Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather

At first glance, I was excited about the Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather. It came to me in a flat box, which made it great for packing for family vacations. After opening the box, I realized this packaging would be a very useful piece, and it became my favorite feature!

The user manual was helpful and concise, though not really necessary. I read through it to make sure there weren’t any surprises, but everything was very straightforward. I probably could have put the bather together without reading at all.

The tub seat folds out and snaps easily into position for use. The seat is cute and seems to be well made; the mesh holds up strongly after many uses. My daughter loves this seat! It is much more comfortable than the seat in the baby tub we’ve used before, and it holds her in place well. I’m very comfortable using this bather, but it can slide around if used in a large tub. I’ve had to turn it sideways in the tub, so that my girl stays put while I wash her. Not a big letdown for me, just something to be aware of.

This bather will not fit into regular bathroom sinks (and only fits into some kitchen sinks—the kind that are un-divided), so be prepared to use the bather in the bathtub from time to time. I plan on using this seat primarily as our travel tub because I don’t want to use the water every night to fill up the whole bathtub.

This seat is made specifically for newborns up to 15 pounds. The three-position recline will be very useful as my daughter grows. She is in the most reclined position right now, as she’s not quite able to hold her head up, and she’s not sitting up by herself yet. As she learns those two skills, we’ll be able to use it more as a seat and less as a reclining chair. I’m sure she’ll be able to use this bather for another few months, but I don’t think I will be able to use it much past 6 months. But, by that time she should be sitting up, and I should be able to bathe her in regular bathtubs.

The mesh seat seems to stay very clean and dries quickly after use. The seat is even made with machine-washable fabric, which I tend to throw in with my regular laundry about once every week. It is not necessary to machine-wash after every use. The fabric is mildew resistant and stays pretty clean with regular use. The hardware can be wiped down to sanitize.

It is available in several brightly colored prints, and I’m pleased with the look. I think that it works for my daughter, even though mine is mostly blue. You can find all of the style options on the Summer Infant site.

I would definitely recommend this bather to a friend, especially considering the price point!

Price: $17
To buy: summerinfant.com

Still unsure? Read more of our bath product reviews here.