The Best Bibs
Toddler meets yogurt with blueberries
It wasn’t until my daughter was about a year old that I formed any opinion about bibs and their usefulness. I used to think that the one that best matched her outfit was the one for the job.
About the same time that my daughter was able to walk a bit, I was afraid that she had lost her appetite. Then I tried letting her hold the spoon, and I realized that she wanted to feed herself. She also decided she didn’t want to wear her bibs anymore, and she would throw any bib she could rip off onto the floor. I’d received about 20 bibs as gifts by that time, and all but one fastened with Velcro which she could fling off with spectacular results.
When I started to notice tubs of stained bibs and clothes soaking all over my kitchen, and that my stress level would jump if I opened up her bib drawer to find that she was out of clean bibs, I realized that I was going about this the wrong way.
I started to look for bibs that fastened with a snap, but I couldn’t find any.
After some experimentation, I found out about waterproof bibs that come in various lengths, and can be wiped clean. I found two brands: iPlay and Bumkins. They both have cute prints and work as well.
Here’s why these are the Best Bibs—the waterproof material doesn’t stain or let food seep through to the clothes underneath, and I didn’t need to soak or scrub it to get it clean. The material dries quickly. I could wipe it clean after a meal, hang it to dry, and use it again at the next meal. The longer styles are long enough to cover the lap. Since my daughter is fond of puréed soups, I thought I’d try one, and I ended up liking the longer bib even better.
As an aside, both of these bibs have Velcro closures, but my daughter doesn’t try to take them off. My guess is that the fabric is so light that it doesn’t bother her. Now she shows she is ready to eat by tucking in the bib herself.
The Nitty Gritty
i play Best Bib
To quote their description, “Super durable material is easy to clean and features bright whimsical designs. Flip-pocket catches more mess. Velcro closure. PVC-free material, easy care.”
The i play “Best Bib” is from their Stage 4 bibs for toddlers. They also have longer style called the Super Duper Bib.
Bumkins® SuperBib
Bumkins “SuperBib” seems to use the same light-weight, waterproof fabric as i play. The SuperBib is longer. I thought it might be too much until I tried it. Both brands seem to have the same styles in this material, but with different patterns to choose from.
