Changing pads are an essential item if you have a newborn baby, providing you with a safe and comfortable space for you to change your little one’s diaper.
Changing pads do not come in a standardized size; however, most changing pads do come in a similar size which makes them suitable for use with most standard-sized changing tables.
Changing Pad Sizes
The typical size of a changing pad is 32 inches in length and 17 inches in width. This is not a standardized size, so it can differ between brands and manufacturers, but in general, most changing pads will measure roughly this size so that they will work in conjunction with baby change tables.
This is a suitable size for changing babies on and even children right through toddlerhood. Changing pads can be a few inches bigger or a few inches smaller than this, so if you are looking for one that fits your change table exactly, then you should measure the surface area of your table and look for one in the same size.
The depth of changing pads will differ between brands. Changing pads that are intended for portability will be thinner, usually with a thickness of half an inch, so that they don’t take up too much space in a diaper bag.
Changing pads that are meant for use at home can be thicker, with an average depth of between 1 and 2 inches, though some will be deeper than this at 4 inches or over.
Most changing pads have raised edges that will be a little deeper than the main part of the pad. This is to create a border or barrier which will keep any spills within the pad if an accident occurs.
Change Pad Features
Some changing pads also have extra features, such as an elastic and velcro strap to secure your baby in place or a contoured shape to make the baby feel extra safe and comforted.
Portable changing mats will sometimes feature pockets so that parents can keep extra diapers or wipes on hand, or some very extravagant changing pads also have scale mechanisms inside which will measure the weight of your baby each time you put them down to be changed, so you can keep an extra close eye on how much weight they are gaining.
You can also find changing pads with removable covers, which can be taken off and laundered in the washing machine to be kept ultra-clean.
If you are concerned about the comfort of your baby, choose a changing pad with an inbuilt pillow at one end. Some pads even have attached toys to keep your baby amused and distracted during changing so that you can change their diaper more easily. Eco-friendly changing pads also exist; these types are 100% recyclable for guilt-free disposal when you are finished with them.
Benefits of Changing Pads
If you are preparing for the arrival of your first baby, you might be wondering which items are essential purchases. There are so many different products targeted at babies and new parents, and some of them are not necessary to have, and instead are just manufacturers preying on new parents as easy targets because we all want to make sure we are well prepared for our children.
Although there are many items you simply don’t need when it comes to getting your home ready for a baby; a changing pad is not one of them. Most people find a changing pad to be an essential item that will be used regularly on a day-to-day basis. They offer various benefits over the alternative option of changing your baby on your bed, in their crib, or on the floor.
Waterproof
One of the biggest benefits of a changing pad is that they are covered in a material that is waterproof. All parents of babies will have experienced that unfortunate timing when a baby decides to urinate while they are having their diaper changed. In this instance, a waterproof changing pad is a gamechanger, which you can just wipe clean.
If you were changing your baby on your bed without a changing pad, then you would be dealing with wet sheets and potentially a wet mattress which is difficult to get clean. A waterproof changing pad protects any surface where you are changing the baby, saving you from a lot of laundry or potentially ruined items.
Comfortable
A changing pad has a padded interior which provides a comfortable place for the baby to lay down on while they are being changed.
This means that you can use a changing pad almost anywhere to create a spot for changing your baby where you don’t have to worry that they are uncomfortable. For example, if you are on a road trip and need to make an emergency stop to change the baby’s diaper, you could lay out a changing pad in the trunk of your car to change them.
Or you can lay the changing pad out on your hardwood floor in your living room to change them easily without having to use the changing table in their nursery.
Portable
Changing pads are lightweight items, so you can easily carry one to different areas of the home if you want to change your baby in a different place. Many types of changing pads are purposely designed to be portable so that you can take them out of the home.
Portable changing pads will be foldable and usually secured in this position with a Velcro strap. This means they can be kept in a diaper bag and used while you are out and about.
Sanitary
Changing pads are easy to wipe down, thanks to the fact that they are waterproof, and this means they are great for ensuring a sanitized place to change your baby. You can wipe down the changing pad with baby-safe antibacterial wipes and have peace of mind that the changing pad is free from potentially harmful germs.
