The 10 Best Baby Bath Tubs

For one tub from the first bath to the toddler years, the Fisher-Price Sling 'N Seat covers four stages. A soft mesh sling holds a newborn lying back, and a separate insert props up a baby learning to sit. Take both out for an open tub. A drain plug and a hook help it dry between baths, and two small toys come in the box. It's bulky, so it needs a spot to hang.

Higher sides give the Skip Hop Moby 4-in-1 extra room for splashing once a baby can sit. Early on, a mesh sling with a cushioned headrest clips in at two angles, first lying back and then more upright. A firm insert steadies a new sitter, and the bare tub lasts into the toddler years. The sling is machine washable, and a hook hangs the tub to dry. Those tall sides also mean more water to dump.

The Frida Baby Grow-with-Me starts newborns in a two-sided fabric hammock that hooks onto the rim. Later, a seat bar keeps a sitting baby from sliding forward, and the open shell serves a toddler. The sling dries fast and can go in the washing machine. Grippy feet, a drying hook and drain plugs round out a sensible design. Frida doesn't post a weight limit, so watch for the day your child tries to stand up in it.

Parents who dislike damp fabric slings may prefer the Boon Soak, which has none. A movable bump on the floor sets three positions, and soft foam on the back wall keeps a small baby from slipping down. It fits most double sinks as well as a full-size bathtub, and the drain plug changes color as a quick check on water temperature. The catch is the warranty, which runs only 90 days.

Short on cupboard space? The Ingenuity Foldaway Bather is a mesh sling on a light frame that sits in the kitchen sink or the family tub, then folds flat afterward. It reclines at two angles, high sides cradle the head, and grippy feet keep it from sliding around. The sling comes off for the washing machine. It's meant only for babies who can't sit up yet, so a family will need something roomier within months.

Instead of a separate basin, the Angelcare Bath Support goes straight into the family tub and holds a newborn at a gentle recline. It's a one-piece plastic shell covered in soft mesh that warms up in the water and drains fast. There's nothing to assemble, and a loop at the top lets it hang to dry. It's made for babies who can't sit yet, and kneeling over the big tub is harder on a parent's back.

Built without a sling, The First Years 4-in-1 Reclining relies on a backrest molded into the tub that tilts to four heights. It sits nearly flat for a newborn, then higher with a small bump that keeps an older baby from sliding, then upright for a new sitter. A toddler seat is shaped into the far end. With no fabric, there's nothing to wash or mildew. It's a recent model, so there's less owner history on how it wears.

For trips to the grandparents, the Boon Puff blows up in seconds and packs flat in a suitcase. It's an air-filled bather with a soft microfleece cover that comes off for the washer and dryer, and it sits in most sinks or a regular tub. Its curved sides cradle a small baby in warm water. Like any inflatable, it can lose air or get punctured, so check it before each bath.

Once a baby sits steadily, the Munchkin Inflatable Duck turns a hotel bathtub into a cozy, shallow pool. A disc inside turns white when the water is too hot, and padded sides and a headrest make it softer than hard plastic. It deflates for the suitcase and hangs from a suction cup to dry. The maker rates it for six months to two years, so it won't work for a newborn.

A small tray clipped to the rim of the Ingenuity Comfy Clean Deluxe keeps soap and a washcloth within reach, so a hand never has to leave the baby. Newborns lie in a fabric sling, older babies lean on a padded backrest with side bumpers, and toddlers sit in the open end. It fits a single or double sink as well as the big tub. The fabric sling needs washing and full drying so it doesn't turn musty.