Top 5 compared
The best baby bathtubs
A secure, comfortable place to bathe a slippery baby, in the family tub or the kitchen sink.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
There are two ways to bathe a baby who can’t yet sit up: a support that lies in the family bathtub or the sink and holds the baby at an angle, both your hands free, or a small tub with a mesh sling that becomes an open tub once they sit steadily. A support costs less; a four-stage tub does the first two years.
Whatever the tub or support, stay within arm’s reach the whole time the baby is in the water. All but the toddler tub hang up to dry or fold flat between baths; the Shnuggle suits a toddler who has outgrown a baby tub but isn’t ready for a deep bath.
What matters
- A drain plug, so a full tub doesn’t need lifting.
- A mesh sling that comes off for the washing machine.
- Non-slip feet or a grippy base.
- A fill line, so the water stays shallow.
#1Fisher-Price Baby to Toddler Bath 4-in-1 Sling 'n Seat Tub
$30–$50
One tub for the first couple of years: a soft mesh sling for a newborn, then a Sit-Me-Up insert that stops a wobbly sitter from sliding, then a roomy open tub to 25 lb, with a whale scoop and a geyser rinse bottle for play. It fits most sinks and bathtubs, drains through a plug and hangs from a hook to dry.
What owners say: Owners say it lasts the course from the first bath to toddler splashing, cleans up easily and the sling goes through the washing machine; prying the seat insert out is the one job they grumble about.
A closer look: Start with the sling clipped in and the tub in the kitchen sink, which saves your back; move to the seat insert once the baby holds their head up and tries to sit, then take both out. Pull the plug, hang it by the hook and the tub and sling dry overnight.
- Whale scoop and rinse bottle
- Fits most sinks and bathtubs
- Hook for hanging to dry
Best for: Newborn to toddler in one tub
- Type
- 4-stage tub
- Age (maker's)
- Newborn to 25 lb
- Holds the baby with
- Mesh sling, then seat insert
- Drain plug
- Yes
- Folds flat
- No
#2Angelcare Baby Bath Support
$10–$20
Both hands stay free to wash a newborn: a mesh cradle on a plastic frame lies in the bathtub or the sink and holds the baby at a gentle angle. The soft-touch mesh warms quickly in the water, water drains straight out, and it hangs from a loop to dry.
What owners say: Owners say the grippy mesh keeps a slippery baby from sliding, that it makes bathing a newborn alongside a toddler possible, and that it’s the first thing they tell other new parents to buy.
A closer look: Run a couple of inches of warm water, set the support in the tub or a clean sink and lay the baby on it so the mesh takes their weight while you wash. Stay beside them the whole time. Rinse it, hang it from the loop and it’s dry by the next bath, and it moves on once they sit unaided, at about six months.
- Leaves both hands free
- Mesh warms quickly in water
- Drains straight through
- Hanging loop for drying
- Weighs 14.4 oz
Best for: The first six months of baths
- Type
- Bath support
- Age (maker's)
- Birth to 6 months, up to 20 lb
- Holds the baby with
- Mesh cradle on a frame
- Drain plug
- No
- Folds flat
- No
#3Shnuggle Toddler Bath
$75–$100
For the stage between a baby tub and the deep end: a big polypropylene tub with a raised bump in the seat and a foam backrest that sit a toddler upright, a grippy inside and an anti-slip base, a max fill line and a plug. It fits most shower floors and bathtubs and uses far less water than filling the big one.
What owners say: Plenty of room to play and sturdy enough not to slide is the verdict from owners, who like how the plug drains it into the sink; the price is what gives some of them pause.
A closer look: Stand it on the shower floor or in the bathtub, fill to the line and let the toddler climb in and sit against the foam backrest. It’s long enough to be a real bath for a two-year-old, and the plug means you never have to lift it to empty it. Hand wash it and leave it on its side to dry.
- Grippy inside, anti-slip base
- Max fill line
- Fits most shower floors
- BPA-free polypropylene
Best for: Toddler baths with less water
- Type
- Toddler tub
- Age (maker's)
- 9 months to about 4 years
- Holds the baby with
- Seat bump and foam backrest
- Drain plug
- Yes
- Folds flat
- No
#4Skip Hop Wave 4-in-1 Grow-with-Baby Bath Tub
$30–$50
Skip Hop’s take on the four-stage tub, with higher sides for splashing: a mesh sling with a cushioned headrest that sets to two angles for the first months, a sit-up insert from about six months, then an open tub to two years and 25 lb. The sling goes in the washing machine and the tub hangs from the shower curtain rod by its hook.
What owners say: Well thought out for newborns and for babies learning to sit, owners say, and easy to keep clean since the mesh goes in the washer. Some find the sling slips down in use, and the stickers peeled for a few.
A closer look: Set the sling to its flatter angle for a newborn and the upright one from about three months, then swap it for the sit-up insert. Rinse everything after each bath and hang the tub on the curtain rod or a towel bar by its hook, since a tub left wet in a steamy bathroom is where mildew starts.
- Machine-washable sling
- Hangs from the curtain rod
- Cushioned headrest
Best for: A tub with room to splash
- Type
- 4-stage tub
- Age (maker's)
- Birth to 2 years, up to 25 lb
- Holds the baby with
- Mesh sling (2 angles), then insert
- Drain plug
- –
- Folds flat
- No
#5Ingenuity FoldAway 2-Position Bather
$10–$20
A mesh sling on a frame that folds flat, so it goes in a suitcase or a drawer and sets up in a sink or the bathtub in seconds. Two recline positions, a padded headrest, high sides to keep a newborn snug and four non-slip grips underneath; the sling comes off for the washing machine.
What owners say: Owners use it in the sink as much as the tub and like that it sets up, comes apart and dries fast, and packs for trips. A few say a wriggly baby slides down the sling, and the fold takes some finding at first.
A closer look: Unfold the frame until it clicks, lay the sling on and set the recline flatter for a newborn or more upright as the baby’s head gets steadier. After the bath, lift the sling off to wash and let the frame drip-dry, then fold the whole thing flat to stand behind the bathroom door.
- Padded headrest
- High sides keep newborns snug
- 4 non-slip grips underneath
- Machine-washable sling
- Sink or bathtub
Best for: Sinks, small bathrooms and trips
- Type
- Fold-flat bather
- Age (maker's)
- Birth to 6 months, up to 20 lb
- Holds the baby with
- Mesh sling, 2 reclines
- Drain plug
- No
- Folds flat
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Fisher-Price 4-in-1 | #2Angelcare support | #3Shnuggle Toddler Bath | #4Skip Hop Wave | #5Ingenuity FoldAway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best bath support | Best for toddlers | Best for travel | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.0 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $10–$20 | $75–$100 | $30–$50 | $10–$20 |
| Type | 4-stage tub | Bath support | Toddler tub | 4-stage tub | Fold-flat bather |
| Age (maker's) | Newborn to 25 lb | Birth to 6 months, up to 20 lb | 9 months to about 4 years | Birth to 2 years, up to 25 lb | Birth to 6 months, up to 20 lb |
| Holds the baby with | Mesh sling, then seat insert | Mesh cradle on a frame | Seat bump and foam backrest | Mesh sling (2 angles), then insert | Mesh sling, 2 reclines |
| Drain plug | Yes | No | Yes | – | No |
| Folds flat | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Newborn to toddler in one tub | The first six months of baths | Toddler baths with less water | A tub with room to splash | Sinks, small bathrooms and trips |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
