Shopping for new babies can be an exciting but confusing time, particularly when it comes to the nursery. Our round-up aims to cut the confusion by bringing you what we think are the best and most genuinely useful products this year for sleeping arrangements, daytime play and downtime, as well as storage.
1. Nostalgia Dresser: £450, silvercrossbaby.com
This is from one of several furniture collections from Silver Cross, all of which include a cot bed, dresser and wardrobe. We love the soft antique white of this range, along with the striking pewter effect handles, and excellent build quality. The dresser starts life as a changing station, but you can simply remove the top to transform it to a chest of drawers.
2. Stacking Toy Box: £27, gltc.co.uk
Here’s a way to keep their things neat, while injecting some colour into a room. Available in seven gorgeous colours, which are designed to mix and match, the stackable storing boxes are ideal for anything from nappies to LEGO. There’s a useful, blackboard label and they are easy to assemble and great quality, too.
3. Reclining Glider Chair: £165, mothercare.com
Available with natural or white upholstery, this white chair is tremendously comfortable and offers great ergonomics, with a nice wide chair footstall, making it ideal for relaxing in when pregnant and for feeding your baby, as well as reading to them when they’re a bit older. There are seven reclining positions making it super=versatile. Take note: it will need assembling so any heavily pregnant mums should make sure they have a helping hand.
4. Story Bed Cot Owlet: £450, cosatto.com
New this season, this stunning cot is aimed at those want a change from the sea of white and wooden cots that line the floors of most nursery retailers. The quality is amazing and there are lots of thoughtful details, like the top cot changer and storage drawer. And because it transforms into a bed, it will last your littlun up to five-years-old.
5. Little Home at John Lewis Butterflies Toy Box: £99, johnlewis.com
This delightful toy box is a fun and practical way to store anything from blankets and muslins, when they’re tiny, to toys when they’re older. Little fingers won’t get trapped, thanks to the cut away front, and there’s a padded top that youngsters will love to sit on. There’s also a blue atlas design if the butterflies don't appeal.
6. Rocking Horse: £49.95, mamasandpapas.com
Although kids aren’t supposed to use this until they’re at least a year old, this rocking horse named Buddy will finish off a nursery beautifully, as well as being a friendly face for babies to wake up to. Then, when they’re old enough they can hone their balance and fine motor skills on his back. The frame feels solid and little ones will love pressing Buddy’s ears to hear the rattles and squeaks.
7. Babybjorn Bouncer Balance: £119.95, johnlewis.com
Bouncers are great for when babies want to sit up. This is pricey compared to others, but the build quality is exceptional and the colour combinations, of which there are many, are gorgeous. There are three adjustable height settings, ranging from almost horizontal to an upright position that’s good for playing or feeding. It’s lightweight and foldable, too. You can buy a wooden toy bar to add on if you want extra stimulation for them while they’re in the chair, which makes a nice change from all the plastic options out there.
8. Snuzpod: £169, thelittlegreensheep.co.uk
This innovative bedside crib, which tucks neatly alongside an adult bed, means your baby can sleep next to you whenever you want. With a zip-down mesh wall, you can comfort little ones without having to get out of bed. It can also be used as a stand-alone crib for the nursery and finally, the removable rocking bassinet can be removed so you can rock them to sleep wherever you are.
9. My 1st JCB Bookcase: £45, asda.com
Again, this is part of a wider range, allowing you to kit the whole nursery out in JCB theme if you so desire. But even on its own, this fun bookcase is charming. It’s easy to assemble, has three useful shelves and comes in one box. The vibrant yellow is cheery too.
10. Ikea Trofast: £116, ikea.com
Don’t panic if you like the concept, but think this looks too big or the wrong shape, as there are loads of combinations and coloured draws to choose from. It’s nice and low, making it easy for children to reach and organise their things, and the frame has multiple grooves so you can place boxes and shelves where you want them.
Verdict:
The Silver Cross Nostalgia range gets a huge thumbs up from us, for durability, beautiful design and nice neutral colouring. Meanwhile, for storage, our favourite product is the GLTC Stacking Toy Box.
IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing
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