Top 5 compared
The best baby baths
Bath time made easier and less nerve-racking, from a slippery newborn to a toddler who wants to splash.
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The top 5 at a glance
A baby bath is a small tub that takes a few litres of water instead of a full family bath, and holds a newborn at a comfortable angle. Newborn tubs have a moulded bump or a built-in seat so the baby half-lies, half-sits; bath seats hold a baby who can already sit up in the family bath; toddler tubs are bigger, and some fold away between baths.
Every maker here says the same thing: stay with a baby the whole time they’re in the water, and never leave them unattended. The two newborn tubs state that they meet BS EN 17072, the British and European safety standard for children’s bath tubs. The seats need a smooth, flat bath floor for their suction cups.
What matters
- A plug for emptying, so a full bath doesn’t need lifting.
- A max fill line and a non-slip base.
- The maker’s age and weight limits, not a guess from the picture.
- Suction cups with release tabs, checked for wear now and then.
#1Shnuggle Baby Bath with Plug
£25.95 RRP
A compact bath that sits a baby in a more upright position on a moulded ‘bum bump’, with a soft foam backrest and a plug for emptying. It needs as little as 2 litres of water and fits in the big bath, a sink or on any flat surface.
What owners say: Owners like the support it gives a baby’s back and bottom, from the very first baths through to the sitting-up months.
A closer look: Fill it to the line, check the temperature and keep a hand under a very young baby’s head and neck, as Shnuggle advises; its instructions also say never to leave a baby unattended in the bath, even for a few moments. Afterwards the plug lets the water out without lifting a full bath.
- Sits baby more upright
- Soft foam backrest
- Needs only 2L of water
Best for: Newborns to one year
- Type
- Compact tub with bum bump
- Age (maker’s)
- Birth to 12 months
- Where it goes
- Bath, sink or any flat surface
- Drain plug
- Yes
- Folds flat
- No
#2Nuby Newborn Baby Bath
£22.50 RRP
A newborn bath with a built-in seat and a soft foam headrest, easy-grip handles for carrying it to and from the tap, and a line marking the maximum water level. An anti-slip base and a soft silicone plug finish it off.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to fill and empty and like how it cradles a newborn, using it through the first four or five months; some find it small, and a few say the anti-slip base doesn’t grip.
A closer look: Set it on a flat, level surface and fill it no higher than the max line: Nuby’s own instructions say never to use it on an uneven surface and never to leave a child unattended while bathing. The handles make it easy to carry to the sink, and the plug saves tipping it out.
- Soft foam headrest
- Easy-grip carry handles
- Max fill line
- Anti-slip base
Best for: The newborn months
- Type
- Tub with built-in seat
- Age (maker’s)
- From birth
- Where it goes
- Flat, level surface
- Drain plug
- Yes
- Folds flat
- No
#3Bebeconfort Swivel Baby Bath Seat (6–12 months)
£10–£20
A bath seat that turns all the way round on its base, so a sitting baby can be swung to face the tap or the parent without being lifted, with a contoured backrest, four suction cups underneath and a rotating ball to play with.
What owners say: Owners like how firmly the suction cups hold and how easily the seat turns, and say it keeps a baby upright and well supported, though a few found it wouldn’t stay stuck to their bath.
A closer look: Press it down on a smooth, flat bath floor and check all four suction cups have gripped before the baby goes in; Bebeconfort warns against textured or uneven surfaces. Its maker’s line is never to leave a child unattended in the seat or the bath, and it’s only for babies who already sit up on their own.
- Turns through 360°
- Contoured backrest
- Rotating play ball
Best for: Turning a seated baby to the tap
- Type
- Swivel bath seat, suction cups
- Age (maker’s)
- 6 to 12 months, up to 10kg
- Where it goes
- Big bath or shower, smooth floor
- Drain plug
- No
- Folds flat
- No
#4Angelcare Soft Touch Baby Bath Seat
£20–£30
A seat for the family bath, once babies can sit up unaided: suction cups fix it to a smooth bath floor, and a soft-touch layer warms up quickly in the water. Water drains through the mesh, so it dries fast between baths.
What owners say: Owners find it comfortable for babies who’ve just started sitting up, and easy to rinse and keep clean; a few say it’s a snug fit and can leave red marks on legs.
Heads up: Fix it only to a smooth, flat bath floor and check the suction cups for wear now and then: Angelcare says to release them with the tabs rather than pulling, and to stop using the seat if a cup is damaged.
A closer look: Run the water to the level mark first, then press the seat down so the cups grip the bath floor. Angelcare’s own line is never to leave a child unattended while bathing, and the seat is for babies who sit unaided, up to the point they try to stand.
- Soft-touch layer warms quickly
- Quick-drying mesh
- Tabs release the suction cups
- Water level indicator
Best for: Sitting babies in the big bath
- Type
- Bath seat with suction cups
- Age (maker’s)
- 6 to 10 months, up to 11kg
- Where it goes
- Big bath, smooth floor
- Drain plug
- No
- Folds flat
- No
#5Ingenuity Tuckaway Toddler Tub
£30–£50
Unfolds in a shower tray to turn a shower into a bath for a toddler, then folds almost flat to store or pack for a trip. The waterproof lining wipes clean and dries quickly, with a max fill line and a quick-release drain plug.
What owners say: Owners find it quick to wipe clean and easy to take away, and use it for fast toddler baths in the shower, though some find it doesn’t hold its shape well.
Heads up: Measure the shower tray before buying: opened out, it’s about 76cm long and 39cm wide.
A closer look: Open it out in the shower tray and fill it to the line with the shower head or a jug, then release the plug to drain it. Ingenuity’s warning is to stay in contact with a child throughout bath time. Afterwards, wipe the lining and leave it open to dry before folding it away.
- Wipe-clean waterproof lining
- Max fill line
Best for: Toddlers in a shower-only home
- Type
- Fold-flat toddler tub
- Age (maker’s)
- 12 months to 5 years
- Where it goes
- Shower tray or bath
- Drain plug
- Yes
- Folds flat
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Shnuggle | #2Nuby newborn | #3Bebeconfort swivel seat | #4Angelcare bath seat | #5Ingenuity Tuckaway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best for the big bath | Best for toddlers | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| Price | £25.95 RRP | £22.50 RRP | £10–£20 | £20–£30 | £30–£50 |
| Type | Compact tub with bum bump | Tub with built-in seat | Swivel bath seat, suction cups | Bath seat with suction cups | Fold-flat toddler tub |
| Age (maker’s) | Birth to 12 months | From birth | 6 to 12 months, up to 10kg | 6 to 10 months, up to 11kg | 12 months to 5 years |
| Where it goes | Bath, sink or any flat surface | Flat, level surface | Big bath or shower, smooth floor | Big bath, smooth floor | Shower tray or bath |
| Drain plug | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Folds flat | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Newborns to one year | The newborn months | Turning a seated baby to the tap | Sitting babies in the big bath | Toddlers in a shower-only home |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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