I’ll save you time – I picked the Baby Memory Book w/Keepsake Box as the best baby memory book of the year! The added feature of having the keepsake box to store prized items pushed it over the top for me. So save your time and skip the article if that’s all you wanted to know.
Memories of your kids when they are young are one of the most important things for every parent. Keeping photos, notes, or even locks of hair helps to preserve those memories to look back on for decades to come.
I kept almost everything I could from my kid’s early years in large scrapbooks. While I loved scrapbooking, it was time-consuming to decorate and fill in all the information I wanted. During my second pregnancy, I received a wonderful little book as a gift for my baby shower that had everything I needed to document my baby’s early experiences up until her first birthday. After using that first baby memory book, I always looked for new exciting variations to fill with memories.
In this article
In A Hurry? Here Are Our Top Picks:
| Title | Price | Prime | Buy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Top | Pearhead First 5 Years Chevron Baby Memory Book | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | Lucy Darling Baby's First Year Memory Book | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | Lucy Darling Little Animal Lover Memory Book | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
How to Choose the Best Baby Memory Book
Choosing the best baby memory book for you and your baby is really important. Some memory books don’t include certain holidays, milestones or features that may be important in your baby’s first years. When choosing the right book, you will need to be aware of how much time you’d like to spend on filling out the information in your memory book, as some are more involved than others. These are the most important things to think about when choosing the best baby memory book for your family.
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Things to Look For in Your Baby Memory Book
The things that matter when determining what type of baby memory book you’d like to purchase are included holidays, length of recorded time, and whether it is more photo based or journal based.
Some memory books only celebrate certain holidays. In some cases, they don’t celebrate any! Be sure to check which holidays your book represents so you’re not missing out on any important ones you wish to record.
Another thing you need to think about is how long you want to record. Baby memory books typically come in two types: the first year, and the first five years. You will need to determine which type you want before purchasing your book.
The last important factor to keep in mind is whether you want to record memories in written format or stick to photos. Some baby memory books have a good balance between the two, but others skew to one side or the other. Be sure to keep this in mind when deciding on your memory book.
What Are the Advantages of Using a Baby Memory Book?
Baby memory books are easy to use, and are typically filled with prompts for your baby’s firsts. They are great for busy parents, or those who don’t want to spend a ton of time scrapbooking their child’s memories together on their own.
With that, let’s get into the reviews!
Review of the Best 13 Best Baby Memory Books
The Pearhead First 5 Years baby memory book is a sleek, modern design that can be used for either boys or girls. It’s a great gender neutral baby book. The cover features a small white square on the front, with a no-mess ink transfer that allows you to place your baby’s hand or foot print on the front of the book.
Pros
- Customizable cover that allows for baby’s hand print of foot print to be shown.
- Has a family tree section to fill in.
- Includes a few blank pages at the end and throughout the book for any memories that may not be included in certain sections of the book.
Cons
- This book only covers yearly milestones, and does not include monthly milestones for the first year.
- Pages are not easily removable if there are any sections you wish to remove or not fill out.
#2. Little Artist Baby’s First Year Journal
This baby memory book is bright, colorful, and fun! Sporting lovely illustrative flowers or animals on the cover and throughout the pages, this book is perfect for anyone looking for a monthly milestone photo book with flair. Sections include each month, as well as first holidays during your baby’s first year.
Pros
- This book comes in a variety of designs and colors for both genders.
- Includes pages to write out your baby’s first favorite things, such as songs, foods, etc.
- Pages included are thick, so adding glue will not show through to the other side of the page.
Cons
- The book is square, as are all of the image sections in the book, requiring photos placed in the book to be square as well.
- Does not cover early pregnancy, and does not include sections for mommy and daddy memories.
#3. Lucy Darling Little Animal Lover Memory Book
If you’re looking for something sweet and simple, this baby memory book is an excellent choice. The Little Animal Lover memory book includes all kinds of happy illustrated animals that brighten up the pages and cover. This book includes the first five birthdays, pages for your child’s firsts, as well as some pre-birth pages that allow you to write a little note to your baby for the future.
Pros
- Plenty of writing space for the baby’s firsts and description lines.
- Best for busy parents who don’t want to take the time writing out every detail, but still want to document their baby’s memories.
- Includes space for footprinting and hand printing with ink.
Cons
- The pages are slightly thin, so heavier markers cannot be used or they will bleed through.
- Spaces for photos are square and do not fit the average picture size.
#4. C.R. Gibson First Year Tracker
Similar to a memory book, this baby’s first year tracker is shaped like your average calendar. It comes with stickers that feature various “baby’s firsts” from first steps to first words. With cute animals on the cover, this calendar is perfect for decoration anywhere in your home. The design is gender-neutral, so no need to worry about finding one for a boy or girl, a great choice for a gender neutral baby book.
Pros
- The calendar format is easy to use, and easy to write on.
- Great for busy parents who may not have the time to worry about including photos every month.
- Not only great for tracking memories, but also great for being used as a regular calendar for decoration!
Cons
- The packet of stickers comes with firsts, but not ALL first you may want to document, requiring some writing on the calendar at times.
- There are no pockets or special pages to collect mementos for your baby.
Lil Peach’s First 5 Years memory book is one of the cutest on the market. This little book comes in a great variety of colors and designs, including pink, blue, and green, along with polka dots and solid colors. With the perfect balance of both writing and sections for photos, this book will not leave you wanting more or less of anything.
Pros
- Great for a gift, even if the gender of the baby is unknown.
- Comes with a clean ink pad to document baby’s footprints and handprints over five years.
- This little book is durable, and will not show signs of aging or scuffing if handled roughly.
Cons
- This book does not include a section for your baby’s first holidays but does include other firsts.
- While the book comes with the no mess ink pad, there is no specific place in the book to do footprints or handprints.
#6. Ruby Roo Baby First Year Memory Book
For those parents that want a picture based memory book, Ruby Roo has created a unique book that records the baby’s first year in great detail, and also captures the entire family’s experience with the new little one over their first year. The design is not too childish, making it the perfect book to record in for the entire family.
Pros
- Family-friendly to ALL types of families.
- The artwork is unique, and matches well to any forest or animal themed nursery.
- This book is great for parents who are on-the-go or busy, as it doesn’t require much writing or extensive work to fill it out.
Cons
- This book does not include protective sleeves or films to cover pages from damage.
- There is not a lot of space to write about your baby’s first milestones.
#7. Tiny Gifts First 5 Years Baby Memory Book
Another great book for your baby’s first five years! For those with complaints about having to trim photos, this memory book is for you. The sections for photos are larger than the average memory book, making it easier to paste full-size photos without the hassle of using scissors or photo cutters. Due to this, however, there is not nearly as much room for writing, making this book more ideal as a picture memory book, rather than a memory journal.
Pros
- The sections for photos are the average 6″ x 4″ photo size, which means the need to trim photos is not an issue with this book.
- This book’s pages are heavyweight enough that a sharpie can be used with no bleeding through the pages.
- Gives lots of detail for the baby’s first year.
Cons
- The ink pad is an average ink pad, and the ink can smudge and get everywhere if not fully dry.
- Does not include any pre birth pages, and starts on the baby’s very first day.
#8. Baby Memory Book w/Keepsake Box
A whopping 64 pages, this baby memory book pulls out all the stops! While it does not include much about pre birth, this book begins at the baby’s first day, and continues up to your baby’s fifth year. Not only does this book come with a set of stickers for 30 milestones, it also includes a “keepsake box” to hold all the precious items from your baby’s firsts, such as locks of hair, or hospital bracelets.
Pros
- This book is three items in one, including the keepsake box, memory book, and sticker set to document your baby’s milestones.
- Includes unique writing sections such as “the world around you when you were born.”
- Plenty of room for photos to be placed on the pages.
Cons
- Keepsake box may be on the small size, depending on the items you decide to put in it.
- Not the best option for busy parents, as it takes work to fill out.
#9. Lovely Sprouts First Year Baby Memory Book
LovelySprouts has created a cute, small book that is excellent for documenting your child’s earliest milestones up to their fifth year. This book is simple, making it easily customizable for any parent who wants to make their baby memory book unique and their own.
Pros
- Lovely Sprouts is a charity company that gives a portion of all proceeds to charities for children. Buying this book is like donating.
- Comes in three styles, including pink, blue, and animals for a gender neutral option.
- Back of the book has a small keepsake envelope for any items that cannot be attached to the pages.
Cons
- Paper is thin, so certain pens and markers will bleed through the pages.
- Photo sizes can get extremely small, making for awkward cropping of certain pictures.
#10. Ronica Memory Book
Ronica’s memory book design is one of the cutest I’ve seen! This book includes two gender options and a gender neutral option for the cover design, all featuring a cute animal on the front. The thick paper is of archival quality, meaning your photos will be protected for years to come, and your words will not bleed through to the other side if using a marker or ink pen.
Pros
- Includes a set of 12 stickers for each month milestone.
- This book is not just for after birth. There are a few pages included for things like ultra sounds and the baby shower.
- Covers the story of mommy and daddy, as well as the story of the baby.
Cons
- Certain glues are not ideal for the paper type, as they can sometimes bleed through. Glue sticks are the best option when it comes to adhesive.
- All spaces for photo are in landscape, which is inconvenient for any portrait photos.
#11. Baby Memory Book Modern Journal
Simple and easy to use, this baby memory book has a modern design that melds the journaling aspect of baby memory books with photos seamlessly. This memory book includes a few milestones stickers, but it also includes what they call “scrapbook stickers,” which can be used as a strip across the page to make your own section for writing important information about your little one.
Pros
- Front cover has a beautiful embossing in silver for both book options.
- Both cover and inside pages are incredibly sturdy, being coated in a semi-gloss to make writing look smooth and effortless.
- Includes plenty of sections to record baby’s firsts and milestones up until the fifth year.
Cons
- Does not come with a gender neutral option, only a blue and pink canvas cover.
- Doesn’t include cute illustrations or anything fun and childish.
One of the most jam-packed and page filled books on this list, the KiddosArt Memory Book has 72 whole pages of fun sections to fill out about your baby. This book has sections for over 100 photos, making it perfect for those who just don’t want to miss any moment of capturing their baby’s firsts.
Pros
- All of the photo sizes are listed within the framed sections, making it easy to judge how large or small your photo will need to be.
- The design is completely gender neutral with adorable animal designs on every page.
- This book comes with a box that will help in storage of the book. The box is sturdy enough to keep the book from deteriorating over time.
Cons
- There are no plastic protectors for photos, meaning an adhesive is required for placing photos in the pages.
- Some important holidays are not included.
#13. Pioneer Collage Frame Album
This little book is perfect for anyone who takes tons of photos and wants to put them in a keepsake book for the family to look back on for many years to come. The outside cover is a soft leather-like material that has several photo sleeves in it for easy customization. To add writing, some of the photo pockets can be used with regular pieces of paper, but there is no place for journaling or writing otherwise. I used this book along with a memory book that was mostly writing to get the best of both worlds and found that this book is excellent for phone photos, as well as camera photos. Looking for a baby memory book with pockets? This is a great option.
- The best baby memory book for protecting photos.
- Includes both landscape and portrait sleeves for photos of all varieties.
- The plastic used to protect the photographs is strong, meaning you won’t have to worry about them detaching from the page or damaging your photos.
Cons
- This book only comes in two colors: pink and blue.
- If you want to do any writing, this book isn’t for you. It only includes photos.
Conclusion
Of all the best baby memory books in this list, I’d have to say my personal favorite was the Baby Memory Box with Keepsake Box. This one is the one I used for my third child because I wanted a box to keep her hospital items inside. While it was a small box, it worked perfectly for her booties and hat, as well as her hospital bracelet.
This memory book gives you the best value, with the three items that come with it. Not only that, but the memory book was perfect for our family, and covered everything that we wanted to document.
If you’re a busy parent or a crafty parent, there is a baby memory book out there for you. There is an overwhelming amount of choices out there, so I hope my reviews help you decide. Just be sure to keep your needs and preferences in mind, and you’ll be looking back on your baby’s first years in an amazing baby memory book and enjoying every moment.
