The smart gadgets that make life easier for new parents
Welcome to the new world of tech devices, designed to help those first months and years go smoothly
One of the best things about being a millennial parent? The nifty technology designed to assist you. From Elvie’s ingenious silent electric breast pump, which can be worn under a bra so you can get up and about, to the Owlet smart sock baby monitor, which delivers data on your baby’s heart rate, sleep patterns and oxygen levels, life as a new parent just got a little bit easier. Even the bestselling Tommee Tippee GroEgg2 digital room thermometer doubles as a night light. And then there’s Vital Baby's UV-only steriliser, which eliminates the need for sterilising fluids. Read on to find out more.
Leading British baby brand Tommee Tippee designs products to make the early days of feeding your little one as easy and smooth-sailing as possible. The Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Day & Night is a total must-have if you're formula feeding. It makes the perfect amount of milk at the perfect temperature, and in just two minutes – a miracle for the middle-of-the-night feeds. In fact, that's up to ten times faster than a kettle – no wonder it's a Silver Award Winner in 2024's Project Baby Awards. The hero gadget also has an in-built filter system to ensure that the water is as pure as possible, plus a handy night light so that you can see exactly what you're doing in the dead of night. Genius.
Meanwhile, Tommee Tippee's GOPrep Portable Formula Feedmaker Kit is the perfect partner to feeds happening on the go, as it comes with a hot and a cool flask. The hot flask stores boiling water at the perfect temperature, and the cool flask is then used when you're ready to feed. Simply add your formula in, pour in the water from your hot flask, shake up and feed baby.
And from now until 13 October, get the Tommee Tippee GO Prep Portable Formula Feedmaker, Cool Flask at no extra cost when you purchase it with the Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Day & Night - see the product page for details.
For other products that promise to make life with a baby easier are the hi-tech Nanit baby monitor, a smart HD monitor that delivers updates straight to your smartphone, and Frida Baby 3-in-1 humidifier, available in a range of stylish shades, and is perfect for when your little one is bunged up. The cuddly MomCosy sleep aids for newborns has 34 sounds to choose from, including 11 different white noise options, an adjustable nightlight, the ability to control the gadget through your phone and other features that will honestly improve your baby's sleep – and your sanity. It also make great new-baby presents (the parents will thank you).
With all this tech designed to help look after your baby, are we in danger of losing good old common sense? What’s the best way to use a smart parenting gadget? ‘At first, use it as a teacher to learn what works for you and your baby,’ says Laura Lee. ‘Check out the stats you build up on sleep habits, feeding times and body temperature to learn what is normal for your child. In the early weeks this can be hugely reassuring, but eventually, your instincts will take over. Then it’s time to use your smart parenting kit as a helpful assistant.’
