Bumkins: Eco-Friendly Products for Families

The Bumkins Company started with one product: an alternative to disposable diapers. They quickly expanded to a much larger line of merchandise, all keeping with the theme of eco-friendly, practical and attractive design elements.

I have been a fan of the company since I learned of their Dr. Seuss line, a favorite character set of our family. We were excited to try out a few of their products in our everyday crazy lives. The Splat Mat, Wet/Dry Bag and Reusable Snack Bags were all from their Dr. Seuss line, mainly Cat in the Hat and one Green Eggs and Ham.

Splat Mat: We learned quickly with our first child how messy mealtime can get during the toddler years. Food somehow gets flung everywhere and hits the floor, even with that enormous tray in front of them!

Our solution was to buy a bunch of cheap, plastic tablecloths that we cut into quarters and put down under the high chair to save our floors a bit of abuse. The plastic lasts for a few weeks until the weight of the chair and constant shifting starts to tear it. It feels quite wasteful, but we ignored that as the ability to catch the messes was so appealing.

Then we received the Bumkins splat mat. It’s made of durable, waterproof plastic and can be easily wiped down after mealtime. The 42”x42” mat covers a large area and does not seem to be wearing at all underneath the high chair and did great in the washing machine.

An added bonus is the cute Dr. Seuss “Cat in the Hat” design, which is much more interesting and fun to look at than our plain plastic tablecloths. The Splat Mat is a great solution for mealtime and other toddler messes as well, like crafting or painting. The mat folds up compactly and is very lightweight, which also makes it ideal for travel.

Wet/Dry Bag: I immediately thought of swimming lessons when I saw the Wet/Dry Bag from Bumkins. Lined with stain-resistant, waterproof plastic, the bag is great for storing all the wet swimsuits and keeping them from getting the entire contents of our swim bag soaked with chlorinated water. It can be machine washed so smells do not linger and it dries quickly so mold/mildew is not an issue.

This bag would also be great for potty accident clothing or an impromptu trip to a sprayground that leaves you with wet clothes. It has two compartments, each with a zipper closure. One is lined for the wet messes and the smaller pocket is for dry items. It’s large in size (12.5”x16”) and had plenty of space for our swim gear (swim suit, rash guard, toddler towel and goggles.) I highly recommend having one in your glove compartment or diaper bag at all times for unanticipated, wet messes!

Reusable Snack Bags: We are always on the go during the day, and snacks are a big requirement when packing the diaper bag or cooler. I find we are going through plastic zip top bags at a pace I’d rather not mention.

The Bumkins reusable snack bags, made of durable, yet lightweight, fabric are great for packing crackers, fruit, cookies, etc., and are easily washed, dried and ready for the next day’s adventures. They can also be machine washed for bigger messes.

My kids love the fun Dr. Seuss designs and I love the money savings, along with being able to make an eco-conscious choice when packing endless snacks. My only complaint is that the bags seem a little small at 3.5”x7,” which is a bit smaller than a standard sandwich baggie. (Turns out, Bumkins has a larger bag available for those bigger snack needs!)

These three products from Bumkins are convenient, eco-friendly solutions for everyday parenting. The cute designs are kid-friendly while the lightweight fabric, with the added bonus of machine washing, it great for being on the go. Bumkins also offers bibs, smocks and cloth diapering solutions made of their same materials. Check out their whole line of products at www.bumkins.com.

Manufactured by Bumkins

Available at www.bumkins.com, Target, Walmart, Amazon.com, BabiesRUs

Splat Mat: $19.95

Wet/Dry Bag: $14.95

Snack Bags: $6.95/2 bags

Durability: 5

Ease of Use: 5

Comfort: 4

I would purchase this for my child: Yes

I would purchase this as a gift: Yes

Overall rating: 5

All ratings on scale of 1-5 with 5 being highest.

Meet the Reviewer!

Christy Petrak is a Systems Engineer currently taking a leave of absence to raise her two children, Thomas (4.5) and Eliza (1.5). She enjoys spending time with her family, swimming and baking/decorating cupcakes.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here