Baby on a changing table

Changing Table Buying Guide

You can diaper a baby almost anywhere she is safe from falling, even on the floor. But because you'll change more than 2,000 diapers in your baby's first year, your back and knees will benefit from something made for the task—either a standard changing table or a dresser that doubles as one.

Getting started

If you decide to use a changing table for your baby, you'll be able to diaper the tyke at a comfortable level (most changing tables are 36 to 44 inches high), and have diapers within easy reach.

Unlike the crib or the floor, changing tables have shelves, baskets, and/or drawers that you can use to store other essentials, such as wipes, rash ointment, and a toy or two to keep your baby busy. A vinyl changing pad is usually included, but covers available in a variety of colors and patterns are sold separately.

Consumers Union believes that a dedicated changing table with barriers on all four sides is the safest way to go. Another option you might see in stores is a removable changing pad that simply affixes to the top of a regular dresser. If you decide to go that route, which is the least expensive ($23 to $60), look for a changing-table pad with at least two opposing contoured sides with a baby restraint strap, such as the Contour Changing Pad by Simmons Kids (www.simmonskids.com). With that style changing "table," you simply remove the pad (sold separately) when your baby grows out of the changing-table stage (usually about 2 years old) and the changing table becomes a full-time dresser.

There are wood, retractable changing tables such as the Bellini Slide Top Changer (www.bellini.com), which sits on top of a Bellini dresser and attaches to the back of it with hidden L-brackets. This mini-changing table has a flat changing surface. But to comply with the most recent industry safety standards, a changing table must have barrier protection on all sides unless it has a contoured pad, in which case barriers are required on only two sides. Because the retractable (or slide top) style has barriers on only two sides (not including the wall), we can't recommend it.

In the nursery

Before you buy, consider all the furniture you plan for the nursery. We recommend that you try to find room for a changing table with barriers on all four sides of the top. But if you're tight on space or budget, and decide to use a dresser as a changing table, buy a contoured changing pad with a safety strap and affix it to the dresser, according to the manufacturer's installation directions.

If you go with a dedicated changing table, try before you buy. Test the table in the store, as if you were changing a baby. If you see a backache in your future because that changing table is too low, try another. Check drawers and cabinets. They should function smoothly and be easily accessible while you hold onto your squirmy baby. The unit should seem sturdy. Make sure that it has safety straps to help prevent your baby from falling, or that you can affix a pad that has a strap. Use the straps every time you change your baby's diaper.

If the table comes with a pad, use only the pad that's provided by the manufacturer. Don't use a changing table that's damaged or broken. Whether you assemble the table yourself or it comes assembled, check from time to time that screws and fastenings are firmly tightened so that parts don't become loose or fall off, increasing your baby's risk of choking and other injury.

Stop using your changing table when your baby reaches the manufacturer's age or weight limit, which is typically 2 years or 30 pounds. If you buy a cloth changing pad, make sure that it has a waterproof layer on the underside, which helps the changing table to stay clean and sanitary. Vinyl changing pads can be wiped clean with soap and water. Purchase two or three covers so you can throw one in the wash and have at least one on hand.

 
Next in this section: Types