Product Reviews: Infant Bath Tubs

Purchasing the wrong baby bath can be a big mistake.  Take it from me, I did.

I purchased this:


There were a couple things I liked about it in the store.  The package said you could use it for infants and toddlers.  And it had a little motorized shower to rinse with.  Pretty nifty, so I thought.  For infant use, it has a little net prop to lift the baby's head out of the water.  There are multiple issues I have with this.  First of all, the baby slides down the prop, so you have to hold him up constantly.  Also, if you put enough water in the tub to touch the baby and keep him warm, his ears end up under water.  Dirty bath water and ears?  Just asking for an ear infection.  Next, when you want to wash the baby's back, again he will slide down the net and you will have to hold his head out of the water.  It's just dangerous to me.

And then there's the nifty sprayer.  The tube gets kinked and it won't spray.  The button is slick and hard to push when wet.  I often run out of water from the resivoir before I'm done and have to get my husband to refill it, because I certainly can't walk away from Little Man while he's in the bath.  So bath-time has now turned into a tag-team ordeal.

Lastly, this bath is made to sit on a flat surface.  When you fill it with water it's heavy and will slosh if you move it, which leaves you two options, putting it on the kitchen counter if you have the counter space (I don't) or putting it in the bottom of the bathtub.  So here you are, on your knees on the bathroom floor, leaning over the edge of the bathtub and constantly needing both hands on the baby.  Not the most efficient situation.  (If you wanted one of those fancy and pricey whirlpool tubs, keep this is mind: How will you fill/empty it?)  For a while I just filled the bath and got in with the baby or brought him in the shower with me so I could hold him the whole time, which was actually easier!

That's until I saw the bath my sister has for her little one.  She has a this:

The First Years Sure Comfort Newborn to Toddler Tub

So hers costs less, and when I saw her use it I was impressed.  It doesn't have a flat bottom like mine, it has a bottom designed to sit over a  kitchen double-sink, which most people have.  It also has a seat, so the baby is held up basically hands-free, but is still sitting deep enough in the water to keep her warm.  And her little one seemed to enjoy it much more than my Little Man likes his, and who wouldn't?  She's warmer and feels more secure.  The only thing it lacks is a crappy sprayer, but since it sits over the sink, you can use the sink sprayer.  Just make sure to keep the temperature between 90-99 degrees (that's right, you still need that digital thermometer I recommended on my Registry List!)