Change Mats

Change mats get more use than anything else you buy, six or eight times a day in the early months, so the mat has to clean up fast and hold a wriggling baby still. The babyhood range covers two. The Ultimate Change Pad has high curved sides on a flat foam base. The classic babyhood Change Mat has 13cm raised edges in soft touch vinyl. Both are waterproof, both are free of ties and straps, and both clean with a cloth.

What to look for in a changing mat

A changing mat is a simple product that is easy to get wrong. These are the things that matter.

High sides. A changing mat with low edges lets everything run off onto your furniture. Both mats here have raised sides, 13cm on the Change Mat.
A flat base rather than an incline. Angled pads tip a baby toward the low end. Flat is easier to work on and easier to keep a hand on.
A smooth top. Texture looks grippy but traps what you are trying to clean away, so smooth is the more hygienic choice.
No ties. Straps on a changing mat are a strangulation risk and will not hold a determined baby anyway.
The right size for where it lives. Measure your dresser before you buy, because a changing mat that overhangs is a changing mat that slides.

The Ultimate Change Pad

Buy the Ultimate Change Pad if you want a permanent baby change station on a dresser. It measures 43cm wide by 73cm long by 9cm high and suits a newborn up to 24kg, so it lasts the whole nappy stage.

The sides are high and curved to contain a wriggler, and the base is flat rather than angled. It is made from high density PU foam, so it is soft rather than hard plastic, and the surface is smooth with no texture to trap anything. It is BPA, phthalate and PVC free, and tested to EN 71 and ASTM F2388-21. Grey, Nude and Steel.

To clean it, wash with warm water and a soft sponge before first use, then wipe it down with warm water or non-alcoholic baby wipes. Bleach, abrasive cleaners and anything sharp will damage it, so keep those away.

The babyhood Change Mat

The classic baby change mat, and the one you will see in childcare rooms. High density foam under soft touch vinyl, with 13cm high sides and a thick bottom pad. It is 48cm wide by 70cm long, and it comes in White, Royal Blue and Yellow Jungle.

It cleans with a cloth. Two things shorten its life: moisture left sitting on the vinyl, and harsh chemicals, which crack and peel it. Do not put a fabric cover over it either, because that traps moisture underneath.

This is the practical choice for many early learning centres, childcare centres and family day carers, and it is used in those rooms for the same reasons it works at home. Firm high sides, a top that cleans in a single wipe, and nothing fiddly to undo.

A portable change mat for the nappy bag

At home you need a changing mat that stays put. Out of the house you want one that folds into a nappy bag with a few wipes and a spare nappy, and that you can lay on any surface without thinking about what is underneath. A portable change mat is the practical second buy rather than your only mat, because the padding that makes a nappy change comfortable at home is the padding that makes it too bulky for a bag.

If you are buying a single mat to do both jobs, buy the size that fits your dresser and keep a thin travel mat in the bag.

Keeping a changing mat clean

Nappies, wipes and a mat you can actually clean are the essential three. A quick pass after every nappy change and a proper clean at the end of the day is enough to ensure it stays hygienic. Do not use a fabric cover on a wipeable mat. It defeats the point and holds moisture against the surface.

Check the sides and the seams every few months. Foam that has split or vinyl that has cracked cannot be cleaned properly, and that is when a mat needs replacing.

Sizes, colours and stock

If you’re setting up a nursery, sort out the fit before the colour. The Ultimate Change Pad comes in three colours in a single size. The Change Mat comes in three colours and a range of sizes, so measure the space first and you’ll only have to make the decision once. Anything out of stock says so on the tile, and the price sits there too.

Both mats are also sold bundled with a folding bath or a nappy bin, which is worth a look if you’re buying the whole nursery at once.