Minimalist Baby Gear for Tiny Spaces: What you need and what to skip (Best 6 picks!)

After 3 babies, I have learned that less baby gear is more!

It’s hard to keep a small space clean, and a cluttered living space has been linked to elevated cortisol levels. Lots of bulky baby gear lying around raises my stress levels!

It’s helpful to think about the size of the item you are bringing into your home—bigger gear will make it feel cluttered faster!

When I do buy baby gear, I look for alternative minimalist baby gear options that are collapsible or compact.

I live in a 1,000-square-foot home with 3 little kids and a work-from-home husband. Below I share some solutions for small-space parenting that won’t overwhelm your home, and will be great for your budget!

Minimalist Baby Gear that’s worth your precious space

Baby Carriers

What’s more space efficient than carrying your baby instead of putting them in something that takes up floor space?

As a bonus, the little tyke will love extra snuggles!

Baby carriers are extremely useful, especially if you have multiple children and need to soothe a baby while caring for another, or while working around the house.

When not in use, a baby carrier is quick and easy to fold up and put away and doesn’t take up much room. 

There are two kinds of baby carriers, cloth and structured.

Stretchy fabric carriers are very affordable, and work very well in the newborn stage, since they can be pulled tighter to hold the baby securely. The one I have used for 3 babies is the Moby Baby Wrap!

Structured carriers are pricier, but faster and easier to put on.

My husband has a difficult time knowing how to wrap the fabric carrier, but with the structured one he can just clip it right on!

I purchased mine second hand, but if you are having a baby shower, a high quality structured baby carrier is a great investment piece!

Travel Stroller

We opted for a lightweight travel stroller that I keep in the front trunk of our car at all times.

I love that it can be steered or collapsed with just one hand!

The features that make it convenient for air travel also make it helpful for me on the day to day.

Pack n Play with Bassinet instead of a crib

With our first child, we bought a crib. While they are very pretty, cribs are very large, and it will be a long time until your little one needs all that space!

Using a pack n play or a mini crib is a much better use of space.

I would recommend a pack n play like this one that comes with a bassinet insert.

I store the bassinet insert in the top of my closet when the baby outgrows it.

Thicker Pack n play mattress for daily use

Since our second child has slept in a pack n play so much, I added an extra mattress pad to make it more comfortable! This one fits our Graco pack n play!

This strategy has allowed us to use our space very efficiently, at night she sleeps in the office, and during the day she takes naps in our master bedroom.

Whenever we travel or visit family in the area, we simply take the pack n play with us and find a quiet spot for her to take her nap. 

Mini crib instead of full sized crib

For our next baby we have purchased a mini crib that can fit through our doorways to roll from room to room.

We live in an older house with doorways that are too narrow for a pack n play.

If you’re considering a mini crib I wrote this article comparing the dimensions and features of the top 10 mini cribs to find the best fit for our home!

I also wrote a guide on how long your baby can safely use a mini crib!

Play gym

Instead of a regular play gym, I went with a wooden foldable play gym.

I find it very useful to have a spot to lay baby down to play.

The advantage of this style of play gym is that you can quickly fold it up and put it away when not in use. It barely takes any space at all!

I love that I can keep switching it up and hang basically any toy on it! This helps keep little ones more engaged since you can provide a variety of toys for them to look at and explore!

If you want, you can buy a padded play mat to place under the play gym which can quickly be folded and put away when not in use. 

Baby Booster seat instead of High Chair: 

Using the Fischer Price baby booster seats instead of a high chair has saved us a lot of floor space!

These are some of my favorite minimalist baby gear! High chairs actually take up a lot of space!

These booster seats are compact, continue to be useful as our children have grown past high chair age, and we can take them with us if we travel to visit family!

They also can be put away quickly and easily when we have guests, and come with dishwasher safe trays that are compact and easy to clean.  

Baby gear you can skip in small spaces

Skip the changing pad and table

These take up a lot of floor space, and to be honest—we just change the baby’s diaper on a clean spot on the couch or floor.

They make small foldable and washable changing pads that can fit in your diaper bag, but we have often simply used a baby blanket when on the go! 

Skip the baby bouncer, swing, or rocker (whatever they’re called)

This one is controversial, I know that it is a very useful piece for some parents, but they take up a lot of space and none of my babies really have loved them!

They have been fine on the plIf you really want one, I recommend this one, which can be folded up and placed out of view when not in use. 

You don’t need a baby bathtub

These are surprisingly big, and are only useful for a very short period of time!

I would recommend folding a towel under the baby as a cushion and bathing them in a sink, or with the water at a low level in the tub instead. 

Exasaucer

These take up a lot of room! They can be fun for the babies, but are really used for a pretty short period of time and could easily be skipped. 

Bassinet

It’s very common to hear about skipping these, but it bears repeating!

Unless your room is too small for a pack n’play, it is low hanging fruit to skip these. Bassinets are only useful for a very short period of time!

Crib

Skipping the crib will not only save money, but lots of space!

If you do want more of a structured crib than a pack n’ play, a mini crib is a great option! I wrote this article about common mini crib sizes as well as this one about how long your baby can use a mini crib comfortably!

Final Thoughts

Living in a small space with a baby doesn’t mean sacrificing functionality or comfort.

By choosing the right minimalist baby gear and implementing smart storage solutions, you can create a cozy, efficient space for your little one!

Less really can be more when it comes to baby gear – focus on versatile, compact items that truly serve your needs.

What small space swaps have you made for your space?

I’m always trying to optimize our house, so I’d love to know! Drop a comment below!