Best Early Black Friday Deals on Baby Products

The Mama Bear Overnight Diapers are another affordable pick that excelled in our overnight diaper dryness tests. They were fairly quick at absorbing liquids and did well at retaining that moisture so it doesn’t seep out, therefore decreasing the chances of your child feeling uncomfortable and developing a diaper rash.

They are available in sizes ranging from size 3 (16-28 pounds) to size 6 (35 pounds and up). According to Mama Bear, the diapers are free from chlorine bleaching, perfumes, lotions, parabens, and phthalates, though we haven’t verified these claims.

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 sterilizer from Babymoov performed well in our temperature test, and it’s quite easy to use. Like many other sterilizers, it has an auto mode that sterilizes and dries, and a digital timer shows the progress of the sterilizing cycle. But the device stands out for its excellent drying performance. It also has selectable drying times and a HEPA filter on the air inlet. The sterilizer has one bin with long prongs that hold up to six bottles, shorter prongs to accommodate smaller items like bottle nipples, and small hooks at the top of the bin to hold other small items, like pacifiers. It is, however, on the pricier end of sterilizers we’ve tested, so this modest discount helps.

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 Synergy crib comes in an array of colors, including mint, cherry, and natural. It’s made of New Zealand pine wood and features three mattress support heights that we found mostly simple to change. It converts to a daybed, toddler bed, and full-sized bed, so your child would be able to sleep in the Synergy until they leave for college, provided it can withstand 18 years of childhood (we haven’t tested this). You’ll need to buy separate conversion kits for the toddler and full-sized beds.

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.

Used by celebrities like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Lalo The Chair has a more modern design aesthetic than your typical high chair, thanks in part to its distinctive wooden legs. Our testers find it very easy to clean and somewhat easy to use. It also did very well in our safety tests. The Lalo has a food tray, but it can’t be easily removed with one hand. It’s one of the lightest chairs in our ratings at just 10 pounds, and can also convert to a toddler chair. The Lalo features a machine-washable seat pad, but it lacks wheels, recline and height adjustments, and the ability to fold up for storage.

This Graco double stroller is a sturdy and safe choice, and it’s particularly flexible. It offers eight different seating configurations, and it can accommodate two car seats (without adapters in some configurations). The stroller’s bulkiness did mean that our testers found it heavy and hard to maneuver, especially on and off curbs, and it lacks features like storage trays for parents and children. But it’s not an overly complicated stroller overall, and its adaptability is a significant perk.

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.

The Thule Urban Glide 2 is a sturdy, well-built jogging stroller. The adjustable handle is comfortable, and the hand brake gives you more control when running. Though it’s a little wider than most jogging strollers, it’s also lighter than most, at 25 pounds, and is exceptionally easy to maneuver. It stands upright on its own when collapsed. Need room for two? Consider the Thule Urban Glide 2 Double, which scored somewhat lower than the single but still gets CR’s recommendation.

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. 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.

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.

With the on-page coupon, this is the best price we’ve seen.

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 Nanit Pro lacks its own display. Instead, it transmits video and audio through the company’s servers to an app on your smartphone. It’s the only one of the models with this configuration to earn a CR recommendation. But it still falls short of the best wireless security cameras in privacy and security.

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. 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.