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| FlexiBath |
If ,like me, you suffer from a distinct lack of space in the home then the FlexiBath may be something you might be considering buying for your child. The FlexiBath is advertised as being ‘The only hard plastic baby bathtub which folds up flat with a simple touch of your hand.’ I first saw the FlexiBath advertised when I was pregnant with my daughter but I never actually bought one and instead opted for a traditional baby bath that definitely didn”t fold down but instead took up loads of space and got in my way wherever I put it! The baby bath that I bought for my daughter cost me around £10, was only used a few times and in the end I gave it away to a friend of the family to use with their new child. It was a good enough bath and quite adequate for the job of bathing my daughter in but in the end I decided that I may as well use the bath tub instead as then I wouldn’t need to find space to keep the bath when it wasn’t in use. After I’d given that bath away I then realised that I actually could do with a ‘small baby bath’ for those occasions when I don’t want to run a big bath full of water. So I then bought an inflatable baby bath at an NCT sale and that is what I had been using (along with the normal bath) up until now. So when I was offered the chance to be sent a FlexiBath to use with my daughter I will admit I was very excited. After all I had seen it advertised and I knew it was a ‘posh’ bathtub as it retails at around £35. Plus it could be folded down and be put out of the way when I wasn’t using it.
What a bonus!
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| Packaging of FlexiBath |
The FlexiBath was packaged in a cardboard sleeve and thankfully no unnecessary plastic wrap to be seen. Yay!! According to the website these are the dimensions of the bath:-
Length: 66.5cm
Width: 38.9cm
Height 23.8cm
Weight: approx 1300gram (1.3kg)
The bath is made from Polypropylene (PP) and Thermoplastic Elastomeric (TPE). It says that both of these raw materials are free from PVC, phthalates, heavy metals and other harmful or hazardous materials. That has to be a good thing!
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| Photo showing the end of the FlexiBath as it is without water in. The end leans inwards. |
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| Photo showing the end of the Flexibath as it will be with the pressure of water in it. The ends straighten out to provide more space in the bath than you would first imagine. |
When I first took the bath out of the packaging I did think it looked quite small and wouldn’t hold much water. Surprisingly though the bath actually does hold a decent amount of water as the ends expand out with the pressure of the water in the bath. It says it holds 39 litres of water and I can say that it does make a good bath full of water for little one. There is enough room to splash around and my daughter can sit up in it with her legs outstretched.When you look at the packaging there is a picture of the FlexiBath being used with two children in it and that really shocked me as I don’t think I would have any chance of fitting two children in it. Maybe if you really desperately needed to bath two kids at the same time you could manage it. However I think you would only do this if you didn’t have a normal full size bath tub to bath them in instead as there would not be much room for them to move in the FlexiBath.. The bath is supposed to be suited to children aged 0-4 years but again I’m not sure I agree with this. I can imagine being able to use it until my daughter is maybe 3 years old but 4 years old would be pushing it, in my opinion. The base of the bath is supposed to be non-slip but it didn’t seem it to me. I would have preferred it if the bottom had been a bit more non-slip as she did nearly fall over in it once but luckily I caught her.
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| Photo showing the base of the FlexiBath |
The FlexiBath is really easy to unfold and just as easy to fold back up again. The bath is held shut by a plastic clip on the top. I did have a bit of the issue with this clip though. It seems to stick out when the bath is unfolded and full of water. I kept catching myself on it…but more importantly, I was constantly worried my daughter would fall over and poke herself in the eye with it. I am not sure whether all the FlexiBath are like this or whether my FlexiBath was just faulty. I have looked on the FlexiBath site and in their gallery of photos it shows the FlexiBath with the clip folded down, out of the way. After having read other people’s reviews on the Internet it seems this issue with the clip has bothered other people too. I have tried many times to get the clip to stay down flat but it will not do it. I was also concerned that the clip may get weak after continued use and break off. Already the colour has disappeared on the hinged part (see photo). The clip hasn’t broken yet but I’m not sure if it will withstand daily use.. hopefully it will though. I am quite sure if you had any issues the company would help to resolve the problem as long as you keep hold of your receipt.
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| Photo showing the clip on the FlexiBath and the fact that the colour has gone out of the hinge part. |
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| Phto showing the end of the FlexiBath. |
The bath has a plughole on the base and I am pleased to see it is quite hard to remove…in a good way though. The last thing you would want is your toddler easily pulling the plug out and you ending up with water all over the floor. A nice design feature is that the plug is a lovely ‘splash’ shape . The bath is available in lots of lovely colours. I was sent the Purple version to review but it is also available in Pink/Red , Transparent/Turquoise, Light/Dark Blue, White/Grey and Green/Lime.
The bath took 3 years to develop and it is now being sold all over the world. In 2008 it won a Kind + Jugend Innovation Award and a Formland Design Award. I really do think it deserves these awards as the bath is most certainly innovative and if you lack space to store a conventional baby bath then this is your answer. This can be stored away under the bed, down the side of the wardrobe, on top of a cupboard, against the wall and in any other small places that you would never fit a normal baby bath.
I can see many good uses for this bath. It would be great to pop in the boot of your car and to take with you when you go camping or caravanning. It would be handy to take on holiday with you as it lightweight and it would give you peace of mind that you know you have somewhere safe to bath your little one on your travels. I think it would be a great bath to keep at the Grandparent’s house as it will fold down and not take up too much of their space. If you live in a flat and have a lack of storage space then this is perfect. The bath fits in the shower tray at my mum’s house so if you only have a shower and not a bath then this would be a good bath to use for your little kids. I also think it is good to use a baby bath like this instead of filling up a big bath tub as it uses less water so it is economical and better for the environment.
The only downside to the bath is the clip poking out and the fact that it not as sturdy as a normal baby bath when filled with water which makes it a bit harder to carry it across the house when full.
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| Photo showing the clip on the FlexiBath sticking out. |
Overall I really like this product. It is modern, practical and it helps to solve the problem most of us have -which is lack of storage space. My daughter enjoys using the bath and that is one of the most important things in my eyes. This has an RRP of approx £35 which I do feel is very expensive for a baby bath
. However if space is a priority in your home then the bath is well worth the money. Due to the fact that it folds down it will also take up less space in your loft if you put the bath into storage to use with your next child. This means you are more likely to use it with subsequent children and not do what I did and give my bath away as I don’t want to have to store it to use with another child.
. However if space is a priority in your home then the bath is well worth the money. Due to the fact that it folds down it will also take up less space in your loft if you put the bath into storage to use with your next child. This means you are more likely to use it with subsequent children and not do what I did and give my bath away as I don’t want to have to store it to use with another child.
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| Photo showing the inside of the FlexiBath |
As I am a bargain hunter I have had a quick search for the FlexiBath on the Internet and I have found it for sale in White and Blue on the Jojomamanbebe website for £20 with free delivery to mainland UK. Please note that this offer ends on February 11th then the price will go back up to £30..which is still cheaper than the RRP. The bath is also available on the FlexiBath website for £29.95 with free delivery. It can be purchased here in all the colours.
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| Photo showing the FlexiBath folded up. |
You can watch a video of the FlexiBath if you click here and if you would like to see a list of stockists then please click here.
FlexiBath is made by a Danish company called ‘A Real Cool World’. They also make the ‘StepOnBox’ which looks really interesting. It is a step stool for the bathroom with space inside it to store bath toys etc. This looks like a great idea. It says they were going to start selling it in April 2010 but there is no list of prices or stockists on the site. I would love to review the product for you all so I shall contact them and see if that will be possible. If it is I’ll keep you informed with more information about the ‘StepOnBox’.
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| Photo showing the FlexiBath folded down |
Click here to visit the FlexiBath website.