What exactly is needed to take care of a baby? That is the million-dollar question for new parents. There are so many products out there that it is hard to cut through the noise and determine precisely what will be useful and what will hardly be used when the baby finally comes. One of those many products available for new parents is a changing table. Changing tables here is used broadly, including what some call baby dressers. Below is more information aimed at helping parents determine if they need one.

What is the Purpose of a Changing Table?

A changing table is a dedicated piece of furniture where parents and other caretakers can quickly and conveniently change a baby’s diaper. There are many options for purchase out there, but a changing table usually has a flat top, either incorporated into the piece itself or in the form of a removable add-on; drawers or other storage space going down to the floor; and tall enough for a regular-sized adult to be able to change the baby’s diaper without needing to bend their back. The primary purpose of a changing table is to allow parents to change their baby’s diaper safely and at a comfortable height and to have everything needed for the diaper change itself close by.

Are Changing Tables Necessary?

As with other baby-related questions, the short answer to this question is that it depends. The need, stripped down to its simplest form, is that parents and caretakers will need to change hundreds and hundreds of diapers during the baby’s early life and that they will need to do it somewhere. Changing a baby's diaper on a bed, on a sofa, on a car, or even on the floor is possible. But the effects on the parents of doing all those diaper changes in such places will most likely include neck and back pain and possibly other health-related issues.

Considering the above, parents and caretakers should aim to fulfill the need for a comfortable and convenient place to make all those diaper changes. Changing tables try to meet that need, so they are designed to be comfortable and convenient places to change a baby’s diapers. In other words, a changing table is not necessary per se, but it does meet a very specific and concrete need of both parents and their baby.

What to Look for in a Changing Table?

There are not only many products available for taking care of babies, as mentioned above, but there are also many options for each of those products available for purchase. Once parents have decided to buy a changing table, the below criteria will further help them narrow down the right one that will meet their needs:

1. Safety: This should be the first criterion by which parents judge a changing table they are considering buying (in fact, this should be the first criterion by which they consider any baby item). Manufacturers out there, either as a cost-reducing measure or due to a poor design that excessively prioritized transportability or size, produce changing tables that are too flimsy to support a baby past the newborn stage, for example. Parents should look for, at a minimum, a changing table that is sturdy and thus able to support the baby’s weight and is designed in a way that the baby is safe while being placed on it (ample space or even has guardrails or straps to hold the baby).
2. Height: This is, after safety, the product-specific criterion that parents should prioritize over any other. A changing table is a convenient and comfortable place to change a baby’s diaper primarily because it helps parents and caretakers avoid crunching over and injuring their backs after doing so repeatedly. Height is a determinant factor in achieving this. A good rule of thumb is for parents to buy a changing table around the same height, or slightly higher, than their kitchen countertops (assuming parents are comfortable with the height of their kitchen countertops).
3. Storage space: This is an important criterion to consider. Changing tables take up space, so they are more practical, and space is optimized if they come with storage space. Parents should check the changing table they want to buy in the store or somewhere else where they can test it. A changing table with drawers, for example, that are not easy to open will prove a challenge when whoever is changing the baby’s diapers has the baby lying down and is trying to open a drawer with only one hand.
4. Space to fit baby things on top: Parents should also consider buying a changing table with space on top (i.e., where the baby will lie during the diaper change) to put things. In other words, if the changing table is only big enough for the baby to lay down, parents will need to have clean diapers, wipes, and other items somewhere other than the changing table itself. All those things could be nearby if the changing table is big enough. Ideally, the extra space would be on either side of the changing table, so the things placed there would end up behind the baby’s head or at their feet, reducing the chances they will grab them during the diaper change.

When Should I Stop Using a Changing Table?

Parents and caretakers need to consider and decide when to stop using a changing table according to their baby’s specific needs and goals. Each baby develops at its own speed, so some might use a changing table longer than others. To make it easier to determine exactly when that moment is, parents should ask themselves whether their baby has outgrown the diaper change process per se or whether the baby requires an upgrade of the current changing table to a different one.

The main indicator parents should consider here is the baby’s safety. If the baby is too active to be able to safely put him or her on a changing table, then parents should consider starting potty training to overcome the need for diaper changes altogether. If the baby has simply outgrown the first changing table parents bought and used, then buying a bigger one will most likely be the right next step.

What Can I Use If I Do Not Have a Changing Table?

As the months go by after the baby’s arrival and parents go out more frequently, this question answers itself. Parents will most likely need to move fast with an unexpected diaper emergency more than once when out and about, so they will find out that many things can work for an ad hoc changing table. A high table, a sideboard, a sofa, the floor, a car’s trunk… any of those will work. From a strategic point of view, parents should avoid wanting to regularly change diapers in something that has not been designed expressly for that, as it can put the baby at risk.

Are Changing Tables Sanitary?

A changing table will be as clean as it is kept that way. Parents should generally strive to fully clean the changing table at least once every three months, depending on how exactly the changing table is used. For example, if parents have a changing table topper with a cover and on top of that, parents use a changing pad, then, as those get changed and washed, the changing table will be clean. If parents do not use the above, a more frequent deep cleaning of the changing table’s surface should be considered.

Do I Need a Changing Table Topper for my Dresser?

The answer to this question is yes, dressers need a changing table topper. This is because most toppers are made in a way that prevents babies from rolling over on the side and falling to the ground. Parents should keep an eye out to ensure they buy one so designed, as this is a safety precaution that should not be underestimated.

Changing Table Thoughts from New Parents

Parents and their babies will go through hundreds of diaper changes. Considering this, anything that can help make those changes safer is worth considering. We recommend including a changing table in your registry, as it is useful, convenient, and will help keep your baby safer. Take a look at our Honest Nesting Checklist here for our other recommendations on what to buy for your new baby!