How much to spend on a baby shower gift
$25–$50 from a coworker, $50–$100 from a friend, $100–$200 from close family. Those are the bands Greatest Gift publishes. Babylist’s registry data puts the average value of a baby gift near $130 — skewed upward by big-ticket registry items.
Baby shower gift amounts by relationship
| Who it’s for | Typical amount | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coworker or acquaintance | $25–$50 | Greatest Gift | |
| Friend or extended family | $50–$100 | Greatest Gift | |
| Close friend or close family | $100–$200 and up | Greatest Gift | |
| Your share of a group gift | What you would have spent alone | Greatest Gift | Pooling is how the stroller gets bought. |
| Overall published range | $25–$200 | Greatest Gift | |
| Average value of a baby gift | ≈$130 | Babylist registry data, as cited by WebBabyShower (13 Jan 2026) | Reported second-hand from Babylist registry data, and skewed by big-ticket registry purchases — it is not what a shower guest typically spends. |
Every figure above is a third-party editorial statistic, cited below. Very Cool never publishes retailer prices — check the current price on the retailer’s own page.
Why the “average” is misleading
The figure that circulates for baby gifts is around $130, from Babylist’s registry data. It is a real number about a different thing. Registries collect strollers, car seats and cribs bought by parents, in-laws and grandparents, and those purchases drag the mean well above what a shower guest gives. The relationship bands are the useful figures: $25–$50 from a coworker, $50–$100 from a friend.
We flag one weakness in our own sourcing here. The relationship bands come from Greatest Gift’s spending guide (updated December 2023) and are etiquette guidance rather than survey data, and the $130 average is a second-hand citation — we could not retrieve Babylist’s own report to check it. Both are named in the sources below so you can weigh them yourself.
The registry is not a suggestion
Baby shower gifting is the one category where going off-list is usually the wrong instinct. New parents have researched a specific car seat, a specific bottle, a specific monitor, and a well-meant alternative becomes something they have to return with a newborn in the house. Buy from the registry, at your band, and if everything at your price is gone, buy two smaller things from it rather than one improvised thing off it.
The exception is the gift for the parents rather than the baby — the thing nobody puts on a registry because it feels indulgent while you are pricing car seats. That is the one off-list gift that reliably lands.
What to add on top
If you want to spend a little beyond the registry item, spend it on the parents. A good coffee setup for people about to lose a year of sleep, or something from self-care for the person who is about to stop having any, are both better received than another set of onesies.
For the shower itself at the coworker band, under $50 is the right shelf; the etiquette there is the same as any workplace gift, covered in how much to spend on a coworker gift.
Now spend it well
You have the number. These are the shelves that fit it.
Not sure which band you’re in? Run it through the gift budget calculator.
Common questions
How much should a coworker spend on a baby shower gift?
$25–$50 is the published band for a coworker or acquaintance, which also sits comfortably above the general workplace gift ceiling of $25.
Is $50 enough for a baby shower gift?
Yes. $50 is the top of the coworker band and the floor of the friend band in Greatest Gift’s guidance — a normal amount for anyone who is not immediate family.
Should I buy off the registry?
Buy from it. New parents have chosen specific items for specific reasons, and an off-list substitute usually becomes a return. If your price band is sold out, buy two smaller registry items rather than one improvised gift.
What do you give for a second baby?
Less kit, more consumables. The house already has the gear, so nappies, wipes, food and something for the parents land better than another piece of equipment — and the same relationship bands apply.
Is the average baby gift really $130?
That figure comes from Babylist’s registry data and includes big-ticket items like strollers and car seats bought by family. A typical shower guest spends far less: $25–$50 as a coworker, $50–$100 as a friend.
Sources
- Greatest Gift — “Baby Shower Gift Spending Guide” Updated 25 December 2023. Etiquette guidance, not survey data.
- Babylist registry data, as cited by WebBabyShower (13 Jan 2026) Secondary citation: we could not retrieve Babylist’s own report, so this figure is reported second-hand and flagged as such.