The 28 Best Gifts for New Moms

We Are Amma Honey Cocoon

This lightweight nursing cover is made from a wrinkle- and stain-resistant yarn knit. The poncho shape is particularly versatile for breastfeeding days and beyond.

Buying Options

$99 from We Are Amma

Made of a rayon-polyester yarn blend, the luxe We Are Amma Honey Cocoon is both wrinkle- and stain-resistant, so mom doesn’t have to worry about Aquaphor smears or yogurt streaks. It’s plenty chic to wear as a scarf when not in use as a nursing cover, a poncho when off-duty from parenting, or as a baby’s blanket or stroller cover. And the knit weave is breathable enough to let a little light in for the nursing baby, but not so wide that anyone else can see in. It also comes in a variety of colors; we’re partial to the honey and olive.

Mustela Newborn Arrival Gift Set

This delicately scented French kit includes five gentle products: a newborn foam shampoo, cleansing gel, no-rinse cleansing water, body lotion, and diaper rash cream.

Buying Options

$36 from Amazon

$50 from Walmart

$38 from Babylist

When gifts staff writer Samantha Schoech’s twins were born, a loved one gave her the subtle but wonderfully scented Mustela Newborn Arrival Gift Set, made by a French family-owned company to suit newborns’ sensitive skin. The mild five-product kit includes a newborn foam shampoo, cleansing gel, no-rinse cleansing water, body lotion, and diaper rash cream. While some may prefer unscented products, we found these to be gentle and pleasingly subtle. “I kept buying it even though it was expensive because I just loved everything about it,” she says.

Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year

Writer Anne Lamott’s classic memoir on the highs and lows of the first year of motherhood is funny, deeply felt, and uplifting.

Buying Options

$10 from Amazon

$10 from Walmart

With raw honesty and self-deprecating humor, writer Anne Lamott’s deft memoir Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year has resonated with women for the past 20 years. Lamott chronicles her struggles as the single mother of a son buoyed by supportive loved ones and her faith, but mothers of all stripes will feel seen in her writing (the religiosity isn’t preachy). When she was a new mom, senior editor Kalee Thompson appreciated that Lamott “acknowledges just how new motherhood pairs the messy and overwhelming with the beautiful—it’s all the emotions.”

Lo & Sons Del Mar Packable Tote

With a water-resistant Tyvek exterior and polyester interior, this lightweight bag has two removable interior pockets and comes in both solids and playful designs.

Buying Options

$64 from Lo & Sons

As much as we love a great leather tote, it’s not the most practical choice for the time period when fluids (milk, spit-up, whatever) are flying. The wipeable, durable Del Mar Packable Tote, a favorite of senior staff writer Kaitlyn Wells, is constructed out of two water-resistant materials: an exterior of Tyvek and an interior of polyester made from recycled bottles. The foldable, lightweight bag also has two snap-on pouches and would also work well as a grocery or beach bag. It doesn’t trade style for practicality either, with fun designs like Hawaii-inspired icons—palm trees, sushi, pineapples—on a navy background with a deep-orange reverse side. Choose from the 13-by-12-inch small or 14-by-16-inch tall sizes.

Storq Soft Touch Nursing Tank

Suitable for cup sizes A through E, these buttery-soft jersey tanks have convenient clips and a slim-but-stretchy fit, and they come in seven good-looking colors and patterns.

Buying Options

$58 from Storq

Nursing clothes don’t have to be frumpily uncool, but a good many of them unfortunately are. Not the Storq Soft Touch Nursing Tank. Made of soft lightweight modal jersey, the slim-fitting tank has adjustable straps, plenty of stretch, and a shelf bra with light support. It comes in seven colors and patterns, including a bright poppy red and a black floral. Storq has a guide for nursing bra sizing if you want to help your giftee find hers (or an easy return process if you want to make the gift a surprise). The tank works great as an underlayer in the early homebound days of nursing and can be dressed up with a maxi skirt or wide leg jeans once she starts venturing out.

Gldn Aura Birthstone Hoops

Each of these dainty, 12-millimeter hinge hoops are made from vermeil—a thick layer of 14k gold over solid sterling silver—and embedded with one of 13 lab-grown gemstones.

Buying Options

$60 from GLDN

Once babies start grabbing things, dangly jewelry is out. These lovely, gold vermeil GLDN Aura Birthstone Hoops fit snugly around ear lobes, click shut on a hinge, and sweetly celebrate the little one’s birth month. Each earring has eight 1.3-millimeter gemstones, making for a minimalist hoop set or sweet accents to other earrings if she has multiple piercings. Unlike a lot of earrings we’ve seen lately, these are sold as a pair.

Kate McLeod Daily Stone Solid Moisturizer

This solid moisturizer bar smells great and promotes super-soft skin. It’s a little pricey, however.

Buying Options

$45 from Kate McLeod

$45 from Sephora

Between diapers, spit-up, and newborns’ delicate immune systems, parenthood brings with it a whole new level of handwashing. Your gift recipient can keep her hands, feet, and everything else supple with the intensively moisturizing Kate McLeod Daily Stone Solid Moisturizer, made with cocoa butter and sweet almond and apricot kernel oils. Instead of single-use plastic, the solid moisturizer orb (which she can warm between her hands before smoothing all over) comes packed in a lovely bamboo canister.

Day Rate Beauty Petite Power Pin

This 5.5-inch sturdy metal pin comes in nearly a dozen shades. And it holds most hair lengths and textures more securely and elegantly than a traditional elastic (but the technique takes practice).

Buying Options

$26 from Amazon

$26 from Day Rate Beauty

Give the gift of good-hair days in a few seconds flat with this excellent accessory. The Day Rate Beauty Petite Power Pin comes in nearly a dozen sizes, and there are 11 colors to choose from, so they can blend in with or stand out against any hair color. Supervising editor Hannah Morrill reports that just one 5.5-inch pin (in prosecco) is enough to tame her thick, medium-length hair. She says the technique takes a little practice, but the end result is more elegant than her go-to “mom bun.”

Ipsa Frozen Meals

These high-quality, two-serving frozen meals—with choices like meatballs in pink sauce and heirloom bean soup—heat up in a microwave, oven, or on a stovetop. They currently ship to more than 25 states in the eastern half of the US.

Buying Options

Buy from Ipsa

Even if you’re too far away to drop off a lasagna, you can deliver her a meal as good as home cooked. With chef-inspired options like Moroccan braised chicken and sungold arrabbiata, the Ipsa Frozen Meals are a far cry from Lean Cuisine offerings, and they have made more than a few new moms we know very happy (and nourished). To send Ipsa as a gift, you choose dishes from its menu, pick a delivery date, and then add a gift note on the easy-to-use website. (There’s also a gift card option if you want to let her make the selections.) Each meal serves two people and denotes dietary specifications, like gluten- or dairy-free, vegetarian, and spicy. The selections are surprisingly fresh and conveniently flat-packed, and we appreciate the flexible reheating options. Just check whether your giftee’s state is one of the more than 25 that the company ships to before diving in.

Hill House Home Ellie Nap Dress

With a ruched top and flowing bottom, this famous cotton dress, available from XXXS to XXL, is flattering on different body types and comes in range patterns.

Buying Options

$150 from Hill House Home

Founder Nell Diamond designed her beloved Hill House Nap Dress as a new mom to twins specifically to suit fluctuating bodies. Comfortable enough to sleep in, the A-line dress has fluttery sleeves, a tiered bottom, and an elasticated, smocked top that looks pretty on a wide range of bodies—just right for lifting the spirits of a new mama adjusting to her postpartum shape. It’s available in more than 20 pattern and fabric combinations, including blue botanical cotton and black crepe. The kicker? This beaut also has pockets—perfect for pacis and a phone.

Baggu Go Pouch Set

This colorful set contains three different-sized recycled nylon pouches in bright patterns. They’re handy and machine-washable.

Buying Options

$40 from Amazon

$40 from Baggu

$40 from Urban Outfitters

With mom-hood comes stuff and ever more stuff. And the machine-washable Baggu Go Pouch Set is perfect for organizing and toting all manner of things—pacifiers, linking rings, creams, and eventually crayons and coloring books. The nylon pouches have handy hanging loops and zip closures, and they come in delightful mixed patterns and three sizes. And they can meet different needs: as an organizer inside her carryall or a bigger bag to stash in the back pocket of a car seat.

Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket

This puffy outdoor blanket offers the greatest warmth and durability for the lowest relative weight, price, and size.

Buying Options

$99 from REI

Buy from Amazon
(price varies)

$99 from Rumpl

One of our favorite puffy blankets from testing, the Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket is perfect for park dates and backyard hangouts with new babies. Its nylon shell is breathable and quick-drying, and its water-resistant coating can withstand food spills or bodily leaks. When the blanket eventually does get messy, your gift recipient can throw it into the washer and dryer.

Ingrid & Isabel Mama Baseball Cap

The brim of this navy twill hat is wide but flexible, its backstrap is easy to adjust, and the white chain-stitched embroidery is just handsome.

Buying Options

$20 from Ingrid & Isabel

Help a new mom proclaim her role loud and proud with the Ingrid & Isabel Mama Baseball Cap. Though one size fits all, the navy-and-white embroidered cap can be adjusted with a brass buckle in back. And for a twinning opportunity, you can also get the corresponding Babe hat for her little one.

MìLà Soup Dumplings

These delectable, frozen soup dumplings—from a Seattle company founded by second-generation Chinese Americans—steam up sumptuously in minutes.

Buying Options

$40 from MìLà

The last thing a new mom wants to even think about is cooking. Take care of both the physical and cognitive labor by having restaurant-level dim sum delivered to her doorstep. The superb MìLà Soup Dumplings—choose from pork, chicken, or pork and shrimp—are shipped in 50-piece bags frozen on dry ice and are available either as a one-time order or a subscription. They steam up pillowy and juicy in just a few minutes, fresher than soggy delivery. Include a bamboo steamer basket ($30) if she doesn’t already have one; each generous bag contains perforated steamer liners that prevent the little jewels from sticking or rupturing.

Care Crates Build-a-Box

This gift box streamlines shopping by allowing you to choose five items from a list of small gifts like tea, lip balm, and socks. Each one also includes a $2 donation to a charity of your choice.

Buying Options

$49 from Care Crates

The mix-and-match Care Crates Build-a-Box is one of our favorite care packages because you can fill it with five small presents—things that are wearable, comfortable, fun, indulgent, and wholesome—from a well-curated selection. In addition to being personalized and easy to assemble, each Care Crates box includes a $2 donation to one of a long list of nonprofits; gifters can choose to add more to that donation, too. For a new mom, we suggest the velvet scrunchie for easily tying back unwashed hair, the leather notebook for jotting down memories and schedules, the chamomile mint tea for chilling out, and the mint lip balm for feeling human. But maybe she’s more of a confetti-popper and gold-chain kind of person. That’s the beauty of this box: The combinations are nearly endless.

Deuter Kid Comfort

Kids love the over-the-shoulder view from the snug seat of this carrier. Parents love the comfort of its well-padded shoulder and hip straps, as well as the roomy storage compartment and easy-access pockets.

Buying Options

$320 from REI

$285 from Amazon

If you’re looking for something that likely wasn’t on the new mom’s registry but will be useful in the coming year, consider a great hiking backpack that she can use on outdoorsy romps or even walks to the corner store. Padded shoulder straps and a generous hip belt made the Deuter Kid Comfort the most comfortable of the hiking baby carriers we tried, but we also appreciate all of its parent-friendly extras. It has generous pockets in the hip belt for easy access to phones and wallets, and it offers enough pockets and pouches to tote all the diaper-bag essentials. The little one will enjoy the elevated and secure padded seat, the removable napping pillow, the optional sunshade, and the view of the great outdoors. Because the aluminum frame is adjustable, taller and shorter parents or caregivers can easily take turns wearing it.

Wet Pot Planter

Terra-cotta pots nestled in handblown glass containers slowly absorb water, moisten soil, and eliminate the need for diligent hydration schedules.

Buying Options

$40 from MoMA Design Store
(extra small)

She doesn’t need another thing to take care of. The MoMA Self-Watering Wet Pot Planter will help her cross “keep the plants alive” off her list. Fill the handblown glass outer container with water, and the terra-cotta planter slowly soaks it up, giving indoor plants the drink they need. It comes in three sizes and works best for plants that prefer to stay moist, like spider plants or philodendrons.

Zoe Lev 14k Gold Asymmetrical Initial Necklace

This necklace has a dainty 14-karat gold initial, and it can accommodate new letters to honor a growing family.

Buying Options

$295 from Zoe Lev

If you’re looking for a timeless piece to last long after the days of swaddles and sleep regressions, we suggest the 14k Gold Asymmetrical Initial Necklace from Los Angeles–based jeweler Zoe Lev. Each necklace is forged from recycled yellow, white, or rose gold. It’s likely to become the kind of piece she never takes off. The sideways initial in a sans serif font has a modern appeal that’s classic enough to fit a range of styles. Zoe Lev also offers repairs and alterations—such as adding another initial down the road—for a nominal fee.

Mom Milestones: The True Story of the First Seven Years

This warts-and-all illustrated book about the first seven years of motherhood isn’t a prescriptive parenting guide but rather an understanding and affirmative celebration of motherhood.

Buying Options

$11 from Amazon

$17 from Walmart

Being a mom is not an experience that one can sum up in a sentence, a paragraph, or even a book. But doctor, mother, and author Grace Farris sure gives it a shot in her illustrated manual, Mom Milestones, an extension of her Instagram account, where she posts warm and incisive sketches about her humbling parenthood experiences. It tracks a mother’s evolution from Newborn Mom to Elementary School Mom, with pithy reflections such as “Notes I Would Send Myself” and “Tricks That Don’t Work.” This is an affirming read for new moms in particular, a literary road map of the very hard but very good path that lies ahead.

Miami Fruit Variety Box

This vibrant mix of seasonal tropical fruit brings a sunny vacation right to a loved one’s door.

Buying Options

Buy from Miami Fruit

New moms should eat whatever they want, whether that’s heaps of butterscotch pudding or turkey avocado clubs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But once some of the post-labor food frenzy settles, she’ll likely want to nourish her body with foods that are both sweet and healthful. That’s why one of our favorite gift baskets, the Miami Fruit Variety Box, is a thoughtful gesture. Each shipment of farm-grown goods features tropical fruits such as kumquat, persimmon, and dragonfruit, alongside lesser-known finds like granadilla, goldenberry, and naranjilla.

Birkenstock Arizona Essentials EVA

These reimagined classic slip-ons are made from a soft, lightweight type of elastic plastic that is totally machine-washable.

Buying Options

$50 from REI

$50 from Zappos

Many new moms don’t have the time—or the core strength—to bend over and tie laces before running out the door. For an easier footwear option, give them one of our favorite sandals, the Birkenstock Arizona Essentials EVA. These comfortable slides are made from ethylene-vinyl acetate (hence the name), so they’re waterproof, extremely lightweight, and even machine washable. Depending on your gift recipient’s style, you can choose from several bright colors or more-subdued neutrals.

Kindred Bravely Digital Gift Card

Stocked with covetable and comfortable maternity and postpartum clothing, Kindred Bravely comes highly recommended by Wirecutter moms.

Buying Options

$25 from Kindred Bravely

Nursing clothes are expensive, and very seldom does a mom receive exactly the item she wants in exactly the size she needs. Eliminate the guesswork and give her a Kindred Bravely Digital Gift Card, the online maternity and nursing store most recommended by Wirecutter moms. It offers a great range of clothes and gear, including cozy pajama sets, practical-chic T-shirt dresses, and some of the best nursing bras out there: The Kindred Bravely French Terry Racerback is one of our top nursing-bra picks.

Chatbooks Custom Photo Book

It couldn’t be easier to make one of these photo books on the Chatbooks site. Customize it with different layouts, cover styles, and captions. Chatbooks offers a monthly subscription service, too.

Buying Options

$15 from Chatbooks

If you can’t narrow it down to a single printed and framed photo, consider giving a photo book (or a subscription for a monthly book) printed by Chatbooks. (Our top-pick photo book service, Mixbook, does not have a gifting option.) The process is simple. The service draws up to 366 photos from a given social media account (Facebook, Instagram, or Flickr), or you can upload images from a personal computer. Then the service prints out a book in your choice of size, softcover or hardcover, and color, displaying a single photo per page. (The first 30 photos are included in the base rate of $15; each additional photo adds to the price.) Chatbooks will even replace books if a toddler happens to “love” one too much. The caveat: Though Chatbooks is by far the cheapest photo-book service, it offers less customization.

Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask

The snug but soft cups of this eye mask make it the best room-darkening one we tried.

Buying Options

$16 from Amazon

A tired new mom often has only a brief window of time for a nap. A number of accessories can help keep disturbances out: Pair our favorite white noise machine (the LectroFan EVO) with our favorite earplugs (Mack’s Slim Fit Soft Foam Earplugs) and one of our favorite eye masks (the Nidra Deep Rest Eye Mask). This kit should help a new mom drown out any distracting light or noise, so she can get at least a little rest. You could also give her a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, so she can have some blissful quiet time to herself for reading or otherwise relaxing.

Natori Shangri-La Robe

This drapey, lightweight robe works for all seasons, doesn’t cause overheating, and feels way more expensive than it actually is. The slit pockets are especially nice.

Buying Options

$75 $58 from Natori

Use promo code WIRECUTTER

$98 from Amazon

$98 from Zappos

A comfy robe is a great gift for a new parent who’s spending time at home with a newborn. This is an easy item to throw on, and it’s also convenient for breastfeeding or pumping. In our guide to the best robes, we suggest several options, but parents on staff especially loved the Natori Shangri-La Robe for its exceptionally soft and drapey fabric. If you think the new mom in your life would like something a bit more plush or with more structure, Restoration Hardware’s Luxury Plush Long Robe is the coziest robe we recommend.

Framebridge

Our favorite online framing service has a simple-to-use interface, offers dozens of traditional and artsy frame styles, and guarantees all of its work.

Buying Options

Buy from Framebridge

Cherished events deserve to be memorialized, so consider giving the new mom in your life a framed family photo, a print of tiny footprints, or another memento from their first few months with their new baby. Our favorite online framer, Framebridge, has services for printing and framing digital photos or original art.

Aden + Anais Swaddle

Their sheer versatility makes these gauzy swaddles a favorite of parents. Yes, you can use them to wrap a baby like a burrito, but they also come in handy as napkins, sunshades, and picnic blankets.

Buying Options

$49 from Amazon
(pack of three)

$49 from Babylist
(pack of three)

Numerous Wirecutter parents recommend giving Aden + Anais Swaddles as a gift for new moms. They’re attractive and versatile, and they can serve as nursing covers, burp cloths, and lightweight blankets. Senior editor Harry Sawyers reports that his Aden + Anais swaddles lasted seven years, across three kids. He recommends giving a set of three since at least one of them will likely be dirty at any given time.

Jeni’s Best Sellers Collection

Extra-creamy best-selling flavors from a renowned ice cream maker will delight the 6-year-old in just about anyone.

Buying Options

$58 from Jeni's

A frozen-dessert collection gives a new mom something to look forward to for many weeks (or days, whatever). One of the best we’ve tried is from this hyper-popular, woman-owned Ohio maker. Jeni’s Best Sellers Collection includes five pints, with flavors such as Brambleberry Crisp and Salty Caramel; Jeni’s also has some lactose-free options for dairy-abstaining folks. The extra-creamy consistency and unique flavors make this ice cream worth shipping across the country (for another $10 to $20).

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

Dorie Chevlen contributed reporting. This article was edited by Hannah Morrill and Jennifer Hunter.