10 nursery essentials: the ultimate guide to baby nursery must-haves
With a baby on the way, you may have the pushchair and car seat sorted, but what do you need to buy for the nursery? To help you get everything in place for your baby’s arrival, here’s our top picks for your nursery shopping list.
By Gemma Wilcock | Last updated Apr 23, 2024
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One of the most exciting parts about having a baby is getting the nursery ready. But while you may have lots of great ideas about the décor, it can be trickier to know what you actually need to put in your baby’s room.
Getting the right items will make life a lot easier when your baby arrives. Brands like iL Tutto pride themselves on their design ethos, and craft their products with style, ergonomics and functionality to give families quality products that meet their needs when planning their baby’s nursery.
So to help you get prepared, we’ve researched the ultimate baby nursery must-haves, as recommended by Mumsnetters, and the products we think both you and your baby will love.
Use code COMFORT20 to get 20% off sitewide at iL Tutto on all full priced items until the end of May 2024. Offer excludes packs and may not be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount code.
1. Nursing chair
A nursing chair is essential for a nursery for several reasons. Not only is it a comfortable resting place, but nursing glider chairs have padded armrests, lumbar support, and reclining features for comfortable feeding sessions. Thanks to this, having a nursing chair in your nursery will help to create a cosy environment for bonding with gentle rocking or gliding motions. Having one provides space to relax and attend to your baby’s needs without distractions.
That’s not all - the right nursing chair will be ergonomically designed to promote good posture, reducing the risk of strains for caregivers and ensuring comfortable feeding positions for babies.
Mumsnet recommends: Chelsea Recliner Glider Nursery Chair
Wrap yourself in a safe space with this IL Tutto nursery chair that’s specifically designed for you and your baby’s comfort. The Chelsea has been created with you and your LO in mind, providing a perfect place for cuddles, sleep and feeding.
Your nursing chair is one of the best investments you’ll make in your nursery. In the first weeks and months with your baby, you’ll spend hours in your nursing chair.
Julie Georgiadis, Marketing Director, iL Tutto
The chair comes with an easy to reach recline handle that first unfolds the legs, then the rest of your body - resulting in the comfiest space for relaxing with baby in arms. The high backrest caters for parents and carers of all different sizes, and the armrests are at the correct height for relief and support while you feed or enjoy storytime.
Plus - it’s easy to assemble, so it won’t take long to set up in your nursery.
2. Baby monitor
A product that features at the top of most new parents’ shopping list is a baby monitor as it allows you to keep an eye – or ear – on your baby when they’re in another room.
While traditional audio monitors listen in on your baby during nap times and at night, video monitors allow you to see what they’re up to when you’re not around. Many of the latest devices can be used through your smartphone so you can check on your baby from anywhere in your home – and when you’re out too. Some even have the two-way talkback function so you can interact with your baby.
Monitors can also alert you when your child rolls over and provide information such as room temperature, humidity and sleep reports to help identify any issues that could be affecting your baby during the night.
Read next: The best nursing chairs to buy, as recommended by mums
3. Cot
A nursery wouldn’t be complete without somewhere for your baby to rest their head. They’ll (hopefully) spend a lot of their early life napping and sleeping, so be sure to choose a cot that not only looks nice but is safe and sturdy for your growing baby.
Generally, a cot is suitable for babies from the age of six months so you may want to use a crib or Moses basket for those early days when you’re advised to keep your baby close at night.
It goes without saying that you should always follow the safe sleep guidelines for your baby’s cot. That includes placing your baby to sleep on their back and using a cot that meets the UK/EU standards. Also be sure that there are no hazards around the cot or within the baby's reach.
- Julie Georgiadis, Marketing Director iL Tutto
Traditional slatted cots can be lowered as your baby grows and are suitable up to around age two, but you can buy a cot bed that converts to a toddler bed which will last longer. If you’re short on space, look for a cot with storage underneath.
Mumsnet recommends: CoZee Breeze Plus Co-Sleeping Bassinet
Smaller than a standard cot, this CoZee Co-Sleeping bassinet from IL Tutto fits easily into your room for those first months when you want to keep an eye on your baby at night. You can use it from birth up to five months old, after which, they would move into a bigger cot.
As it’s bigger than a Moses basket, the CoZee Breeze Plus allows your baby plenty of room to grow in these important first months. We like that it’s modern in design with breathable mesh sides, has wheels to move around if you need it to, and can be used as a stand-alone bassinet as well as a co-sleeper attached to your bed for easy night-time feeding.
We also love the fact it has underneath storage so all your essentials like nappies and baby wipes are within easy reach at all times. And best of all? It’s suitable for travelling with, should you want to book a staycation or visit family members with your LO.
4. Cot sheets
While it can be tempting to buy a fancy bedding set, all you really need for your baby’s cot is a sheet for the mattress, and blankets or a baby sleeping bag to keep your baby warm.
Classic cot sheets are made from 100% cotton, which is breathable to help keep your baby cool during the summer and warm during the winter months. While you can use a flat sheet, a fitted sheet is better as it will stay in place if your baby is wriggling about at night. Good quality sheets should also wash well without bobbling or losing their shape, which is important if your baby is sick or has a leaky nappy at night. For this reason, make sure you always have at least one spare sheet clean.
5. Night light
If you don’t want to be fumbling around in the dark during a night-time feed or nappy change, a night light will come in very handy during the first few months or years of your baby’s life.
Instead of having to turn on a bright lamp, a night light gives off a soft warm glow and can also help soothe your baby (or toddler) at bedtime if they don’t like a totally dark room. You can get simple plug-ins, lamps, character night lights and designs that also play music or project stars onto the wall.
If you want to be able to move the night light around, look for one that’s battery-operated.
6. Sound machine
Helping your baby get to sleep can be one of the hardest parts about being a parent. Many swear by white noise to soothe tired babies and help them sleep longer as it blocks out any distracting background noises.
There are white noise apps, cuddly comforters and sound machine boxes that emit white noise to help your baby get to sleep. Some can double up as a night light and can play other sounds such as nursery rhymes, lullabies and nature sounds. Look out for sound machines with multiple volume settings so you can choose how loud you want it.
7. Changing mat
There’s one thing you’ll be doing a lot of when your baby arrives and that’s changing nappies. A changing mat - a padded, wipeable surface with raised edges – provides a comfortable place for your baby to lie.
Emergency nappy changes can strike at any time – both day and night - so keeping a mat (as well as nappies, baby wipes and creams) in your nursery means you have everything to hand when needed.
To save your back and prevent you from being hunched over on the floor, it may be worth investing in a changing table which can sit on top of a chest of drawers or shelves to double up as extra storage for all your baby’s adorable new clothes.
8. Bodysuits
Another must-have for your baby’s wardrobe is a bodysuit - a versatile piece of baby clothing that can be worn as a vest under clothes, as a T-shirt with bottoms or for bed on warmer nights.
Available with long or short sleeves, it’s good to have a range of these in different styles, colours and prints. The poppers will ensure you can easily change a nappy and bodysuits with an envelope neck make undressing a wriggly baby a whole lot easier – especially when a leaky nappy strikes.
9. Pyjamas
If you want to add a bit of variety to your baby’s nightwear, you could opt for a cosy two-piece pyjama set. As with bodysuits, look for pyjama tops with envelope or popper openings on the shoulders to make undressing younger babies easier.
Most sets don’t have feet so these may be better suited for warmer months or when your baby becomes more mobile.
10. Hooded towel
Most babies love splashing about at bath time and, as a parent, we love those post-bath cuddles when they’re wrapped up in a towel. As babies only start to regulate their temperature from about 18 months, a hooded towel covers their head to ensure they stay warm when it’s time to get out of the bath.
Look for towels that are soft and absorbent for drying your baby’s delicate skin. You can find a range of hooded towels in a variety of styles, such as with cute animal ears, colours and patterns.
Read next: The best nappy bins to buy, as recommended by parents
When should I start preparing my nursery?
This is totally up to you. Some parents like to be organised and get everything ready well before their baby’s due date, while others prefer to wait until nearer the time. A good time to start thinking about preparing the nursery is after your 20-week scan, when you may know the sex of your baby and can start thinking about how you want to decorate.
In your second trimester, you should also feel more energised and you’ll still have plenty of time to shop around for the best products and wait for things to arrive – furniture can take weeks to be delivered. You may want to get all the essentials in place by 36 weeks just in case your baby decides to make an early appearance.
About iL Tutto
Since 2007, iL Tutto has been Australia’s most sought-after household name for high quality, stylish, and functional baby nursery furniture and is now available to support UK families. iL Tutto offers parents a range of innovative and award-winning CoZee Breeze Plus Co-Sleeping Bassinets, exclusive to iL Tutto, Tutti Bambini Chests and Changers, Baby Cots and Bedding along with our widest range of modern rockers, gliders, recliners, and electric recliner nursery chairs.
Remember: Use code COMFORT20 to get 20% off sitewide at iL Tutto on all full priced items until the end of May 2024. Offer excludes packs and may not be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount code.
About the author
Gemma Wilcock is a freelance writer and copywriter. She grew up in the North-East of England but has lived in and around London for almost 20 years now. At Mumsnet, she creates content providing useful parenting advice, information and top products to make life easier – as a mother of two children herself, Gemma knows how important it is to get the right advice.