AVERAGE COST: $9-15

AVAILABILITY: Available at major retail outlets, as well as specialty and online stores.
RATING:

This compact fold-up tub quickly and easily opens and locks into place for use in a (large+double) sink or bathtub. Folded down, it’s about 1/2 the size of a full sized non-collapsible tub.

PROS: The tub’s folding feature means that you can store it in about 1/2 the space required to store a full sized infant bathtub, a capability that is invaluable in small NYC apartments or smaller homes. The basic aqua-on-blue tub is a no-nonsense option for parents that are tired of all of the primary colored musical cartoon-covered plastic toys that fill every inch of your home, and a great money saver with the average price of $9-15. The area near the feet can be used to hold bath supplies or toys, or it can hold more water and washcloths for rinsing the baby off after his bath is over.

CONS: Sink-bathing doesn’t last for long as the combined weight of the baby + water cause the folding hinges to give out. If used in the sink or counter top, it cannot be filled up with too much water, as the hinges will leak and the resulting puddles are a safety hazard- or worse, the hinges will collapse and the tub will start to fold with the baby in it. The foam headrest doesn’t work well for young infants without head control, their heads will either squish down to their chest, or flop around. To safely and easily bathe an infant it will require the purchase of a separate head pillow, or creative use of washcloths/towels. The foam back/head rest that sticks out of the water gets cold and wet quickly. Water level doesn’t come up very high on the baby, which increases the chill factor, as well as making it difficult to wash the baby. On our average sized 5 week old, the water does not come up past his penis, which means that a washcloth cover-up is needed to prevent frequent showering of the person giving the bath. The drain that is on one side of the tub is very convenient for draining the water so that you can towel the baby off easily without picking up a slippery infant–however, it leaves water on the opposite side and you have to start tilting the tub around to get the remaining bit of water out.

CONCLUSION:

This tub’s problems quickly outweigh it’s benefits. If saving space is your primary concern, your best bet would be a collapsible baby hammock or inflatable tub. If space is less of an issue you might find yourself better served with a full sized infant tub allows for the baby to sit in more water and that has an infant hammock or head support.

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