The Best Baby Bathtubs
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
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The Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling 'n Seat Tub is Wirecutter's top pick, chosen after editors spent 25 hours testing ten finalists with their own infants, and it was a tested finalist on The Bump as well. What sets it apart is room and reach: it is the largest, most versatile basin in the group, and it lasts.
A newborn starts in the soft mesh sling, which holds a floppy infant safely above the water. As the baby grows, the sling comes out and a sit-me-up seat gives them a backrest, then that comes out too and you are left with a roomy tub a toddler can splash in. Four stages, one tub, from the first sponge bath to well past the first birthday.
It is not fussy to use, either. There is a drain plug so you are not tipping a full basin over the tub edge, a hook to hang it dry, and a rinse cup in the box. The catch is size: it will not fit in a sink, and it takes real space to store. For most families with the room, that is a fair trade for a tub they will not have to replace.
What It Won't Do
The size that makes it last is also its one drawback. This is a large basin that will not fit in a bathroom sink, so if you were hoping to bathe your newborn at counter height, this is not the tub for that. It also needs a spot to live between baths, which is a real consideration in a small apartment. Families tight on space should look at the fold-flat Stokke or the sink-friendly Angelcare support instead.
The Skip Hop Moby Smart Sling 3-Stage delivers almost everything the Fisher-Price does for roughly half the money, which is why it is our value pick. Babylist named it the best basin tub after hands-on testing and a survey of thousands of parents, and it carries a 4.6-star average across more than 15,000 Amazon reviews.
The heart of it is the dual-layer Smart Sling, which locks in two positions: higher to cradle a newborn's whole body, lower to prop up a baby who is starting to sit. From there it becomes a plain tub good to 25 pounds, the same newborn-to-toddler arc as the top pick across three stages instead of four. It also fits inside most double sinks and hangs flat to dry, so it stores more easily than the bigger Fisher-Price.
At around $26 it is the tub to buy if you want the convertible sling design without paying premium money. You give up one stage and a bit of basin room, and that is about it.
What It Won't Do
Three stages instead of four means a tall toddler will outgrow the Moby a little sooner than the Fisher-Price, and the whale basin is still too big to sit in a single bar sink. It also skips the color-changing temperature plug that the Boon includes. None of that undercuts the core value, but if you want the absolute longest use or a built-in heat warning, look up the ladder.
Who Should Buy Which
Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling 'n Seat Tub
Wirecutter's top pick, roomy enough to bathe a baby from newborn to toddler
- Parents who want one roomy tub that lasts from newborn to toddler
- Families with the bathroom or closet space to store a full-size basin
- Anyone who wants the easiest bath routine with a drain, hook, and rinse cup
- Buyers who want Wirecutter's tested top pick and are not chasing the lowest price
- First-time parents who would rather buy one tub than replace it at six months
Skip Hop Moby Smart Sling 3-Stage Tub
The same newborn-to-toddler sling tub for about half the price
- Value-minded parents who want the convertible sling design for less
- Anyone bathing in a double sink who needs a basin that fits
- Buyers reassured by 15,000-plus reviews at 4.6 stars
- Parents who want a two-position sling that adjusts as the baby grows
- Families short on storage who want a tub that hangs flat to dry