Marina has just found out that her cousin is expecting a baby boy next month. She wants to give something lovely — not just a random gift — but she's worried about getting the budget wrong. After all, modern baby registries mix items costing €12 and €250: it's impossible to know where to pitch in without seeming stingy or over-the-top. So, the perfect new baby gift is rarely the most expensive one. It's the one that says: 'I was thinking of you and your baby.'
Here are three selections sorted by budget, designed to help you avoid both the comfort-blanket-forgotten-at-the-back-of-the-cupboard trap and the too-expensive-gift-that-makes-everyone-uncomfortable trap. Real Big Stories doesn't top these lists: we're starting with the classics.
Choosing a new baby gift takes a bit of thought. It's important to consider both the budget and the emotional impact on the new family. Thoughtfulness and personalisation are key.
Under €30: the selection of 'small gifts that make a big impression'
Bamboo muslin swaddle squares
Aden + Anais, Lässig, Bémini. Around €20 to €30 for two pieces. It's a useful, soft, long-lasting gift. Bamboo muslin is breathable, doesn't scratch, and can withstand 100 washes. What's more, new parents get through 6 to 8 a day — you can never have too many.
The cloth book or first board book
Lamaze, Sophie la Girafe by Vulli, Petit Bateau. Around €18 to €28. It's a more original gift than the classic soft toy: it accompanies the first few months and stays on the shelf afterwards. Board books such as Hélium, L'École des Loisirs or Pastel also make lovely gifts in this range.
Set of three bandana bibs
Lässig, Babymoov, Petit Bateau. €25 to €30 for a set. A very useful gift for the first six months (regurgitation, teething). Parents often ask for more.
Personalised wooden rattle
Polishedhandmade, Smallable, French Etsy shops. €25 to €35 for a rattle personalised with the baby's name. A gift that lasts, that's kept as a keepsake, and stands out from the standard offering.
Under €50: the 'gift that makes a statement' selection
A quality flat comforter (Doudou et Compagnie, Trousselier)
€30 to €50 for a quality comforter (rabbit, bear, cat). Avoid noisy battery-operated comforters: babies tend to forget them. A flat fabric comforter, on the other hand, often becomes the child's main attachment object for years.
First books box set
L'École des Loisirs box set (5 board picture books), Petit Nathan box set, Pastel box set. €35 to €50. A gift that stocks the bookshelf from birth and gets reread for two years.
Booties and socks sets
Petit Bateau, Bonpoint, Cabosse sets. €40 to €50 for a set of 3 pairs. Very useful in the first few months (babies lose socks by the handful). Parents always appreciate them.
Personalised new baby gift set (swaddle + bib + name book)
French Etsy shops, Babyplus, Smallable. €40 to €60. A gift that combines several thoughtful touches — an embroidered name — and makes for a lovely photo when leaving the maternity ward.
Under €100: the 'gift that truly stands out' selection
A quality playmat
Done by Deer, Liewood, Kindsgut. €70 to €100. A more involved gift than a soft toy, used every day for 18 months. Avoid noisy arch-style playmats: choose stylish fabric mats instead, which can later double as a bedroom rug.
A baby wrap or carrier
Manduca, Néobulle, Boba. €80 to €110. A highly sought-after gift for a first child. Parents use it daily. It's worth checking with them beforehand, though, to make sure they haven't already chosen a particular brand.
A 6-month new baby subscription box
Tiniloo, Pomdapi (shops offering themed monthly baby boxes). €70 to €100 for 6 months. A gift that lasts: six deliveries spread out over time, each one a reminder of your thoughtfulness.
The book where baby becomes the hero of their own first story
For a gift that becomes a treasured family keepsake: a personalised book featuring the baby's name, created after the birth and given in the following weeks. €50 to €80 for a beautifully made album. It's a gift that's kept as a memory, reread at age 1, at age 3, and that ends up among childhood memories thirty years later. Many godmothers choose this option when they want to mark the birth with a gift that truly stands out from the standard fare.
What's best to avoid for a new baby gift, at any budget
A few gifts that often end up gathering dust in a corner. Giant soft toys: parents receive ten and keep just one. Newborn-size (0 month) clothes: babies wear them for ten days on average, which is too short a time for a gift. Noisy battery-powered toys: they irritate tired parents. Baby cosmetics sets from unverified brands: allergy risk. Delicate baby-sized jewellery: lost within a fortnight.
How to choose between the three budgets
The simple rule: your budget should reflect your relationship with the parents, not some imaginary standard. For a colleague: under €30 is more than enough. For a close cousin or best friend: €50 to €80 is fitting. For a godmother or godfather (you have a role to play): €80 to €150 makes sense. And don't forget that a 'joint' gift (godfather and godmother giving a lovely €150 gift together) often makes more of an impression than two separate €70 gifts.
For further advice on what a newborn truly needs, the 0-12 months section of Naître et Grandir offers some useful information. You'll find a solid overview there of what's genuinely useful in the first few months.
The gift that outlasts the batteries
Of all these ideas, the ones that stay in the family's memory aren't the most expensive. The comforter that becomes the attachment object, the book that gets worn out from being reread, the personalised keepsake found in the attic twenty years later. If you'd like to give a gift that combines lasting value with the magic of a story bearing their name, you can create their personalised book with Real Big Stories. For a new baby gift, it's typically the kind of item that never gets put away and is given once, for good.
