Safety 1st Inflatable Sof' Spout Cover; Protecting Tiny Noggins
Written: Jul 05 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cushions faucet against scrapes or falls; easy to install; doesn't inhibit use of faucet.
Cons: Difficult to inflate; cutout at bottom doesn't cover all sharp edges.
The Bottom Line: If a small child bathes regularly in your tub, you need a faucet covering - and the Inflatable Sof' Spout Cover is as good as any.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Inflatable Sof' Spout Cover |
Packing up that first plastic tub of tiny newborn and 0-3 month sized baby clothes was tough - they were all my daughter had ever worn, and I felt almost as though I was losing my baby by putting everything away and stashing it in the corner of the basement. Of course I had known she would outgrow these things, but wasn't prepared for the speed with which she would do so. One thing I wasn't prepared for, though, was the evening that I noticed she had become too big for her infant tub.
For the first four and a half months or so of her life, the plastic infant tub had been a real back saver - rather than bending over the bathtub, trying frantically to hold onto a wet, wiggly baby, I could bathe her in comfort while standing at the bathroom sink. But now her head was very nearly even with the top of the tub, and washing her hair meant flooding the room - it was time to make the move into the bathtub for good.
~* Babyproofing *~
I had recently begun babyproofing certain areas of our home in preparation for the day when she decides to take off crawling - and I fear that it won't be long now. Among the rooms that were overhauled was the bathroom. Cabinets were locked, the tub was scrubbed and new slip-resistant stickers placed on the bottom, but what about the faucet? I vividly remember standing up too quickly as a small child and cutting the top of my head on the sharp underside of a faucet, and I didn't want to risk that happening to my little girl.
I found a solution in the Safety 1st Inflatable Sof' Spout Cover. The cover came in a rather flat blue and white box with a picture of the cover on front for $3.97 at our local Lowe's store. According to the packaging, this cover is "easy to use and install", "does not interfere with faucet use" and fits all standard spouts. It was just what we needed.
After cleaning the faucet and areas around it, I removed the cover from the box - it was flat and wrinkled and had that strong plastic-y smell that reminds me so much of summer (new beach balls and floats, anyone?) Determined to do this thing right, I checked out the instructions on the back of the box rather than jumping right in and doing it myself.
1. Inflate Sof' Spout, plug in cover & push in valve.
Sounds pretty easy, huh? Be prepared - lungs of steel are required to inflate this cover. I huffed and I puffed and I very nearly fell over from the exertion, but finally - finally! - after about ten minutes of working at it, the cover was fully inflated. (Tip: pull the sides of the cover apart as best you can prior to inflating; they tend to stick together after being packaged so tightly, inhibiting air flow through the cover.)
While I was never completely satisfied with the amount of inflation, it eventually got to the point of "inflated enough", and I closed the rubber valve. Pushing the valve in so that it would lie flat against the cover was another obstacle, and one that I would not overcome. There simply wasn't enough cushion in the cover to allow the valve to be pushed in; therefore I just left it sticking out. It in no way hindered the placement of the cover or functioning of the knobs around it, so it can just stick out for all I care.
Once inflated, the cover is long and tube-shaped with one rounded end and one open end for fitting over the faucet. There is a square cutout in the bottom of the cover to allow water to pass through.
2. Align water outlet on spout with opening on Sof' Spout bottom.
That would be the square cutout I just mentioned; when positioned properly, water from the faucet flows through this opening so that the cover does not have to be removed to operate the faucet.
3. Gently slide Sof' Spout over spout.
Now I had read on the box that the cover fit all standard spouts, but then I knew it would be just my luck if our spout wasn't standard. Thankfully, it was, and the cover slid easily over the faucet, the cutout lining up evenly with the faucet opening and the back of the cover resting flush against the shower wall.
Safety 1st recognized with the design of this cover that not all showers are made the same; some spouts have a shower diverter knob positioned on top of the faucet which must be pulled up in order to switch water flow from faucet to showerhead. Should your shower be designed thus, a small portion of the plastic on top of the inflatable cover (which is blocked off and not inflated) may be removed to allow the knob to pass through. My shower is not designed this way, so I didn't have to alter the cover in that way - but removing a piece of plastic certainly shouldn't be a big deal.
To deflate Sof' Spout open valve and squeeze base of valve.
The cover may be deflated, stored and re-used if needed. Simply push down on the cover while squeezing the base of the valve to release all of the inside air.
~* Martha Stewart It Ain't *~
If you are particularly concerned about your bathroom decor and must have every piece matching just so, then the Safety 1st Inflatable Sof' Spout Cover is probably not the item for you. Primarily blue in color, the cover features an island scene on each side - a polar bear and blue seal stand on a green island, while another blue seal and a yellow walrus float in the water nearby. Tiny white fish swim beneath the surface of the water while a bright yellow and orange smiling sun looks down from above. The end of the cover, which curves outward and is especially soft, features a larger version of the same sun.
Suffice it to say that this cover won't match your other bathroom accessories, even if you purchase them for that reason. Being that I largely don't care what my childless friends and in-laws think of my bathroom decoration, I purchased the Safety 1st Slip-Resistant Bath Mats at the same time, which feature similar animals to those depicted on the Sof' Spout. Even they aren't a perfect match, though - while the white polar bear and blue seals also live on the floor of my tub, there is no walrus at all - rather, yellow otters that don't appear on the faucet cover at all.
~* Bathtime! *~
Finally happy that the bathtub was clean enough and safe enough for my little girl, I prepared for bathtime. True to the product claims, the faucet worked normally with the cover installed, and I ran a couple of inches of water into the tub before putting her in. Aside from breaking both knees leaning over the tub to bathe her, bathtime was uneventful - and then it was time to get out. I leaned over and attempted to get a firm grip on my wet and slippery child, lifting her carefully up...up...up...
And nothing happened. Come on, I love Epinions as much as the next person, but no way am I going to bump my baby's little head purposefully for the sake of a more thorough review! While I won't compromise her safety, however, I have risked my own hand and arm by banging them repeatedly against the faucet spout, with no adverse effects - it is adequately cushioned on all sides to protect against a rather substantial impact, although I'll still try to avoid falling on it if at all possible. My only concern about the Sof' Spout is the cutout area at the bottom; while necessary to allow water to pass through, it is just large enough to allow the sharp edges of the underside of the faucet to be a bit too accessible as well. I did find that angling the faucet cover downward just a bit after sliding it onto the faucet covered more of the edge, but a small child could conceivable try to stand up and hit his or her head on the underside of the faucet if unsupervised - so please, be there to prevent that from happening.
Since the faucet cover stays in our shower at all times, it does occasionally need to be cleaned; I use an after-shower spray (such as Tilex) to spray down the curtain liner and tiles, and it has kept soap residue from building up on the faucet cover as well. Should it get really grimy, it can be easily cleaned with a damp sponge.
~* WARNING *~
NEVER leave your child unattended in the bath - a child can drown in only one inch of water! Always keep your child within arm's reach. This product is not a substitute for proper adult supervision.
~* Contact Information *~
Visit Safety 1st online at www.safety1st.com, call 1-800-544-1108 (7 AM - 6 PM EST Monday through Thursday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM EST on Fridays) or write to:
Dorel Juvenile Group
Consumer Relations Department
P.O. Box 2609
Columbus, IN 47202-2609
~* Also By Safety 1st *~
Safety 1st Fold-Up Nail Clippers
Safety 1st Slip-Resistant Bath Mats
Recommended:
Yes
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krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
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