Best Gifts for Parents (and Their Babies): Bottle Washers, Prepared Meals, and More

There's a lot of parenting and baby gear out there, and not all of it is created equal. Not all of it will suit what the parents in your life might need, either. This guide is organized into a handful of different categories of parenting gadgets, smart home gear, little luxuries, and even food deliveries you can send to their door.

All of these are tried and tested by WIRED's reviewers (many of whom are parents) and can confirm the difference it's made in their lives. Looking for more baby gear or gift ideas? Don't miss our gifts for moms and dads, or our guide to all the best baby gear.

Great Parenting Gadgets to Gift It's easy to remember to register for things like the car seat and baby clothes. But there are a lot of small gadgets that make parenting a little easier, things that new parents don't realize they might love using. Here's some of our favorites from the parents here at WIRED.

Something to Eat Early parenting is survival, and bandwidth to go to the grocery store or cook becomes a hard zero. There's a reason friends and family often run food trains for new parents. The following food gifts would be a great option to contribute to a food train, and being shippable packages means you can send it to a friend or family member you may live too far from to visit often.

Some Daily Life Upgrades I didn't put anything fun on my son's registry. I was so overwhelmed with how many must-haves I needed (from the diaper pail to the infant baby tub device I never used), plus baby registry websites will constantly tell you how you haven't added things from every single category their site has deemed important. There are a lot of things parents need, but there's lots of fun things you can gift that aren't necessities, but will still make parenting a little easier, or at least feel like a thoughtful gift.

Smart Home Improvements I'm biased as a smart home reviewer, but the right Wi-Fi powered gadget could change your life, especially when you're locked into a contact nap and need to dim the lights without moving. These are a few smart home upgrades I'd recommend gifting just about anyone, new parent or no. Gifts for Little One You probably already gifted baby something at the baby shower, but if you want to get something for little one to play with, here are some of our favorite baby toys as WIRED parents.