Baby baths

These are small, portable plastic baths designed to contain your baby in a manageable space, with gentle contouring for comfort. They may come with handles, drainage plugs and integral soap dishes. They are suitable from newborn, and can be used until your baby outgrows them.

There are two types:

Those that sit in the base of the adult bath: these are easily filled from the bath taps and emptied by a drainage plug or by tipping; some have handles that you can use for hanging the bath out of the way when it's not needed.

Those that sit on the rim of the adult bath (check the dimensions of your bath before buying); they’re usually filled by a shower attachment or jug and emptied by a drainage plug. The big advantage of these is that they raise the baby up to the level of the bath rim, giving you much easier access and saving your aching back.

For babies who are likely to travel, look out for a portable, inflatable soft baby bath which packs down very small and comes with its own travel bag.

Points to consider: