A few weeks ago I wrote about the worst baby “must-have” gadgets that I purchased and hated. Today, let’s take a look at the ones that I’ll forever be buying for all my soon-to-be-mom friends.
To purchase any of these products, scan the QR code in Taobao.
1. HengHengNiu 哼哼牛
We got one of these during my daughter’s first birthday, and she’s still obsessed with it almost a year later. Here’s why it’s amazing. 1: It’s a tough cow that can take a hit. Toddlers throw stuff, and after a year of throwing, our HengHengNiu still works perfectly. 2: It’s got so many features! This thing sings, reads stories, imitates, walks, farts, cries, and turns into a nightlight projector that plays calming music for naptimes. 3. It’s well designed. My daughter went through a few weeks where she needed to have Henghengniu with her when she slept. Despite being an electronic toy, this cow has no sharp edges.
Downside: Don’t lose the binky. If you lose the binky, HengHengNiu will cry and refuse to go into the nightlight projector mode. However, when we lost the binky for a few days, I substituted it with a makeup brush at night to calm it down. (Too bad that doesn’t work with real babies) Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
2. Bizzy Bear Bilingual Books
Anyone who’s met my daughter knows she loves to read. Since she was less than a year old, she’d sit and flip through books and bring her favorite ones over to me to read to her. What really ignited her love for books was Bizzy Bear. The Bizzy Bear series published by Nosy Crow has been translated into 23 languages. From the quality of the paper they use to the attention to detail in the illustrations, the Bizzy Bear books are like the crown jewels of baby books.
3. Baby swing
My husband loves working out, and there’s always been a pull-up bar in our apartment. This baby swing clips right onto any bar, and on days when we can’t go outside, it keeps my daughter happy for a long, long time. The swing is made with the same quality of rope and harnesses as rock climbing gear, and unlike the plastic types of swings, this swing doesn’t take up as much room to store, and is more eco-friendly.
4. Stroller tricycles
No joke, I looked into this for months before finally purchasing this model. There are just so many different kinds out there!
This particular one is a tricycle that doubles as a stroller, and it has a seatbelt for extra safety. When your child gets a bit older, the retractable control stick at the back can be removed and the whole thing can be rearranged into a tricycle that they can ride themselves.
5. Bouncy horse (or any animal)
I really wanted a wooden rocking horse for my daughter because they’re so beautiful! But I’m so glad that my friend gave me her daughter’s bouncy horse thing. Since the first day it arrived, my daughter has loved bouncing on her horsy, and now has even incorporated the “boin boin boin boin” sound affects. This is definitely one of those times where you trade Instagrammable looks for practicality.
Images: Taobao, Mina Yan
