One of the most common questions parents have about bathing their baby is: What temperature should a baby bath be? So, in this blog post, we’ve answered it along with a free, printable baby bath temperature chart to ensure you’ll never have to guess again. We also cover how much water should be in a baby bath and share five essential safety tips for bathing your baby.

What temperature should a baby bath be?

Download a free copy of this chart here.

The recommended temperature for your baby's bath is 37°C and the NHS recommends dipping your elbow in the water to test the temperature, if it is at the right temperature, it should feel the same as your body temperature.

Another way to ensure your baby's bath temperature isn’t too hot or cold is by using a baby bath thermometer like our Penguin Bath and Room Thermometer which has a screen that flashes red when the temperature is too hot.

The bath water temperature should always be checked before placing your baby in the bath and you should also make sure the water is mixed well so there are no extremely hot or cold patches.

How much water to put in a baby bath? 

Now that you know what temperature a baby bath should be, you might be wondering: How much water should you use? According to the NHS, it's recommended to fill your baby's bath with 8 to 10 cm of water.

Five safety tips for bathing your baby

1. Never leave your baby alone – Babies should never be left alone in the bath, not even for a second. If you need to leave the bathroom, take your baby out of the bath, wrap them in a towel and take them with you.
2. Make sure you have everything close to hand – Before putting your baby in the bath have everything ready and within arm's reach. This way you don’t need to leave your baby or take your eyes off them when they’re in the bath.
3. Add cool water then hot – The NHS recommends adding cool water and then topping up with hot. This is to help avoid hot spots in the water.
4. Empty the bath water straight after use – To eliminate any risks, empty the bath water as soon as you’ve finished using it.
5. Keep your baby at arm's reach when in the water – When your baby is in the bath never let them be more than arm’s reach away from you. Should anything happen you need to be able to lift them out of the water.

If you’re yet to bath your baby read our blog post when to give a baby their first bath to find out how to bath your baby and baby bath essentials.

Shop our baby bathtime products including our baby bath thermometer, baby healthcare and grooming kit and baby bath toys.