As the associate commerce director at What to Expect, it’s my job to know all of the ins and outs of baby gear, nursery furniture, toys…and baby registries. I see questions in our What to Expect community all of the time about which registry parents should sign up for. But the truth is that you don’t have to limit yourself to a singular registry — and in fact, I recommend you create more than one. 

After all, there are many retailers that provide this useful tool to moms- and dads-to-be; each one with features and perks that make it appealing. Pottery Barn Kids and Crate and Barrel have an oh-so-stunning selection of cribs, gliders and more, while Target and Walmart have tons of options for everyday essentials like diapers and wipes. Buy Buy Baby stocks just about anything you need for your baby, and has many storefronts for parents who want to test items before committing to them. And Amazon has, well, everything. Why should a parent-to-be have to choose, especially when there are freebies and discounts available?

How many baby registries should I make?

There is no limit to how many baby registries you can make, but for most people, I find that three baby registries is the perfect number; that way you get the benefits of having multiple registries, but it’s not too much to maintain.

Of course, then the question becomes where do you register. Ultimately, this will come down to your personal preferences, lifestyle, and possibly location. But as a good rule of thumb, I find it helpful to create registries at one big online retailer, one major retailer with brick-and-mortar stores, and one nursery furniture retailer. 

Big online retailer options

The beauty of big online retailers is that they offer a much larger selection and variety of products than smaller, more specialized stores. So, naturally, creating a baby registry at one gives you more options to choose from, whether it’s a big-ticket item like a car seat or an everyday essential like diapers. This can be especially helpful when it comes to items that babies are notoriously picky about, like bottles, pacifiers or lotions. 

Another benefit to registering at a big box retailer: You can add some non-baby items to your registry. Maybe you’re also in the process of moving to a larger home and want to get some new kitchen appliances. Or perhaps want to stock up on toilet paper and cleaning supplies so you don’t have to go to the store once baby arrives. Whatever the motivation, having the option to add something besides diapers and onesies to your registry is a (convenient) perk. Even if your friends and family don’t buy these options for you, you can often use something called a completion discount on them, which is a discount that the retailer offers for you to “complete” your registry and buy anything that wasn’t gifted to you.

Some of the best big online retailers to create a registry include:

Amazon: Creating an Amazon baby registry is a no-brainer if you already do most of your shopping there. Obviously, Amazon has a wide selection of baby products. But on the off chance that you want something that isn’t available on Amazon, you can use its universal registry feature and to add it to your Amazon registry.  

Target: The Target baby registry has a few features to ensure that you get exactly what you want; you can mark which items are "most wanted" and add special notes to make shopping easier on your loved ones. 

Walmart: The Walmart baby registry is super easy to use, whether you’re doing so via the website or their app. Walmart also helps you save money by offering price matching. Just note that they’ll only match the online price. 

Major brick-and-mortar retailer options

Even if you do most of your shopping online, when it comes to baby products, there are some benefits to going to a physical store, especially if you’re a first-time parent. The main one being you can actually see (and, in some cases, test) a product before adding it to your registry. This ensures you’re getting something that works for your lifestyle and eliminates the need to return something later on, a true hassle once baby has arrived. Not to mention, some friends and family members may prefer to shop in stores, so giving them the option to do so is helpful. Keep in mind that some stores are more ubiquitous than others; if you’re registering somewhere for the purpose of shopping in-stores, you’ll want to make sure there is a location near you and the majority of your loved ones. 

Additionally, some brick-and-mortar retailers have product experts available to answer any questions about items available through the retailer. 

Target and Walmart are, of course, good options. But another retailer you may want to consider is Buy Buy Baby. 

The Buy Buy Baby registry is perfect for parents-to-be who want a wide and varied selection of baby products. Buy Buy Baby keeps a large stock of display items, like strollers and car seats, so you can get a better sense of what you’re registering for. They also have everyday essentials, such as diapers and wipes. Additionally, you’ll find more size options when it comes to clothes and diapers, starting at preemie. And if you need some assistance, Buy Buy Baby has a concierge service that will answer any product questions and help you make the best decision for your little one. 

Nursery furniture retailer options

Although this type of registry isn’t totally necessary, parents who are interested in higher-end furniture may find it useful. If you live near one of the brick-and-mortar stores, it’s especially useful because you’ll be able to see the items in person, which may influence your final decision. 

The go-to retailers for nursery furniture include Pottery Barn Kids and Crate & Barrel. 

Pottery Barn Kids: If you want gorgeous, quality furniture for your nursery, you can’t go wrong with a Pottery Barn Kids baby registry. That said, the brand isn’t limited to cribs and gliders. Pottery Barn Kids offers non-nursery items, such as nursing pillows, bathing supplies and even postpartum care kits. They even have cloth diapers available. Although it doesn’t have a universal registry feature, the Pottery Barn Kids registry makes it easy to add products from other family brands, like West Elm, Williams Sonoma and, of course, Pottery Barn, which may be useful if you’ve recently moved or are in a redecorating phase. 

Crate & Barrel: The Crate & Barrel baby registry is another option if you are looking for quality furniture, luxurious bedding and other high-end gear. Because that often comes with a higher price tag, Crate & Barrel has the option to mark items for group gifting to help reduce the cost for your loved ones. Crate & Barrel also has Crate & Barrel offers a design service, where you can meet with an interior designer to get photorealistic renderings, floor plan ideas and styling tips for your nursery.

But there’s no wrong answer here, and if you want to create more registries, especially after learning about the perks each one offers, there’s no one stopping you. And if you’re still stuck on which retailers to choose, What to Expect’s Registry Builder has a great quiz that tells you what registry would be best for you based on your family and lifestyle. 

The benefits of multiple registries

Having options, both in terms of the products you can add to your registry and when loved ones can buy them, are not the only advantages to create multiple registries. Here are some of the other reasons to create more than one baby registry. 

You’ll receive more product samples 

Once you create a baby registry, many retailers will offer you a welcome box filled with coupons, discounts codes and, my personal favorite, product samples. In addition to being great for travel, product samples are a great way to test an item on your baby before spending hundreds of dollars on it. After all, every baby is different: The wipes that your best friend swears by could cause your little one to break out in hives. The pacifier with overwhelmingly positive online reviews may not pass muster with your tot.

Since the contents of welcome boxes vary between retailers, creating multiple registries ensures you’ll receive a variety of samples to test. But take note: how you claim your welcome box differs from retailer to retailer. You can order Walmart’s Baby Box as soon as you’ve created a registry, whereas you can only claim Amazon’s Baby Registry Welcome Box if you’re an Amazon Prime member who has “checked off” 60 percent of the items on your registry and has $10 worth of items purchased from your registry.

What to Expect's Registry Builder has guides on what various retailers offer in terms of Welcome Boxes, so be sure to check those out to help with your decision. 

You’ll save more money 

Many registries offer a completion discount, which, in most cases, can get you 15 percent off of any eligible items you buy from your own registry. As an added bonus, the discount isn’t exclusive to baby gear. You can use it on everything from household essentials to a postpartum present for yourself, so long as it’s on your registry, the item isn’t excluded in the fine print and your completion discount is still active. 

Naturally, the more completion discounts you are eligible for, the more money you can save. Monica Milstein, What to Expect’s vice president of marketing and data insights, saved more than $1,000 by utilizing the completion discounts for four different baby registries. 

Similar to welcome boxes, completion discount policies differ between retailers. If you want to know how to stretch your dollar, What to Expect's Registry Builder has guides on exactly how to take advantage of the  completion discounts for your registries. 

How to keep multiple registries organized

Although having multiple registries can be extremely beneficial, it can also be overwhelming. Not only do you have to keep track of all the different details, but you then have to send every registry link to anyone who asks what they can get you. 

Fortunately, What to Expect’s Registry Builder allows you to link multiple registries to one account, which makes them easier to manage and share. Registry Builder even keeps track of what registry perks are available to you. In short, it keeps everything organized so all you have to worry about is adding baby gear to your registries.