B E F O R E  Y O U  B U Y 

A Mum's Grapevine Guide

Before You Buy a Baby Bath Ask Yourself...

Pine Lime Squiggle

Helping Australian mums make better buying decisions.

17-minute read.

Before You Buy Guide to Baby Bath & Tubs illustration

You've survived the first nappy, you've (sort of) mastered the swaddle, and now there's a tiny little human who needs washing. Regularly. Bathing a newborn is lovely and terrifying in roughly equal parts, and the right baby bath makes it a whole lot easier on your back and your nerves.

There are more ways to wash a baby than you'd think, so before you hit the shops, we'll walk you through the types, the prices, the safety must-knows, and the questions to ask yourself first. And before you splash out on bubby tub print our handy Baby Bath Chooser Checklist to take with you!

What to Know Before You Buy a High Chair

Before you decide what to buy, you need to know what you can buy and why. We’ve answered some basic questions for you to get your head around what’s out there and what you might need.

Is it essential? Not strictly, plenty of parents use the laundry sink or hop in the big bath with bub. But a dedicated baby bath makes the first six months much easier, especially when solo.

How much will it cost? From around $10 to $15 for a basic tub at Kmart or Big W, $40 to $100 for foldable and sling-style baths, and up to $230 or so for a premium foldable bath with a matching stand.

How long will you use it? Most standard baby baths last until about 6 months, when bub sits and outgrows it. Foldable "grows with me" styles can stretch to age 4 and beyond.

Should you purchase before baby arrives? Yes. Bub gets bathed in the first week home, and 4am is not the time to be comparing drain plugs.

Baby bath accessories: Bath stands, bath thermometers and drain hoses. Check compatibility, many stands only fit their own brand's tub.

Can you buy secondhand? Yes, and it’s one of those items that should be passed around your friends. You don’t use it for long, it’s bulky to store, and they don’t have to cost much.

Types of Baby Baths & Tubs

Baby bath (with stand)

The classic plastic shell, often with a contoured backrest so a newborn can recline. Cheap, cheerful, and does the job on the laundry bench. The downside is bulk, it's a big plastic object living somewhere for six months.

 

Convertible timber high chair

Collapsible

Collapsible baby baths can be folded flat when not in use and easily hung behind a door. They’re also great for travelling and camping. Some don’t hold much water and leave baby cold.

Convertible timber high chair

Sling or hammock bath

A soft mesh sling suspends a newborn semi-reclined in the water, keeping their head up while both your hands stay free to wash. Most convert as bub grows by removing the sling. Lovely for the floppy newborn stage.

Booster feeding seat strapped to a dining chair

Inflatable

Inflatable baths blow up into a mini pool shape that you can put in your regular bathtub or on any flat surface. Just remember that they will be harder to move full of water. Also good for travelling.

 

Folding portable high chair

Bucket-style tub

A deep, compact tub that holds bub in a womb-like upright curl. Uses less water, calms some babies beautifully, and takes up barely any room. Short lifespan though, most babies outgrow them by 6 months.

Buying Decisions

What to Consider Before Buying
a Baby Bath

Illustration of baby bath buying decisions

Now you know there are about a hundred ways to wash a baby, let's find yours.

 

Space

As you can imagine, baby baths are bulky and heavy when full of water, and the space you have available close to a water supply and drainage will determine the type of baby bath you need.

Things to consider:

Where will you bath baby?

  • Next to, or over a sink – this is a good place if you have the room as you will be close to the water tap and you can often put the plug hole over the sink and just let it drain.
  • In the bath or shower – another good spot close to water and drainage. The only drawback is you’ll be kneeling and leaning over to hold your newborn until they can sit up.
  • On a table or bench – good for your back, and you may have the space to lie out a towel and change pad next to the bath for quick drying after tub time. Drainage will be an issue and, unless your bath has a hose to drain into a nearby bucket, you may have to scoop the water out or carry it full of water to empty.
  • On a stand – a folding stand is a simple solution if you don’t want to lean over. You can set it close to water for filling and put a bucket underneath for draining.

Sky blue Squiggle line illustration

Storability

You’ll need to find somewhere for your baby bath to live in between bath times. Hard moulded baths are big and bulky and an odd shape to stack, while inflatable and collapsible baths are easier to find a spot for out of site.

Things to consider:

Can the bath fold down or be moved?

  • Baths that collapse flat can easily be stored behind a door, hang from a towel rail or slipped under a bed.
  • Inflatable baths can be kept in a bathroom drawer or cupboard but you have to blow it up each time for use.
  • Folding stands can be hidden behind doors or against a wall, but you’ll still have the main bath to store somewhere.
  • A bath on a stand with wheels can stay assembled and easily be moved around the house and hidden in another room out of site.

How will you store the tub between babies?

  • If you’ve got the space, put it in a plastic bag and pop it in the garage or on top of a cupboard. (TOP TIP – keep the bag it comes in to use as a dust cover when storing). You could always put the baby clothes bub grows out of in there too.
  • If you don’t have space you could give/lend the bath to a friend to use.
  • You could use it as another laundry basket, dog bath, water play table, veggie patch or any other upcycling use you can think of.
  • Donate it to somewhere like St Kilda Mums for redistribution to families in need.

Safety First

High chair with a five-point safety harness

Baby bath aids (seats, slings, supports and rings) are covered by a mandatory Australian standard, the Consumer Goods (Baby Bath Aids) Safety Standard 2017, enforced by the ACCC.

Whether buying new or secondhand, check for:

  • A permanent warning label on the aid itself stating that children have drowned while using bath aids, that it's not a safety device, and to always keep baby within arm's reach. If the label's missing or peels off, don't buy it.
  • No sharp edges or points, and no small detachable parts that could be a choking hazard.
    Bub fits the aid properly, not swimming in it, not wedged.
  • Non-slip base on tubs, and a firm lock on any fold or stand mechanism.

The big one, straight from the regulator - a bath aid is a bathing helper, never a safety device. Never leave a baby alone in any bath for any reason, not to grab a towel, not to answer the door. If you must leave, take bub with you. Water temperature should be around 37 to 38 degrees, always test it with your wrist or a thermometer before bub goes in, even if the plug has a colour-change heat indicator. Empty the bath completely the moment you're done.

Optional Extras

Did you know some baths can weigh your baby while they’re having a dip?

  • Bath thermometer – no need to use your elbow, these thermometers give a digital readout of the exact water temperature.
  • Inbuilt scales – some fancy baths can weigh your baby while in the bath, taking into account water weight and movement.
  • Jets and nozzles – rinsing off is a breeze with handy holes to insert a shower nozzle.\
  • Stand with storage – some baby bath stands have extra space below to keep lotions, towels and nappies handy.
  • Bath support – nifty sling like inserts you put in the bath and rest baby on.

After You're Done

Reselling it

Baby baths are cheap enough that basic tubs barely resell, expect $5 to $10 on Marketplace for a $15 tub, so donate those. The premium end holds value well though: foldable baths and stands in good nick commonly fetch around half their new price, which turns a $230 setup into a net $100-ish spend. To resell well, keep the box and manual, and keep every part together, the sling, the plug, the stand and its bolts.

Upcycling it

A retired baby bath has plenty of second careers: outdoor water-play tub in summer, toy storage, dog washing station, drinks esky for the next barbecue, or a planter for the herb garden (that drain plug is suddenly perfect drainage). Foldables earn their keep for years as a camping wash tub or beach toy carrier.

Passing it on

Charities like Our Village, Dandelion Support Network and Roundabout Canberra rehome baby gear to families doing it tough. They generally want items clean, undamaged and complete with all parts. Local op shops are hit and miss with baby gear, so ring first.

Recycling it

Rigid polypropylene tubs usually aren't kerbside-recyclable because of their size, check your council's hard rubbish or community plastics program. Inflatables and mesh slings are landfill. Metal stands can go to scrap metal recycling.

Common Questions

Shopping for a Baby Bath?

We totally get how overwhelming it can be to walk into a baby shop. But hey, guess what? You’re not in this alone! We’re here to throw a reassuring arm around your shoulder and help guide you to ask the right questions.

Join the Mum's Grapevine due date or age-matched baby groups on Facebook and ask other mums what they love about their baby bath.

Expecting mother whispering to a friend