Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer #0231; How Would YOU Like a Cold Bottom?!
Written: Mar 25 '04 (Updated Mar 25 '04)
Product Rating:
Pros: Warm wipes make for calmer and more pleasant diaper changes - who doesn't need that?
Cons: Wipes CAN dry out if instructions aren't followed; must be placed near outlet; condensation happens.
The Bottom Line: Our babies' comfort and happiness means the world to us, and cold bottoms sure aren't comfortable. Despite ongoing maintenance, we won't be returning to cold wipes!
krissingene's Full Review: Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer
Long before my daughter arrived, I began outfitting her nursery with all the latest baby gadgets, practically guaranteed to make parenting a piece of cake. Not wanting my newborn to experience even a millisecond of discomfort, a wipes warmer seemed like a great idea - after all, who wants a cold, clammy wipe smeared across their bottom several times each day? Not me, and I was pretty sure my baby wouldn't either.
So it was that the Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer came into our home despite consistent reviews complaining of brown, dried out and therefore wasted wipes. I digested the instructions thoroughly, determined to see for myself...
Setup and Use
Having been stuck assembling nearly every item of baby paraphernalia to date, I was a bit perplexed when the wipes warmer came out of the box already in one piece - hey, I liked this thing already! The rectangular white box has a two-in-one lid; the entire lid raises to allow for easy placement of wipes and also features an oval pop-up lid cut out in the center of the larger lid. The tub will hold approximately 80-100 wipes - good to keep in mind when purchasing wipe refills. The warmer comes with an AC adapter, which means that the warmer must be located somewhere near an outlet. (We placed ours on the middle shelf of our changing table to keep it nearby, and thanks to the pop-up lid, it's easy to retrieve a wipe even from a lower shelf while still keeping one hand on baby.)
For this, their newest model, Prince Lionheart boasts the Ever-Fresh System, which is "guaranteed to help keep your wipes the freshest they can be to soothe your baby's delicate skin." The Ever-Fresh system is basically a thick foam-like pad that sits in the bottom of the warmer's tub and must be kept moist. Before the first use, the instructions recommend that the Ever-Fresh pad be saturated with distilled or bottled water, although it doesn't say why. (I would imagine this is a precaution so that minerals from tap water aren't absorbed into the sterile baby wipes...) The Ever-Fresh pad should be kept moist at all times and the instructions tell you to add water as necessary - although determining when the pad is drying out beneath a huge stack of wipes is no easy task. To be on the safe side, I keep a small squirt bottle filled with water near the warmer and dump in a bit around the wipes every couple of days rather than waiting till the tub is empty - there's simply no way we'd go through an entire box of wipes before the pad dried out. No, I don't use distilled or bottled water (although I did before the first use) - I figure that this is the same water I wash my daughter's bottom in anyway, and those minerals haven't hurt her yet. The Ever-Fresh pad should be replaced approximately every three months - they may be purchased from baby specialty stores or directly from the manufacturer.
"The ONLY Wipes Warmer that will not brown and dry out wipes!"
Such is the claim on this warmer's packaging and on the Prince Lionheart website - and it's true, to some extent. You have to do your part in keeping that pad moist or else the wipes will absolutely dry out and turn brown (so will the pad, although it rinses clean.) In my experience, better quality wipes such as Luvs and Pampers fare better inside the warmer than do thinner off-brand wipes. I've lost nearly an entire pack of cheap, store-brand wipes in the warmer when they dried out completely in just a few days - but they were so thin that I doubt they'd have been very effective in cleaning baby's backside anyway. If you read and follow the manufacturer's instructions - and use good wipes - browning and drying out can be easily avoided.
Condensation
In browsing reviews of other wipes warmers - some made by the same manufacturer - I've noticed two very common and recurring complaints: dried-out wipes and condensation. If you've been paying attention, I've already explained the secret to keeping your wipes fresh - but there's not much that can be done to prevent condensation. After all, here sits a warm box full of damp cloths and water - the laws of physics mandate that some evaporation is going to occur, and there's nowhere for it to go except UP to the warmer's lid. Yes, this can make for a bit of a drippy mess sometimes, but it's a price that must be paid to have your baby's bottom comfy at every changing. The instruction sheet says that "the lid has been designed to open only to a vertical position in order to recycle condensed moisture back into the tub." This is also true - more often than not, the water runs right back down into the tub - still, keep a towel or washcloth handy for wiping up stray drops of water.
It's Like a Baby Bidet
Although she hasn't actually seen it and couldn't possibly comprehend the concept of a wipes warmer, it's fairly safe to say that my daughter appreciates this warmer very much. On the rare occasion when she's changed away from the nursery and a common non-heated wipe must be used, she makes it very plain (to everyone within earshot) that she does NOT appreciate the horrible injustice that is a cold, damp bottom. Diaper changes are otherwise a non-event in our household; although not an essential nursery purchase, the $22 price tag on this warmer was a small price to pay for a calm and happy baby during frequent visits to the changing table.
CAUTION!
As with anything electrical in the nursery, some caution in unit and cord placement should be taken to keep little grabby-hands safe. Also, Prince Lionheart states very clearly that they "make no warranty, either expressed or implied, that surface discoloration or damage may not occur due to heat or moisture." You've been warned - don't sit the warmer on an heirloom dresser, just in case. I haven't noticed any problem of this kind, but better safe than sorry... Also, don't take the warmer into the bathtub with you, okay?
The warmer is designed for continuous use, but it is recommended that it be unplugged if it won't be used for several days.
Prince Lionheart offers a one year warranty on this warmer, which protects against manufacturing and material defects, and offer service on all components of the warmer. However, if you mess around and use it to try and heat anything other than baby wipes, the company considers the unit to be 'misused' and any defects become your problem. Like I said before, follow the instructions and you'll be all set!
For More Information
Visit Prince Lionheart online at http://www.princelionheart.com, or address questions and comments to:
Prince Lionheart Inc.
2421 S. Westgate Road
Santa Maria, CA 93455
Special thanks to MaryTara for having this warmer added to the Kids & Family section!
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