The Baby Guy NYC's top tips for what you really need for a newborn.

Jamie Grayson, also known as TheBabyGuyNYC, is said to be America’s most famous baby gadget expert.

He runs an online community based on his recommendations for baby products and has about 400,000 followers – that’s more than the population of Australia’s capital city.

Grayson is currently in Australia to give out his gadget advice – but why do mother’s trust his opinion?

“Because I’m not a mum, honestly,” he says.

“I’m not coming from – ‘this is what I had when I had babies and this is what worked for me’ – I come from a very unbiased standpoint of actually getting stuff.”

Grayson is promoting the Love to Dream swaddle. Image supplied. 

"When I get stuff in the mail to review and work with, I obviously try it with kids but then I try to break everything. I kick strollers, I do everything I can to try and test quality to see how everything holds up. But it’s a very non biased, subjective objective standpoint when it comes to product."

Grayson was an out of work actor when he started "a random job talking about a stroller on the weekends" and now he can't imagine doing anything else.

He admits he has created a "very weird little gig" but he's committed to helping mothers make smart choices when it comes to baby gear.

"Car seat safety is obviously the most important, and in America we have about an 80% misuse rate, so at my events, that’s what I really focus on - proper car seat information," he said.

Grayson recommends investing in a good car seat. Image via iStock.

He also helps new parents get prepared.

"I’ve seen people for years on the street freak out because they can’t fold their stroller, so you have to learn how all of your stuff works," he said.

"A lot of people just kind of like wait until the last minute and they have a baby and they think they’re going to go on this walk and figure out how to fold their stroller down when they go in a restaurant. You have to play with everything before the baby comes home...learn how your stuff works before the baby pops out."

Jamie says he wants to have children someday. Image supplied. 

He also admits that a high cost doesn't always equate to quality and cheaper things are cutting through the market with good design.

For example, he says the GB Pockit Stroller is great innovative design and a "very decent price point".

However, he says that car seats and prams are worth an investment so "you get what you pay for".

"I’ve worked with Bugaboo for a very long time, and I have no problems saying it’s the number one stroller on the market...If you buy it, years down the road you can sell it for almost full original price...

Bugaboo prams have been popular with the stars for years. Images via Getty. 

"So I would definitely say strollers are worth the investment, car seats to me are the number one, because in theory every car seat on the market passes certain standards - it has to to be able to be sold - but when you get into a higher price point car seat, you get better ease of use features and installation features, and that’s what actually helps your car seat function better."

For new mothers there are so many products on the market, it's hard to know what you will really need. Grayson's kick, kids and doll testing has unearthed the essential buying list for a newborn:

1. Car seat.
2. Stroller.
3. Baby carrier.
4. A really good mattress.
5. A bouncer - a place for your kid to sit.
6. A good activity gym.
7. Breast pump - a really good breast pump,
8. Skin care items are very important - "A lot of people don’t really look into their ingredients in their skin care products... a baby’s skin is very very thin obviously, and they absorb the products up to 10 times faster than an adult skin does, so that’s very important.
9. Swaddling items. Grayson recommends Love to Dream.
10. Nappies - Cloth nappies are "a wonderful thing".

"A lot of people kind of go crazy buying all this crap for their kid, and at the end of the day, a baby really doesn’t really do a lot but eat, sleep and use the bathroom," he said.

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