This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

When I was pregnant, my husband and I researched every item we were going to put on our registry and purchase.   Besides, “baby gear you need,” I should have researched “baby gear you don’t need.”

My registry was jam packed full of gear.  We were fully prepared for anything this baby threw our way. We had everything and then some on the list.  From expensive bedding to different play yards, we felt as though we needed it all before the baby even got here.

You quickly realize the things you’re going to rely on to get you through the day and the things you’re probably going to use a few times before giving up on.

These are the baby gear items I could have lived without (and you probably can too.)

Baby Gear You Don’t Need

1. Wipe Warmer

My husband, my dear sweet husband, wanted this damn wipe warmer more than anything.  I refused to put it on our registry and he eventually just bought it himself. He was worried Rion would cry out after being wiped with a room temperature wipe as opposed to a slightly warmer wipe.

As new parents, you soon realize there are battles you don’t want to fight and this was one of them. I used the wipe warmer and prepared for a life in which my son would have his royal behind warmed as I wipe him. The life.

Until one day I had a rolling seven month old with a poopy diaper and an empty wipe warmer.  I pulled the last wipe out knowing this was a two wipe job.  The storage wipes were obviously not right in front of us.  I had to pick my rolling boy up, try not to get poop all over me, get a new package of wipes, go back to where we started, and fill the wipe warmer?

Not happening.

I opened the package of wipes and never looked back. I knew the wipe warmer was useless from the start.

I’d also like it to be known that my son didn’t notice a difference in the temperature of his wipes. He didn’t notice the difference when we were outside the house without warm wipes, why would he freak out now?

2. Diaper Genie

This one my husband fought me on. I said we needed one, and he said we’d be disposing of the stinky diapers daily and the refills would be expensive.

We analyzed the costs, did a little research, and decided on a regular trash can and emptying the trash daily. In the end, we stuck to it.  We use a small four gallon trash can and get rid of the bag daily.

To anyone who says “Well I don’t have to go outside!” Okay.  I’m already going outside, so I’ll just take the trash there too.

3. Expensive Crib Bedding

It looks so cute, but you can’t use any of it. You need a fitted sheet. You can get a crib skirt if you want something a little more fancy, but you really only need a fitted sheet for your crib.

To reduce the risk of SIDS, you won’t put a comforter or use a crib bumper.  You can read more about SIDS prevention here.

Take that money you want to spend on the crib bedding and either buy a lot of fitted sheets OR treat yourself to a mani-pedi because you deserve it.

4. Expensive Swing

The Mamaroo was all the rage.  I think Rion used it for a few weeks in the beginning, then 5-10 minutes here or there for maybe 2-3 months.  It just wasn’t his thing.  Everyone says to get a swing, and I wish I invested in a regular swing and not the Mamaroo which was more of a baby glider.

I really think for our next child I am going to invest in a swing if the Mamaroo is once again a no-go.

I really liked what the Mamaroo could do. Maybe 4Moms could make an adult version of the Mamaroo with a wine glass holder.

5. High Chair

We got a really good deal on our high chair and ended up taking it off the registry.  Ours was a 4-in-1 high chair that would grow with our son. Perfect! I love a multi-tasker!

Living in a small two bedroom apartment, we are pretty limited on space.  Though the high chair was in a spot that we didn’t really use much next to our dining room table, it was in the way, clunky, and difficult to move.

I ended up turning it into the infant feeding booster seat in no time and strapped it to a dining room chair.  We don’t have a lot of guests living so far from family, so it works for us.  You may want to go for something like this right away.

Ri also loves eating at the table with us.  He eats more watching us eat and mimics what we do.

We put the high chair base in storage. No clue if it will make an appearance in the future, but for now it’s found its home.

6. Baby Food Processor

I put this on our registry because it’s a really neat idea. It cooks the food and turns it into baby food in just one push of a button.

Brilliant.

For some reason, I thought I’d have all the time in the world to make food.  Once I had the baby, I knew it wasn’t going to happen as I had no time to remember to brush my teeth let alone make gourmet baby food.

It was purchased for us and I quietly protested that we should return it. John said we’d use it.

I think we used it five times. At $20 a use, it was not a good buy.

We more or less jumped into a mix of purees along with taking some pages from Baby Led Weaning. I wanted to go full BLW, John wanted to do purees.  We met in the middle and called it “Feeding our kid.”

John felt like the baby food processor was a bit tough to clean. Ri also screamed at the top of his lungs every time it spun the food. That sound alone was enough to stop using the processor.

You really don’t need this if you already have a food processor or a blender.  Both work just as well so you can take up less cabinet and counter space.

We also ended up just starting to buy the pouches and tubs of puree baby food.  It just was easier for us. I wish I had more time and energy into making more of his food, but it worked for us so we went with it.

With a ton of items out there saturating the baby market, there’s a lot of baby gear you don’t need. In the end, find what works for you and your family.  Some swear by items on this list, but I know most of the moms I speak too agree – you make do with what you have and probably won’t miss anything with bells and whistles.

What did you buy that you barely used if at all? What baby products did you end up skipping?

You may also like:

• Free ULTIMATE Baby Registry Checklist
• Six Things You NEED On Your Registry
• How To Start A Mom Blog