Baby Swing Buying Guide

Safety and Comfort

As with all purchased for your child, safety and comfort are top concerns when purchasing a baby swing. When can you put your baby in a swing? Check with your doctor when your baby reaches 6-8 weeks. Babies typically outgrow baby swings between the ages of 4-6 months when their weight approached 25lbs, which is the maximum most baby swings can hold safely. Be sure the baby swing you choose has a wide base and low center of gravity to guard against tipping when baby moves. Just like car seats and strollers, you’ll want a baby swing that features a five-point or three-point harness, though it’s best to limit your options to swings with five-point harnesses.

The five-point harness utilizes a hip restraints to stabilize infants and prevent them from sliding down in the swing’s seat. This feature is great because hip restraint prevents sleeping a babies from moving too much. If you’re considering purchasing a swing for your newborn, you’ll need one that features an infant recline that supports their head and neck but can convert to an upright position as they grow stronger. However, you’ll still use therecline feature when your older baby is sleepy so they can nap in the swing. Lastly, two features you’ll want to look for: fold-up trays that allow you to remove your child from the baby swing without hitting their legs or head on the swing’s bars (or waking them if they’re sleeping) and canopies to protect their delicate skin from sun when using the swing outdoors.

Power Source

Is battery-powered better than the traditional wind-up baby swing? We think it comes down to a matter of preference. Like any battery-powered device, replacement batteries and/or battery rechargers add to the cost of the swing over time. However, you may find battery-powered swings to be more convenient to operate daily (no need to stop what you’re doing to re-wind the swing) than wind-up swings. If your intention is for baby to do a lot of napping in the swing, the noise from re-winding it may disrupt the quiet time you’re trying to create. Other advantages to battery-powered baby swings include additional speed settings, music and other soothing, ambient noises. For those who can’t stand the thought of one more task to keep up with, there are a few models that feature AC Power, such as Fisher Price Power Plus Plug In Swing, that can run on batteries for portability but can easily be switched to run on outlet power.

Speed and Sound

No two babies are alike and sometimes, the same baby is completely different one day to the next. Today they may respond to being rocked slowly, but next week, they might prefer more active movement. Your best bet is to look for swings that offer a variety of speeds to please baby’s every mood. Some models, like Pronto’s Pick—the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Cradle Swing—offer different rocking patterns (front to back and side to side). As your baby grows, you might also find that you need to adjust the baby swing’s speed to work with their larger frame/weight. If having a swing that grows with your child is important to you, look for models with multiple speed settings

Just like the benefits of multiple swing speeds, multiple music choices can make for a better swing. Just like adults, your baby will like different music over time. Many models come with a variety of different sounds choices, so with some experimentation you should find one the lullaby that does the trick.

Look for volume knobs that control the overall sound level versus baby swings that come with only two fixed settings. You should also have the option to mute the chair, as some babies may do best with pure quiet.

Portability and Storage

Will you be traveling frequently and need to take your swing with you? Even if you’ll just want to use your baby swing in the yard, you’ll want to look for models that are light in weight without sacrificing stability. If you live in tight quarters or if storage is an issue, you may want to consider models that fold up easily and compactly. Most manufacturers make take-along versions of their swings, which make moving them anywhere—even just from room to room—easy and effortless.

Keeping Baby Busy

Chances are you get cranky when you’re bored and so do babies. Baby swings are designed to soothe, but they can also serve as entertaining activity centers. Baby swings may come with simple toy trays attached to the front of the swing while others include colorful mobiles, mirrors, lights, music and other interactive toys or features. If you’re interested in baby swings that offer these options, be sure the pieces are solid, smooth, large and not easily detached.

Need to know more?

• Why Baby Swings?
  http://www.thebabydepartment.com/playtime/baby-swings.aspx
• Baby Swing Reviews
  http://products.howstuffworks.com/swing-reviews.htm
• US Consumer Product Safety Commission Infant/Children Product Recalls
  http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/child.html