Stokke Flexi Bath Review: Is This the Best Baby Tub Ever?

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Considering the Stokke Flexi Bath for your baby but not sure if it’s worth the cost? Then you’ve come to the right place. Below you’ll find my very detailed Stokke baby bath review based on our years of experiencing using the tub.

And spoiler alert: this Stokke bath review is glowing.

The Stokke Flexi Bath is by far one of our favorite “baby” items. I put baby in quotes because we are still actively using the tub with our 3-year old, with no signs up stopping soon.

If you’ve checked out some of my other pages, you’ll know that I generally try to limit my spending on baby gear and buy used when I can (check out my ultimate guide to buying baby gear used or some of my monthly baby savings reports).

If I had to, I’d buy the Stokke tub again in a heartbeat.

The Stokke baby bath I reviewed here I bought used. I like to review secondhand baby items because I know they’ve seen even more wear and tear than if they were bought new.

These “secondhand reviews” also help you know what items are durable enough to buy used, or that you may be able to resell in the future. For more secondhand reviews, check out my review of our beloved Zoe stroller.

Now let’s dive into the Stokke bath tub review.

What is the Stokke Flexi Bath?

You may be wondering what is different of the Stokke Flexi Bath that makes it worthy of a standalone review.

The Stokke Flexi Bath is an innovative baby bath that folds down for easy storage and is designed to be used with children from when they are a newborn all the way up to age 4. The picture below shows an overhead shot of the Flexi Bath.

It could not be simpler to figure out how to use the Stokke Flexi bath. You unhook the top latch, unfold the bath and start filling it with water. The weight of the water helps unfold the tub and keep it in place.

The tub folds easily with one hand and uses a simple hook at the top to hold it together. It is light and easy to move around if you want to take it on-the-go with you (we used to take ours with us as a “portable baby pool”).

Stokke’s tub features a grippy material at all the folding seams. This grip works extremely well keeping the tub in place once filled.

It also has a heat sensitive plug that changes color depending on water temperature (this is a feature I’ve never personally noticed in our tub, though ours is likely an older model). The plug is very sturdy and I never worry about the our toddler being able to pull it out, as seen in the picture below.

You can also purchase an added newborn insert that is a removable support to rest small babies on before they have neck control.

Space Savings of the Stokke Baby Tub

Before we got the Stokke, I got a “normal” baby bath tub from a curb alert. It did the job fine but we lived in a really small space and the tub was incredibly annoying to store.

(If you also live in tight quarters, don’t forget to check out my guide to baby gear for small spaces)

Not long after our baby was born, I set out to find a baby bath tub alternative that would be better for our small apartment.

Enter the Stokke baby bath.

The Stokke Flexi Bath’s biggest claim to fame is that it folds up for easy storage. The folding uses a simple hook on the top of the tub (pictured below), so it is super easy to fold and unfold while holding a baby.

Admittedly, the tub is still long and a little bulky even when folded. However, the folding makes a big difference in storage options. Once it is folded, it is narrow enough to fit in small spaces, like under a crib or even tucked behind the toilet in the bathroom.

If space or discrete storage of baby gear is at all a priority for you, the Stokke Flexi Bath is truly great.

Baby and Toddler Comfort & Safety

A positive of the Stokke baby tub that I was not anticipating was how much more enjoyable it has made bath time for our toddler.

For a long time, he refused to sit down in the bath and would only stand up as we poured water over him. It was only when I pulled the Stokke tub back out (it got lost in a move briefly) that he was finally able to work to sitting back down in the tub.

I think the security of the walls of the tub being close to him made the difference in him feeling more secure in the bath.

Now the walls give him some support to rest his back on and he just seems a lot more comfortable and content than the times when we have to use a real bath.

He seems to like the higher water level we get in the Stokke bath compare to the regular tub too. Since it is a smaller container, it is easy to fill it up so that the water hits chest level on him. This makes the bath experience warmer and more comfortable.

I also worry less about him and the baby slipping and hitting their heads since there are walls all around him for stability. The baby still attempts to stand up in the tub but the walls are also easier for her to grip onto than the sides of the real bathtub.

Another small detail that I like about the Stokke tub is that the smaller container means that all their bath toys are within arm’s reach. They don’t have to move around to retrieve toys that have floated away. This reduces the opportunities for them to slip and fall.

Durability Review of Stokke Flexi Bath

I have been very impressed with the durability of the Stokke Flexi Bath. We open and close ours all the time and it hasn’t shown any wear at all.

We’ve been using it for the last three years and use it with a large toddler so it’s been put through heavy use. Our baby and toddler are constantly pushing on the sides and generally abusing the thing and still it stands strong.

Plus, we aren’t the first owners of our Stokke bath. I love getting secondhand items to really gauge wear and tear. I’m happy to report that our used Stokke tub seems essentially new after multiple owners and multiple years of use.

As a bonus, somehow the Stokke bath manages achieve this durability while still being lightweight. Since it is light, it is portable and easy to take on-the-go. We throw ours in the car and use it as a portable baby pool over the summer.

Thoughtful Design Details of the Stokke Bath

Overall, the Stokke Flexi tub is just a well designed piece of baby gear. It is sturdy but light, opens and folds easily, and grips the tub so well that I have never worried about the kids sliding around.

The grip design at the folding seams may not seem like enough at first blush, but it really holds the tub in place once it has the weight of water in it. In fact, I have to work to scoot the tub away from the faucet once it is filled. The photo below gives a close up of the grips.

What I most appreciate about the design is that the walls of the bath act as a support for our baby and toddler. Our toddler seems more comfortable being able to rest his back against the tub wall. And, I have slightly less worry about the baby falling over since she has the support of the bath walls to catch her.

Water Saving with the Stokke Baby Tub

One of the best bonus features about the Stokke Flexi bath is that it will save a lot of water compared to filling up the full bath tub. We are able to get a higher water level for the babies with less water since the Flexi bath is a smaller container.

Having kids has made me even more worried about our environmental footprint so I am glad for this small and easy way to reduce our water consumption.

Cost Review of Stokke Flexi Bath

The one downside of the Stokke Flexi bath is the cost. Stokke is known for being a high-end baby brand and it is priced accordingly.

You can definitely find cheaper baby baths that will get the job done. Here are the situations where I think the Stokke tub may be worth the extra investment:

• You plan to bath your kid regularly and will get a lot of use out of the purchase (no shade if you don’t, “sporadic” and “as needed” are our personal baby bathing philosophy)
• You live in a small space, or value being able to tuck a tub away
• You will use the tub for multiple children
• You may bathe a baby and toddler together sometimes
• You would like a item that you can repurpose for kid play later

If you fall into any of these camps, you’ll probably more than get your money’s worth out of this tub.

We’ve used ours for almost three years already and I even plan to keep it for little kid activities like water play, sensory bins or washing toys once they outgrow it. I even use the thing for laundry stripping sometimes!

Plus, as a less common and very durable baby item, they’re likely easier to resell once you’re done with it (compared to a regular baby bath which are a dime and dozen and usually given away for free).

On the other hand, if you think you’ll be a family that will use the big bath or shower as quickly as possible, then you may not see the same return on investment with the Stokke tub. In that situation, I’d check out something like a sink bath because they are light and easy to store (we personally used this whale one but I think they’re pretty interchangeable.)

And if you’re still not sure whether you need a baby bath tub in general, check out my in-depth post about that: Do You Really Need A Baby Bath Tub?

Stokke Flexi Tub Tub Size vs. XL Size

Stokke offers two sizes for their flexi baths. They have a regular size that they call T “tub” size which is designed to work from 0-48 months. Then they offer a XL version which is approximately 2-inches wider and 6-inches longer, and designed to work until age 6.

We personally have been using the regular sized tub and it works great. Our toddler is very tall for a 3-year old and still fits comfortably in the tub. We can even fit both the toddler and the 20-lb baby in the tub together still.

The picture below gives you an idea of the regular size tub inside our standard-sized bath tub.

If I were to get a tub again knowing that I was going to have two babies close in age, I may have considered the XL instead since it’d give us more time bathing them in it together. But honestly, I’m impressed that the regular size has worked for two kids for almost a year already and is still going strong.

Ultimately, I think either size would work fine for most people. It is a trade off as to whether you want the XL to buy you more time using the tub vs. the easier storage of the smaller regular-sized tub.

Do you need the infant insert for the Stokke baby bath?

Stokke also sells a version of their baby tub with a removable newborn support insert. So, do you actually need the newborn support? I’d say that the newborn support insert falls into the “nice to have, definitely not essential” category.

As of this writing in November 2022, the newborn insert set is about ~$20 more than the tub alone. You can also buy the infant insert separately if you already have the tub.

We did not have the newborn insert and did fine adding a towel or simply holding our baby in the tub in the early days. We limited newborn baths though since we had fall babies with eczema so doing without the insert was not a big inconvenience.

If you think you’ll give your baby a bath every day, the extra cost may be worth it to you.

Generally though, I think it’s okay to skip the newborn support. If you find you’d like more support when bathing once your baby arrives, you can always buy the insert separately or add a towel you already own to the bottom of the bath.

Conclusion: Pros and Cons of the Stokke Flexi Baby Bath

On the whole, my Stokke Flexi Bath review is overwhelmingly positive. We love our Stokke tub and it is one of our most used and relied on baby times, well into the toddler years.

Truly, the only con I can think of for the Stokke tub relate to costs. Compared to other tubs you can find, it is more of an investment. Plus, you have to pay more if you want the infant insert.

Still, if you think you may bathe your kid with enough regularity to justify the cost, I think the Stokke baby bath is well worth the investment. By the time our last kid hit 4, we’ll have gotten six years of use out of our Stokke.

Plus, I’m fairly confident that they’ll continue to use the Stokke tub once they’ve outgrown it for activities like outdoor water play and toy “car washes.” It’s an easy alternative to the storage bin that’s recommended in so many toddler activities.

I love baby items that provide so much use and have a life after the baby days. Plus, this one is easy to store to boot. Overall, I definitely recommend the Stokke Flexi Bath.

If you’re looking for more baby gear that’s foldable and easy to store, don’t forget to check out my list of 5 High Chairs that Fold for Easy Storage.