Diaper Caddy Essentials
If you own a diaper caddy, or have been gifted one, you may be wondering what type of diaper caddy essentials you should put in it?
Firstly, a diaper caddy is fantastic for organizing all your diaper supplies.
It lets you easily find, and have on hand, all the items you may need when changing your baby’s diaper so you can get it changed with minimal fuss.
It can also be a great visual reminder if you are running low on supplies, so you don’t get caught off guard.
Plus, they can look super cute in your baby’s nursey!
But, what to keep in your diaper caddy?
Here are our list of items to put in diaper caddy that will help make diaper changing a breeze!
And if you love this guide on what to put in diaper changing station, then you’ll love these guides on when to start buying diapers, how many baby wipes do you need and how long do babies wear size 1 diapers. Or even our reviews on Ubbi vs Munchkin diaper pail and Ubbi vs Diaper Genie.
This post contains affiliate links. See our full disclosure here
List Of The 14 Items to put in Diaper Caddy
What To Put In Diaper Caddy
Not everything needs to be in your caddy, but what are the diaper caddy essentials you should include?
Here are our top picks:
1. Disposable or Cloth Diapers
If you use disposable diapers, you will want to add them to your diaper caddy, especially if it is a portable diaper caddy. Alternatively, you may only want to add one or two if you have a diaper hanger for your disposable diapers.
If you are using cloth diapers, you will probably want to keep those separate, or just add one or two, as they are much bulkier than a disposable diaper.
Need help choosing your disposable diapers? Check out our full review here: Best Disposable Diapers
A popular choice, widely found in supermarkets and online, Pampers Swaddlers offer everything that babies need and parents want in a diaper. From great absorbency to an umbilical cord notch for newborns to their super soft lining, these value for money diapers are our top pick for diapering your baby with disposable diapers!
2. Baby Wipes
Whether you use cloth wipes or disposable baby wipes, you need to have a package or two in your caddy. If you use cloth wipes, you’ll need a small spray bottle for water and a solution to clean your baby’s bottom.
3. Diaper Rash Cream
Diaper rash cream is an essential in any diaper caddy! If you are not familiar with it, check out our step by step guide on when and how to apply diaper cream.
When it comes to diaper rash creams, Butt Paste is our go to cream! It's fast acting with visible results within 24hrs. It's thicker so won't wear off as soon as your baby wets their diaper. It's more natural. And it can be less expensive!
4. Hand Sanitizer
Washing your hands before and after every single diaper change isn’t always possible, so we recommend you keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in with your other diaper caddy items so you can stay germ-free.
5. Changing Pad Cover & Liners
If you have several changing pad covers, you may want to consider keeping one or two of them in your caddy. It makes for a quick clean up when you have an unexpected mess.
If you also use changing pad liners that lay over the top of the cover, again you will want to have these handy, particularly when you know you are going to have a messy diaper.
You can read more about changing pad covers is our how many changing pad covers you need guide!
6. Small Toys
As your baby gets older, diaper changing time becomes a drag, and they won’t always want to sit still for you. Which can make changing a diaper very difficult and messy!
By, keeping a few small age appropriate toys like a rattle for a baby in your caddy it helps to keep your child entertained while you change their diaper or get them ready for the day.
7. Burp Cloths
Most babies spit up. Whether it be after a feed, when they sit up from laying down, or just because it is likely to happen. So, having a few spare burp cloths in your diaper caddy can be great to catch any spit-up incidents before they ruin the outfit change or to soak up any mess before it spreads to the floor or other surfaces.
You may also like: How many burp cloths do I need?
8. Pacifier
When your baby is screaming and mad about a diaper change, looking for a pacifier is the last thing you want to do. By keeping your extra pacifiers in your diaper caddy, you will always have a few to offer. When you buy new ones, it is a good idea to add them into the caddy. Having them within arm’s reach makes life a lot easier, and if your caddy is kept in the nursery, you’ll always have pacifiers nearby for bedtime.
You may also like: Do pacifiers expire?
9. Baby Lotion
If your baby has dry skin problems a baby lotion is a must have in your caddy so you can easily apply it, as needed, during their diaper or outfit change to help keep your baby as comfortable as possible.
10. Nail Clippers
Baby nails are uncannily sharp and grow ridiculously quick! So, to prevent your baby from scratching their face, or yours, it is recommended to always have a pair of nail clippers in your caddy so you can trim down their nails before they become problems.
If nail clippers scare you, a nail file works perfectly too!
11. Hairbrush
Depending on how much hair your baby has, adding your baby’s hairbrush to your diaper caddy is a must. This is also a great spot to keep hair bands and bows so they are on hand when you need them.
12. Nasal Aspirator
Babies often need their noses suctioned, and you want to have it close when they have a runny nose. You might also want to keep tissues and saline spray in your diaper caddy too.
13. Disposable Diaper Bags
Newborn diapers don’t always smell bad if you breastfeed, but formula-fed poop and poop after your baby starts solid foods stinks. Having a disposable plastic diaper bag nearby so you can wrap up stinky disposable diapers is a must. Or if you have a diaper pail, you might want to keep refills in the diaper caddy.
14. Extra Clothing
If your changing diaper isn’t connected with your baby’s dresser or if you change your baby in a different room, you might want to include extra clothing in your diaper caddy. All you need to do is add a sleeper, pants, onesie, and socks in the caddy. Diaper explosions happen way too often!
Diaper Caddy Essentials Checklist
FAQs About Essentials for Diaper Caddy
Everyday items to keep in your diaper changing station include diapers baby wipes, diaper rash creams, hand sanitizer, extra changing pad covers and liners, small toys, burp cloths, extra pacifiers, baby lotion, nail clippers, nasal aspirator, disposable diaper bags or diaper pail refills, and extra clothing.
Final Thoughts on what to put in a diaper caddy
At the end of the day, the must have diaper caddy essentials are really a personal preference. What you find essential, others might think isn’t, so use this list as inspiration to come up with your own diaper caddy essentials that are practical for you and your baby.
And if you’re looking for more great diapering guides, then check out these guides on best natural diaper rash creams, best diaper pail alternatives, effective diaper pail deodorizer ideas, and what to do with extra diapers.
