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New baby on the way? Congratulations! After the initial excitement you’ll come to realise that there is a lot of preparation to be done and many purchases to be made.
This includes baby related items you probably don’t already have on hand, especially if this is to be your first. For a helping hand, baby registries are the way to go, allowing you to create a list of the items you need (or purely want) and share it with your friends and family so they know what to gift you.
Commonly used in conjunction with baby showers, baby registries take the confusion and guesswork out of gift giving and ensure you only receive what you’ve asked for so you don’t wind up with a pile of “stuff”.
Traditionally, registries are organised at department stores with a dedicated team to assist you, but modern day baby registries are typically at least in part online. This makes it easy to update and share your registry with many people instantly, and allows your guests to purchase and send items from the comfort of their home. For those who prefer that traditional touch, many registries still offer inhouse consultations and planning services for a bespoke experience.
Here is our list of the 6 best baby registries in Australia, chosen for their desirable features and ease of use to suit the needs and tastes of all new mums and dads-to-be. From high end nursery items to everyday essentials and everything in between, creating the perfect registry is only moments away.
1. Amazon Baby Wishlist / Baby Registry
Our favourite online baby registry with access to thousands of products
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The Amazon Baby Wishlist is the best online baby registry with access to the hundreds of thousands of products available on Amazon. Sign up easily with your existing Amazon account, create your Wishlist with the help of Amazon’s curated lists, and invite your friends and families, it’s as simple as that.
It’s easy to manage and use with no complications, almost everyone has made a purchase from Amazon at some point so the format will be familiar and there’s no need to sign up to yet another website.
Our favourite feature is the completion discount, giving you a one time 10% (15% for Amazon Prime members) discount off approved remaining items on your registry. For big ticket items such as prams and baby car seats, this can mean big savings.
Amazon Baby Registry key takeaways:
- 10% completion discount on remaining items within 60 days of your due date
- Free 30 day returns for change of mind
- Lists of popular products across different departments to get you started, or for inspiration
- Easily keep track of who bought what for effortless “thank yous”
- Access to the many thousands of products available on Amazon Australia.
2. Pottery Barn Kids Registry
High end nursery items with a complimentary nursery planning service
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Pottery Barn Kids is well known all over the world for their gorgeous, high end collections for baby, child and nursery. If you want quality products that will stand the test of time and be treasured for years (and even generations) to come, then look no further.
Offering products such as furniture, bed linen and storage solutions as well as quality toys, books and decor, many items can be personalised for that extra special touch. Pottery Barn Kids also specialises in nursery planning, styling and makeovers for Insta-worthy nurseries and is free of charge of registry holders, so consider this if you’re looking to create the nursery of your dreams.
Whilst you can be sure of the quality and high level of workmanship in every Pottery Barn Kids piece, they won’t have everything you will need for your new baby, and certainly not essentials such as nappies and everyday clothing like bodysuits, or more practical items like car seats and strollers. It’s best if you don’t need help with these basics and instead are looking for beautiful keepsake or nursery items.
Pottery Barn Kids Registry key takeaways:
- Exclusive, high end baby and nursery items
- Interior design services free of charge to help you create the perfect nursery
- Easy returns policy with extra time given for registries
- Manage your registry either online or instore
- Signature gift wrapping service
3. David Jones Gift Registry
The gift registry professionals, offering bespoke consultations and quality items
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David Jones has a gift registry for every special occasion, and a new baby is certainly one to be celebrated. Set up your registry in minutes either online or instore. You can even visit their gift registry team instore for a complimentary, bespoke consultation to make organising and managing your registry almost effortless.
The website features a handy printable checklist for new mums-to-be to ensure nothing is left off, and ever changing lists of essentials, popular items by category and even a 1st birthday list. There’s also the option of the Celebration Card, which guests can make monetary contributions to for you to spend on any product or service at David Jones.
David Jones Gift Registry key takeaways:
- Great range of mid to high end products
- Complimentary consultations with David Jones’ expert registry team
- Manage your registry either online or instore with your existing David Jones account
- Guests can shop either online or instore
- Completion discounts of 10-15% off unpurchased items
- Handy checklists for gift ideas, including the printable New Baby checklist for essentials
- Celebration Card allows gifts of contributions towards large items
4. Baby Bunting Baby Gift Registry
Register for all the products available at Australia’s largest one stop baby shop
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Baby Bunting is Australia’s largest retailer for baby products and stocks a huge collection of everything baby in the best brands, from prams and cots and car seats to breast pumps, safety products, high chairs and more.
It really is your one stop baby shop and their exclusive Baby Gift Registry is the only one you’ll need. You can list the practical items as well as those adorable pieces you just can’t resist.
This registry is versatile and easy to use either online on their website or dedicated app, or at one of their fifty bricks-and-mortar superstores located across the country. Your registry syncs across all formats and is updated in real time with no lag so there’s no chance of your guests buying the same item twice.
Baby Bunting Baby Gift Registry key takeaways:
- Find and register for almost everything you will need
- Guests can browse and shop either online or instore by scanning products
- Seamless syncing across both the app and website so it’s always up to date
- Easy online search function for guests
- Baby checklist booklet available to download to help you choose products
- Huge range of products to suit all price points
5. The Gift Collective Baby Registry
Modern registry allowing guests to contribute to what you really want
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The Gift Collective is a modern concept in gift registries and works by crowd funding. One of the best baby registries this year, it’s fantastic if you don’t need or want readily available retail items and would rather be gifted a one-of-a-kind or big ticket heirloom piece, original artwork or simply a donation.
Completely online, simply choose the gift you want, upload a picture, and then create a virtual jigsaw puzzle by breaking it up into pieces, nominating a donation amount for each piece your invited guests can choose from.
Their “well wishes” feature is a lovely touch, allowing your guests to leave a personalised note for you, just like a card, and at the end of your registry you’ll be sent a list of all your “well wishes” as a keepsake.
If you’re wondering how their money is made, there is a small processing fee of 3% charged to your guests for each donation, but no charge to you so you receive your full donation amount. And whilst you can see each donation amount, guests can’t see what other guests have left, so it’s discreet as well.
The Gift Collective Baby Registry key takeaways:
- New and modern way of reimagining the classic gift registry
- Allows guests to contribute towards big purchases, perfect for big ticket and heirloom pieces
- Lets you control exactly what you receive, no unwanted gifts
- Nominate the amount each “puzzle piece” costs
- Easy to set up, use and manage with only a small fee charged to your guests
- “Well wishes” act as virtual cards to keep forever
- Fast cash transfers so you can go out and buy your dream gift!
6. The Gift Register
All-in-one comprehensive baby registry where you can list almost anything!
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This all in one gift registry is the perfect time saver for busy mums-to-be. Create your list of gifts and share with your friends and family effortlessly. There’s even a baby registry template featuring all the essentials that you can edit as much or as little as you want.
You can and should use both the web and app versions simultaneously, as each has different benefits and uses. They sync together perfectly to create the ultimate baby registry list of practically anything from any place. The web version allows you to bookmark any item you find online, while the app version lets you choose any item you see out and about at the shops.
The Gift Register key takeaways:
- Download the Bookmark Button to add gifts from your web browser with just three clicks – any item from any site
- When at the shops, add a gift with the app by simply snapping a photo of the desired item
- Provides current lists of trending gifts for inspiration
- App and web versions sync seamlessly
- Great online support team with queries answered same day
- Super easy to share and edit with friends and family
When should you start a baby registry?
Sooner is better than later, and we recommend starting your baby registry at least four to six weeks ahead of your baby shower to allow your guests time to browse and select their gifts, as well as allowing plenty of time for shipping. You can always add items to your registry as you go, so don’t feel pressured to compile a complete registry all at once.
What should you put on your baby registry?
- Daily essentials. Although perhaps a little boring, it’s a good idea to add essentials to your baby registry, such as baby bottles (read our recommendations here), nappies, wipes, singlets, burp cloths and a good first aid kit and thermometer as you know they will be put to good use no matter what.
- Nursery items and accessories. Other items worth considering are items which can make your life easier, such as a breast pump (these are our absolute favourites), nappy bag, stroller and pram accessories and nursery items like night lights and white noise machines.
- Different price points. You should also register for gifts of a variety of different price points so your guests are able to choose how much they spend based on what they can afford or how close they are to you, and to avoid anyone feeling pressured into buying gifts out of their price range – after all, this should be a fun and happy time for everyone involved.
What should you not put on your baby registry?
- Tiny newborn outfits. Everyone loves buying adorable outfits in the tiniest of sizes, however your baby will quickly outgrow them. He will probably spend those first few weeks and months in simple singlets and onesies, and although adorable, you won’t want to bother with fiddly buttons and pretty bows especially when you might be changing outfits several times a day due to blow outs and spit ups!
- Formula. Even if you’re planning on formula feeding, it’s best not to stock up on formula before baby is born as certain formulas may not suit him, and it’s impossible to tell beforehand. Some experimentation is often necessary with working out the best formula for baby, and you don’t want tins of unused formula going to waste.
- Muslin cloths and baby blankets. People love giving these as they are readily available, come in heaps of cute designs, or maybe you have a granny who is handy with crochet. While they are certainly useful, you’ll only be needing a few and you’re bound to receive many of these as gifts along the way whether or not you register for them.
How many baby registries should you have?
While there’s nothing stopping you from creating multiple baby registries if you want products from multiple retailers, it will take significantly more time for you to manage. It could also confuse your guests, and if you have accidentally listed the same or similar items at more than one registry, you might end up with doubles.
It’s a better idea to have just one baby registry covering all or most of your desired items. Registries such as Amazon which have thousands or products, or one-stop shops like Baby Bunting, are good comprehensive choices.
