nuhahyearlyLaunch pricing - Get £50 off!nuhahyearlySetting up a nursery is exciting, but it is easy to overbuy. The essentials are simpler than you think: somewhere safe for baby to sleep, a way to monitor temperature, and a space for play and tummy time.
An icon of Scandinavian nursery design. The signature oval shape creates a nest-like, cocooning environment for newborns with no sharp corners. It starts as the Sleepi Mini, then extends into the full Sleepi Bed with the included kit, so there is no separate cot to buy. Four mattress-base heights, lockable swivel wheels to move it room to room, and a breathable mattress included. Both our babies used this, and our youngest still sleeps in it. Note: the older Junior extension to 10 years was discontinued with the V3 in 2022, so it now lasts to around 5 years.
The current version of Chicco's class-leading bedside crib, named Mumsnet's best crib overall for 2026. The side panel drops down so you can reach baby for night feeds without getting up, a lifesaver for breastfeeding. 11 height settings to match almost any bed, mesh sides for airflow and visibility, a one-gesture rocking mode, and a tilt function for reflux.
Not essential, but genuinely useful and one of the most gifted baby items in the UK, with over a million sold. It plays pink noise and real womb and heartbeat recordings with a soft glow, and there is solid evidence pink noise helps newborns settle. Auto-off timer. The upgraded Deluxe is now rechargeable (no batteries), with 10 sounds, continuous playback and a smart cry sensor that restarts the sound if baby stirs.
A simple, trusted nursery staple (the Gro Company is now part of Tommee Tippee). It changes colour with room temperature so you can see at a glance whether the room is too hot, too cold or just right, and the colours match Tommee Tippee sleeping-bag tog labels. The Lullaby Trust recommends keeping the room at 16-20 degrees. Now USB rechargeable (no batteries), with three adjustable brightness levels so it doubles as a gentle night light.
The one we own, two of them, still in daily use with our boys. Totter + Tumble is a UK brand making thick one-piece memory foam playmats with reversible rug-style designs that look like part of your living room rather than baby kit, and they wipe clean in seconds. The memory foam gives proper support for tummy time, rolling and first crawls, and unlike most baby gear it does not need replacing when they grow, ours have survived years of daily use and still look like rugs.
Formerly Toki Mats, now Toki Kids. The natural-materials option: non-toxic natural latex padding with OEKO-TEX organic cotton or wipe-clean vegan-leather covers, beautiful designs, and thick enough to double as a changing or picnic mat. Covers are machine washable.
The affordable route. Skip Hop's reversible mats and activity gyms are wipe-clean and well made, the gym arches give newborns something to focus on and bat at, and the foam-tile sets expand as baby grows. Not as plush as the memory foam and latex options, but a fraction of the price.
The Winkel has been a bestselling baby toy for over 25 years. The looping maze of soft tubes is easy for tiny hands to grasp, doubles as a teether (pop it in the fridge to soothe sore gums), and gives a gentle rattle when shaken. BPA-free and wipe-clean.
High-contrast black-and-white illustrations on one side for newborns, colour on the other for 3+ months, with crinkle textures and a baby-safe mirror. It props up like a mini book during tummy time to give baby something to focus on, and folds flat for travel. Tummy time is recommended from birth in short supervised sessions to build neck, shoulder and core strength. The line comes in several editions, all the same idea.
Jellycat is a much-loved London brand (est. 1999). The soother pairs a small soft bunny head with a flat blanket body that is easy for babies to hold and snuggle. Many parents buy two identical ones from the start (one to wash, one to use), because once a baby bonds with their comforter, losing it is a genuine crisis. Comes in a huge range of colours.
Start with the Chicco Next2Me Magic Evo beside your bed for the first 6 months, it makes night feeds immeasurably easier, or save with the Kinderkraft Neste UP 2 at around £75 if budget is tight. Have the Stokke Sleepi set up in the nursery ready for the transition, it is what both our babies used and the oval design genuinely feels cosier than a standard rectangular cot, with excellent resale value. Grab a Groegg2 (it is £20 and you will use it for years), and if someone asks what to buy as a gift, point them at Ewan the Dream Sheep.
Most parents set up the nursery between weeks 20 and 28. The Lullaby Trust recommends babies sleep in the same room as you for the first 6 months, so the nursery might not be used for sleeping straight away.
Look for BS EN 716 safety standard, slats no wider than 6.5cm apart, a firm flat mattress with no more than 2cm gap around edges, and no drop-down sides (no longer considered safe).
The Lullaby Trust recommends keeping the room between 16 and 20 degrees Celsius. A room thermometer like the Groegg2 helps you check at a glance.