Review: Tummy Tub

As Crystal mentioned last week, all of our little KBP babies are quickly becoming toddlers! Because we want to make sure you are up to date on the latest and greatest products for all ages, we have asked some guest bloggers to come on board and write the cool things out there in the pregnancy and infant world! So, I am happy to present Laura, a fellow Michigan mama of two darling boys who reviewed the Tummy Tub....

For those of you who read this blog, but don’t know me, I’m Laura and I have two boys – Jack, 2.5 years and Calvin, 2.5 months. I live in Ann Arbor, MI and am friends with Melissa, which is how I found out about this blog. My first review is of the Tummy Tub. For those of you looking for a way to bathe your newborn that doesn’t result in an exercise of their lungs, this is your answer! The idea behind the tub is to simulate being in the womb. It seems crazy that a newborn can use this, but it’s true. I started using this when my son was only 6 weeks old. We did have to put a little less water in it because otherwise his head would have been under water, but he happily sat in it while we bathed him and only cried when we took him out. The key to keeping babies happy during baths, is keeping them warm and the Tummy Tub does this by keeping the majority of their body underwater, so he was very warm and happy through the whole bath. As a bonus, my 2.5 year old was thrilled to be able to bathe with his brother.
Click on Read More to see the official review!

I feel like this might be a product that should be reviewed every few months to account for a baby’s growth and development. In the beginning, Cal happily sat there and would occasionally start to fall to the side and we’d sit him back up. Now at 11 weeks, he pushes his feet so hard against the side of the tub that he seems like he’s going to launch himself out of it! Then he falls back in and splashes water in his face, which makes his legs stiffen again– lather, rinse, repeat. Pun intended. He’s pretty happy about the situation the whole time, so we just have to keep an eye on him. And I will also say that this truly puts the stand and its low center of gravity feature to the ultimate test. We have not come close to tipping it over yet, much to my surprise.

Functionality **** - The Tummy Tub is a very simple design, which makes for easy clean-up, especially during those unfortunate baths when babies get a little too relaxed. It’s just a bucket, so you dump the water, rinse it out and you’re back in business. There is no fabric or any porous surface to be scrubbed. And honestly, any bathtub that keeps my newborn happy for the entire bath deserves 4 stars in my book. Like every mom, I hate hearing my baby cry, especially knowing I’m the one causing the discomfort.

Style **** The Tummy Tub comes in clear, blue sparkle and pink sparkle. Sparkles aren’t really my style, but it’s pretty understated. The stand, however, is darling and it converts to a step stool. The stand comes in several different colors – blue, pink and green.

Price ** - The price is a bit steep for what it is, which is essentially a bucket with a curved bottom. So for $44.95 for the clear and $46.95 for the colored tubs, and then an additional $54.95 for the stool, it’s a little hard to justify at first. One option here would be to just buy the tub though. You do not need both to make it work.

Materials & Durability **** - The tub and stool are both very sturdy and well-made. We have only been using them for a little more than a month now, but they have gotten a lot of use and stood up to it very well.

Overall Score *** and a half – The price is truly the only thing holding me back from giving it a perfect 4 stars. Both of my boys enjoy baths, and I can easily give them both a bath at the same time, by myself, thanks to the Tummy Tub. And the only crying involved, is when bath time is over.