Essential Baby Gear for Dads-to-Be

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Gone are the days when baby gear is all about mom and baby. Gone are the days where raising kids falls on the women while dads merely “bring home the bacon.” Today, dads are more involved in their kids' lives than ever before, starting from day one.

These are the dad heroes, who don't shy away from dirty diapers, aren't afraid to get up with the baby during the night, and have no problem with a trail of spit up on their shoulders. To honor these dads, we feel they should get their own tactical baby gear. Gear that doesn't look feminine, that they can feel proud to use rather than emasculated.

So, What Do You Get a New Dad?

A Tactical Baby Carrier

One of the best baby carriers for dads is a military-tactical one. Whether you are living the single dad life for not, most men might not realize they even need a baby carrier. After all, that's what arms are for, right? But sometimes you need your hands free to do other things, and meanwhile Junior is screaming his head off, wanting to be held. Or perhaps you want to walk around the block or go on a short hike. A stroller won't always work, and when that's the case, a tactical baby carrier is the way to go. Your new baby can be toted around hands-free while doing things around the house or hiking around the neighborhood. Plus, can you say extra bonding time?

How Do You Use a Tactical Baby Carrier?

It's not complicated. It's like a carrier for mom, it just looks cooler and stuff. Typically you will strap it to your chest and shoulders and wear it like a frontside backpack. The baby gets tucked in safely and depending on the brand and style you get, can face forward and look out on the world, or cuddle up to your chest and snooze.

A Backpack Diaper Bag, Clearly

Dads need their own diaper bag. Sure that cute diaper bag tote one might work for mom, but dads need something a little less girly and a little more manly. A backpack diaper bag fits the bill nicely, and can even be worn with the tactical carrier, so dad is locked and loaded and ready to handle any dirty diaper! This would totally make the list as one of the coolest baby shower gifts for dads in our honest opinion.

What Do You Need In a Backpack Diaper Bag?

The essentials, nothing more, nothing less. Dads usually don't want to tote around a bunch of unnecessary stuff. Only what they need and just enough of what they need, no extra.

Essentials might include:

• Organic Diapers
• Organic Baby Wipes
• Formula or breast milk
• Bottle
• Baby lotion
• Diaper rash cream
• Change or two of clothes
• Burp cloth
• Blanket
• Pacifiers
• Baby toy

A Calm Down Baby Kit

Every parent needs a calm down baby kit and dads are no exception! It varies what you put in one, but some recommend:

• Book with instructions on how to calm a frantic baby
• A pacifier (perhaps a couple different types to try)
• A swaddling blanket to wrap baby up snugly
• A white noise machine to soothe baby

A Safety-Tested Car Seat

Many dads like to be on the go. However, you can't “go” without a carseat to go in! Parents can't bring a baby home from the hospital without a carseat either, so this is an essential item dads must have. There are a variety of different brands and styles, just make sure whichever one you choose has a great safety rating. Bonus—most dads become pros at installing them pretty quickly!

A Baby Monitor

There are a wealth of choices to choose from, some fancier than others. Baby monitors allow dads and moms to have a little peace of mind when the baby is asleep in the next room. If you want it to do more than just detect sound, you can also find them with camera options and motion detectors to monitor your baby even more effectively. There are also cool pregnancy apps for dads that can convert your smartphone into a baby monitor. Since dads are often fascinated by new gadgets, we say the more bells and whistles the better!

A Matching Outfit

You can call it his “dad uniform.” There are lots of options for matching dad and baby apparel. Some are super cute, others are just funny. Choose the outfits based on dad's personality and he will no doubt wear it proudly.

A Digital Camera

Of course, we live in the age of smartphones, which means digital cameras are slowly becoming obsolete. But if your guy doesn't have a smartphone or prefers to snap pics the old fashioned way, a digital camera is a great idea. Bonus points if you can also take a great video with it. Moments come and go quickly with a new baby in the picture, which means a digital camera is pretty vital baby gear for dads.

Remember, dads need baby gear too, not just mom and baby. It's all in how you present it to him. Find baby gear for dads that's dude-friendly and he will be thrilled. And if you want to pamper a hardworking dad in your life, don't forget to check out our collection of new dad gifts that support papas to take better care of their babies and themselves.