The Best Changing Pads for a Comfortable and Hygienic Diapering Station

reviewed mark Medically Reviewed by Gina Posner, M.D., F.A.A.P.  | January 3, 2024
best changing pads

Quick Summary

The best changing pad is the Keekaroo Peanut Changer, according to testers from the What to Expect staff and user community. When choosing a changing pad, parents say it’s most important to consider the material and how easy it is to clean.

To prepare for baby’s arrival, you’ve probably already started building a stash of diapers and wipes, but don’t forget about the other diaper-changing necessity: a changing pad.

A changing pad serves as a spot to comfortably place baby during their multiple daily diaper changes. It’s not just about comfort, though. Changing pads can help keep baby safely in place, which can contain messes caused by super squirmy tots.

There are a lot of changing pads out there: Some are high-end with bells and whistles, while others are simple yet effective for the intended purpose. Once you’ve decided on a budget and what features are important to you (such as having a pad you can wipe clean or one made of organic materials), it’ll be a lot easier to narrow down your decision.

How we chose the best changing pads

The best changing pads are big enough for baby, made of easy-to-clean material and are comfortable yet firm. But each changing pad is slightly different. To help narrow down your choices, we utilized guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and feedback from What to Expect staff and community members on which changing pads they loved best and what features they most appreciated. Based on this information, we ensured that all the changing tables selected met the following criteria:

  • Safety: Although you should always keep one hand on baby while changing them, safety features are important to consider. A non-skid bottom and attached safety strap are crucial for preventing roll-off falls if you plan on placing the pad on a flat surface without guardrails. You’ll also want to always choose a concave changing pad, according to AAP guidance. This ensures the sides are taller than the middle, which helps keep baby in place.
  • Material: Pads made of materials like foam or vinyl are easy to wipe clean, while softer changing pads require a washable cover. We’ve included both versions in the list below. 
  • Size: Before purchasing a changing pad, make sure that it’s the right size to fit either your changing table or the top of your dresser if you plan to use it this way. The changing pads on our list range from 29 inches to 36 inches long and 16 and 21 inches wide (with the exception of portable and disposable options that may be smaller). 

Each of the changing pads on this list has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from What to Expect staff and community members for this criteria.

Why Trust Us?

What to Expect is the world’s most trusted pregnancy and parenting brand for a reason. Our product recommendations are based on expert parent insight, advice from medical professionals and feedback from the millions of parents and parents-to-be in our community. Our editors adhere to the highest research and reporting standards and our team of vetted OB/GYNs, pediatricians and other health professionals ensure our recommended products are safe and effective for you and your baby.

Best Overall Changing Pad

Keekaroo Peanut Changer

Best Changing Pads - Keekaroo Peanut Changer
Buying Options
Pros
  • Wipe clean surface
  • Water- mold- and bacteria-resistant
  • JPMA-certified
  • 5 year warranty
Cons
  • Expensive
  • May be cold to the touch
Why We
Love it
Community
Reviews
Why We Love It

This durable, peanut-shaped changer is made of a non-toxic, BPA-free material that parents say is super easy to wipe clean after diaper changes (yes, even the really messy ones!). Additionally, this pad is water-resistant, so fluid won’t seep in and lead to mold or bacteria growth.

Although it has a firm surface, parents find it surprisingly soft for baby’s comfort. (That said, some say it can be cold for baby during cooler months.) This changing pad is sturdy and has substantial weight to it, which helps keep it firmly in place during diaper changes, in addition to its slip-resistant bottom. It's a great dresser changing pad because you won't have to buy any additional materials to make it stay.

“We loved the Keekaroo for its sleek and neutral design. It also sat perfectly on top of our daughter's dresser,” says Olivia DeLong, Senior Health Editor with What to Expect. “It was SO easy to clean — just wipe down with soap and water.”

“We love that it's so soft and my baby can kick around without hurting his feet,” adds Tika Fender, Senior Art Director.

Despite the price, many reviewers say it’s held up during multiple years of use, while others, including Tika, say they’ve purchased a second one to keep elsewhere in their house or at a grandparent’s house. Many parents also comment on the Keekaroo’s longevity.

“We got it about three and a half years ago, and while it's in storage now, looks the same as we did when we first got it,” says Olivia.

Stephen Klop, Director of Product Management, appreciated how easy it was to keep the Keekaroo sanitary and said it “held up well with two kids, but we had the light grey version and there was discoloration over time.”

Because of its unusual shape, make sure to measure the area you’re planning to use the pad before purchasing. Some parents found it to be a tight fit for a changing table with guardrails.

Weight: 7 pounds

Dimensions: 17 x 32 x 4 inches

Material: Polypropylene

Community Reviews
  • “We have it and highly recommend! It is so easy to keep clean!”

  • “Love it! It’s really easy to clean and sturdy. A bit heavy actually, which is nice if you plan on using on top of a dresser or something.”

  • “I LOVE this product. I have two because I needed one in my parents house as well. It’s the best, is comfortable for the baby/toddler, easy to clean. I still change my toddler on it!”

  • “I love the Keekaroo. My babe peed sooooo many times during diaper changes and the poop sitch can be so messy. I would never want to deal with the extra hassle and laundry. Or any extra layers etc. It’s so easy to wipe clean and done. She has never cared about being directly on the pad.”

  • “The keekaroo peanut is the absolute best. My friend made us put it on our registry with my first and it was one of our best baby items.”

Best Changing Pad With Scale

Hatch Grow Changing Pad and Scale

Best Changing Pads - Hatch Grow Changing Pad
Pros
  • App tracks baby’s weight and diaper changes
  • Wipe clean surface
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Requires batteries
Why We
Love it
Community
Reviews
Why We Love It

This smart changing pad is so much more than a place to change baby’s diaper. The Hatch Grow doubles as a scale, which means you can easily keep close tabs on your baby’s growth. The best part? The scale connects to an app, making it easy to track and store baby’s weight. Having this information is useful for baby’s checkups and can give insight into how much your little one is eating. 

I used this changing pad when I had my twins, and was so grateful for the app feature. Since I exclusively breastfed,  I had no real sense of how much they were consuming. Tracking their weight allowed me to gauge how much they were eating and assured me they were growing at a healthy rate; the peace of mind that provided was priceless.

On top of that, the Hatch Grow easily wipes clean and the foam material is soft to the touch for baby’s comfort. 

Weight: 7.5 pounds

Dimensions: 29 x 16.5 x 3.5 inches

Material: Foam upper, plastic base

Power: ‎3 AA batteries required (included)

Community Reviews
  • “I got the hatch and testing it out with the app I love it! Hoping it saves us some peds weight checks lol!”

  • “I have it! The scale is pretty accurate. I definitely don’t use all the app features that come with it but it tracks feedings and changes as well as weight. The change pad it’s self cleans nice. But I probably only used the weight feature of the pad for the first few months.”

Best Portable Changing Pad

Skip Hop Pronto Baby Changing Pad

Best Changing Pads - Skip Hop Pronto Portable Changing Pad
Pros
  • Includes mesh and zippered pockets
  • Has handle and stroller strap
  • Includes case for wipes
Cons
  • Not for use on elevated surface
Why We
Love it
Community
Reviews
Why We Love It

The Skip Hop portable changing pad is a multi-purpose item: It’s an easy-to-clean portable pad and a place to stash diapers, wipes and diaper cream. It was one of my diaper bag heroes in my early days of motherhood. I’d organize all the diapering essentials in the included compartments, and use the pad itself to change my babies on-the-go. This clutch made outings and travel so much easier for my family, especially since we could easily grab everything we needed for diaper changes in one hand. 

Jeanne Beacom, Campaign Performance Manager at Everyday Health Group (What to Expect's parent company), loves that she’s able to fit the Skip Hop changing pad inside a backpack and that it stores all of her diapering essentials. “I've never really had a big diaper bag since the Skip Hop does most of the work for us,” she says. “We keep diapers, wipes and plastic bags (for tossing dirty diapers) in the pockets, so it can hold everything we need in one place.”

The zippered front compartment even allows parents to stash their own essentials as well. Reviewers also mention how the surface is smooth so it’s easy to wipe clean. And, it has a clip to attach it directly to your stroller.

Weight: 12 ounces

Dimensions: 21.5 x 36 x 0.25 inches

Material: Polyvinyl chloride

Community Reviews
  • “I have the skip hop one and love it. It has a little pad for their head. Easily wipeable for the baby poops that seem to get everywhere!”

  • “I did like the Skip Hop Pronto change kit, and would carry that in either my diaper bag or an old backpack. It made changes easy no matter where we were when babe was NB. Now it lives in the bottom of the Chariot for emergencies so still a handy piece to have.”

Best Affordable Changing Pad

Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad With Liner

Best Changing Pads - Summer Infant Changing Pad
Buying Options
Pros
  • Soft
  • Waterproof
  • Includes machine-washable liner
Cons
  • Some reviewers claim this is not as easy to clean as other pads
Why We
Love it
Community
Reviews
Why We Love It

This affordable pick checks the most important box: It’s a safe, secure space to place your baby down during diaper changes, complete with high sides and a strap. Parents love how soft this pad is, especially when compared to the hard surfaces of other options. In fact, Lisafe Carreon, Senior Product Manager at What to Expect, found the Summer Infant was a huge success with her daughter when it came to comfort. “We used the Keekaroo but had to change it as she would cry when she would be on it,” she says, noting that she thought the Keekaroo was too cold and hard for her. “We changed to the Summer Infant and she loved it.”

Leah Rocketto, What to Expect’s Associate Commerce Director, also appreciated the Summer Infant pad’s softness, as well as the slight concave design. “Even though our changing table had guardrails, I felt a little extra sense of security knowing the pad itself had ‘walls’ so to speak.”

Both Leah and Lisa say the pad’s surface easily wipes clean, though it also comes with a machine-washable liner. You can also do as Leah did, and choose from a selection of changing pad covers in a range of adorable designs and patterns to add a design element to your nursery. Some reviewers say messes can soak through the surface of this pad, but most say using the liner should prevent messes from getting through to the interior foam.

Weight: 0.032 ounces

Dimensions: ‎32 x 16 x 3.5 inches

Material: PEVA vinyl

Community Reviews
  • “for the changer table I get this one from Walmart. its cheap. last the [whole] time I need it. I just leave a receiving blanket on it and change it once a day or sooner if there's a mess (which isn't as common as some people say).”

Best Organic Changing Pad

Naturepedic Organic Cotton Changing Pad

Best Changing Pads - Naturepedic Changing Pad
Buying Options
Pros
  • Waterproof
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Global Organic Textile Standard- and Greenguard Gold-certified
Cons
  • Expensive
Why We
Love it
Community
Reviews
Why We Love It

Parents rave about the Naturepedic changing pad, specifically the thick, organically-sourced cotton padding that’s comfortable for baby. Although the Naturepedic is expensive, it’s made of extremely high-quality materials. The organic cotton is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified, which means it meets strict environmental guidelines for how it is produced, and Greenguard Gold-certified, which means it has been tested for chemicals that are potentially harmful to air quality. What’s more is that the waterproof surface is naturally derived from sugarcane, and parents say it’s smooth and easy to wipe clean.

Weight: 2 pounds

Dimensions: 16.5 x 31.5 x 4 inches

Material: Cotton

Community Reviews
  • “I also highly recommend the Naturepedic changing pad. Soft enough to use without a cover, and easy to wipe clean. Doesn't have that nasty plastic feel to it.”

Best Disposable Changing Pad

NorthShore Premium Disposable Baby Changing Pads

Best Changing Pads - Northshore Disposable Changing Pads
Buying Options
Pros
  • Easy to pack
  • Absorbent
  • Waterproof backing
  • Latex-free
Cons
  • Not an environmentally friendly option
Why We
Love it
Community
Reviews
Why We Love It

There’s no denying that these disposable changing pads will make life easier. You can use them to line your changing pad at home so the next time baby has a poop-splosion, simply toss the pad avoid wiping down a soiled changing pad or throwing a machine-washable liner into your ever-growing pile of laundry. Or, you can stash a few of these in your diaper bag for on-the-go changes (because really, does anyone want to put their baby down on a public changing pad?). Each pad has an absorbent lining and waterproof backing to contain mess and prevent leakage. Many reviewers attest to the absorbency, claiming that even blowouts don’t stand a chance.

Weight: 1.5 pounds

Count: 25 per pack 

Dimensions: 17 x 24 inches

Material: Cotton

Community Reviews
  • “[G]et the disposable pee pads. I found this out quick with my son. best and easiest thing to use. if it gets dirty, throw it away, if not, reuse it. makes your life easy.”

  • “I had a washable liner on the changing pad itself, but didn’t want something else to wash every single day. So I covered the washable liner with disposable ones. I had to have an emergency C-Section so I tried to make things as easy as possible while I was recovering from surgery.”

Our Research

We referenced changing pad safety guidelines from the AAP.

Additionally, we consulted several What to Expect staff members, including:

  • Jeanne Beacom, Campaign Performance Manager, parent of a 2-year-old
  • Lisafe Carreon, Senior Product Manager, parent of 8-month-old
  • Olivia DeLong, Senior Health Editor, parent of 2-year-old
  • Tika Fender, Senior Art Director, parent of 5-month-old
  • Stephen Klop, Director of Product Management, parent of 6- and 3-year-olds
  • Leah Rocketto, Associate Commerce Director, parent of 1-year-old

Finally, we canvassed What to Expect’s community boards to learn which changing pads parents liked best and what features they most appreciated.

FAQs

Although you can (and almost certainly will from time to time) change your baby’s diaper on the floor, a designated space for diaper changes can help simplify your life (and save your back!) during your baby’s diaper-wearing years. You may want to invest in a tabletop changing pad for your nursery as well as a portable pad for your diaper bag. That said, you can also always use a blanket, disposable pad or other item to change your baby on the floor of your home, in the car or while out and about.

A changing pad will most likely be a major player in your new parent arsenal until your child is potty trained. You might also start changing diapers on the floor once you have a squirmy toddler on your hands because it’s often easier — and safer — to change them this way, which you could do without a designated changing pad.

The dimensions and shape can vary, but changing pads are typically pretty similar in size. You’ll want to measure your dresser or changing table first before purchasing a pad to make sure it’ll fit.

If you’re using a mattress-style changing pad, you’ll want to put a washable or disposable cover on it. Many changing pads, however, are made with materials that wipe clean easily. These types of changing pads don’t require a cover, but you can add a liner to soften the surface a bit or catch big messes.