The best diaper-changing tables you can buy

Why you'll love it: The Delta Children Eclipse Changing Table is easy to assemble and sturdily built.

Along with lack of sleep and lots of messes, one of the drawbacks to having kids is the glut of stuff that fills the home. Suddenly, there are toys, bibs, bottles, and more littering the floors and covering the countertops. Also, there are the bigger items: cribs, high chairs, diaper pails, and swing seats. One of the largest items many new parents acquire is a changing table, which is functional but seldom stylish.

Not so with the Delta Children Eclipse Changing Table. It's a fine-looking piece of furniture, designed to match all sorts of different home decor. The table, with its two shelves and safety rails around the top panel, is made from sturdy wood and wood composite materials and is available in six different finishes, including black, white, gray, and several wood stains.

The Eclipse table comes with a changing pad with a strap, so you can enjoy peace of mind during diapering. It will also serve just fine as a bookshelf or even a bar once the diaper days are done, so don't think of it as a transient piece of furniture. Though at about $100 depending on the finish you choose, it's okay to pass it on, too.

With nearly 900 reviews posted at the time of this writing, the Delta Children Eclipse Changing Table enjoys a 4.4-star overall rating on Amazon. One mom called it "sleek and sturdy" and said the table "held up beautifully over 18 months of constant use." And many people remarked on its ease of assembly. One of the few recurrent complaints was that the table was a bit too low for taller parents.

A product reviewer from MomTricks.com agreed on the ease of assembly, saying it "takes only about 20 minutes" of work and noting that the dual shelves offer enough space "to store all of your diapering supplies."

Pros: Handsome and versatile, easy assembly, available in many colors, good storage space

Cons: Too low for taller parents

Get a Delta Children Eclipse Changing Table on Amazon for $99.98 (prices vary by finish)

Why you'll love it: Thanks to its caster wheels, the Graco Lauren Changing Table is a convenient changing station you can move from room to room.

If you need a changing station that you can easily move around, the Graco Lauren Changing Table is a good option. You simply unlock the casters, smoothly roll the unit from one room to another, then relock them so the table stays in place.

The Lauren features two large shelves that are open on the sides for easy access and rails around the top to help secure a changing pad and reduce the chance for a fall. Its surface wipes clean with a damp rag or paper towel, and it comes with a waterproof changing pad. The table is available in six colors and can be repurposed as a standard cart when you no longer need a changing table.

Dozens of parents have reviewed the Graco Lauren Changing Table on Amazon and it currently has an average 4.2-star rating. The biggest praise most parents have isn't for the wheels, though, but for the value. "What a fantastic product for the price," wrote one parent, calling it a "high-quality changing table that can easily be moved around." Another called it sturdy and "easy to set up" but, like many others, did note that the paint tends to chip off in spots over time.

A writer from MomLovesBest.com called the Lauren "easy to assemble" and noted its "clean, basic design" that allowed it to "be repurposed after your child outgrows it."

Pros: Easy to move, low price point, easy to access shelves

Cons: Finish wears down too quickly

Get a Graco Lauren Changing Table from Amazon for $89.99

Why you'll love it: When not in use during a diaper change, the Costzon Folding Diaper Station can be folded up and tucked out of sight.

It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing piece of furniture on our list, but that's fine — most of the time, the Costzon Folding Diaper Station won't even be in sight. When folded up flat, this table can be slid under a bed, placed in a closet, or tucked away behind a door. But as slender as the legs may look, when set up, it's sturdy enough for use with even the most fidgety of babies.

The Costzon Folding Diaper Station has a lower shelf and four side compartments for storage, and with the pad removed it can be used for baby bathing thanks to a shallow plastic tub that comes with the table. The changing table is lightweight and highly portable, making it great for travel. It's also a great choice for relatives, like grandparents, who only need an occasional changing table on hand when the little ones visit.

The Costzon Folding Diaper Station enjoys mostly 5-star ratings from customers. A mom who operates a day-care center said she would "definitely recommend" this "lifesaver" of a product that is "easy to fold down and use."

A number of people noted frustration with the assembly process. Also, Costzon doesn't score high marks when it comes to customer service, so be aware that you may not have proper company support should any issues arise.

Pros: Folds down compactly, comes with bathing tub, lightweight and portable

Cons: Frustrating assembly

Get a Costzon Folding Diaper Station from Amazon for $75.99 (prices vary by color)

Why you'll love it: The clever design of the Badger Basket Corner Changing Table saves space in cramped quarters by tucking into a corner, yet still offers a full-sized changing pad.

If space is a premium, the Badger Basket Corner Changing Table takes advantage of corner spaces. However, its design allows a caregiver to easily approach the baby from either side or from the end of the changing pad.

That unique design also provides more storage space beneath the table, as well as a pair of shelves beside the changing pad for wipes, creams, extra diapers, pacifiers, and other baby sundries. The large shelves below can be used for diapering supplies, toys, towels, bedding, and more. And after the diapering days are done, it can be used as a TV stand or a place for planters.

With more than 150 reviews on Walmart's website, the Badger Basket Corner Changing Table has a 4.2-star overall rating. One mom wrote: "We needed something that could store a lot but not take up a lot of space as we only live in a one bedroom condo at present. This design was the answer to everything! It's completely out of the way but yet still looks totally cute with all the baskets holding diapers, clothes, toys, etc., and the best surprise is that with all the side shelves it literally holds everything we could possibly think of so there was no need to make extra room for anything in our closets."

And a MomLovesBest.com review called the Badger Basket Corner Changing Table "an innovative solution for small spaces" that "provides quite a bit of space for keeping diapers, wipes, and everything else" you might need.

Pros: Space-saving design, allows for changing from all angles, copious storage

Cons: Changing pad flimsy

Get a Badger Basket Corner Changing Table at Walmart for $120.65 to $154.81 (prices vary by color)

Why you'll love it: The West Elm x PBK Modern 6-Drawer Changing Table is great for diapering but it's even better as a piece of forever furniture that will grow up with your kid.

Don't think of the West Elm x PBK Modern 6-Drawer Changing Table as a $1,149 changing table. Instead, think of it as a dresser that just happens to come with a topper that can safely house a standard-sized changing pad and has a large recessed compartment that keeps wipes and diapers close at hand. And beyond convenience, the topper also adds safety as it secures to the dresser with brackets that connect out of sight, behind the piece of furniture.

The West Elm x PBK Modern 6-Drawer Changing Table is made out of top-quality materials and carefully constructed, so it will last for decades with proper care. The piece is made in Mid-century modern style and will complement a nursery just as well as a child's room or even an adult's master suite. The capacious drawers offer more than enough room for a baby's clothes as well as spare diapers, linens, toys, and more. When your child grows older, the drawers are more than capable in storing larger clothes.

A writer from Parents.com called the partnership between West Elm and Pottery Barn Kids (that's the PBK) "every decorating mama's dream come true," producing a "trendy" yet timeless line of furniture all with "finishes are child-safe, and materials [that] are natural and, of course, durable."

Pros: Handsome, timeless design, excellent durability, produced in a Fair Trade Certified facility, grows with a child

Cons: Very expensive, smaller side walls

Get a West Elm x PBK Modern 6-Drawer Changing Table from Pottery Barn Kids for $1,149