Baby Shower Gifts, Starting With the Registry
By the Giftruly editorsUpdated 21 hand-picked ideas
A baby shower is one of the few parties where the guest of honor has told everyone, quite precisely, what they'd like. That list was made with care, often after weeks of reading reviews at midnight, and it's the first place to look. Going off-registry with a surprise can be lovely, but it can also mean a second bouncer in a one-bedroom apartment.
This guide is built around that. It opens with a few words on how to use the registry well, then covers the practical things that are often still unclaimed the week of the shower, books for the baby's first shelf, keepsakes worth bringing to the party, cheap add-ons to tuck in with the main gift, and a short section for the parents themselves.
If the baby has already arrived, see our guide to gifts for new parents, which focuses on food, sleep and help. For toys and presents as the child grows, try gifts for babies.
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Three easy answers
Start with the registry
Buy from the registry if one exists, and buy early. The best-value items and the small essentials go first; latecomers are often left with the stroller or the crib, which are too expensive for most single guests. If that happens, team up with a few other guests and split one big item, or give a gift card to the store hosting the registry. Many registries offer a completion discount after the shower, so a card helps the parents buy the remaining big pieces for less.
If you want to add something personal, keep it small and pair it with a registry gift rather than replacing it. And if you're shipping to the home, mark it as purchased yourself if the site doesn't do it automatically, so the parents don't end up with two of the same breast pump. For a second or third baby, where there may be a smaller "sprinkle" instead of a full shower, consumables like diapers, wipes and meals matter more than new gear.
The useful things nobody claims
Every registry has items that sit there unbought until the last minute, usually because they're unglamorous. They're also the things parents need on the first day home, which makes them some of the most appreciated gifts at the shower.
Check sizes and versions against the registry if one is listed, so you don't buy the wrong model.
- 1
Video Baby Monitor
~$90
A nursery camera with its own handheld screen, so parents can check on a sleeping baby without opening the door and risking a wake-up. Some families prefer phone-app monitors and some want a separate screen that works when the Wi-Fi doesn't, so if it's not on the registry, ask. A good one is a sensible gift to split between three or four guests.
- 2
Baby Bathtub with Newborn Sling
~$30
The first few baths with a slippery newborn are nerve-racking. A small tub with a mesh sling holds the baby at a safe angle, so the parent has both hands free, and it converts into a sit-up tub later. It's one of those items that seems optional on the registry and turns out to be used every other day.
- 3
Stretchy Baby Wrap Carrier
~$40
A long piece of soft fabric tied around the parent to hold a newborn snug against the chest. Plenty of babies settle faster when they're carried, and the parent gets two free hands for coffee or a sibling. Learning to tie it takes a couple of tries, so it suits parents who'll watch a video or two. Many families prefer a buckle carrier; check the registry before choosing.
- 4
Muslin Swaddle Blankets Set
~$30
Thin, breathable cotton squares that get used for swaddling, as burp cloths, as a changing mat on a friend's sofa and for tummy time on the floor. Parents can never seem to find a clean one. Swaddling should stop once a baby starts trying to roll, but the blankets themselves stay useful for months.
- 5
Wearable Blanket Sleep Sack
~$28
Pediatric safe-sleep advice says no loose blankets in the crib, so most families switch to a zip-up sleep sack the baby wears over pajamas. They're often missing from first-time registries. Buy a 0–6 month size in a medium-weight cotton, and maybe a second for the night of the inevitable diaper leak.
- 6
Organic Cotton Baby Bodysuit Set
~$25
A multipack of plain snap bodysuits, the basic layer babies wear almost every day. Showers are flooded with newborn sizes, many of which get worn once, so choose 3–6 or 6–9 months instead. Plain colors are more useful than slogans, and envelope necklines make the inevitable blowout changes much easier.
A first shelf of books
Books are a classic shower gift for good reason: they're inexpensive, they never go to waste, and reading aloud is one of the first things parents and babies can do together. Mix a few for the newborn months with some to grow into.
- 7~$10
High-Contrast Black and White Baby Book
Newborns see bold contrast long before they see color, so these are among the first pictures a baby will really look at. Great for tummy time.
Book Loverspractical - 8~$12
Soft Cloth Crinkle Book
A fabric book with crinkly pages that babies can grab, squeeze and chew. Clips onto a car seat or stroller and survives the washing machine.
Book Loversfun - 9~$12
Waterproof Baby Bath Book Set
Soft vinyl books that float, for a few months from now when bath time becomes playtime. Rinse and dry them after use so they last.
Book Loversfun - 10~$35
Personalized Kids Storybook
A picture book starring the child by name. Only bring it if the parents have shared the name; otherwise, give a voucher and let them order it later.
Book Loverspersonalized - 11~$20
Toddler Board Book Collection
A boxed set of sturdy board books with rhymes and bright pictures. A baby grows into these over the first year, and toddlers read them to pieces.
Book Loverssentimental
Keepsakes to bring to the party
A shower is a rare moment when everyone who'll love this baby is in one room. The best sentimental gifts make use of that, rather than being something the parents open and put away.
- Our favorite12
Baby Time Capsule Keepsake Box
~$35
A lidded box with prompt cards and envelopes, made for collecting letters and mementos to open on a future birthday. Bring it to the shower, put it on a table with pens and ask every guest to write a short letter to the baby: a hope, a piece of advice, what the world was like this year. It turns the party itself into the keepsake, and the parents go home with dozens of letters they'd never have thought to collect.
- 13
Baby Handprint and Footprint Kit
~$25
A clean-touch ink kit with a frame for tiny hand and foot prints. Parents mean to take prints in the first weeks and often forget until the feet are suddenly much bigger. A thoughtful pick for a first baby, and an easy add-on to a registry gift.
- 14
Personalized Wooden Nursery Name Sign
~$35
A wooden sign cut with the baby's name, for the nursery wall. Only give it if the parents have announced the name and are happy for people to use it. Ask them to hang it well away from the crib and secure it to the wall, never above where the baby sleeps.
Little extras under $25
Small, cheap and always needed. Tuck one or two of these in with a registry gift, or put a few together if your budget is modest.
15.Organic Cotton Burp Cloths Set ~$18
Contoured cloths that sit over a shoulder. Parents run through several a day and still can't find one when they need it.
16.Hooded Baby Bath Towel ~$22
A soft towel with a corner hood that keeps a wet head warm. Two is better than one, since one is always in the wash.
17.Silicone Baby Teether Toy ~$10
A one-piece silicone teether that's easy to grip and wash. Not needed for a few months, but parents are glad to find it when teething starts.
18.Textured Sensory Ball Set for Babies ~$15
Soft, bumpy balls in different textures and sizes. Easy for small hands to grab, and good for later, once the baby starts sitting up and crawling.
Something for the parents
Showers can feel entirely about the baby. A gift for the adults, particularly a partner who is often overlooked, is a kind touch.
- 19
Diaper Bag Backpack
~$50
A backpack-style diaper bag with a changing pad and insulated bottle pockets. Backpacks leave both hands free and are easier to share between two parents than a shoulder tote. Check the registry first; parents often have strong opinions about bags, and one they love gets used every day for two years.
- 20
Dad and Baby Matching T-Shirt Set
~$25
An adult T-shirt and a baby bodysuit with a matching joke or design. It's silly, cheap and makes for a good first photo, and it gives the other parent a present of their own at the shower. Choose a bodysuit size the baby will grow into, such as 3–6 months.
- 21
Food Delivery Gift Card
~$50
A delivery gift card tucked inside the shower card is a gift for the weeks after the birth, when cooking falls apart. It won't make anyone gasp at the party, but it will be remembered at 7 p.m. on a hard Tuesday. Mention in the card that it's for after the baby comes.
Shop this guide by price
Under $25
$25–$50
$50–$100
Shower gift etiquette in brief
Buy from the registry first, and buy early. Then add something personal if you'd like.
Include a gift receipt with anything off-registry. Parents return and exchange more at this stage than at any other.
If you can't attend, it's still kind to send a gift from the registry, shipped to the home rather than the venue.
Skip crib bumpers, pillows and soft bedding sets; pediatricians advise a bare crib with only a fitted sheet.
Stuck between options? Tell our gift finder about the parents and what's still unclaimed on the list.
Common baby shower gift questions
How much should you spend on a baby shower gift?
Most guests spend $30 to $75; close family and friends often spend more or join a group gift. A small registry item with a thoughtful card is always fine.
Is it rude to buy off the registry?
Not rude, but risky. Parents usually build the registry around the space and gear they've chosen. If you go off-list, keep it small, useful or personal, and include a gift receipt.
What if everything affordable on the registry is gone?
Join with other guests for a bigger item, give a registry gift card, or choose consumables every family uses: diapers in sizes 1 and 2, wipes, burp cloths or a few board books.
Should I bring a gift to a baby sprinkle for a second baby?
Yes, but smaller. Most families already have the gear from the first child, so diapers, clothes in the right season, meals and something for the older sibling are good choices.