Bathtime is a fantastic sensory experience for babies. They love the warmth, the change of scene, the feeling of water lapping around their legs as they kick about. As a parent, the joy of hearing those little squeals of delight as your baby thumps their fingers into the water and splashes about is hard to beat. But bathtime isn’t without stress: when you combine the unfriendly hard surfaces of a bathroom, slippery soap and wriggly children, you have a recipe for disaster. This is where baby baths and bath seats can make all the difference.
Admittedly, babies soon outgrow the need for a dedicated baby bath or bath seat, but it’s something that’s well worth purchasing to help get you - and your little bundle of splashy joy - through the first year or so. Read on and we’ll run you through everything you need to know to decide which type of baby bath or seat is right for you, and explain all the best features of our five favourite options in the bite-size reviews below.
How to buy the best baby bath for you
What types of baby bath are there?
There are a few options open to you. The first thing to think about is whether you want to buy a mini bathtub, or instead opt for a seat that can support your baby in your existing bath while you wash and play with them.
Seats are smaller and therefore easier to store, and come in both hard and soft options – you’ll even find a swivel chair in the list below. The downside is that you’ll need to half fill your bath with water each time, which is both time-consuming and uses a lot of water. This may be worth considering if you’re on a metered supply.
Mini bathtubs, on the other hand, save on hot water and are much more versatile. You can take them outside to have bathtime in the garden, or just let them have it as a little paddling pool to cool down in hot weather. You can also take it camping.
What safety considerations should I always keep in mind?
There are three primary things to remember, and the first of these is that you should always check the temperature of the water before putting your baby in. A dedicated baby bath thermometer is a worthwhile investment, as it allows you to be absolutely sure that the water isn’t too hot – testing it with your hand isn’t a reliable way of gauging temperature. They only cost a few quid, and help ensure that the water is at the recommended zone of 36 to 37 degrees celsius.
The second rule is that you should never put the bath seats near the taps, as it’s far too easy for your child to bang their head, or yank the hot water tap and potentially scald themselves.
The most important rule of all is that you should never leave your babies unattended in the bath, even if they are seemingly safe and secure in a bath seat or similar. It only requires a few centimetres of water for a baby to be at risk of drowning.
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The best baby baths and bath seats to buy
1. Shnuggle bath: The best baby bath
Price when reviewed:£25
This lightweight, portable baby bath takes all the stress out of bathing a newborn. The baby sits back in it against a soft foam cushion and is propped upright by way of a clever little hump that sits underneath his bottom – this allows babies to sit up independently until they outgrow it at around one year. This means you can employ both hands in washing the remnants of your child’s breakfast, lunch and dinner out of his hair, ears, nose and that gorgeous podge under his chin. Another bonus is that this bath is designed to cover your baby using no more than two litres of water, so it takes virtually no time to fill, empty and clean.
Key features – Type: Self-contained; Material: Hard plastic with foam padding; Weight: 1.2kg; Dimensions: 39 x 36 x 62cm; Volume: 2 litres; Suitable for age: 0-12 months
2. Angelcare Soft Touch Bath Support: The best bath seat for younger babies
Price when reviewed:£25
Going by our testing, babies seem to be big fans of Angelcare’s baby bath seat. The catchily-titled Soft Touch Bath Support sits in your bath and is kept still by means of rubber pads on the sturdy base. It’s made of a soft rubber-plastic mesh that quickly warms up to the temperature of the bathwater and holds your baby like a hammock. As well as being super-comfortable, the suspension also means that when they kick their legs, they don’t bump their head and back against anything. It’s easy to clean, mildew-resistant and has a handy hook for hanging up in the bathroom when you’ve finished with it. It comes in fuschia pink, sky blue, and for those still clinging onto adult colour schemes, slate grey.
Key features – Type: Sits in water (sticks onto bath tub); Material: Hard plastic with soft thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) mesh seat; Weight: 746g; Dimensions: 22.5 x 58.5 x 33.5cm; Suitable for age: 0-6 months
3. Ikea Lättsam: The best baby bath under £10
Price when reviewed:£6
If money’s tight and you need furniture, chances are you’ll end up at Ikea at some point in early parenthood. In fact, if you’re anything like us, you may even end up visiting your local store just to keep the kids occupied when you miss playgroup on the rare (okay, fairly regular) occasion that you sleep through your alarm. Make the most of your next visit, though, by snapping up this extremely cheap infant bath tub. It’s great once your baby can sit up by himself, it has rubber pads on the underside to stop movement, and rubber strips inside it to stop baby from sliding around in the water. Once they’ve outgrown it you can always fill it with sand and stick it in the garden, or fill it with ice and use it as a beer cooler during summer barbecues.
Key features – Type: Self-contained; Material: Plastic; Weight: 1.19kg; Volume: 94.5 litres; Dimensions: 75x45x28cm; Suitable for age: 0 months – 2 years
4. Tega Baby Bath Pad Towelling Safety Support Seat: The best option for a quick wash
Price when reviewed:£10
You won’t always want bathtimes to be long, multi-sensory developmental-play experiences – sometimes you just want to wash your baby and get them to bed. Tega has the perfect tool for the job: this simple support made from terry towelling fabric is a brilliant, low-budget solution, especially when placed inside a baby bath. Combining it with a dedicated baby bath means that you can get the water level right in a matter of seconds, and the flat design of the towelling means you can easily get your hands in at the side to wash your baby’s back and bottom before rinsing off the soap with a jug. It’s simple, cheap, portable, lightweight and won’t clutter up your bathroom. And it’s also great for older children to lean back on in the bath so you can wash their hair more easily.
Key features – Type: Sits in water (hooks onto baby bath and big bath); Material: Terry towelling (removable and machine-washable); Weight: 798g; Suitable for age: Newborn to around six months
5. Safety First Swivel Bath Seat: The best upright baby seat
Price when reviewed:£10
This ingenious little seat works a little like a child’s swing – your baby’s legs go either side of a central strut which helps to hold them in place. Four suction cups hold it firmly to the floor of the bath, and it couldn’t be easier to set up: simply stick it down, run the bath and then put your baby in. It’s designed for babies who can sit unaided, but should not be used for toddlers that can stand. For most babies, that means something like six months to a year, so it’s quite a narrow time frame. Where it comes in really handy, though, is when you need to keep a baby sitting comfortably while another toddler is sitting and playing unaided in the bath. And because it holds them upright, it will allow them to properly enjoy the bathtime experience with a sibling – something that would be impossible if they were in a reclined seat or sploshing away in their own separate bathtub.
Key features – Type: Sticks onto bath floor; Material: Plastic; Weight: 907g; Suitable for age: 6-12 months