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Baby Micah is finally here!

adrienne — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:18:21 +0000

Micah was born Jan. 10, 2008, at 7:39 a.m. 9 pounds, 3 ounces. 20 7/8 inches long.

Baby Micah is finally here!

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DEX Products Wipe Warmer Ultra

adrienne — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:49:07 +0000

DEX Products Wipe Warmer Ultra

Overall rating: 4 / 5 stars
(Based on 48 reviews total at Amazon.com)

Pros

Keeps diaper wipes at a comfortable, warm temperature
Warms from the top down
Dual-lid design holds regular and pop-up wipes
Viewing window helps you remember to add more wipes
No expensive accessories to replace

Cons

Wipes tend to brown and dry
Must remember to add water periodically
“Changing light” isn’t bright enough to be practical
Isn’t portable and must be placed close to an outlet

Why buy this wipes warmer?

The DEX Products Wipe Warmer Ultra has two key points in its favor. One, you never have to replace any accessories, which causes many parents to shy away from the Prince Lionheart warmer. Two, it warms diaper wipes from the top down instead of the bottom up, so the wipes you need first are always warmer.

However, this second feature is sort of a double-edged sword. While the top wipes will always be warmer, they will also tend to be drier unless you remember to replenish the water supply in the wipes chamber.

All about the wipes

The dual-lid design of the DEX Products Wipe Warmer Ultra means you can use any type of diaper wipe. The upper lid dispenses pop-up disposable baby wipes, while the large lower lid provides easy access to regular disposable wipes or even cloth wipes.

Depending on what type of diaper wipe you prefer, the Wipe Warmer Ultra can hold 80 or more at a time. Instead of constantly buying plastic tubs of disposable wipes, you can buy one big box of bulk wipes and just refill the wipes warmer as needed. Bulk wipes cost less, and you won’t be wasting time or gas on unnecessary trips to the store.

How warm is warm?

The Wipe Warmer Ultra uses a safe, low-voltage heating system, so don’t worry about scalding your baby with a super-hot wipe. As with any wipes warmer, the diaper wipe will cool quickly once you take it out of the chamber, so make sure you use it right away.

Care and maintenance

Many parents recommend adding a half-cup of water every time you refill the wipes chamber. If you live in a drier climate, you may need to do this more often. Some parents like to keep a gallon jug of distilled or bottled water on the changing table, which is not only convenient but keeps minerals and scale out of your wipes warmer.

Common complaints

The Wipe Warmer Ultra talks a good game, but it doesn’t always deliver on its promises. Many parents have noted that the built-in “changing light” is not really bright enough to be practical. The “viewing window” is supposed to help you keep track of how many wipes are left in the chamber, but it tends to fog up with condensation. Plus, since the warmer is white, and diaper wipes are also white, it can be hard to see even without condensation.

More helpful resources

Product brochure

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DEX Products Wipe Warmer Ultra

Wipes warmer FAQ

adrienne — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:16:06 +0000

Here are a few frequently asked questions about wipes warmers, diaper wipes and other changing accessories. If your question isn’t answered here, please e-mail adrienne [at] wipeswarmers [dot] com, and I would be happy to add it to the list.

Is a wipes warmer really necessary?

Let’s be totally frank here. A wipes warmer is not necessary in the way food, water and air are necessary. It’s not even necessary in the way diapers are necessary (and even that point is debatable … see The Diaper-Free Baby: The Natural Toilet Training Alternative).

If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, by all means forgo the wipes warmer and spend your money on the essentials. But if you can afford it and are just wondering if wipes warmers are “silly” or “extravagant,” check out my Why buy a wipes warmer? page to find out why I think a wipes warmer is 20 bucks well spent.

Do wipes warmers really work?

If you’ve ever attempted a romantic bath or shower with your loved one, you already know that “warm” is such a subjective word. What might be perfectly toasty to you could be scalding hot or icy cold to someone else. If you’re expecting your wipes warmer to serve up piping hot diaper wipes with tendrils of steam floating above them, you’re going to be disappointed.

In my humble opinion, a wipes warmer is designed not so much to “warm” the wipes, but rather to take the chill off them. A more accurate name would be “wipes luke-warmers.”

Every wipes warmer claims it will not dry or brown wipes. Is this true?

One word: pffft.

Unless you’re amazingly dedicated to the care and maintenance of your wipes warmer, your diaper wipes will occasionally dry out and turn brown. (And if you are that dedicated, I really have to wonder about your priorities.) If you’re like me, you will forget to add water to your wipes warmer for days … or weeks. Then one day, you’ll reach into your wipes warmer and pull out a baby wipe the color and texture of whole-wheat toast. Always keep a spare package of cold wipes handy for moments like these.

It’s pretty simple, when you think about it. Wipes don’t clean very well without moisture. Heat and air suck the moisture out of wipes. If you don’t remember to periodically add water to your wipes warmer, your diaper wipes will dry out and turn brown. If this happens, you can usually just rinse the wipes clean and they’re fine, although you’ll probably rinse out all your fancy lotions and perfumes. This may not be a bad thing.

Wipes warmer FAQ

Why buy a wipes warmer?

adrienne — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:07:35 +0000

Read a dozen reviews of wipes warmers, and you’ll start to recognize a familiar story.

“Before our baby was born, we tended to dismiss things like this as being over-the-top baby items.”

“We thought a wipes warmer was optional, so we didn’t buy one. After our first baby was born, we used cold wipes, and he flinched and cried.”

“The wiper warmer sounds a bit extravagant, but it’s one of the best purchases we made.”

Many new parents think a wipes warmer is a luxury item … until that first late-night diaper change. The last thing you want at 3 a.m. is an angry, wailing and fully awake baby, and a cold wipe is guaranteed to give you just that.

A wipes warmer helps keep baby wipes at a comfortable temperature for your baby’s sensitive areas. More importantly, it helps preserve your peace and quiet … and maybe a little bit of your sanity. I don’t know about you, but that’s definitely worth my 20 bucks!

Why buy a wipes warmer?

Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer

adrienne — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:33:15 +0000

Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer

Overall rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
(Based on 437 reviews total at Amazon.com)

Pros

Keeps wipes at a comfortable, warm temperature
Wipes do not brown or dry out
Anti-microbial additive prevents odors and mildew
Works with standard or pop-up wipes
No assembly required
Easy to set up and maintain

Cons

Doesn’t hold a whole pack of wipes
Isn’t portable and must be placed close to an outlet
You must remember to moisten and replace pad
Condensation from lid can spill when opened
Heat may damage furniture
Bottom lid may not stay fully closed

Why buy this wipes warmer?

The main selling point of the Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer is the Ever-Fresh pillow. This removable, washable pad sits at the bottom of the wipes warmer, providing a protective barrier between the heat source and your baby wipes. As long as the Ever-Fresh pillow stays moist, your diaper wipes will not dry out and brown.

Since the entire wipes chamber is waterproofed, don’t be afraid to really soak the Ever-Fresh pillow until it’s sopping wet. Every once in a while, press down on the pad to see if it’s still moist and add water as needed. Make sure you press down on the middle of the pad, since that’s where the majority of the heat is concentrated.

All about the wipes

Another good reason to buy the Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer is that it works with all types of diaper wipes. The small upper lid can dispense pop-up disposable baby wipes, while the large lower lid can provide easy access to regular disposable wipes or even cloth wipes.

Prince Lionheart claims that the tub can hold all standard refill wipes packs, but most parents have found that the tub can’t hold an entire pack. This won’t be a problem if you normally buy resealable wipes packages. If your wipes aren’t resealable, just keep a spare plastic wipes tub on hand to store the extras.

How warm is warm?

The Ultimate Wipes Warmer keeps diaper wipes comfortable and warm using a safe, low-voltage heating system, so you won’t have to worry about scalding your baby. But once the wipes are removed from the chamber, they will cool quickly, so make sure you use them right when you need them.

The first time you turn the wipes warmer on, you’ll need to wait at least three hours before your wipes are at the right temperature. A green light on the front of the Ultimate Wipes Warmer acts as both a power indicator and a nightlight. The AC adapter fits in any standard 110-120v outlet.

Care and maintenance

If you allow your Ever-Fresh pillow to dry out, it will most likely brown from all the accumulated chemicals and lotions in your wipes, plus any minerals in your water. (This can cause the bottom half-dozen or so wipes to turn brown as well.) However, the brown spots on the pad should wash out fairly easily once you fully saturate the pad and get water into all of those “micropores.”

Prince Lionheart recommends that you wash and re-moisten the pad once every two weeks, but most parents recommend doing so once every 7-10 days. You can even throw it in with your laundry (hot or warm water, no bleach). If you live in a drier climate, you’ll probably need to wet the pillow more frequently.

Both the wipes chamber and the Ever-Fresh pillow are treated with an EPA-approved additive that inhibits the growth of microorganisms that may cause spoilage, odors and mildew. If you have easy access to distilled water, you can also prevent the build-up of mineral deposits and scale.

Prince Lionheart recommends that you replace the Ever-Fresh pillow every three months to keep your wipes moist and fresh. However, some parents say they have used one pad for far longer than three months with no obvious problems.

Common complaints

The warmer comes with cushioned pads on the bottom to protect your furniture, but you may want to place it on top of a small towel just to be safe. The larger bottom lid is designed to funnel condensation back into the wipes chamber when opened, but the occasionally, dripping does happen. Combined with the heat from the bottom of the warmer, the warm standing liquid could damage your furniture.

Some parents have had trouble keeping the large bottom lid shut, especially when pulling wipes from the smaller pop-up lid. The pop-up lid has a latch to keep it shut, but the bottom one does not. If you only use the pop-up lid and are having this problem, you can use a small piece of tape to hold the bottom lid shut. Make sure you don’t overstuff the wipes chamber.

More helpful resources

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Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer

WipesWarmers.com

Baby Micah is finally here!

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DEX Products Wipe Warmer Ultra

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Wipes warmer FAQ

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Why buy a wipes warmer?

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Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer

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