B E F O R E  Y O U  B U Y 

A Mum's Grapevine Guide

Before You Buy a Change Table Ask Yourself...

Pine Lime Squiggle

Helping Australian mums make better buying decisions.

9-minute read.

Before You Buy guide to change tables illustration

Newborns need around 10 to 12 nappy changes a day (eeek!), so you'll be spending more quality time at the change table in the first few months than at your own dining table. That's thousands of changes before toilet training, which makes the height, storage and sturdiness of your setup worth getting right.

We can't tell you whether you'll want a dedicated table or just a mat on the floor, that depends on your back, your house and your budget, not a rule. What we can do is take you through every decision so you're choosing with your eyes open. Work through our key points below, and don't forget to print our handy Change Table Chooser Checklist before you hit the baby stores!

Work through our key points below, and don't forget to print our handy Change Table Chooser Checklist before you hit the baby stores!

What to Know Before You Buy a Change Table

Before you decide what to buy, you need to know what you can buy and why. We've answered the basics so you can get your head around what's out there.

Is it essential: Not really. A change mat on any flat, stable surface does the job, which means the heirloom chest of drawers you've been saving can do double duty. The floor works too (and it's the one place bub can't roll off).

How much will it cost: $15 to $1000+. Basic change mats start around $15 to $30, folding and open-shelf tables sit around $80 to $250, and timber dresser-style tables with a removable change top run $400 to $1000+.

How long will you use it: 2 to 3 years. Or a lot longer if you choose a dresser style that outlives the nappies.

Should you purchase before baby arrives: You'll be using it from day one, and assembling flat-pack furniture with a newborn in the house is nobody's idea of fun.

Change table accessories: Change mat, change mat covers, nappy caddy, play tent cover.

Can you buy secondhand: Change tables are a great secondhand buy. Check that it's sturdy with no wobble, that any folding mechanism locks firmly, that the sides are at least 10cm high, and that there are no gaps that could trap little fingers (see Safety below).

Types of Changing Stations

Contoured baby change mat with raised sides

Change mat

A contoured mat with raised sides that sits on any flat surface: a change table, a dresser top, or the floor. The cheapest option and the one you'll end up owning regardless, since every other type needs one on top.

Open-shelf change table stocked with nappies and supplies

Change table with shelves

A dedicated table with a mat on top and one or two open shelves below for nappies and supplies. Light, affordable, and everything's within reach. Some come with lockable castors.

Timber chest of drawers with removable change table top

Change table with drawers

A chest of drawers with a change top attached, which comes off later to leave you with regular nursery furniture. The most expensive option, but the only one still earning its keep when your "baby" is in high school.

Folding change table with fabric sling

Folding table

A lightweight table that folds flat for storage between uses or between kids. Handy for small rooms, grandparents' houses and anyone allergic to permanent baby furniture.

Buying Decisions

What to Consider Before Buying
a Change Table

Change table and baby equipment illustration

Little babies quickly grow into wriggle pots, more interested in escaping than lying still, so you'll want a setup where everything you need is within arm's reach.

Here's how to choose yours.

Location

Let's address the elephant in the room: nappy changing is a smelly business, and sometimes the smell lingers like a distant relative overstaying Christmas. Where you change bub matters as much as what you change them on.

Things to consider:

Where will you be changing baby?

  • In the nursery - Everything's in one room, and changes become part of the sleep routine. If the nursery's upstairs, you'll be running up and down a lot, and you'll be amazed how fast the nappy bin fills if you're not emptying it (remember the smell).
  • In the bathroom or laundry - Good ventilation, close to water and the bath. The trade-off is cooler room temperature and remembering to bring clothes in. A smart spot if you're using cloth nappies and dropping number twos down the loo.
  • All over the house - A portable change caddy stocked with nappies, wipes, cream and a spare outfit gives you the freedom to change bub wherever you (and the smell) happen to be.

What's your house like?

  • Double storey - Consider a change station on each floor: the proper table upstairs and a mat plus caddy downstairs. Your knees will thank you by month three.
  • Small space - A folding table packs away between changes, or skip the table entirely and use a mat on an existing dresser. Measure the room before falling in love with a full-size table.
  • Tall parents (or short ones) - Check the table height against the main nappy-changer's hips. Thousands of changes at the wrong height is a chiropractor's business plan. Dresser-style tables vary the most, so stand at a few in the shop.

Sky blue Squiggle line illustration

Ease of Use

You need one hand on bub at all times, which means your setup has to work one-handed.

Things to consider:

Can you reach everything without letting go?

  • Open shelves put everything in sight and in reach without opening anything. The drawback comes when bub starts the game "look what I can throw on the floor" and your perfectly stacked nappies disappear forever.
  • Drawers keep supplies out of reach of little hands (crucial once they're standing) but need a free hand to open, so keep the current change's supplies on top before you start.
  • A change caddy on the table top splits the difference: everything for one change in one grabbable basket.

Is there enough storage to avoid constant restocking?

  • Babies go through a frightening number of nappies. The more you can store at the table, the less often you're caught mid-change with none in reach.
  • Leave room for the extras too: wipes, cream, nappy bags, face washers and at least one full change of clothes, because the day you don't have one is the day you'll need two.

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Longevity

Your change table is going to get a serious workout, especially across more than one child. With some forward planning, it can last well beyond the nappy years.

Things to consider:

Are you having children close together?

You may be running two kids through the same station, so make sure there's storage for newborn and toddler sizes at once, and put the table somewhere that works for both.

What's its second life?

  • Dresser-style tables lose the change top and carry on as bedroom furniture for a decade or more. That changes the value maths: a $600 dresser used for 15 years beats a $150 table used for two.
  • Open-shelf tables have second acts too: bookshelf, plant stand, craft storage. Folding tables just fold away until the next baby (yours or someone else's).

Can you get spare parts?

Replacement mats, covers and straps are the consumables here. Established brands with Australian stock make finding the right-size replacement mat easy; discovering your imported table takes a non-standard mat size is a headache you don't need.

Sky blue Squiggle line illustration

Storability

A change table is a piece of furniture with a use-by date, so think about the in-between times.

Things to consider:

Between changes

  • If floor space is tight, a wall spot near the door beats the middle of the room, and castors let you move the table for cleaning or bath time.
  • The caddy approach needs a home too: somewhere toddler-proof once bub's mobile, because nappy cream is apparently delicious.

Between kids

Folding tables store flat under a bed or in a wardrobe. Full-size tables need garage or shed space, so check yours dismantles and (importantly) that you'll be able to work out how to reassemble it in two years' time. Tape the instructions and any tools to the underside. You're welcome.

Safety First

Change table illustrating the 10cm safety top

There's no mandatory Australian safety standard for change tables, so it's on you to check the fundamentals. The ACCC's change table guidance is the benchmark:

  • Roll-off protection - raised edges or barriers at least 10cm higher than the changing surface on all sides.
  • No entrapment gaps - no spaces on or near the changing surface that could trap a child's fingers, limbs or head.
  • Strong locking devices - folding tables must lock open securely so they can't collapse or shift mid-change.
  • Sturdy and stable - no wobble, no lean, and placed away from windows and blind cords.

The ACCC notes the safest place to change a baby is a clean surface on the floor, which is worth remembering once you've got a champion roller on your hands.

One extra note if you're buying a change table that attaches to a portacot: those attachments are covered by the folding cot standard AS/NZS 2195, so check the whole unit complies and always remove the change attachment before bub sleeps in the cot.

Optional Extras

There's a surprising amount of kit for what is essentially a tiny mobile bathroom.

  • Nappy stacker - keeps the nappy supply upright, visible and grabbable
  • Change caddy - all the essentials in one portable basket for changes around the house
  • Spare mat covers - because the mess never happens when the other cover is clean and dry
  • Nappy bin - odour-sealing bins keep the smell contained between emptying runs
  • Wipe warmer - a luxury, until the first 2am winter change, when it becomes a necessity
  • Mobile or wall decals - something for bub to look at buys you precious seconds of stillness
  • Change table organiser - hanging pockets for the side of the table to keep creams and clips off the surface

After You're Done

Toilet training day arrives eventually, and the change table's career ends (usually mid-tantrum, without ceremony). Here's what to do with it, and it's worth factoring in before you buy.

Reselling it

  • Timber dresser-style tables from known brands routinely resell for half or more of their new price on Facebook Marketplace, especially with the change top included, because the buyer's really purchasing bedroom furniture with a bonus.
  • Basic open-shelf and folding tables resell for less but move quickly at $30 to $80, and change mats in good condition sell as bundle sweeteners.
  • Resale tips: keep the assembly instructions and tools (taped under the table, remember?), include the mat only if it's in genuinely good nick, and photograph it assembled and styled rather than flat-packed in the garage.

Passing it on

  • Change tables are a welcome donation when they're sturdy, complete and meet the ACCC guidance above (10cm sides, locking mechanisms, no entrapment gaps). Charities like Our Village, Dandelion Support Network and Roundabout Canberra rehome nursery furniture to families doing it tough; check their current wishlist first.
  • Hand-me-downs: pass on the instructions, and mention the never-leave-bub-unattended rule to first-timers. Buy the new family a fresh mat cover as a housewarming gesture; the old ones have seen things.

Recycling it

  • A wobbly or broken table shouldn't be sold or donated. A change table that can't be trusted at waist height with a baby on it is firewood with a reputation.
  • Foam change mats are landfill, but check whether your council or a soft-plastics program takes the covers.
  • Upcycling: Timber tables can be repurposed - potting bench, bar cart, craft station, the change table's second careers are well documented on Pinterest.

Common Questions

In the Market for a Change Table?

Join the closed Mum's Grapevine due date and baby groups on Facebook and ask other mums what they love about their changing station. From the floor-mat minimalists to the full dresser converts, someone in your group has changed a few thousand nappies on the exact table you're considering.

Expecting mother whispering to a friend