Top Bibs

My messy Jacob

First off, you should know that I don't do cloth bibs.

I have a few and they're super cute, but they are obnoxious. Liquid leaks through them, every bit of food stains like crazy (unless I soak and wash constantly--but who the heck wants to
do that?!) and the manufactures apparently think my children are the size of dolls.

So now, our cloth bibs are mainly used as Super Grover or Super Why capes. Did I just confuse you? You don't watch enough PBS :)

I've tried a dozen or so non-cloth bibs and I've listed my favorites below (photo of all of them together at the end of the post). First, let me tell you what I look for in a bib:

• cleans easily
• doesn't stain easily
• keeps its shape
• durable
• catches food (keeps things clean and allows the same dropped food to be "eaten" over and over)
• fits nicely and is comfortable
• easily to put on and can be done preferably with one hand
• baby can't pull off bib easily
• cheep is nice, but I'm willing to pay a little extra for a bib that works better. It saves more clothes in the long run, as well as my sanity. Plus, the extra money isn't that much, especially if you consider that you'll be using it for months if not years.

TOP BIBS:

BUMKINS SUPERBIBS:

This was my go to bib when my oldest started to eat solids. It fits nicely with a velcro closure, it's light weight, and folds up into almost nothing. It is great for catching purees. It isn't so great for catching bigger, chunkier food or food that is dropped on the way to baby's mouth since the pocket doesn't stay wide open. Washes easily by hand or in the washing machine, fairly stain resistant and very durable. They will slightly fade and start to have a smell about them (not moldy, just old plasticy) after hundreds of uses--but I'm not complaining. You do need to make sure you dry these with the pocket open. I hang all my bibs on the faucet or on a drying rack after each cleaning.

I didn't use this with my youngest when he started solids since we did baby led weaning and he was the messiest kid in town. For now, I always keep one in my purse for outings. No other bib I've tried is as small, lightweight and effective. Oh! And they are CUTE!

SUMMER INFANT BIBBITY (FORMALLY KIDDOPOTAMUS):

I hear people rave about this bib all the time.  I like it, but not as much as others. It is easy to clean, doesn't stain easily, is very durable and has a great 'catch everything' pocket. It is made of a soft, pliable material, somewhat like rubber. My issue with this bib is that is heavy, not extremely adjustable (and somewhat awkward to adjust) and  isn't as comfortable as the other bibs I mentioned (my oldest has even asked to have this taken off before because it was uncomfortable). We still use this, just not all the time.

BABY BJORN BIB:

These are very hard. This is good because it keeps the pocket of the bib open at all times. It is bad because baby can't lean up against things (like a tray) if it hits at the level of the pocket. This is not an issue if you have a child in a bumbo without a tray or some other place that doesn't cause issues with the pocket. My 4 year old will sometimes even wear this if we are eating a really messy food and the pocket causes no issues with him. The neck is fully adjustable and very easy to adjust. It can be taken off somewhat easily by a child. My kids both find this bib really comfortable to wear. It cleans easily, is very stain resistant and very durable. It is more pricey than the other bibs.

TOMMEE TIPPEE EXPLORA BIB:

I love this bib. I haven't heard mention of this brand much but I believe it is farlely new to the US. It is lighter and has a better fit than the Summer Infant Bib. It is durable, easy to clean and catches food well. There used to be a whole to fasten the bib when rolled which they thankfully got rid of (it just put food on baby's shirt). But sadly they made new back fasteners at the same time which don't work nearly as well. We still use this most of the time.  Even with very messy food we still often end up using this but put the ikea bib (below) under it.

IKEA BIB:

These are cheep. Like $5 for two of them. You can buy them online at this link but I've always gotten them from the actual Ikea store. They are lightweight and thin but very waterproof. They cover baby's shoulders and velcro shut at the neck. The pocket doesn't stay open very well since it is somewhat flimsy so I usually use this with another bib over it when we are eating extra messy food. I also used this under a bib the entire first few months my youngest was on solids since he was such a messy eater. These are pretty stain resistant, medium durability and, like the bumpkins bib, they can start to have a funny smell after hundreds of uses.

Bumkins also sells an art smock (which is pretty much what this bib is) that ties rather than velcros, but I have yet to try it.

To help you out, I've taken a photo of each of the bibs side by side. From left to right is the Bumpkins, Summer Infant, Baby Bjorn, Tommee Tippee and Ikea.

Do you have a favorite bib? What makes it your favorite?