The Best Baby Registries for Your Growing Family

If you’re looking for the ease and simplicity of a universal registry, check out Babylist. It allows you to pick your favorite baby items from multiple stores and compile them into one convenient registry, so that crib you’ve been eyeing at Crate & Barrel and those cute crib sheets from Target can all be found in the same spot. You can even register for unique, hand-crafted items from sites like Etsy.

Babylist also lets family and friends “register” for acts of service such as extra meals, pet-sitting, or anything else you might need help with while you’re in the hospital or caring for your newborn.

And that's not all. When you start your registry, you’ll receive a free “Hello Baby” Box with up to $160 worth of samples, coupons, and other goodies.

If you can’t make up your mind about where to register, or you know that you want baby items from several different stores, consider MyRegistry.com. This universal registry site allows you to add gifts from any store in the world, even if they don’t have a website.

MyRegistry.com makes it super easy with an “Add to MyRegistry” button that you can place on your bookmarks bar and then click to add items. If you’re shopping in a store, scan any product’s barcode or snap a photo using the MyRegistry app with your smartphone to add items to your registry. You can also sync your baby registries from other stores, so friends and family members can view your selections at one time.

You’ll still enjoy some after-baby discount perks like completion discounts from those retailers. It’s the perfect way to get those benefits while managing your registry in one place. MyRegistry.com also allows you to tastefully register for cash gifts in case you’d like to save up for a nursery renovation or college tuition.

Pottery Barn Kids is a great baby registry choice if a stylish nursery and adorable baby décor are high on your priority list. Its high-quality, curated collections are a bit pricier than some other retailers, but they’re very functional and durable.

With organic bedding lines and Greenguard Gold Certified furniture, PBK offers products you can feel good about putting in your baby’s nursery. And if you love customized keepsakes, it has plenty of blankets, bags, towels, and other items that offer personalization. With the Pottery Barn Kids baby registry, you’ll receive a 20% completion discount up to six months after your baby’s due date.

The Tot partners with companies that have gone through rigorous testing to confirm their materials and designs are safe and healthy for families and the environment. The company works with over 200 small and large businesses that offer a wide variety of baby products, including gear, toys, clothing, and feeding essentials. 

Besides being extremely trustworthy, The Tot is a great option because of its registry perks. You'll have access to expert advice to help you create your dream wish list or get your bearings in what can feel like an oversaturated market. It even has starter registries with titles like “Luxury Baby” and “Modern Baby on a Budget” to help new parents find their style and get the ball rolling on registering for exactly what they need.

The Tot offers a 15% completion discount and will send you a welcome box with $100 worth of nontoxic items when you sign up for a registry. Finally, the Tot also has a gift tracker so you can see what gifts have already been purchased, and it creates a thank-you list for you so you can easily send out cards after the baby arrives.

With more than 1,800 stores in the U.S. and free shipping for online orders over $35, Target is a convenient and popular option for your friends and families to shop for baby gifts. From car seats and baby slings to clothes and bedding, Target features a huge selection of name-brand and affordable baby products, making it an excellent choice if you’re looking for an all-in-one baby registry.

Once you register, stop by guest services at a store to pick up your welcome bag stuffed with $150 worth of coupons, samples, and other goodies. The registry allows family members and friends to pitch in to buy a single gift over $100 (via gift card contributions), so you’ll be more likely to receive some of the big-ticket items on your list.

Plus, two months before your due date, you’ll get a coupon for 15% off any items remaining on your registry, plus anything else you’d like to add.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one registry that offers a vast collection of baby gear for items of all sizes, Amazon is an obvious choice. Amazon’s prices are very competitive, and its shipping policies are among the best. If you spend more than $35, you’ll get free shipping, while Amazon Prime members get free two-day shipping on any Prime-eligible items.

If that isn’t enticing enough, Amazon also allows you to add gifts from any other website so you can create your custom, universal baby registry. Amazon also has phenomenal customer service and gives you a full year to return most registry items. It also offers a free Welcome Box valued at $35 when you start your registry and a registry completion discount of 15%.

Walmart is best known for its affordability, and with more than 5,000 stores nationwide and an easy-to-use website, you can’t beat it for convenience. You can easily complete your entire registry with its huge selection of baby essentials.

After registering, you’ll get a free welcome box stuffed with coupons and samples. Walmart also offers a price-match guarantee for baby items from most retailers, including Target, Amazon, and Kohls. Remember that, unlike other retailers, there’s no baby shower registry completion discount, and you have to make all returns in person. There also isn't a group gifting option.

Between all the baby travel gear and diapers, it’s easy to overlook nursery furniture when creating your registry. IKEA is an easy and affordable place to register for Swedish-based nursery furniture thanks to its simple instructions and stress-free designs. And you can rest assured that you will have safe products that don’t take hours to assemble.

A perk of IKEA is that it has its own free app specifically designed for baby and wedding registries. In the app, you can scan barcodes of in-store products, browse online items, share your wish list with friends and family, and see what people have or have not purchased. There is also a chip-in feature that allows gift-givers to partially purchase big-ticket items.

Note that while Ikea is great for gathering all the baby furniture you'll need, it doesn't have a lot of the smaller essentials you'll want on hand for a new baby. You'll likely need to create a registry elsewhere for that.

With a large selection of unique and stylish baby gear, Crate & Barrel’s Crate & Kids is another fantastic choice for chic nursery décor and furniture. Although it's only available in 40 Crate & Barrels across the country, its website is user-friendly and convenient. You can get items shipped to you anywhere in the U.S. free of charge if your order is over $49 (which most orders at this store likely will be).

Popular registry items include trendy diaper bags, adorable bedding, playmats, high-quality, durable cribs, rockers, dressers, changing table combos, and adorable wall decor. Once your baby arrives, you have three months to get a 15% discount on the remaining items on your registry.