A good changing mat setup is one of the most useful things you can sort before baby arrives. Over the first two years, you could be doing around 7,000 nappy changes! So it's worth getting right.
This guide will help you choose the right changing mat, or combination of mats, for your baby and your lifestyle.
How many changing mats do you actually need?
More than you think. A lot of the time you'll end up changing baby somewhere other than where you planned - the nursery mat that seemed like all you'd need is suddenly too far away at 3am, or you're downstairs for the fifth time that day and really don't want to trek back up.
For most parents, 2–3 mats tends to be the sweet spot. One for the nursery or main changing spot, one downstairs for quick changes throughout the day, and one in the nappy bag for when you're out. That covers the vast majority of situations.
Most parents settle into one of three setups depending on their home and how they live.
The Minimal Setup
For smaller homes, flats, or parents who want to start simple
The Practical Setup
For homes where baby is room-sharing but the nursery is on a different floor or space
The Full Setup
For parents with a nursery changing table who want flexibility and organisation everywhere else
Understanding our different types of changing mat
Anti Roll Wedge Changing Mats
Best for wriggly babies, home use, changing tables and nursery style
An anti roll wedge changing mat features gently raised, curved sides that help cradle your baby and reduce rolling during changes.
They're especially popular during the newborn stage. Babies can't sit up - but they can definitely wriggle and twist more than new parents expect. The wedge shape offers reassurance, particularly when changing on a raised surface.
"Within a week of having our newborn home we realised an antiroll mat would be needed asap! I love the size and shape of this mat and the designs are stunning. It works great for our newborn and for our 5 month old nephew - so glad we got this early to use it as our little boy grows" Kitty J.
Nest Changing Mats
Best for home use, comfort and a beautiful soft nursery aesthetic
The Nest Changing Mat has high, squishy padded sides that wrap around baby during nappy changes, mimicking the cosy feel of a baby nest.
It's lightweight, wipe-clean, and at £22 it's one of those products that looks far more premium than the price suggests. The timeless prints are designed by Mama Shack and sit beautifully in any nursery or living space.
"So soft and padded so we'll just a wonderful product changing mats can be so boring but not at mama shack" Tracy B
Original Baby Changing Mats
Best for everyday use, changing tables and quick changes around the house
The Original Changing Mat is flat enough to store behind the sofa, light enough to carry between rooms, and wipe-clean enough to handle whatever baby throws at it.
It has slightly raised sides for baby's comfort and plush foam padding in the centre for support. It fits most changing tables but it's just as happy on the floor, on a bed, or tucked behind the sofa for quick changes throughout the day.
"The quality is much better than ones I've seen before and easy to wipe up mess!" Laurie A.
Travel Changing Mats
Best for the nappy bag, the pram, the car, and everywhere else.
The Mama Shack Travel Changing Mat is the one that lives in your bag. Foldable, lightweight, and compact enough to fit in a changing bag, a pram basket, or the glovebox. It's the mat you'll reach for every time you leave the house.
At £14 it's the most affordable mat in our range, which also makes it the easiest one to have multiples of. One in the nappy bag, one in the car, one left at the grandparents - suddenly you're never caught out wherever you are.
It has a secure popper fastening so it stays folded neatly in the bag, and the wipe-clean waterproof surface means it handles public changing rooms without a second thought. Thicker foam than most travel mats too, so baby is actually comfortable - not just parked on a thin piece of plastic.
"My daughter has one in her baby travel bag and we have one at home for when she visits." Morag
| Mat Type | Best For | Portable? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti Roll Wedge | Home-use, changing wriggly babies | Around the house | £30 |
| Nest Mat | Home use, nurseries | Around the house | £22 |
| Original Mat | Home use, any room, larger changing tables | Around the house | £19 |
| Travel Mat | Nappy bag, car, on-the-go, grandparents | Very portable and compact! Folds flat | £14 |
Parents often find that one travel mat is never quite enough!
Travel changing mats are honestly so useful. We love them. They are small, they fold flat, and they're affordable enough that having an extra one stashed somewhere just makes sense.
Most parents who start with one travel mat find themselves picking up another within the first few weeks - not because they planned to, but because they realised they needed one in the car, or kept forgetting to repack the bag, or got tired of ferrying the same mat back and forth to the grandparents.
See how you go in the first weeks. You'll very quickly learn where you're actually changing baby most, where you're getting caught short, and which journeys you do regularly enough to need a mat in the car or at a family member's house.
