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If you’re in a hurry and just want to find out what the best baby swing is, I’d recommend the 4moms mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing.
The first months after a baby is born are challenging. They’ve spent nine months in the womb feeling secure—then suddenly, they have been propelled into a strange environment, and they don’t feel secure anymore.
This is where a baby swing can come in handy. You can’t spend 24 hours a day in your glider rocking your little one, so a swing can take some of the pressure off. These baby swing reviews will show you the best on the market.
Here are the baby swings I will be reviewing:
- 4moms mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing
- Fisher-Price My Little Snugabear Cradle ‘N Swing
- Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing
- Ingenuity Power Adapt Portable Swing
- Fisher-Price Deluxe Take-Along Swing & Seat
Benefits Of Using A Baby Swing
Baby swings offer all sorts of benefits for your little one. I’ve outline a few below.
Imitates The Womb
After the birth of your baby, you enter into what is known as the fourth trimester. This explains what experiences a baby goes through in the first few months. They need to adjust to their new environment, and this is where a baby swing can be an amazing asset to assist with this transition.
The way that the swing rocks is just like mom’s womb. The motion emulates the movement of mom and how she would walk and helps calm a fussy baby.
Improves Colic
Babies often suffer from colic or acid reflux. A baby swing is a great tool in the sense that the baby is elevated more into a sitting position—thus relieving gassy colic symptoms and keeping acid down. In fact, there are certain swings that relieve colic quite effectively.
Hands-Free Welfare
When parents look to purchase any baby equipment, the most important aspect is their infant’s safety. All busy moms need some time to do other things, but baby’s safety is always paramount. Most swings on the market have been tested thoroughly and are deemed safe for use.
To guarantee your baby’s safety, there are some helpful tips for you to bear in mind:
- Infants under the age of four months must always be seated in the most reclined position to enable them to breathe and avoid suffocation.
- Make sure it will not tip easily, or fold up while in use.
- Make sure that the swing has a safety harness if it can be repositioned more than 50 degrees; this will avoid baby falling out.
- Any toys affixed to the swing should not be able to be pulled off easily, this could present a choking hazard.
- The baby should not be heavier than the recommended weight limit on the swing itself.
- NEVER leave the baby unattended, always be within eyesight.
Helps Development
While swinging for entertainment, baby is gathering information and storing it away, turning it into a life experience. They may not seem to be learning, but in fact, they are being educated.
Mobiles and toys hanging off the swing are a great tool to teach hand-eye coordination. If baby reaches out to grab the toy and misses, gradually they will learn about control. It also teaches them patience.
All in all, a baby swing makes for an easier life for a busy mom.
What Should You Look For When Choosing A Baby Swing?
Choosing a baby swing to suit every facet of your shopping list of priorities is a minefield. Considerations on features such as safety, size, how far it reclines, suitability, age range, etc., is mind-blowing. Here are a few pointers.
Sturdiness
The swing needs to have a sturdy frame, be flat to the floor and not in danger of tipping over should baby manage to lean over the side of the seat.
Comfort
Make sure that the seat is comfortable but functional. There should be plenty of padding and head support if it will be used for a newborn. This should be detachable for sleeping and when baby grows.
Harness For Safety
Preventing your infant from coming to any harm is more important than any modern features. When looking at purchasing a swing, you should make sure that it has a harness of at least three points. The best choice, in my opinion, would be to look for a five-point harness. They not only secure babies from the lap, but they also have restraints over the shoulders too.
Ease Of Use
If the swing comes with added extras such as lighting, music, and different speeds, then the control panel should be uncomplicated for ease of use. Babies are impatient and don’t want to stay still while you fiddle about with the controls.
Quality Of Construction
Your chosen swing should be of high quality, strong, and robust. Easy assembly is an added bonus.
Sound Arrangement
Sound features are a great feature to look for when choosing baby swings. The aim of the swing is to keep the baby engrossed and to help them to relax. Playing soothing music while swinging can be the ideal way.
Variable Speed
It is paramount that the swing has variable speeds. Swings that only predominantly give you the one speed can get boring over time.
Swing Path
Most swings will swing either from head to toe or from side to side. A few will offer both, but these can be a little pricey. So when choosing, you need to select the type of swing path that you think your baby will prefer.
Ease Of Cleaning
Babies make a mess, and like it or not, you have to clean it up. So, make sure you choose one with a seat cover that can be easily cleaned.
Look at the skeleton of the swing and how many nooks and crannies there are for mess to get in. Is the seat cover machine washable, or hand wash only? Take time to look at the manufacturer’s recommendations for these directions.
Accessories
A toy bar is a must for a swing, as this keeps baby occupied while awake. A child tray is also a good choice for an accessory. You can feed baby in the swing or put their favorite toys for them to play with.
Now we have discussed all the features you need to be aware of, it is time to move on to reviewing the best baby swings.
My Baby Swing Reviews
After pointing out the advantages and strengths to look out for when buying a baby swing, it is time to make a choice. I have reviewed the best five swings to help you narrow down your shopping list.
4moms MamaRoo 4 Baby Swing
This baby swing is an excellent choice, for the many features it has. One wonderful attribute it has is it moves like mom does. Unlike traditional swings, the seat bounces up and down like you would when comforting your baby and sways from side to side.
It has five unique motion settings and speeds, one like a car ride or a tree swing to mention just a couple.
You can choose the music on the swing or, you can select your own and connect an MP3 player.
The seat moves into many positions which allows your baby to lie down or sit up. All seat positions are healthy for baby.
A big advantage for the techno-geek is that it is Bluetooth enabled. This allows you to control the motion, sound, speed, and volume of the swing from any compatible device without having to disturb your infant.
To maintain baby’s attention there is a crinkle ball, a rattle, and a reflective mirror ball. All these toys and sounds help your little one to develop their sensory awareness as well as hand-eye coordination.
The mamaRoo is not intended for sleeping and must not be left unattended while baby is in the swing.
Pros
- Easily assembled with no tools required
- Compact and portable
- Bluetooth enabled
- Has five different motions
- Easily removable seat
Cons
- Only has a three-point harness
- Uses AC adaptor for power so has to be close to a wall socket
Fisher-Price My Little Snugabear Cradle ‘N Swing
The company Fisher-Price is well known as a manufacturer of baby products and toys. They are reliable and robust and can last through a few children—we still have some toys from our first child.
This swing has so many lovable features. The My Little Snugabear baby swing has to be the top of my list for comfort for baby. It has a deep, well-padded, and oh-so-soft seat. The head and neck support is excellent too.
Together with the added convenience of three adjustable seat positions plus a two position recline, it has to be one of the most versatile swings on the market.
The Snugabear Cradle ‘n Swing displays two swing motions: side to side and head-to-toe. Sporting six swing speeds, it is smooth on every speed setting. This is due to Fisher-Price’s SmartSwing technology.
For entertainment, baby can listen to 16 songs and nature sounds. There’s also a motorized mobile with owl toys and a mirrored globe for developing and improving their hand-eye coordination.
There is a weight limit on this swing of 25 pounds.
Pros
- Assembles quickly and easily
- SmartSwing technology
- Dual swinging motions
- Runs on batteries and is supplied with a 120V AC adapter
- Motorized mobile complete with toys
Cons
- On the larger side, could be a problem for parents with a small space
- Motor is loud
Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing
This cradle swing is ideal if your baby decides to fall asleep. It swings from side to side or head to toe and offers six different speed settings.
The swing comes with a beautiful canopy above the baby’s head. There is a motorized mobile sporting a starlight display and soft butterflies to watch while drifting off to sleep.
It has three position seating arrangements with the push of a button. Alongside the swinging motions, it plays soothing music.
Top it all off with a plush seat and detachable tray with bead bars to keep baby amused, and you have a beautiful piece of nursery furniture.
Pros
- The unit can be powered by electricity or batteries
- Automatically turns itself off after 4 hours
- Portable and sturdy
- Machine washable seat
- Comes with volume control
Cons
- Batteries do not last very long
- Complicated to put together
Ingenuity Power Adapt Portable Swing
When on the move, you need an easy to carry portable swing, one that doesn’t require tools to construct, or is heavy to carry. This is ideal for that very reason.
Its sturdy frame is light—plus easy to fold and carry. But you’re not missing out on anything, it has all the features of a full-sized fixed swing.
Batteries can be used when out and about, plug it in when you get close to a source of power. This portable swing offers five-speed settings plus three timer settings, with a very quiet running motor.
For safety, a five-point harness is used and the non-slip feet ensures the baby is safe at all times. The extra soft seat is padded for comfort and has additional head support for newborns. This can be removed when your baby grows out of it.
The Ingenuity Power Adapt portable swing comes with soothing music and nature sounds.
This swing grows with your infant due to the weight modification technology. The weight limit is around 20 pounds.
Pros
- Weight discerning technology keeps the swing speed even
- A lightweight frame can be carried flat in one hand
- Batteries and AC power
- Removable toy bar
- Five-point harness and non-slip feet for baby’s safety
Cons
- The seat is very shallow
- Does not always stay folded when carrying
Fisher-Price Deluxe Take-Along Swing & Seat
This portable swing has all you need to calm and entertain your baby while at home or when traveling. With its superbly soft cushion, gentle movements, and the appeasing vibrations, this is a valuable piece of equipment for soothing your infant.
Put that together with the soft and gentle tunes, and the squidgy birdie playmates. All the features this baby swing and static baby seat offer make it one of the most comfortable spots for your little bundle of fun to relax in.
The seat effortlessly folds to enable easy transportation. There’s also a handle that makes it easy to grab on your way out.
Babies develop through seeing, hearing, and touching. This seat encourages your baby’s sensory development with the pleasant movements, fabrics that are soft to the touch, gentle sounds, and smooth vibrations. Your baby will feel secure and happy in their cozy surroundings.
Pros
- Frame is easy to fold and convenient for transportation
- Machine washable seat with newborn insert
- Folds flat for ease of storage
- Non-slip feet
Cons
- Only runs on batteries, no plug-in outlet
- Needs a small screwdriver handy
Rocking Around The Clock
Baby swings are an item that you cannot be without. If you follow the instructions, your baby can safely swing while you can get some things done around the house.
After debating all of the swings and their pros and cons, my final decision for the best swing is the 4moms mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing. Easily assembled with no tools required, it’s compact and lightweight, portable, has five different motions, and a detachable seat.
I must admit what actually swung the vote for this one was the ease with which the baby can be put in and out of the seat. Also its convenience in being Bluetooth enabled. As a busy mom, it eliminates the need to go stepping back and forth to adjust the motions or the volume.
All of the swings reviewed are excellent. Your choice could be different, all depending on your budget and preference.