Best Baby Memory Books, Tested by a Mom of Two

The Story of You by Artifact Uprising is a clean, classic, thoughtfully designed baby book that lets parents beautifully capture their child’s story. This pick earned top marks for quality and design, content and additional features, cementing its status as the overall best baby memory book.

I love how the baby book comes with a promo code to order ten complimentary photos to add to your book, but trust me when I say that you’ll want more than the ten provided. The images come in a matte finish, and the photo quality is so outstanding that my iPhone photos looked significantly elevated and professional when mounted on the thick, high-quality pages, although it was challenging to remove the back lining of the adhesive to stick the photos to the book. I also like the included marker pen, which enhanced my sometimes shaky handwriting to instead flow smoothly on the pages without smudging. Can I use this pen for everything?

While The Story of You comes complete with plenty of pages, it felt very manageable to document my little guy’s first year. The writing prompts were helpful and open-ended without being too specific. In particular, I love the sections allowing photos and short messages to baby—having them there encouraged me to be extra thoughtful with concise responses. On the flip side, I liked the free writing space, where I can journal special letters to my baby at different stages of growth and have the freedom to input my own content, and I also appreciated the large, thick, functional folder set aside to hold “well wishes.” I have so many cards from my baby shower with sweet notes for the baby, and this is a perfect place to store them. Aside from the content and bonus features, I was so impressed with the overall design. The book looks gorgeous and expensive, thanks to the tactile, fabric-wrapped cover, card stock paper pages and secure binding. This book truly feels like it will last forever, making it the perfect family heirloom to chronicle beautiful childhood memories.

Type: Bound book | Hardcover: Yes | Page count: 100 pages | Age range covered: 0-12 months

When in doubt, keep things simple. We take this motto to heart in many areas of life—so why not use it when documenting baby’s first year? Lucy Darling’s Baby's First Year Celestial Skies Memory Book is called A Simple Book of Firsts. Although the design is straightforward, the journaling prompts are impressive and touch on all the essentials without being overwhelming. Each month-by-month page includes the same four prompts that invite you to reflect on what baby can do, what they like and dislike, as well as a particular memory from this period. I love the open-endedness of these prompts, and found that they evoked a variety of thoughtful responses. In particular, the prompt “you can,” inspired me to document a milestone or even an emotion about my baby’s development. For instance, on month two, I recorded that my little guy can “roll over and smile,” and on month ten, I recorded that he can “make us laugh with just a little smirk.” This made journaling feel natural, easy and fun. Is it any surprise that this book earned a 10 out of 10 score for content and ease of use?

The baby memory book also achieved a top score for quality and design. The book is a cloth-bound binder with a spiral notebook inside; I love the binding and feel it is made to last. The paper is high-quality, thick and durable. The illustrations are really cute and the infographics were easy to fill out. One notable exception is the family tree infographic, which wasn’t linear or as intuitive as some of the other fill-in charts. There’s plenty of free writing space in the back, I only wish it was lined so that I could neatly write letters and record stories from my son's early days. While I love this book, it is a bit pricey for what it is—a simple baby book. With that said, I would still repurchase it, as I feel that the overall quality and design match the price.

Type: Bound book | Hardcover: Yes | Page count: 48 pages | Age range covered: 0-12 months

Every evening at 8pm, my phone vibrates with an incoming text and I know exactly who it's from: Qeepsake, with the first of four journal prompts. Journaling has always felt natural to me, but with two young children to care for, it's easy to lose track of it. But not with a Qeepsake subscription. Earning a 10 out of 10 for ease of use and high testing scores across the board of Qeepsake secured a spot as the best digital memory book subscription.

Creating an account and signing up for a Qeepsake subscription is a seamless experience. The app and website were both simple to navigate, and easily the most user-friendly digital subscription I used to document my son's infancy. Shortly after my baby went to sleep, I answered questions about him via text and was able to include photos right from my camera roll, not only capturing the sentiments from the day, but the images to go along with them. The writing prompts were very clear and covered specific memories I'd love to look back on. Once three chapters were complete, I ordered a physical book online without any adjustments other than some grammar and text typos. With this bite-sized commitment of four questions to respond to on a nightly basis, the process felt so enjoyable and never overwhelming.

While Qeepsake is convenient and offers amazing prompts, the printed book doesn’t have any pockets to store hospital bands or other mementos safely, nor is there an option to add a print of your baby's footprint or handprint (which is a must in my opinion!). What made this product so unique was the convenience of the text prompts, which make it easy for caregivers to capture daily life rather than just the milestones. While the finished book was a little too basic for my taste, this was by far the most intuitive journaling process for a busy mom of two.

Type: Bound book | Hardcover: Yes | Page count: Flexible | Age range covered: 0-18 years

Do you like the idea of a digital baby book but also want an elegant, high-quality binder to preserve your baby's memories? Look no further than The Short Years Baby Book. This hybrid product combines the convenience of an app with the satisfaction of building a beautiful hard-cover book in your home. To get started, I simply created an account and began to journal straight away. Uploading photos was a breeze and the writing prompts were easy to follow. I did find myself swiping through asking for new prompts and, in some cases not feeling inspired, but overall, I found some prompts that I felt drawn to respond to. Once you complete three chapters online, the personalized pages are delivered straight to your doorstep and you can slot them into the binder-style cover.

This book really hit the mark in terms of quality and design, and received a 10 out of score in this category. I appreciated the quality of the binder to secure the pages; it is a thick, sturdy, cloth-bound binder and I loved the deep olive colorway. There is also a slot on the front cover to insert your baby’s name, which is a nice touch. The paper is gorgeous and shows the printed digital photographs really well, while the font is clean and professional. You can complete the chapters at your own pace, and while The Short Years only covers baby’s first year, there is an option to continue to add to your baby book with a purchase of “The Toddler Years,” which includes five additional chapters. This hybrid baby book also has a few bonus features that I enjoyed. Namely a large folder at the front that can hold hospital bands, ultrasound photos or any other little mementos you'd like to hang onto. I love how thick and large the folder is—it made it very easy to fill it with those special little belongings. It also came with an ink pad as well as sheets for baby’s hand and footprints. However, I wish this was an inkless pad, as it would be less messy and easier to use in those early newborn days. Overall, this was a great product that seamlessly blends the attributes of digital baby books with a gorgeous physical product, allowing you to cherish your child's memories for years to come. I think it’s a good option for tech-savvy parents that still want a robust and beautiful keepsake they can pop on a shelf.

Type: Ring-binder book | Hardcover: Yes | Page count: Flexible | Age range covered: 0-12 months

Looking for a budget-friendly baby memory book? Keababies Frolic Baby Memory Book earned a 10 out of 10 score for affordability and received solid marks across all other testing criteria. What immediately struck me about the baby book was how expensive it looked—even at a $22 price point. The paper is really thick and the cloth-binding feels like it will last a long time. I also love the minimalistic design of the exterior, and the colorful pages inside. The front cover is customizable, with a spot to insert your baby’s photo and footprint. I was eager to try out the inkless ink pad, and it did not disappoint, it captured my little man’s footprint beautifully without the added job of scrubbing his little feet afterward. The overall design created a nice keepsake that I could leave out in my son's room, but it’s still colorful enough for my baby to look back on when he's a little bigger!

In terms of content, The Frolic Baby Memory book covers the first five years, including space for pregnancy notes, so it’s very comprehensive. The book has a beautiful balance of journaling pages where I could really express my thoughts and baby statistic pages where I could capture the nitty gritty details such as weight, height, milestones and more. I like how some of the writing prompts were open-ended while others were more specific. For example, the “how I announced I was expecting you” section triggered a sweet memory, while the monthly prompts granted a lot of freedom with spaces to fill in what my son liked, disliked and was learning to do at that stage of time. There’s a page dedicated to ultrasound images, which is great, but the section was way too small to fit my sonogram photos and I could not fit four on a page as the book design intended. On the plus side, there is a small pocket in the back of the book where I put hospital bracelets and sonograms instead. The final verdict? With features like a mess-free ink pad to capture my baby’s footprint, simple and thoughtful prompts and pages to capture firsts, including holidays, Keababies covers ample ground for preserving baby’s memories without breaking the bank.

Type: Spiral-bound book | Hardcover: Yes | Page count: N/A | Age range covered: 0-5 years

As a lifetime diarist and journal collector, I consider myself an expert in seeking out the best little notebooks to record my innermost thoughts and feelings. Since I first became a mother in 2020, I marveled at my son’s development and made it a daily practice to document everyday moments as well as major milestones. Somehow, the daily details, funny little anecdotes and stories of my baby’s (and my) growth feel more meaningful than noting the exact moment he rolled over. With the most comprehensive writing content of all the baby books I’ve tested, this Promptly journal is the best option for daily diary entries. The book has so many pages to capture your child's journey from the moment you find out about your pregnancy all the way to their eighteenth birthday! I particularly appreciate a healthy balance between specific and open-ended writing spaces. I loved the journal prompts—they were simple enough to respond quickly yet thought-provoking. In addition, there was plenty of space for more extended anecdotes when I felt compelled to write more. I wrote many letters to my babies before they arrived, and I wish I had this journal for both of them! I was never overwhelmed writing in Promptly, except when I thought about recording my baby's life as a teenager!

I adore the cloth-bound cover and the binding feels secure, although it’s hard to read the embossed gold text on the spine. Inside, the paper was very easy to write on, though I would have preferred it if it was just slightly thicker and more substantial. Adding photos to the book is simple as well; there was plenty of room to add photos without cutting them down. Horizontal photos just fit and vertical photos fit with a nice amount of white border space. While this baby memory book is small, has a simple color scheme and only features a few illustrations, it didn't bother me as the purpose of this book is more journal-focused and about recording memories.

Type: Bound book | Hardcover: Yes | Page count: 254 pages | Age range covered: 0-18 years

One thing I’ve learned on my motherhood journey? A tiny baby equals tons of stuff! Alongside mounds of clothing and an overwhelming amount of toys are the special relics from those foggy early days that you’ll want to hang onto in a secure, sacred space. Marabout’s Le Petit Baby Book is aesthetic and beautifully designed, and its many creative envelopes and pockets for storing cards, sonograms, handprints, hospital bracelets and more make it the perfect repository for mementos. One of my favorite pages in this book was titled “your best expressions,” and it featured four colorful little envelopes with a notecard tucked inside to record cute expressions my baby uttered—such as first words or funny sayings. I can confidently say that even though you think you’ll remember these expressions, jotting them down on paper is a sure way to record them forever. Tucking away memories in this baby memory book is a pleasure, it’s got a space for everything and is adorned with gorgeous, whimsical illustrations.

With a top score for value as well as quality and design, this book is beautifully made and looks much more expensive than its $30 price point. The binding is high-quality and sturdy, and the paper is thick, matte and feels expensive. The color scheme is muted, with playful colors complemented by the brown binding—it feels very French and sophisticated. One of the drawbacks of this baby book is the space allotted for photos is small and somewhat awkward. As a result I had to cut the photos into oval shapes to fit, so I found adding pictures to be cumbersome. With that said, this baby book has the best additional features of any baby book I've tested, earning it a 10 out of 10 score in this category. I especially loved the spinning wheel, which displayed my baby's star sign and Chinese zodiac sign, and the large folder in the back of the book, but some of the other folders peppered throughout the book were on the small side. Overall, the design and illustrations are exceptional and it feels special even before you add your baby's milestones and photos.

Type: Spiral-bound book | Hardcover: Yes | Page count: 72 pages | Age range covered: 0-12 months

While baby books are designed for parents and caregivers, language such as “mom” and “dad” can be very limiting for family dynamics that do not fit that narrative. RubyRoo’s Baby Memory Book Woodland had by far the most inclusive language, inviting caregivers and families of all kinds to fill out this baby book. In fact, the brand prides itself on using language that is inclusive of adoptive and LGBTQ+ families. And while the book has dedicated pages for special holidays, such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, these sections are removable for families that don’t celebrate them. The color scheme was fun; some pages were muted, while others were brighter. I found myself finding photos to match the color scheme on the appropriate pages, which I really loved doing and I felt it created a beautiful aesthetic.

The paper stock is high-quality, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the thick cardboard cover as I prefer a hardcover baby book. The illustrations were adorable and I loved the woodland theme. Infographics were particularly well-designed, and I especially liked the growth chart as it had plenty of room for recording your baby's monthly height and weight measurements over the course of one year. The writing prompts were clear, I just wish there were more of them! The RubyRoo Baby Memory book focuses on photos, and few opportunities exist to share specific moments. However, there was some free writing space in the back of the book, which I loved, yet I wish it were lined so I could neatly write some anecdotes about my baby's first year of life.

In the back of this keepsake book, there are several sheets for adding photos and a deep pocket for storing keepsakes like hospital bands. There is also a designated page that leaves large enough space for adding prints of your baby's footprints and handprints, which I really appreciated. I also like that there are three spots to include either sonogram pictures or bump photos, while I didn’t think to include any pictures from my pregnancy, it’s an adorable idea. And while this baby memory book only covers the first year of baby’s life, there are pages to share an annual snapshot of your child up to the age of 5, which was a nice touch! At around $25, RubyRoo Baby Memory Book is definitely worth the price. While it wasn’t totally in line with my style aesthetic, it is an adorable way to record those early moments with plenty of space for photos and mementos.

Type: Spiral-bound book | Hardcover: No | Page count: 60 pages | Age range covered: 0-12 months