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Milk Spa uses a warm water bath to warm bottles, but setup is a bit more involved than with other models we tested. Once that’s done, it warms bottles with no sign of overheating long after the warming program has ended. The controls on this model allow users to select the type of bottle and starting temperature of the milk or formula (frozen, refrigerated, or room temperature) and to adjust the time of the program. Even though the display is a bit crowded, according to our usability expert, it was relatively easy to use and understand. If you like to reuse settings, this model remembers any adjustments to time that are made for your next bottle warming. 

This pump is one of the highest-scoring ones CR evaluated, and it’s $40 less than it was for Cyber Monday. It has two milk containers. It doesn’t come with a carrying case, though the company sells one separately. A visible timer is found on the pump, as well as a readout of the suction and speed settings. The pump must be plugged into a wall outlet to operate.

Evaluators found it to be quick and simple to use. They also appreciated that it was amenable to nighttime pumping. “The LED light helps see the buttons at night without having to turn on a bright light and disturbing my family,” one participant said. “Also, it is very quiet.” Another parent, who said that the breast pump didn’t wake her daughter, said the noise was “more of a soothing, buzzing sound.” 

Motif instructs users not to place parts in the dishwasher that come into contact with breast milk, but participants found the pump fine to clean, with one parent calling the process “about equal in regards to difficulty” to other pumps.

The midpriced Vava baby monitor comes with its own display and handles the video feed locally, so it doesn’t have the privacy and security issues of internet-connected models. The display unit has a large, bright, high-resolution screen. This model does, however, lack some less important features, like a night light and the ability to play music. And the volume is controlled via a menu rather than physical buttons, which can be more convenient.

The Eufy Spaceview baby monitor comes with its own display and handles the video feed locally, so it doesn’t have the privacy and security issues of internet-connected models. Our testers reported that the screen is bright, sharp, and relatively large, and they found it to be the easiest monitor to use.

The Babysense monitor, now $10 less than the previous best price, comes with its own display and handles the video feed locally, so it doesn’t have the privacy and security issues of internet-connected models. It has a 5-inch 720p display that falls a bit short of the best models we tested, but it should still work fine for most users.

This HelloBaby model is one of the lower-priced video monitors to earn CR’s recommendation, and it’s now $10 less than we’ve seen so far this year. The device has its own display and handles the video feed locally, so it doesn’t have the privacy and security issues of internet-connected models. It lacks a night light, but that’s hardly a deal-breaker.

The TP-Link Kasa Smart Pan & Tilt KC410S 24/7 security camera offers stellar video quality and quickly sends alerts when motion is detected, CR’s tests have found. This low-priced camera also earns a strong rating for data security and a midrange rating for data privacy. It features voice and app control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home/Assistant, two-way audio, monitoring zones, person alerts, and alerts for loud noises.

This portable HoMedics humidifier earns a very good rating in overall performance and is intended to humidify areas up to 25 square feet. It earns top marks in our noise and efficiency tests but performs poorly when filled with hard water. Despite a few drawbacks—a 60-inch power cord and only two settings—it’s still a solid choice, especially in the under-$50 price range.

The low-priced, ultrasonic Levoit Classic 300S can humidify a room of up to 505 square feet, which earns it a solid rating in our output test. It aces other evaluations, too. It has a variety of features, including automatic shut-off, a digital humidity display more accurate than those of most competitors, and the option to diffuse aromas.

There’s no easier design for a baby gate than this 30¼-inch-high Cumbor gate. With an auto-close mechanism, you can manipulate it with one hand and won’t have to worry about manually latching it correctly. It aced our tests for convenience, security, and installation, and it fits openings from 29½ to 46 inches wide.

The Momcozy Retractable Baby Gate is made of a mesh material, rather than vertical bars, so that it can retract fully to one side of the doorframe. Able to fit openings up to 55 inches wide and at 33 inches in height, it’s the tallest of the gates on this list by a couple of inches. Opening—or unrolling—the gate is simple and a one-handed operation: Just press down on a button and slide the latch to the open position. It performed extremely well in our other tests, too: Testers found it easy to install, and once installed it’s very secure. Given the mesh partition, there isn’t quite as much visibility through this gate as with more traditional baby gates—you’ll be able to see over it, of course, but your little one won’t. But it’s a strong performer for the lowest price on this list.