Bumkins Waterproof Sleeved Bib

I couldn't believe how much time I had to spend each day trying to get stains out of clothes. And with winter coming up, I wanted to get long sleeve bibs, which for some reason I haven't seen in Babies R Us or any other store. Every bib I got seemed to have some issue, but I thought it might be helpful for others to see a comparison of the details:

SIZE

Kushies the smallest of the three bibs (sleeve 11 inches from neck, width 10 inches, length 13 inches from neck).

Ikea sleeve (14 inches from neck, including a 1 inch fabric cuff), width (12 inches from one seam to another but another 8 inches that wrap around yea!!), length (14 inches from neck)

Bumpkins sleeve (14.5 inches from neck), width (13.5 inches), length (12.5 from neck)

Tidy Turtle the largest (sleeve 16 inches from neck, width 14 inches, legth 15 inches from neck)

MATERIAL

Kushies and Ikea are very thin, like umbrella material. Kusies folds down to nothing great for a full diaper bag. Ikea folds a little thicker due to cloth cuffs and extra fabric. Tidy Turtle and Bumpkins are thicker and stiffer. Tidy Turtle has a visibly larger weave.

CUFFS

All the sleeves have a 3-inch opening (in diameter).

Kushies no elastic cuff. Food may fall in and drip onto the baby's arms/clothes.

Ikea 1 inch of soft spandex fabric. The cuff opening is just a little bit smaller than the other bibs.

Bumpkins and Tidy Turtle elastic sewn inside the bib material.

NECK CLOSURE

My 20lb baby has a skinny neck. Unfortunately, all of the bibs are about the same size around the neck, regardless of what type of closure. Bumpkins ties together at the neck, and the others have velcro. Even they are supposed to be "adjustable" velcro, they are all about the same size opening on the smallest setting. With velcro, you also have to make sure you stick it together before washing. Otherwise, it will stick to and ruin your other clothes.

In general, all the long sleeve bibs seem too big for my my 1 year old and were too big around the neck area. Sometimes I use a clothes pin to make the neck opening smaller. Aside from that, I feel that Bumpkins and Ikea provide the best coverage without being too big. They are wide and long enough on the bottom and have an elastic cuff to keep Baby's clothes clean. I like Ikea's thinner material and spandex cuffs, but Bumpkins looks cuter (we love Cat in the Hat).

These bibs used to be the greatest, thin silky completely waterproof and fast-drying material. But the company moved production from the US to China and it is just not the same now. I wanted an extra for the diaper bag but the one made in China is much thicker and quite stiff. I thought it might soften up with time, but it hasn't after a few months of daily washings. It is waterproof, but the stiffness causes it to get in the baby's way and because it doesn't flow over baby's lap, more food ends up on the clothes. It also is much harder to wash due to the stiffness, and takes a long time to dry because of the thickness. But if you can find one of the old ones made in the USA, those are great! I had one Superbib for a couple years and then when this sleeved one was so disappointing, I went to a baby store nearby and looked through their rack and they had one sleeved one left that had been made in the US of the better material, and that one is fabulous. The old style is so soft and supple, super-comfy for baby, and a breeze to wash (I just dunk it in dishwater and rinse) and dries amazingly fast.

Buy Bumkins Waterproof Sleeved Bib Now

I was looking for a long-sleeved waterproof bib for my toddler-to-be, and I first purchased this Bumkins bib. However, when it came in the mail, I noticed that it was advertised as lead-safe. Why safe but not free? I e-mailed customer support at Bumkins. They said:

"In the past, the government limits on lead content have allowed us to claim lead free. Because of an increased awareness of the chemicals in commercial products, we now conform to the requirements established by the CPSIA and label our products lead safe. The composition of our product has not changed and does not exceed the established limits. All our products pass stringent testing and are labeled according to the required standards."

BUT Kushies is lead-free. So I bought a Kushies long-sleeved bib for our 2nd bib (we like to have 2 to alternate between using/washing). Both have their pros and cons. Here are Bumkins':

PROS

1. Neck-tie strap, makes it easier to adjust to my baby's narrow neck and prevent food from falling between his neck and the bib. Also prevents him from pulling the bib off.

2. Thicker material (feels studier, but maybe that's why it's not lead-free?)

CONS

1. Not lead-free (but BPA/PVC/phthalates-free)

2. The lining stains easily and is VERY hard to clean (I scrubbed it a lot and it's still stained). Kushies' lining is made from the same taffeta waterproof fabric as the rest of the bib, whereas the Bumkins lining is not, so the Kushies one is way easier to clean.

I really wanted to like the Bumkins one (and I do love the neck tie) but Kushies gets my vote for lead-free. And the easier to clean is a big bonus for busy parents as well.

Read Best Reviews of Bumkins Waterproof Sleeved Bib Here

Product is advertised as being lead free, however it is "Lead Compliant" which means there is still lead. Had I known this, I would not have purchased it. Lead does not belong in any childrens products, especially ones that a baby-lead weaning child may eat off of.

Want Bumkins Waterproof Sleeved Bib Discount?

This bib is wonderful. I have a toddler who self-feeds and is MESSY. This bib keeps her completly clean and even has elastic at the wrist to keep food off of her shirt sleeves. I either wipe or rinse the bib off when finished and lay it out to dry. They are also machine washable. I highly recommend this product, it is well worth the money.