Baby Items That Never Left the Box — Or Got Used Once (0–12 Months)
There are baby items I didn’t use at all — and a few I used exactly once. As a first-time parent, you don’t know what you don’t know. In the early months, I was quick to Amazon gadgets that I thought would solve an immediate “problem” (teething, starting solids, etc.) — and then spent the next year finding out which of those things I actually needed. You live and learn – with a small house, if it didn’t earn it’s place, it was off to someone else who could use it.
I think it’s genuinely fun to see what people don’t end up using. Every baby (and every parent) is different — what I didn’t touch, someone else will swear by, and vice versa. These are just my honest opinions after one full year. Take what’s useful, leave the rest.
Here’s everything I bought that either never left the box or got used once.
Feeding
Oxo Dishwasher Basket
I just use the top rack — works perfectly fine without a dedicated basket taking up valuable dishwasher space (trust me, you’ll need all the space you can get!). One thing to note – I LOVE the Momcozy Bottle Washer and used it exclusively for bottles from 0 – 12 months… then started using the dishwasher for cups and accessories after she turned 1.
Nutribullet Baby Steam & Blend
Tried this twice and decided it was way too much work with a 6-month-old. Store-bought purees worked for me.
Puree Freezer Molds and Baby Food Jars.
Making purees was just too much work with a 6-month-old. It’s such a short phase too – they start eating solids pretty quickly! These can be used for other foods eventually but seeing these in the cabinet just made me feel guilty about not making purees so off they went.
Restaurant High Chair Cover
The idea made total sense — until I realized Clorox wipes do the exact same job in about 10 seconds with nothing to wash afterward. It’s also pretty bulky and barely fits in a (large) diaper bag.
Portable Bottle Warmer
I really wanted to love this one. But it was super heavy and bulky for travel, and eventually I just got my little one used to cold or room-temp formula. Problem solved without the extra stuff.
Brezza & Bottle Washer Descaling Liquid & Tablets
Honest truth: these didn’t work. Vinegar and water is the best thing for descaling both the Brezza and the bottle washer — free, and it actually works.
Small Silicone Cups
My daughter maybe used these once. Regular cups and other sippy cups work just fine — this felt like a solution to a problem we didn’t have.
Freezer Feeder / Teether
I wanted to love this, but I had no time to constantly clean and refill the trays. Switched to these freezer teethers that didn’t require food — or cleaning.
Health
Baby Forehead Thermometer
Infants and small babies really need a rectal or underarm thermometer for an accurate reading — a forehead thermometer just isn’t reliable at this age. I may actually use this one once she’s older, but for 0–12 months it sat untouched.
Baby Bath Thermometer
Never felt like we needed this one. You can tell if the water is too hot or too cold.
Electric Nose Sucker
This just didn’t work for us. I always reached for the NoseFrida instead — every single time.
Angelcare Tub
As a minimalist, I really wanted to love this — so simple, no bulk. It just didn’t fit my little one well. We quickly switched to a foldable infant tub that held its own water instead of using the bathtub water, and that worked much better.
Sleep & Other
Crib Mobile
I bought a super cute one — and then my postpartum doula told me it was too distracting for infant sleep. She was right. By the time my little one was old enough that it wouldn’t disrupt sleep, we’d already gotten rid of it. It was adorable, though.
Rechargeable Egg Night Light
So many people love these — I just found it to be one more thing to charge. I went with adjustable plug-in night lights instead, and the Hatch sound machine has light options built in too, so it was covered.
Pacifier Holders
These only fit 1 – 2 pacifiers and I found it was easier to clip them to the bag with a pacifier clip than use these. On the go, pacifier wipes are the move if they fall or get dirty — simpler and takes up less space.
Car Camera
Installed it, used it once, immediately bought a mirror instead. The cords run all through your car and honestly, glancing at a screen while driving is more distracting than reassuring. The mirror is so much better.
Clothing
Extra clothes — this one’s less of a product and more of a pattern. Every well-meaning person tells you to stock up on every size. My daughter never fit in newborn and blew through some sizes in two weeks. You really can’t predict it. Buy less, wash more, and look for hand-me-downs from friends or Facebook Marketplace (especially in the first year when they change sizes frequently).
One year in and zero regrets about any of these sitting in a donation pile. Your list will look different — but hopefully this saves you a few tabs and a few wasted purchases.
Looking for what I actually did use? Check out Baby Items I Used Every Day 6 – 12 Months and my Baby Registry Essentials for more!
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Great content! Keep up the good work!