Bouncer, swing or rocker?.. What would you recommend?

littlebean

Hi,

I'm looking at buying either a bouncer, swing or rocker for my baby.

There's a huge choice so I'm hoping to benefit from parents experience here and ask for some advice/opinions on bouncer vs Swing and any models that you would recommend.

Thanks a million

Typer Monkey

How old is the baby or is it for a future newborn? I had a fisher price bouncer and found it great for newborns. It's another place to put baby down and is easy to carry from place to place. Think it was €50. There's a picture of an owl on it.

http://www.mothercare.ie/fisher-pricer-rainforest-friends-bouncer.html

Similar to the one above but I thjnk I had the older version, the toy bar on mine only goes 1/2 way across. Makes putting baby into it easier.

littlebean

Thanks Typer Monkey, its for a future newborn, I'm due in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks I'll have a look at that bouncer.

Have you used a swing? Is there much difference between the bouncer or a swing or which is better?

Diamond Doll

^^ We had the same bouncer, and again with the half bar rather than full bar. Would definitely recommend it.

One thing that put me off when buying it (while I was pregnant) was that, as far as I remember, it didn't go up in weight/age to as high as some of the other brands. I think some are designed to last as long as three years. However in hindsight this wasn't an issue at all, because once he was able to walk/crawl, we didn't really use it that much anyways. If we needed to put him down somewhere safe for a few minutes, he was much happier in the travel cot full of toys that we kept in the sitting room rather than in the bouncer. So he kind of outgrew it at around the weight restriction level, anyways.

It plays music and has a vibrate setting, but you know we never once even put batteries in it! Maybe he'd have loved it, I don't know, but he was perfectly happy and comfortable just sitting in it and bouncing it himself.

I'd definitely look into buying secondhand, whatever you decide to go for. We bought most things new, however when I go again, the only things I'll probably buy new are the car seat and cot mattress. There is so much barely used baby equipment available in excellent condition, either secondhand or for free. (Feel free to PM me, OP or anyone else, for a few relevant Facebook pages in the Dublin area.)

Typer Monkey

littlebean wrote: »

Thanks Typer Monkey, its for a future newborn, I'm due in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks I'll have a look at that bouncer.

Have you used a swing? Is there much difference between the bouncer or a swing or which is better?

No never had a swing. I think they're much the same principle as a bouncer really..somewhere to put the baby down to save your back/sanity where they are tilted up slightly to see around them and can amuse themselves swinging/bouncing. My daughter was happy kicking her little legs and bouncing in the seat til she grew out of it and wanted to be crawling around.

Millem

I wish I had bought this one http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/2418487.htm?cmpid=COJUN&storeId=10152&_%24ja=tsid%3A30390%7Cprd%3A7708057&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.ie%2Fstatic%2FProduct%2FpartNumber%2F2418487.htm&referrer=COJUN
My son used it a lot in a play centre. It can vibrate too and goes up to 18kg.

My sis had the old version of this http://www.boots.ie/en/Fisher-Price-3-in-1-Baby-Swing-n-Rocker_1428527/ it is basically the rocker chair in a swing and then it turns into the rocker.

I bought the baby bjorn babysitter balance and rarely used it! We ended up buying the fisher price sit up chair after a few months as I was a bit OTT of letting him lean on his head!!
http://www.smythstoys.com/ie/en-ie/toys/pre-school-electronic-learning/c-447/fisher-price/p-5529/fisher-price-rainforest-sit-me-up-floor-seat/ we got LOADS of use out of it

littlebean

This little piggy wrote: »

I'd definitely look into buying secondhand, whatever you decide to go for. We bought most things new, however when I go again, the only things I'll probably buy new are the car seat and cot mattress. There is so much barely used baby equipment available in excellent condition, either secondhand or for free. (Feel free to PM me, OP or anyone else, for a few relevant Facebook pages in the Dublin area.)

We have bought some new bits like the car seat and buggy and mattresses but I've noticed there is great value in second hand and I've found loads of options for both second hand bouncers and swings so it's definitely the way to go.