Here’s a hint from the team at Gugu Guru: you might not need a bouncer AND a swing. Both bouncers and swings have a specific function and each fits a certain lifestyle and living situation. If you have the space to accommodate both, awesome! But babies come with a lot of gear and it really depends on if you have the space to accommodate both or not.
Take the quiz below to find out what’s the best choice for you…bouncer? or swing?
If you still want to shop all of the options, here are our unbiased pros and cons for both types of baby chill out styles from the team at Gugu Guru.
BOUNCER
What is it?
A bouncer is usually lightweight and moves with baby’s own movements, or a nudge from mom and dad’s hand or foot. Bouncers tend to be more compact, low to the ground, and easy to store.
Pros
- Many baby bouncer seats don’t require batteries and even if they do, your little one will still get the benefits of bounce, no batteries required.
- If you have limited space, a baby bouncer only takes up a little bit of real estate.
- Bouncers are portable. You can easily move it from room to room or throw it in the trunk to bring to grandma’s house.
- They are generally less expensive than swings.
Cons
- There’s typically only one motion with a bouncer—bouncing.
- Some babies are less likely to drift off to sleep in a bouncer than in a swing.
- Some bouncers can easily tip over and seem a bit less stable than swings. Take caution with where you place them and make sure not to leave baby unattended in one.
Our favorite bouncers:
- Baby Bjorn Bouncers $199 – 249
- Baby Delight Go with Me Alpine Deluxe Portable Bouncer $89.99
- Fisher Price Bouncers $31.99 – 59.99
SWING
What is it?
A swing is often larger than a bouncer and is mechanically powered to rock baby back and forth or side to side. Many swings have additional features like songs, white noise, vibration, and more.
Pros
- Many swings come with toys and various settings with lights, vibration, music and other sounds, making them a one-stop-shop of entertainment for babies.
- Swings have the magic ability of soothing most babies when they’re fussy.
- The swinging motion is like an instant sleep inducer.
Cons
- Baby might get accustomed to the back and forth motion and may have trouble falling asleep without it.
- These things tend to have a big footprint. A swing can take up a lot of space in a small apartment.
- Swings need a power source and/or they go through a lot of batteries.
- Swings are heavy. Once you decide on a spot for one, it’s staying there until you can call for backup to move it.
Our favorite swings:
- 4moms RockaRoo Cool Mesh $189.99
- Munchkin Bluetooth Enabled Baby Swing $189.99
Can’t decide? Still think you need both? It happens! Here are some great hybrid options we recommend. These hybrid products offer parents the best of both worlds, and help you avoid a home taken over by too much baby “stuff”.
- 4Moms Mamaroo4 Classic Grey $239.99
- Graco DuetSoothe Swing and Rocker $118.99
More playtime favorites:
Tummy Time & Play: Gugu Picks
Best Baby Activity Cards
3 comments
I was having my first baby couple of years back and definitely unaware what my girl would like – I studied many guides – reviews and finally picked Graco Glider LX Gliding Swing. Kathy loves the vibrating seat, it doesn’t eat up too much my room – it makes me a happy mama! I feel it was my best decision to go for a Graco swing! However, I find Graco Duet Connect would be as useful as LX Gliding Swing. Thanks for the advice.
Dear sir, I think swing is the best choise because it get so much benefits. Thank you for the helpfull post.
Yes, I agree. Most of the time we don’t need both swing and bouncer. I think bouncer is good for the first six months of babies’ lives. Great work!