When my husband and I first went to register for baby supplies, we wandered the store for three hours and left, overwhelmed, with six items on our registry. We couldn’t believe that there were so many things available for a creature that  only needs loving arms, a full breast, and something to keep it warm and dry. In the subsequent months, we have found that many of the baby items do make life much easier for parent and baby alike, and many are just a big waste of money. New products are constantly being created and marketed to fill perceived needs.

I recently received a silibib, and, as always, wondered whether this was one of those products that would make life easier, or just take up space. The silibib is produced by Silikids, a company founded in 2008 that makes silicone baby products.  The company is so new, in fact, that their website doesn’t yet have company information, or the all important “where to buy” section.  To find out a bit more about the company and their products, I had to resort to Google.  If the sources I found are accurate, Silikids was created by two mothers who were attracted to silicone because it is hypo allergenic, can be easily sterilized, and is soft and pliable.  So far, the Silikids product line is limited to four items: silibibs, silibottles, siliskins, and silipads.

The Pros:

The silibib is visually attractive.   The one I was given is gray with a yellow design, but the company also has tiffany blue, lime, and red bibs.  The yellow design is colored silicon embedded into the gray, so the color won’t fade or chip off like paint might.  The bib can go through the dishwasher, which is nice and convenient, and for those germ obsessed mothers, it can also be immersed in boiling water.   It can be wiped down easily with a damp paper towel. It is very streamlined, and doesn’t take up much room in a diaper bag.  My daughter loved the feel of the silibib in her mouth.  Perhaps the company should consider making a siliteether or a silitoy.

The Cons:

The silibib is obviously designed to be worn during mealtimes, because it certainly doesn’t absorb the constant stream of drool that falls from my daughter’s mouth all day like a cloth bib.  Many other bibs meant to protect from food have a little pouch at the bottom to catch errant crumbs and mush.  The silibib does not, which is an issue for me.  If I’m not quick enough to wipe the banana mash from the bib when it falls, it will eventually slide down and soil my child’s pants or her high chair.

Many bibs designed to protect from food are oversized to completely protect the baby’s clothes.  The silibib is not.  It is about the same size as cloth bibs designed to take care of drool.  The clasp for the silibib is made of silicone, but it is difficult to close when my daughter is wiggling around, and I was not able to close it with one hand like I can with a Velcro closure.  Perhaps it will get easier with practice.

The Verdict:

This product falls somewhere in between a must have and waste of money.  I will probably keep mine in my diaper bag, since it takes up so little room and can be easily wiped off after use.  If I come across another one, I will probably pick it up so I can keep it in the glove compartment of my car, provided that the cost is low enough.  I found the bib online for $14.95, which in my opinion might be a little too much money for what it is.

I’ll be reviewing the Silikids Silipads as soon as my daughter starts to crawl.  The Silipads, and other products from Silikids can be found at babyearth.com where you can find everything for baby’s world, all under one roof.