While looking for a changing mat, I knew I didn’t want one of those blow-up plastic looking ones. I don’t know, but most of the ones I’d come across look unsightly to me and looked like they’re made from plastic, but also they lacked support and weren’t sturdy enough in their own right, they were almost like liquid, as in, they’d conform to whatever surface they were laid upon. 

These types of changing mats would be okay on the floor and on a changing table, but would be unfit for being used on a bed that isn’t always sturdy as it ebbs and flows as a bed should (with all the springs in it’s mattress and as weight from one part of the mattress is transferred to the other).

So, after a few Google searches, I came across the Shnuggle brand and more specifically the Shnuggle Squishy Changing Mat. Made from non-toxic PU foam, waterproof and has a sleek design with no crevices meaning no mess can get smeared and stuck in it was a huge selling point for me. Design-wise, I like the look a lot in comparison to other mats. One drawback is that it is advised that you shouldn’t clean it with “abrasive cleaners” so when we had a big mess to clean up, and I sprayed the Milton Antibacterial Surface Spray, which is marketed as safe for babies, quite liberally on it’s surface, it bleached the grey colour of the mat to like a faint peach/ terracotta colour where the spray had settled. Now, there are these streaks and splotches of orange on the mat!! I was devastated as I like to think I look after all my purchases well. At least from far it’s not that noticeable, and at least the changing mat still does its job very well.

Back to the positives, the mat has been designed were when you lay your baby down on the mat, your baby’s bottom won’t be parallel with the floor, rather baby will be laying down at a slight angle where their head will be above their bottom, so again, in the event of a runny number-two situation or urine leaking from baby’s nappy, the wee will just roll down the mat, away from baby and along the brim of the mat which stops any mess from finding its way on to the surface that you choose to put the mat on to change baby . I can say that this feature has definitely saved me many a times from having to deep clean bedding, upholstery, rug carpet and the likes which is already a tedious and lengthy process to do while having to do so many other things that come with having a baby, so avoiding those accidents that can be avoided with the barrier or I think it’s best to describe it as a raised-edge of the mat is a very good thing.

Keeping with the Shnuggle brand, I then found the Shnuggle Baby Bath. I bought it in the grey colour but they have other cool neutral colours to choose from if you so wish.

I love this bathtub for baby as I truly believe it’s supported her well from when we started using it (from birth) so far whilst bathing and even though you should always hold baby in the tub and never ever leave them unattended as babies can drown in as little as 2cm depth of water. I can say now that baby had reached 6 months plus, and she is more or less fully supported by the “bum bump” and foam backrest.

Part of me thinks now that the baby bath is too compact for her, or we are approaching a stage where it will be on the smaller side and we’ll need to upgrade her bathtub, even though his bathtub had been advertised that it can be used from birth to about 12 months plus. For reference baby is almost 7 months old, but to be honest she is on the taller side, so if you and baby are from a tall family and you are looking for a tub, how long you intend to use the tub and baby’s potential height at the age of 12 months is something to bear in mind.

I’m big on saving space, and I’m privy to the fact that these tubs although good, may leave a footprint in the home, so if that’s a potential problem that you wish to avoid, I would consider getting a collapsible baby bathtub that can be stowed away when not in use. One that caught my eye was the Oxo Tot Splash And Store because it was probably the perfect solution to what I wanted in a baby bath tub- I think. That is, it can be used from birth to 18 months, it is collapsible and you can tuck it away when it’s no longer in use whether it be for that day or for when baby completely outgrows the tub and will only be pulled out again for any future possible children. Also design-wise, it looks good and is easy on the eye. This would also be excellent for travelling as it’s flat design means you can store it in your luggage for baby’s first holidays if you plan to go away with them.

I didn’t get this because however, to be honest, it wasn’t available in the UK at the time and I didn’t want to pay US customs fees to ship it hear and I was looking for a tub and I felt that I wanted something a bit more sturdy with a bathtub with more depth or higher walls to it, if that makes sense. What I mean by this is when baby splashes water everywhere, there is a higher chance of the water splashing back into the tub rather than finding it’s way on the floor, having to be mopped up. But I’m starting to regret no getting it now I’m writing about it 😩.

Another alternative is the Deanic Baby Bath, which folds in the middle, as in it has a book fold design, as well as it can collapse on itself, can be hung up and has very similar favourable features like the Oxo Tot and Karibu bathtubs, but it has been advertised that it can be used for children up until or around their 2^nd birthday.

If you’ve tried the collapsible kind of tub, let me know if it was worth getting in the comments below. Do you find that it’s sturdy enough for a baby thrashing water around, or do you think a conventional, harder material tub is better for baby? Let me know!

Afia 💜