Choosing THE right foldable baby bathtub

Among the range of baby bathtubs, you have chosen to purchase a foldable bathtub!🥳

Perhaps for a question of space, ease of transport, or quite simply because the design and the variety of colors offered appealed to you. Either way, this choice will allow you to benefit from a modern and comfortable solution for bathing your baby 🛁

Most childcare manufacturers and sellers promote their own model of foldable bathtub for babies and young children.

But are the different bathtubs offered by baby stores and online stores all the same?

How to choose ?

Different features are available depending on the models:

📏 First of all, the size of the bathtub:

The dimensions are generally between 70cm and 90cm for the length (total measurement including the “beaches” and borders), between 40cm and 55cm for the width, and between 17cm and 25cm for the height (unfolded).

Depending on the age and size of your baby, you will need to select a bathtub that is suitable. In any case, a large bathtub will be usable for longer: in general the maximum age of use is 3 years, but the smallest bathtubs can only be used until the age of around 1 year.

Solutions are proposed to adapt a slightly large bathtub to an infant under 3 months: it is an ergonomic and padded bathtub cushion which will allow you to lie down and hold baby in a safe and comfortable position, both for him than for you who will have your hands free and will be more comfortable taking care of giving him his bath.

For babies between 3 and 9 months who are not yet seated stably, there are also adaptable “net seats”, which allow you to seat them comfortably so that they can enjoy this moment without slipping, and always with you allowing good freedom of movement.

Then the options:

🌡️ Thermometers:

Many bathtubs offer digital thermometers. Most of the time, these thermometers are external, placed on the front or rear edge of the bathtub and the water temperature is transmitted via a conductive wire immersed in the bath water.

Other models offer an immersed thermometer, with the advantage of not needing this conductive wire but the disadvantage that the temperature is often difficult to read. Please note that these thermometers are rarely very reliable and often have a limited lifespan.

Frequently, a thermo-reactive plastic cap is offered, which changes color from a certain temperature. This is a “nice” gadget but does not allow you to check the ideal bath temperature.

In a word, nothing beats a good thermometer to float on the bath water!

👜 Handles:

When available, they can be placed along the length of the bathtub (recessed handles), or under the bathtub. They make it easier to transport the bathtub, which can be useful when traveling, or if the bathtub is moved to be used sometimes for bathing in the bathroom, sometimes as a small swimming pool outside, sometimes as a small pool at the beach etc.

📍Storage:

You can choose to store your folding bathtub under a piece of furniture, or upright in a cupboard. Or to hang it in your bathroom or in your shower: in this case the existence of a “hook hole” at the end of the bathtub will be necessary… a very useful little detail…!

🚿Insert for shower:

Another small option that can prove very useful: many bathtubs offer an insert, at the front and on the side of the bathtub, allowing you to hang the hand shower. Here again, this detail can be very practical and prevents the shower from having to be placed at the bottom of the parental bathtub, on the floor in the shower, or even on the floor.

⛷️Anti-slip:

These are anti-slip plastic patches stuck to the bottom of the bathtub to prevent the baby (or the cushion) from slipping.

🧼 Soap dish, removable cup and storage bins:

These options also have their advantages: the small bins will allow you to place the soap, shampoo, washcloth directly on the bathtub, which can be practical.

🥛 Removable cup

It is used to rinse the baby's head or to play with him. These are little extras which are very nice.

💪 Quality and solidity:

The quality criterion generally seems quite difficult to understand, especially when purchasing online where only the images and indications that the supplier is willing to mention allow you to get an idea.

However, one piece of information is essential to assess the quality of a folding bathtub: its weight.

The weight of a folding bathtub can vary between 1.2 kg and 2.8 kg. A heavier bathtub (from 2.2 kg) with thicker walls will be qualitatively better than a lighter bathtub which will bend and break more easily.

The second criterion is the solidity of the feet, as well as the system for attaching the feet to the bathtub: if they are reinforced, and if their attachment is the bathtub is more qualitative (screwed feet and not clip-on feet), that -it will be more solid, will support a higher “water + baby” weight, will have better shock resistance, and greater longevity.

💎 Complementary accessories (add-ons):

Bathtub cushions which allow an infant to be supported during bathing, net seats to secure babies from 3 months, but also knee and/or elbow protective mats for the comfort of parents during bathing are products essential to complete the bathing experience and make it comfortable and enjoyable for both baby and parents. Little tip: each of these products will generally cost you more than when purchasing together with the bathtub. Many sellers offer their foldable bathtub with a cushion or bath net and/or with the knee protection mat for a very attractive price. From an aesthetic point of view, this also allows you to have a bath set (bathtub + cushion + carpet) that is compatible and has matching colors.

💰 Price:

The price of your bathtub will depend on the criteria mentioned above.

Depending on the use you wish to make of it, the option of buying a very simple, light bathtub with few options and without additional products at a lower price is entirely legitimate: for a weekend with the grown-ups parents who are not equipped, or for vacations, or any other non-regular use, this solution may prove more than sufficient.

However, a slightly larger, heavier and more qualitative bathtub will be a good investment : the higher price is justified by a longer lifespan: it can be used for your baby up to 3 years without worry (and also by his future little brothers or little sisters, or cousins ​​depending on the case...!).

The options (shower insert, hook hole, cups and storage bins), the design, and also the complementary accessories such as cushions, net, etc. are criteria to take into account and which also have an impact on the price of a folding bathtub.