Review: Potey heated birdbath
One of the perks of having this hobby is that sometimes companies get in touch and offer products to try for free. This happened just recently with a heated birdbath. When the first night frost hit, I noticed that the new orange bath I got for this season was frozen over in the morning. Thankfully, I had another one ready right away, and that is the one I am reviewing here. The maker is Potey, and the bath can be purchased on Amazon (there’s a 20 % off coupon there right now too - no I do not benefit financially from this).
Now for the bath. It comes in a nice box with clearly written instructions and brackets to mount it on posts or deck rails but can also be put on the ground, standing on stubby little feet. The cable has a nice length, which is good because outside mounts often require an extension cord and short cables are impractical to handle and weatherproof. Why does it need a cable? It is a heated bath, something I never even thought about in Germany but something that is very practical in cold Michigan winters because birds need a water source also when it is cold. There is a thermostat in there that only prevents the water from freezing, it is not like a hot tub.
This bath is dark green, which I quite like. The first thing to notice is that there are three compartments rather than one. The maker says the smaller ones can be used for seed but I would advise against that because it would just create a mess. Instead, just fill all three with water. This bath is on the smaller and shallower side, so it is perfect for smaller birds. The edges on the smaller compartments are not smooth, which apparently gives birds a better grip, a neat little feature. The bath is oval rather than round, which makes it great to use for the Birdsy camera too . A round bath can, if it is too big, make it hard to get everything in proper focus, and an oval shape just works better for that. I mounted it on the shed, about 7 feet up on a frame I built to add the deck mount to. The mount is like an upside down fork (see pic below), and the bath slides on it from the underside. This is a lot more practical for removal and cleaning than the orange bath mount where I had to tilt the bowl to unclamp it. It comes with optional wires to secure it from tipping but I have just put a piece of wood underneath for extra stability. Overall, the bath makes a sturdy impression, and I am glad I got to test and use it. The dimensions are 15.7" x 11.8" x 1.2" and the price is more budget friendly than my larger ones.
Eastern Bluebirds visiting a heated bird bath