The Best Gifts for New and Expecting Dads in 2022
New and expecting dads in 2022 have a lot of new and sudden demands on their lifestyle – so what do you buy for them? In this guide, we’re running through the best gifts for new and expecting dads - all available from Dadtronica - designed to level up their dad game.
The Dad Hoodie
Babies… they have a lot of accessories and — as every new dad knows — you pretty much need all of them, all the time. The typical tote bag or nappy bag always ends up as a confusing mish mash of stuff, a tower you have to dig through, where whatever you need is always scrunched up at the bottom. What if you could avoid this? (And free up that backpack for your laptop, maybe!)
The Dad Hoodie is a wearable storage centre, a comfortable hoodie with loads of space — enough to render that stained nappy bag obsolete. With six internal compartments, there’s space to store everything that would go in a traditional baby bag. Nappies, bottles, sippy cups, wipes, hand sanitiser — it all fits comfortably into the internal storage. Each of the pockets is made of a stretchable mesh, great for encompassing oddly shaped bottles (or any of the weird souvenirs your baby might be travelling with). It’s machine washable and can be dried on a delicate setting, making this a hardy battle outfit for those days at the playground.
In terms of wear, it’s a soft, breathable fabric. The mesh lining helps to keep your temperature under control while you’re pushing the pram up a hill. It comes in four colours — grey, navy, charcoal and black — so it’s flexible with however you dress. Even though we know you’re not the kind of parent to develop a dad bod, the material is stretchy and has some give.
Beco Gemini Cool Mesh Baby Carrier
All parents know that newborns have a part to play in that all important post-partum Dad workout routine. A carry a day keeps the dad bod away! But sometimes, you want to be using both your hands. A good baby carrier ensures back, hip and spine health, safety and security for your baby, and keeps you mobile all day long.
We’ve chosen the Beco Gemini as one of the best baby carriers for newborns and infants. Partially because it’s so simple to use. Right out of the box it’s intuitive to fit, adjustable for all body shapes and sizes, and can flexibly adjust to accommodate different carrying styles. The Gemini can be worn in four different ways: front facing carry, inwards facing carry, hip carry and on your back — all in a single unit! This means more flexibility in terms of activities, without compromising on safety or comfort.
It’s a comfortable unit, with padded waists and shoulder straps, minimising tug on the delicate shoulder (particularly as junior starts growing up!) The seat position can be adjusted, accommodating both newborns and infants (four months and up). For the parent, it fits all shapes and sizes — Mums and Dads can both use it comfortably.
Most importantly: it’s made of quick dry polyester. The Gemini is spot cleanable for minor mishaps, and machine washable when things go haywire.
Beco 8 Baby Carrier
If you’re dealing with a sports mad dad who’s always looking for the next upgrade (the lighter bike frame, the narrower set of goggles), get him hooked on the competitive world of baby carriers. As mentioned Beco are the best in class for adjustable, flexible sets — you can wear them almost every way you can imagine!
The main advantage of the Beco 8 is that it… basically includes everything you could imagine a baby carrier having, all of it flexible, removable, and adjustable. A built-in headrest and detachable sleep hood provides important neck support for the little one — even if they’re rude enough to fall asleep on a bush walk! A removable lumbar support panel can provide additional back support, great for longer term wear (and dealing with those inherited sports injuries!) Unique to the Beco 8, a built-in waist belt pocket is great for easy access to important stuff.
Crucially for the warm Australian climate, the Beco 8 includes an adjustable ventilated panel. It can be closed for additional warmth in the winter and opened for breathability and cooler wearing in the Summer. Like the Gemini, you can wear it facing in or out, back or hip carry — and the ventilated panel can be open or closed in each. This means an incredible EIGHT! different ways to wear and ensures comfort all year round. A zippered panel opens onto the mesh allowing for further breathability, too.
Like the Gemini, it’s suitable for newborn to toddler, fitting all sizes of adult.
LectroFan Digital Fan and White Noise Machine
What do you get for the dad who has everything? (And also a shocking night’s sleep)… White Noise Machines are becoming more and more popular as a sleep aid, meditation tool, or even the saviour of the new Working From Home era. They provide a flat, relaxing atmosphere and help you block out disruptive noise — whether it’s traffic, neighbours or appliances.
White Noise works on a similar principle to a clogged drain. When you clog a drain, no water fit through the grate. In the same way, white noise covers the entire audible spectrum of sound — preventing any further noise from breaking through and being registered by your ear. Similar to the sound made by a fan or an air conditioner, the sounds generated by the LectroFan are soothing, meditative and expansive — creating a comfortable environment no matter what you’re planning.
It comes in two different colours, black and white, and is powered by a standard Aussie wall outlet. It’s a mighty little unit: capable of filling all rooms, big and small. While cheaper white noise machines rely on sound loops to create their sound, the Lectrofan digitally generates its sounds live. That means for all of the twenty sounds (ten fan, ten white) you will have no distortion, no clipping and no annoying or noticeable loops.
It’s great for creating a more comfortable napping environment, for covering noise outside your home office, or even for yoga or meditating.
Yogasleep Hushh Portable White Noise Machine for Babies
Okay, on the face of it, this may not seem like a present for a young dad but trust us — he’ll be thanking you. As mentioned, a white noise machine operates by covering up the entire aural spectrum with a soothing soft hushing noise. It’s similar to a whisper, a fan, or an air conditioner. We’ve chosen the Hushh as the best white noise machine for babies and as a useful tool whether for sleep training, nap time, or just for suppressing the sound of a very tired dad on his Xbox.
The Hushh comes with three built in options, bright white noise, deep white noise, or soothing surf for the future aquatic child. If you’re living in a noisy apartment block or have to deal with hoons riding around with their dodgy mufflers, a white noise machine like the Hushh can create a soft, consistent environment for your baby’s naptime. It’s rechargeable via an included USB cable, and has a powerful battery.
The Hushh also has a variety of baby-based optimisations that make it the best choice for toddlers, infants and newborns. It’s ultra portable, with a baby safe clip that can be attached to a stroller or car seat. The unit is only four inches wide, so you can very easily stash it in your backpack, bag (or your Dad Hoodie, above). It has a child lock, so no more wandering hands messing with the settings. It has a built in amber coloured LED night light providing a soft, friendly glow — and great for helping you check on your baby during the night.
Alpine Sleepsoft Ear Plugs
I hate to break it to you, future Dad, but the days of the uninterrupted eight hours are probably over. That’s okay though, you now get to explore the exciting new world of the afternoon siesta, or the sleep in two parts. Important to remember though: sleep is the foundation on which good health is built. You can eat right, exercise right, but if you aren’t getting high quality sleep, you’re going to feel it.
If you’ve got a newborn or are sleep training an infant, you want to be able to ensure your own healthy sleep, while being available for your child when they need it. The Alpine SleepSoft is a reusable, hypoallergenic sleep plug, with specially designed filters to allow you to hear your alarm, your doorbell, and — probably most likely — your child’s cries.
The SleepSoft are first and foremost a comfort plug. Designed for side sleepers, they’re made with extra soft thermo-shape tips that comfortably conform to the shape of your ear. With minimal rigid parts, they’re great even under the weight of your head. Unique for sleep plugs, they’ve got acoustic filters built in. While the plugs target and block sleep disruptive noises (snores, rattling windows, your racing thoughts), they allow high pitched noises like alarms, cries, or the doorbell. This makes them a really great plug for sleeping in a house with young children. You’ll be able to rest, but not ignore your environment.
The Dozy 3D Sleep Mask
Whether you’re fighting a war or sleep training a newborn, the secret to success is high quality sleep, wherever you can get it. This means you might have to take one or two dad naps throughout the day. Unfortunately, the sun isn’t always cooperative, and even the best blinds or curtains can still leak some nap-ruining light. The Dozy 3D Sleep Mask is a new dad’s best friend. It’s a comfortable, flexible, adjustable sleep mask that’s portable, easy to fit, and perfect at locking out light.
The Dozy is unique among 3D Sleep Masks for how adjustable it is. The velcro strap means flexible sizes for all head shapes, and none of the tug you get with elastic masks. The eye cups are removable and can be reattached in different positions on the mask, meaning you’re able to uniquely accommodate the structure of your nose and cheeks to ensure the most secure seal over the eyes.
The eye cups are padded and function like a pillow for your eyes. Great for people who sleep on their front. The space allowed around the eye socket through the shape of the cup means you can open your eyes and blink while wearing them — with no pressure or irritation!
