Duck and Cover

Soften Bonks During Bath Time

• What: Skip Hop Ducky Bath Spout Cover
• When: Six months and beyond
• Why: Cushion the hard bath faucet
• Where: Amazon

We got our Skip Hop Ducky Bath Spout Cover more than six years ago. We probably should take it off just to make sure no surprises lurk underneath, but so far, we’ve never had to remove it. The duck offers a universal fit, guaranteed to cover any bath taps, though I haven’t tried it on any one other than ours.

The duck covers the entire spigot. An open space on its back allows room for a tub to shower water diverter. My kids have never managed to remove it, but I had no trouble installing it on little to no sleep when our eldest was an infant. The rubber-like material both cushions and rounds off the edges of our tap. It also prevents my industrious kids from trying to shove things into the tap, you know, just because it’s there and they can. Because the tap remains well hidden beneath a duck, they haven’t messed with it, which has probably saved me at least a couple hassles of extractions.

The duck features a curved tail which can be used to hang it when not in use, though if I knew that when I got mine, I certainly never used it. If you don’t want a duck hanging out in your bath or shower full time, I imagine that feature comes in handy.

If you actually clean things, you can easily throw it in the dishwasher to sanitize it, though the material is mold and mildew resistant. I haven’t cleaned any of that off mine in six years despite the amount that grows on our tile and grout.

The only caveat on our model is the color. It’s more a yellowish brown now (and not because it isn’t clean, though I doubt that it is) from discoloration after six plus years of exposure to heat, moisture, and whatever else comes through our pipes.

If you prefer whales to ducks or blue goes better than yellow with your bathroom decor, Skip Hop also offers the same product in a newer blue whale shape. Several reviews favor the whale over the older duck model because of the protruding beak on the duck. We’ve had several impacts with no injuries, and the rounded duck bill isn’t an issue. I say go with whichever one you like better or costs less.