It is 10 a.m., and everyone has left for work. You tiptoe to your
notebook computer, hoping to complete a task at hand before the fast-approaching deadline reaches. The furtiveness is to ensure that you do not wake up your little one, who you have just managed to get to sleep after hours of soothing and breastfeeding. Barely ten minutes into the job, the sound you’ve been dreading is heard. “Not again!” you mumble to yourself. The ‘little monster’ is awake, and she doesn’t care how busy mommy is. It’s her way or the highway!
Taking care of your child supersedes anything else, so you are forced to abandon your task. You pick your darling up from her
baby crib, cradling the munchkin as you swing her up and down. This works the baby becomes jovial, abandoning the grumpy face. Moments later she’s quiet, and you put her down again, this time placing a
baby pillow under her head. hoping this time she will stay calm at least until you complete the job at hand.
You walk back to your workstation, silently praying that the baby doesn’t interrupt again. A half-hour passes without a sound, and Phew! You sigh with relief. But in the blink of an eye, she’s at it again! This time, the cries are even louder. A sucker in her mouth doesn’t help. Breastfeeding also proves futile, showing that clearly that hunger is not the source of the anger. Maybe she just needs to be cradled in her mother’s loving arms, you conclude. With no one to help, you have no other option other than to forego the job and attend to your little one.
So how can you avoid such a situation? Well, look no further, because we have the answer for you – a baby swing. With its continuous back and forth movement, it can soothe a child by creating an illusion that she is being cradled. This gives you some time off, to rest or conduct other pressing chores.
Identifying the perfect baby swing may a hard task, given the myriad of options available in the market. We assessed the various brands and narrowed down to the five best of the lot in this guide. Keep on reading to become well-acquainted with the choices available to you when you go shopping!
Price
The market has a wide assortment of products in this niche, with an equally wide range of prices. Factors contributing to the differences include size, accessories, type of fabric used, and versatility, among others. Swings with a lot of embedded extra features, such as toys and music players, will surely be more costly than their simpler competitors. Bigger and more versatile swings also attract higher prices than the smaller alternatives.
Their prices range from about $20 to $200. We tried out products from both ends of the price spectrum, as well as those in the middle. Our tests showed that the cheap baby swings just didn’t measure up to their competitors. So, you will want to avoid those tempting swings that are colorful but have very little to offer practically.
Features
Before reaching into your pocket to fork over your hard-earned cash, be informed about the specifications of any specific baby swing.
The following should be priorities when shopping for a baby swing:
- Type- It can be a cradle swing only, or a combination of a swing and a bouncer.
- Age Range-How long will the swing fit your growing baby?
- Material- What is the swing made of? Is it plastic, fabric, metal, or polyester?
- Safety– What mechanisms guarantee safety?
- Extras- Are there any additional exciting features such as music?
Construction and Design
As with any other baby equipment, the safety measures in a baby swing should be first-rate. The straps should be able to support the child’s weight. The fabric in which the baby is placed should be tough (to last), smooth (easy to clean), and comfy (to help baby stay entertained). Any joints should be double-checked to ensure that they are well-secured.
What age range is the swing designed for? It is not rocket science that swings meant for newborns will be lighter and smaller than those meant for older babies. These days, manufacturers are beginning to make swings versatile enough to accommodate babies of broader age ranges. You might be able to buy just one!
Performance and Ease of Use
Current baby swings are made of material that is easy to wash, since babies are experts at dirtying things. Swings may also feature adjustable speeds, as well as changeable musical melodies, all in a bid to soothe your young one. Some brands even have toys to keep your baby occupied.
In this era of technological advancements, baby swings have not been left behind. A few models have integrated an automatic shutdown feature, which allows you to regulate how long the swing keeps going, and volume controls for the music players. .
With so many swings boasting of so many features, you might get carried away and think you need more than you actually do and spend more money than you need to. To prevent this, we have listed the features of each swing and, in some cases, why each feature is important. This will help you see what you actually need. So, let’s proceed and see what each brand has to offer.
Now that you have read these reviews, you should be ready to pick a swing for your baby. Made a choice already? Great! And if you didn’t see the perfect swing, there are still plenty of others you can find on Amazon. Place that order and say bye-bye to tired arms! You will be glad you did.
