It has been slightly more than 10 years since we became parents. In that time, we have bought baby products that were brilliant, baby products that were mildly useful, and baby products that made us wonder whether sleep deprivation had affected our judgement.
With a new baby arriving in the wider family, we have been sharing the things that actually helped us survive the early years. That conversation became this post: products we never regretted buying, and in some cases, products that quietly became lifesavers.
This is Part 1 because there are more than three. But these are the ones that came immediately to mind because we used them hard, recommended them often, or are somehow still using them in 2026.
Disclosure: some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
1. Electric nasal aspirator
Let us be realistic: children will get stuffy noses, and babies cannot blow their own noses. When they are blocked, feeding becomes miserable, sleep gets worse, and everyone in the house starts operating at 3% battery.
Before we got an electric nasal aspirator, we used manual ones. The hand-pump type was the least useful for us because the suction was weak and awkward. The oral-nasal type, where you use a tube to control the suction yourself, worked much better because you can adjust the suction as gently or firmly as needed.
And no, do not panic. A proper oral-nasal aspirator has a chamber or filter so your baby’s mucus is not going into your mouth. The idea still sounds ridiculous until you are staring at a congested baby at 2am and suddenly become a very practical person.
The exact electric model we used is no longer sold by the same seller, but this is the kind of electric nasal aspirator equivalent I would look at today. I would also still keep an oral-nasal manual aspirator around because it gives you direct control over suction.
We used nasal aspirators far longer than I expected. Not just during the baby phase, but up till the kids were about 6 years old, whenever a blocked nose was bad enough that they needed help clearing it.
I wrote an older comparison of the NoseFrida Snotsucker and Lucky Baby Easi Clear nasal aspirators. I have updated the old dead buying links there, but the actual experience still holds: the manual oral-nasal style works, and having one ready at home is not overkill.
2. Stokke Tripp Trapp chair
The Stokke Tripp Trapp chair is one of those purchases that looked expensive at the start but became easier to justify every year we kept using it.
We bought ours in July 2015. It is now 2026, and we are still using it.
The main reason is adjustability. The seat and footrest can be moved as the child grows, so it does not behave like a typical baby product that is useful for a short window and then becomes a bulky thing you need to sell, store, or pretend you will pass to someone someday.
The other reason is build quality. The wood feels solid, the chair is stable, and it has survived years of meals, climbing, wiping, shifting, and everyday family chaos. It is not a magical chair, but it is a well-made one. For something used daily, that matters.
If I were buying a high chair again, I would still prioritise these things over gimmicks:
- Can the child sit properly at the table?
- Can the chair adapt as the child grows?
- Is it stable enough that you are not quietly anxious every time the child moves?
- Is it easy enough to clean after real meals, not showroom meals?
On those points, the Tripp Trapp has been one of our best long-term parenting buys.
3. A good changing table
The changing table we bought is no longer sold, and honestly, I do not think parents need to be fixated on one exact brand. What matters is having a proper changing station at the right height, with enough storage, and ideally enough distractions to keep the baby from treating diaper changes like a competitive sport.
This baby changing table with storage is the type of setup I would consider today.
Yes, you can change diapers on the sofa, bed, or floor. You will probably do that sometimes anyway. But if you are changing a baby multiple times a day, your back will eventually have opinions. A proper changing table helps because:
- the working height is kinder on your back;
- you can keep diaper cream, hand sanitizer, wipes and spare clothes within reach;
- there is room underneath for the bulk-purchased diapers you swore were on offer;
- sensory toys or hanging distractions can buy you a few precious seconds while you clean up watery poop before the next round of pee arrives.
A changing table is not glamorous. Nobody dreams about buying one. But when you are doing repeated diaper changes on very little sleep, boring and ergonomic is exactly what you want.
Part 1, for now
There are more products we would recommend, but these three are a good start because they solved real problems: blocked noses, daily meals, and diaper changes without destroying your back.
Parenting products are easy to overbuy. The better question is not “is this cute?” or “does this look clever?” but “will this still make my day easier after the novelty wears off?” These three did.
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