Bumbo Changing Pad Review

Choosing a baby changing pad isn’t rocket science. But there are a lot of choices! In this Bumbo changing pad review, I share my personal experience and thoughts on this popular, ergonomically shaped, wipe clean changing pad. I’ve included the pros, cons and some common FAQs, all based on my personal experiences.

What is the Bumbo Changing Pad?

Bumbo diaper changing pad in grey against an isolated white background with colorful text to the right that says "Bumbo Changing Pad"

The Bumbo Changing Pad is a thick, super soft, and easy-to-clean cushioned changing pad made from a dense and squishy high quality foam. It provides your baby with a raised surface to lie on while being changed. And it can be used on a changing table, bed, or the floor, with appropriate supervision and safety measures.

One of the most notable features of the Bumbo Changing Pad is that it’s wipe clean. Unlike other changing mats, you don’t need to use a changing pad cover with it. When those unavoidable accidents do occur, give it a quick wipe and clean it with a mild detergent. Presto!

End of a bumbo changing pad where the word "BUMBO" is imprinted in the change pad in raised letters

Unfortunately, many of the “wipe clean” changers – including the Bumbo changing pad – are currently a bit tricky to get, and are out of stock at many retailers. If you’re looking for a Bumbo, I suggest checking Amazon, Walmart, and Bed Bath and Beyond.

If you can’t find the Bumbo, you might also want to look at some alternatives, including:

Shop for Bumbo and Alternatives Across Top Retailers:

What are the Benefits of the Bumbo Changing Pad

Hygiene and Clean Up

Bumbo changing pads really excel in the hygiene department. And when it comes to pee and poop, hygiene is kind of the name of the game, isn’t it?

Well designed for baby’s comfort, they are soft, squishy, and comfy to touch and lie on. But they’re also beautifully contoured from a hygiene perspective. Because there aren’t any corners, crevices, or grooves, there’s nowhere that liquids or solids can sneak into. That means no digging into out of reach spots when you’re cleaning it.

The material Bumbo uses is porous, but minimally so. If your baby pees during a diaper change, the liquid will simply pool on the surface, not soak into the foam. If, however, you submerge the entire mat in liquid, it will soak in over time (so don’t do that).

puddle of apple juice used to mimic pee on a Bumbo changing pad

This means you can use it without a changing pad cover. In other words? Less laundry to wash, dry, fold and find somewhere to store.

Ergonomically Shaped with a Super Soft Area for Baby’s Head

Bumbo changing pads are made out of a single piece of foam that have been thoughtfully contoured for baby’s comfort.

For one, they have nice high sides to help baby feel secure (and prevent things like diapers and diaper cream from falling off, or being kicked off by excited little legs). The high sides also function to keep a wiggler in place while you’re trying to change them.

A meansuring tape in the foreground demonstrates the high sides of the Bumbo change pad

There’s also a slightly indented cradle where baby’s head sits.

Bumbo changing pad in grey sitting on a neutral colored area rug. The beautifully contoured head cradle area is visible in the right of the image, which is the top of the change pad

It’s also fairly ergonomically shaped, and is wide enough for babies who like their knees to fall out to the sides when they’re lying down.

It’s Lightweight, But Substantial

One thing I love about the Bumbo is how lightweight it is – only 3 pounds – without being flimsy. That means you can grab it with one hand and move it to the bed or floor for a quick change if needed.

I like the Bumbo as a “moving around the house” changing pad that works on top of a change table, but can also easily be brought with you from room to room.

Bumbo changing pad on a bed

Despite being lightweight, it’s still a nice and thick pad, which is a pretty unique combination when it comes to a changing pad.

This also makes it a great secondary changing pad for other homes – a weekend cabin or a grandparents’ house, for example.

The Bumbo’s profile is fairly slim. You can tuck it out of the way in a closet when not in use.

Bumbo changing pad stored vertically in a small spot in a closet, tucked away when not in use

Safety Belt or Restraint Belt

The Bumbo changing mat has an attached restraint belt built into the unit. In my opinion, the safety belt is a nice, extra safety feature that needs to work in combination with parental supervision and attention.

bumbo changing pad in grey sitting on an area rug, with the restraint belt (included) shown

There are a number of mats on the market that don’t come with any sort of restraint belt. My worry about the Bumbo is that the safety belt might offer parents a false sense of security.

In fact, you should never consider the restraint belt as a substitute for constant parental supervision and attention. Just because your little one is wearing the safety belt, doesn’t mean you can leave them unattended. Even for a second.

The Bumbo user manual puts it succinctly: “the restraint system is NOT designed to keep a child from sliding or climbing out of the product.”

Where the safety belt can help is keeping baby still for a moment. With the seat belt, they can stop wiggling just long enough that you do the diaper change!

The buckle part of the restraint belt is similar to a backpack buckle, but with a push button to release it. With my own Bumbo, I’m able to push the button and release the restraint belt with just one hand. Once I push the button down, the other side of the belt just sort of pops out.

A woman's hand pushes down on the button on a Bumbo change pad safety belt or retraint belt buckle

Comfort

Besides the ergonomics and contouring of it, the pad is really quite comfortable due to the foam it uses. It’s not cold to the touch, and is very soft, springy and pliable. Nice for babies to lie on.

Woman's hand pushing down on the soft foam of the bumbo change pad

Even the molded edges are soft. This is nice if you accidentally bump your baby’s legs, arms or body against the edge when you’re placing them down. It won’t hurt!

Woman's hand pushing the soft edges of the Bumbo diaper changing pad

Color Selection

We have a basic grey Bumbo, but it does come in a wide variety of colors typically.

Check it out in Cool Grey (ours), Hemlock, Pink, Blue, Coral, or Mimosa (a yellowy orange color).

Cons or Downsides of the Bumbo Changing Pad

While the Bumbo is a great changing pad, nothing’s perfect. There are a few things I’d love to see the company improve upon.

Mystery Foam

It drives me nuts that Bumbo isn’t more transparent about the type of foam they use for the change mat. They refer to it only as a “luxurious high-quality foam.”

Compared to one of Bumbo’s top competitors in the changing pad market (the Keekaroo Peanut Changer), Bumbo provides way less information about the materials, which is a huge check in the “con” department for me.

Slippery

Besides the mystery foam, this is my other major complaint about the Bumbo changing pad.

The base is slippery!

This isn’t a huge deal if you’re using it on the floor or on a bed. But it does seem like a safety issue if you’re using it on a changing table.

Even if your baby is secured with the safety belt, I’d worry constant kicking or wiggling could shift the change’s mat’s position, and cause an accident. Falls can happen quickly. It’s important you gather everything you need for the diaper change before putting your baby on the changing pad. And ensure you are physically 100% present to supervise and ensure your baby stays safe during diaper changes.

When I put the Bumbo on a wood or a veneer surface, it’s really easy to slide it back and forth and side to side. It just doesn’t stay put very well. Of course, adding a baby on there weights it down somewhat, but the bottom is smooth, and not very grippy.

bottom of the bumbo changing pad

I’d really like Bumbo to come up with a non-slip bottom for future iterations of this changing pad. Alternatively, they could sell it together with screw-in anchor blocks, similar to the Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad.

screw in anchor brackets on the Hatch Grow
The Screw in Anchor Blocks that are included with the Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad

Not Enough Slope

The Bumbo has a gradual slope from the head cradle to the end of the changing pad. However, it’s a bit too gradual in my opinion. Liquid spills just sort of stay put on the surface of the mat. It would be better if it ran down to the foot of the mat and away from baby’s body. (The Keekaroo has solved this problem with a slightly steeper slope).

A level on the bumbo changing pad shows the change pad is angled.

Final Thoughts of My Bumbo Change Pad Review

Overall, I think the Bumbo is a great changing pad for many families.

Price wise, it tends to fall in the middle of the pack compared to other wipe clean changing mats. It’s more expensive than vinyl, fold-up changing mats. But it’s less than many wipeable foam mats and many of the more organic and non-toxic changing pads.

Add to that, it does seem to stand up very well to abuse, and last a long time.

It think the Bumbo is a great choice for families who have the budget to spend a bit extra on a changing pad. Those dollars buy you the convenience of not having to use changing pad covers!

Have you used the Bumbo changing pad?

Frequently Asked Questions About the Bumbo Changing Pad

How Do You Clean the Bumbo Changing Pad?

For wet accidents (aka: pee), use paper towel or a cloth to wipe up to liquid, and then wipe the surface with a damp cloth and mild, non toxic detergent or soap. For solid accidents (aka: poop), remove the poop, then use a damp cloth to wipe up visible marks before cleaning with a mild detergent.
Don’t use bleach or other strong chemical cleaners, as it may damage the surface of the changing pad or cause discoloration.puddle of apple juice used to mimic pee on a Bumbo changing pad

How Long Can You Use the Bumbo Changing Pad?

You can use a Bumbo changing pad until your child is approximately 18 months or 30 pounds.
While the Bumbo is about 27″ long end to end, the flat, usable space inside the contoured edges is more like 24.25″ long.
This means, as your baby grows out of the infant stage and into the baby stage, their legs are going to dangle over the edge fairly quickly, and the Bumbo will fit them from their head to their bottom, but won’t contain their legs.
In my experience, Bumbo’s suggested age range (up to 18 months) is about perfect. While some kids may be happy to use it longer, my daughter really preferred standing changes as much as possible by that stage. We transitioned away from using a changing pad for most changes by the time she was 18 to 20 months.
When it comes to baby gear, I’m actually a bit of a minimalist. I’d rather have fewer things that last longer, and are good enough quality that I can sell them second-hand once I’m done with them. I think it’s fair to say the Bumbo will last you 1.5 to 2 years, but will be in good enough condition once you’re done with it that you can re-use it for another baby, or sell it/pass it on to another family.measurements showing the size of the bumbo diaper pad

What is the Bumbo Changing Pad Size?

The official numbers put the Bumbo at 17″ wide by 27″ long by 4″ tall, but when I measure mine, the measurements are more like 17.5″ wide by 27.5″ long, measuring from the outside edge to the outside edge.
The interior, usable surface area of the Bumbo is approximately 13″ wide by 24″ long.
Worth noting, according to Bumbo, the changing pad needs to sit on a surface that is at least 19″ by 29″ for safety, so if you’re planning on using it on a changing table, double check it will safely fit!Collage of 2 photos showing interior length and width measurements of the Bumbo Changing Pad. The top image shows a measurement of 24" on a measuring tape and has the text "interior length measurement ~24". The bottom image shows a measurement of 13" on a measuring tape and has the text "Interior width measurement ~13"

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