Today’s post is dedicated to the humble changing mat. Something very small but something that you will get a lot of use out of. Randomly, it was one of the new baby purchases that I ummed and ahhd about for quite some time. There were so many pretty designs but I kept asking myself if I could justify the price of some of them when I had so many other things to buy.
When choosing your mat you will most likely go for the design and colour but also consider what it is made out of. The vinyl style ones are great as they are easy to wipe clean although I found them quite cold to put the girls on, especially in the middle of the night. Any accidents also just pooled around them. Instead I bought a few packs of the towelling mat liners which were a godsend as they were warm and soft and could be chucked straight in the machine. I also had a stack of muslins that I just folded up for the same purpose. You can opt for a more luxury fabric mat which are super cosy but you may still want some extra liners or you will be constantly washing the mat cover! You can also buy covers in some gorgeous designs so you can get a basic cheap and cheerful mat and jazz it up. I’m rather in love with the gorgeous Liberty prints from Coco & Wolf and you can currently pick up a few designs in the sale.
Here’s a round up of some of our favourite changing mats so happy shopping!
First up is the best mat (in my humble opinion!) from my current interiors faves, Mamas & Papas. Honestly, their changing mats are so good. This cloud luxury changing mat has the most gorgeous grey and yellow colour way and the cutest removable cloud cushion. It’s super soft and has a washable cover.
I also adore the folding travel mats that Mamas & Papas stock as they come in some super stylish patterns like this grey star print. So handy for keeping tucked in a bag for when you are out and about and currently a bargain 50% off so only £11.
If you fancy a spot more colour then the Little Bird mat from Mothercare ticks all the boxes. I adore it for it’s fun prints and rainbow bright design.
As I’m still feeling all summery this tropical changing mat from The Little’s List member, Mini Maison, is all kinds of fun. If bright isn’t your thing then the tipi design is also lots of fun.
For a more basic mat Jo Jo Maman has a great selection for a bargain £12. Lots of lovely prints including this sweet elephant design.
For a bold design the Farg Form changing mats from This Modern Life has graphical prints in monochrome styles. The cloud print is fast becoming a design classic.
I am a big fan of Nobodinoz and love their designs and colour palettes. This folding travel change mat in mint diamonds is perfect for popping in a changing bag or just for keeping around the house.
A more pricey option but the Olli Ella Reva changing basket from Marshes and Flint is just beautiful. You could easily use it for storage afterwards so I guess maybe that justifies the spend. Place a muslin in the bottom for softness and absorbency.
A wedge shaped changing mat has higher sides so helps keep baby more secure and limits the opportunity for rolling off the edge! John Lewis have this basic design for only £15.
Finally this beautiful folding changing mat from The White Company is currently in the sale at only £12. You might need it. I also think it would make a gorgeous gift for a new baby.
Has anyone spotted any lovely mats recently or any bargains been picked up in the sales?
Can I be cheeky and change the subject slightly and talk about travel changing mats too? When Lyra was little I used this bargainous Mothercare one:
http://www.mothercare.com/mothercare-travel-changing-mat/259773.html?CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=9387843216&CATCI=pla-98515664256&cm_mmc=Google-_-Nursery-_-MC-UK-G-Shopping-Nursery//Shopping%20-%20Nursery%20-%20All-_-+-+&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_category=Google+-+Nursery&gclid=CK-Mhvvk39QCFVUo0wodt1EO6w&utm_content=PLA
However for Jenson I’ve splashed out on this lovely one from Jojo maman Bebe:
http://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/grey-spot-print-folding-changing-mat-d3776.html
And a little tip my mum gave me is to use kitchen roll on the vinyl changing mats to stop little bums getting cold! X
Why of course! I love the folding mats and actually think they are ace for keeping everywhere. Also loving the kitchen roll tip, excellent idea from your mum xxx
I second the Jojo one, it’s fab as you can put wipes, sudocrem etc in it.
Some lovely suggestions Lottie, when I first had my little boy I found it really difficult to decide on the changing mat as well as the more luxurious types were towelling rather than wipe clean & I thought I may have to wash it every time! So I just bought a cheap one from mothercare but I have to be honest after 6/7 months it split so then I had to buy another one anyway so in hindsight I think I should have spent a bit more in the first place.
By the way love that there is a mint green one! On that ‘mint’ note wanted to thank you for recommending in one of your posts the flexa play beds, I got one & they are lovely x
Morning. Oh yes, the splitting vinyl is a definite problem. Ours latest all through Molly but didn’t make it on to a second round with Alice. So pleased you got the Flexa bed. We’ve got the mint one for Alice and I adore it. xx
We just got a couple of basic changing mats, one for upstairs and one for down (still going strong, 2 and a half years later!) but put disposable mat pads on them, which were a game changer!
We always cut them in half tho, as they are pretty big!
We bought a couple of wipe clean mats before we bought our changing table only to realise they were too big to fit. So ever since it’s been a folded large towel with a muslin on top for us – works pretty well. There are some really pretty options out there though!
Sounds like an excellent option to me. x
Love the M&P cloud mat. However I’ve always gone for the wipe clean option as my daughter was an expert at projectile pooing!
With no 2 on the way I’ve been looking at mats but to be honest we don’t actually need a new one. We had a few which split when my little girl was small, then I discovered the Mamas & Papas wipeclean mats. They’re £19, though you can often get them on sale, and they are much better quality than the other vinyl mats I’ve had. No splitting at all and the vinyl is slightly textured and somehow seems a bit warmer than the others I’ve used.
Like Lisa, we also have a travel mat/pouch thing for out and about. Ours is from Skip Hop and I loved it with my first. There’s a loop on it so you can attach it to the pram handle which is good if you can’t be bothered with/forget your changing bag (frequent occurrence here lol). 😊
I have to say Mamas & Papas are by far the best for changing mats. They have such a great range and really good prices. I adore Skip Hop so that mat looks great. Honestly, everything they make is just brilliant x
We bought a cheap vinyl changing mat and then some cheapo hand towels that matched our colour scheme to put over the top so it wasn’t cold for baby. Only thing was we obviously made it too comfortable and inviting as the cat adopted it as his bed so I was always washing the towels due to the cat sleeping on it!
The hand towel tip is a great one. Why didn’t I think of that?! x
Not “pretty” but the inflatable ikea leka changing mat has been one of my best buys. With a baby boy who loves a Trevi fountain impersonation this has inflatable bumpers on all four sides so I can carry it into the bathroom (if required), tip the *contents* away and hose it down. Now he’s trying to roll it’s also great for keeping him in one place, plus he loves bouncing his legs against the sides. £6 as well, we bought them for both parents house.
This sounds like an excellent purchase! x
We have a vinyl mama and papas one, and I have a stash of cheap colourful hand towels in the drawer beneath that I use as liners – much warmer, absorbs the inevitable puddle, and easily thrown in with the rest of the washing.
I never got on with any of the fold up travel mats- they were all just too tiny for my super long baby! Instead I brought this massive one from Ikea, for a ridiculous £5!! It’s got a waterproof backing, folds up really small as it is only thin, so doesn’t take up any space in the nappy bag, and washes really well. It’s perfect for completely covering the massive changing tables in public loos, or for putting on the carpet when they are at the stage of trying to roll away and escape a nappy change! Highly recommend!
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/childrens-ikea-products/baby/changing-tables-nursing/tutig-babycare-mat-grey-white-art-10256613/
That Ikea one is a bargain. Love it x
As someone mentioned above – my Top Tip for changing mats is to get one for each level of your home. There’s nothing worse than having a baby who has managed to poo out of the side of their nappy, and nowhere to put them down! It just saves you running up and down the stairs – and who has the energy for that with a newborn?!
Completely with you on the ‘one on each floor’ thing. I sadly only cottoned on to this with baby number two! x
Great post! We have a gorgeous mat from The White Company, from their elephant range which has a complete towelling cover, plus a handy little middle towelling insert for extra bum comfort! Still going strong on baby #2 🙂 I also have a slightly cheaper JoJo one for upstairs – can’t go wrong with the quality from either! We have the Little Bird bedding very similar to the mat above; the range is so blooming gorgeous it’s making me tempted to buy a third mat!
I think you might need it Emma!! x
Travel changing mats are all we use at the moment. They are so handy.
We have two, one stays in the car and the other on our nappy bag. We travel a lot because we have family near Newcastle and Ipswich (long drives) so service stations get used a lot for baby changing.
We got the Kid Transit one off Amazon. Pretty simple design but it’s great. I put a few spare nappies and a pack of wipes in there along with a small tube of cream.
Here’s a link to their website – http://www.kidtransit.co.uk/product/travel-changing-mat-with-bag/