Bounce Bounce Baby (Lindam Door Bouncer)

Member Name: ButterBear

Product:	Lindam Door Bouncer
Date:	25/06/08 (608 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Entertains baby, portable, long lasting

Disadvantages: Tricky to put baby in if you're on your own

Lindam have several different designs of door bouncer available including "bounce about" the basic model in the range, "Bounce about plus", Disney Winnie the pooh door bouncer" and "Tigger door bouncer" with prices ranging from £19.99 for the basic model and £34.99 for the Disney versions you can find a bouncer to suit most pockets. The bouncer we are talking about here though is the "Bounce about" door bouncer, the most basic but most affordable bouncer in the range.

When not attached to your doorway the bouncer is a curious looking device with a large metal claw, giant spring, several straps attached to what looks like a plastic coat hanger and a fabric harness device. The large sprung claw opens up and is fitted either side of your doorframe, gripping onto the wall and holding the bouncer in place, the large spring hangs down beneath this leading to the coat hanger like cross bar which in turn is attached to 2 straps connected to the harness which holds your baby. The fabric harness that holds your little one is adjustable with large Velcro sections to hold them securely in place and the straps are adjustable meaning you can alter the height of the bouncer to one that is suitable for your child.

Fitting the bouncer to the doorway is really easy and simply requires that you prise open the claw and pop it either side of your doorway, it does not need permanent fixing which means no unsightly holes in your walls once the bouncer has been finished with and it means you can take it down after every use and store it away ready for the next day. Because there is a safety element involved in the proper installation of the bouncer I decided to take this information direct from Lindam-

"To be used in internal door ways only the door frame must have a permanent secure architrave at least 1.5 (0.5 inches) wide. Wall must be at least 10cm (4 inches) thick and no more than 17cm (6.75 inches)"

So the door will have to have a permanent surround, the wall will need to be permanent and stable and the doorway cannot be arched as the slope will prevent getting a good grip. The Lindam bouncer is suitable for babies who are strong enough and able to support their head unaided, there is no specific age as all babies develop at different stages but I'd wait until your little one holds his head with ease, even better if they can sit unsupported. The bouncer is suitable for a maximum weight of 12Kgs (26.46lb) which will easily see out most babies, Christopher at 4 years old only weighs 15Kgs and while there's no way he'd use the bouncer it just goes to show how strong it is and how much use you'll get from it. Use of the bouncer should stop once your baby is able to walk or cruise along furniture unaided.

Christopher always loved bouncing from a very young age, if he was a bit upset, unsettled or even had a tricky spot of wind a quick bounce on the knee would settle him, when he started to chuckle and laugh as a result of being bounced we realised it was something he really enjoyed and so we purchased the Lindam door bouncer with the hope that he'd have lots of fun using it and save mummy and daddy their aching muscles. The bouncer came completely made up so there was no fiddling around with straps and harnesses trying to work out how it went together, we installed the bouncer in the doorway and set it to what seemed like a good height before popping him in the harness to test it out. I have to admit to having been a bit nervous at first and held onto him giving him a very gentle bounce to test the strength before daring to let go of him, it held perfectly though and I gingerly stepped back and let him try the bouncer solo. It took him a few tries before he could work out how to make the bouncer work and it was easier when he was very young to give him a helping hand ever so often just to get him moving. Once he had the knack of it though there was no stopping him and my little boy became a crazy bouncing machine.

One of the things I noticed quickly was that the bouncing created a fair bit of noise as the claw rattled around on the door frame, while I wasn't worried it would come loose it was a bit off putting so we took to padding it out a little (with anything we could get hold of, piece of sponge, flannel, odd sock.............) which muffled the noise, the claw was still firmly in place and secure but making a lot less noise. We also had to make sure that Christopher had something on his feet or a blanket underneath the bouncer just to protect his little toes from the cold floor and continuous impact from bouncing. While we love the bouncer and got a lot of use from it I do have one main complaint and that's the level of difficulty in putting baby in the harness if you're on your own, 2 people make the job a lot easier as one can hold the bouncer still while the other one seats the baby and fixes the straps, otherwise it's a bit of a challenge keeping it still, putting the baby in and making sure he's secure enough, it's doable but tricky!

I would highly recommend this door bouncer to anyone looking to purchase this type of equipment for their little one. It is simple to install, portable and there's no construction required, the harness can be removed for washing and is nicely padded making it comfortable for your little one. While 15 minutes per go is the recommended time per use of the bouncer this is more then enough to keep baby entertained for a little while and it's a great work out for their little legs, Christopher used this bouncer often and always loved being in it, one of his favourite tricks was making it spin in circles, which isn't actually recommended but he'd wind himself round and round the let it go spinning like a helicopter! I've had my bouncer for nearly 4 years, it's seen a fare bit of use but is still in perfect condition, not a spot of wear, tear, damage or rust......it is still available now to purchase new which goes to show that it's a reliable and successful model, team that with the fact I've had mine for so long and you can see what a good quality and excellent value the bouncer is.

The bouncer is available from stores like Mothercare and Toys R Us, check it out at Lindams website here- http://www.lindam.com/store/bounce.html

Summary: A great affordable door bouncer.