Buying Guide to Baby Swings

When I was in my second and third trimesters of pregnancy, all of my friends who are parents would quiz me about what I wanted or needed for gifts in order to be ready for the baby’s arrival. Being a first-time parent, I was often speechless. Finally, my standard reply became “If you want to give me a gift, give me something you found useful as a parent.” That way, I figured I could get some useful advice too.

One of the most suggested “useful” items was the baby swing. “My baby was colicky and that was the only thing that made her happy” and “that’s the only way I could get anything done around the house” were a couple of the many testimonials attesting to the greatness of the swing and how it would pretty much be the key item needed to raise a healthy, happy baby.

Because the baby merchandise is a huge market flooded with competitive companies, there are dozens of styles and options when it comes to buying a baby swing. It is no longer your standard wind-up metal-legged tick-tocking swing. Here are some features you need to consider when picking your baby’s swing:

Safety
You might think this is a “given,” but it never hurts to be careful. The baby wing should have a wide base for stability and a 3 or 5 point harness system. If the swing is unstable and prone to tipping, or if your child cannot be secured in the seat, you don’t want it.

Standard or Portable
If you plan on being home much, you should probably purchase a regular baby swing. If you plan on traveling with baby it might be enough to only own a portable swing. If you can invest in it, you might like to have both. A portable is handy for moving from room to room, taking the grandma’s or the babysitters, and as a back up if the standard swing is not functioning for some reason.

Metal or wood
That’s right, no longer do you have to settle for the metal-legged swing. Eddie Baur has a wooden swing.

Front-to-back or Side-to-side
Now, you have a choice of a traditional front-to-back or “head-to-toe” motion swing or a side-to-side or “cradle” swing. Some swings can convert between the two and provide a choice like the Fisher-Price Cradle Swing.

Batteries, Wind-up or Plug-in
This is personal preference. Most swings take C or D cell batteries, which will need to be replaced, but is nice and compact because of the lack of a plug . A plug-in swing is a little harder to find and makes for a cord on the floor, but you don’t have to worry about the swing stopping. Wind-up does not require electricity but means the swing will eventually stop and you have to wind it up again, which risks waking or upsetting baby.

Music & Toys
That’s right, as if swinging were not entertainment enough, today’s babies can listen to music, watch an overhead mobile, and play with toys attached to the swing’s tray or sides of the swing. When choosing a swing with lots of toys, make sure they are removable. Sometimes, if baby is using the swing for soothing, stimulation can be upsetting.

Open Top, Folds for storage
Two features you want in a swing. The open top makes putting baby in and taking baby out easier and safer (no more bumping baby’s head on the way up). If there is a mobile on the swing, make sure it is removable so you can push it to the side and remove baby easily. And a swing that folds for storage is a swing not causing clutter.

Seat
The reclining option is a must. A newborn or young infant will be more comfortable in a seat in which they can lay back until she is able to sit up on her own. Make sure the seat is wide enough to accommodate baby as she grows. A narrow swing, like the Graco Swyngomatic Infant Swing can begin to be crowed for a child as young as two months old.

Tray
Does the swing have a tray to hold goodies? If there are toys attached to the tray, are they removable? A flip tray that can be lifted with one hand will make access in and out of the seat much easier for the parent.

Speeds & Timer
Different swinging speeds is an important feature. The gentle swinging option is great for newborns and young babies that might be overwhelmed by vigorous swinging. At the same time, older infant could get bored by a sluggish swing, so a more playful setting is appropriate for them. Many electric swings have multiple speed settings as well as a timer that can control the power and turn the swing off after a designated amount of time.

Luckily, a baby swing was gifted to me as a shower present. (And you better believe I had that thing put together and ready before baby arrived!) But if I had to pick one out myself, I would have liked to have known about all these features and options before hand so that I could have been prepared to make the choices necessary to purchase the best baby swing for me and baby.