Best Free Baby Samples So You Can Test Before You Buy

The Amazon Welcome Box will make you seriously excited for your baby's arrival. Here's the fine print about the box: You have to join Amazon Prime if you're not a member already, create an Amazon gift registry, add at least 10 unique items to you registry and purchase at least $10 worth of items from your registry (if someone buys a $10 item for you, that counts!).

Once that happens, you'll log in to claim your offer and get a box shipped to you with an assortment of full-size, sample-size and travel-size products. The contents change depending on availability (here's an overview of what you might expect), but in the past have included about 10 items. Think: a muslin swaddle blanket, a onesie, a single pack of Dreft, a 4-ounce baby bottle, a travel size bottle of baby lotion, a 3-pack of diapers, a travel pack of wipes and single-use samples of things like diaper cream and ointment.

If you register at Target, stop by Guest Services when you're in the store to pick up your free welcome kit. The bag contains $100 worth of baby-related products and coupons (!), which is a bigger value than most other welcome kits. Parents have received 3-packs of diapers, Dreft detergent, 10-packs of Honest wipes, 10-packs of Water wipes, Lansinoh breast milk storage bags and nursing pads, a Philips Avent baby bottle, Boogie Wipes, Aquaphor and more.

One drawback: What to Expect community parents report that in-store welcome kits can be hard to come by (they're subject to availability), so you'll want to call ahead before going in to pick yours up. (Some parents recommend calling a couple different stores if you have multiple Targets nearby.) Alternatively, you can have it shipped to you. (Shipping is free if you spend $35 or more, and it doesn't have to be baby items specifically.)

When you register with Walmart, you'll get a baby box filled with freebies. It varies box to box, but you can expect to find things like Dr. Brown's bottles, Huggies diapers, A&D ointment, Baby Dove moisturizer, Liquid IV hydration powder packets (for adults), Mommy's Bliss gripe water, Dr. Brown's bottles, Huggies diapers and month milestone photo cards. Note that the box can take about a month to arrive, but for many, the haul was worth the wait.

Parents who register with Babylist will receive a box filled with samples that parents say are actually good, but you have to jump through a few hoops to get it. These include:

• Adding three things to your registry from the Babylist store
• Adding three things to your registry from other stores
• Spending at least $30 at the Babylist store (or your guests could spend this)
• Verifying your address and spending $8.95 plus tax, where applicable, for shipping

The items in the box generally fit little ones 2 to 3 months old, so you'll want to place your order well ahead of time. Lots of moms were especially thrilled to find a Burt's Bees onesie in their boxes, but other freebies found in a recent box included: Huggies diapers, a FridaBaby Windi (a gas relief tool), Boon and Philips bottles, a pacifier, stretch mark and diaper rash cream samples, Enfamil formula, Honest wipes, Aveeno baby lotion, a hospital bag kit and several coupons. You can read the full fine print about the box here.

Some babies can be finicky when it comes to formula, and parents can quickly drop a ton of cash buying full-size versions of the various options, so it makes sense to get free samples when possible. Enfamil will send samples of a few different kinds of formula to new parents, and also send them formula coupons and gifts such as "Belly Badge" stickers, which you can place on your baby's outfit for milestone photo opps, such as "1 Month Old" and "My First Smile." If you decide you like Enfamil for your baby, you can also earn rewards and rebate coupons by using the app.

When you join the Pampers Club Rewards program, you can download their app and use it to scan codes from the diapers and wipes you've bought. As you do so, you'll earn coupons and points (called Pampers Cash) that can be traded in for more diapers and wipes or other rewards like gift cards. It's a little more work and there's no specific new parent gift box, but if you love Pampers, it's an easy way to save money.

Similar to Pampers, you'll earn points for buying Huggies products that can be traded in for gift cards (such as Visa, Amazon, Nordstrom, Target and Sephora), easily done through the Fetch Rewards app. Parents who already use Fetch know how comprehensive it is — they partner with hundreds of brands across many categories, so you can earn points from other brands besides Huggies, too.

Similac Rewards is a program that sends baby formula coupons and nutritional guidance for you and your little one. (You may get free baby formula samples depending on availability.) You'll also get a free Shutterfly photo book for the countless adroable baby photos you'll be taking. As part of the rewards program, members also get points when they scan the MySimilac QR code on select formula products. On their website, Similac has the option to sign up for the Pampers Club program at the same time, making things a bit easier if you'd like to join both.

Hey, Milestone (formerly known as Noobie Box) is a quirkily named company that offers free gift boxes made for babies and both new and expectant parents. Moms-to-be can order their own complementary pregnancy box to see if they like the program, and even customize it based on their due dates — you'll just need to pay $13 for shipping.

It varies by month, but a recent edition of the box included: five Cuties diapers, a Nanobébé Flexy pacifier, Lansinoh breastfeeding sample set and organic nipple cream, Palmer's stretch mark massage lotion sachet, two Prevail liners, a prenatal vitamin sample, a lactation drink sample, a travel-sized pack of Water Wipes, Aquaphor mini-spray for mom, hand sanitizer wipes, Bella B samples, $100 credit towards family meals with Sunbasket and other offers for sites like Zulily.

This program started by the country icon (and serious reading fan) has simple instructions: Sign up when your child is born, and she will receive free books in the mail until age 5. Note that the organization currently doesn't serve all areas of the country, although go-getters can work with the Imagination Library to start their own local affiliate. The book selections, which are all published by Penguin Random House, are reviewed annually by a team of early childhood literacy experts.

Nanobébé offers a small welcome kit on its website, though shoppers must cover the cost of shipping. The set includes two thin, flat breastmilk storage bags as well as two daytime nursing pads, which are lightweight yet extremely absorbent. You'll also get a Flexy silicone pacifier, which has an ergonomic profile that curves around your little one's nose and chin, so it's more comfortable. The company also sells a “Mystery Box” that contains $100 worth of surprise baby gear for $50 — just note that you can't request the free sample kit and the Mystery Box at the same time.