This reveiw is for the Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Soothing Rocker. We first saw this chair when the twins were 7 months old at the Baby Faire. My husband really liked it but I wanted something safe and durable and took a closer look. We already had two bouncers for infants but wanted chairs for them. Most of the chairs are too high for young babies and not very strong.

I looked at many of the chairs and like the colors of this one. The fabric is strong and well stitched. It has a vibrator like many of the other bouncers. It has straps that are higher up on the baby than most chairs or bouncers. The straps can also be tucked in under the wooden insert (I think it is actually pressed board) so it is not uncomfortable to sit on. It has two different heights and can be set to rock or be stable by lowering a bar in the front. This seat can be set to lean back to feed young babies if you use bottles. I like the fact that the front and back of the rocker bars have little nubs to prevent it from tipping over due to an overzealous rocker. It also folds somewhat flat for storage.

We purchased two of these seats at Baby Depot and got the twin discount (20% off the second item). I bought them home and they were very easy to set up, the instructions are very clear. It is very easy to take the fabric off and toss in the washer (we all know how messy babies and toddlers are). The legs can be broken down to lie flat for storage behind furniture or under a bed. You must make sure that the buttons on the legs are fully snapped out when you insert it into the "U" shaped bracket. The height adjustment is done by pressing a button in the back and sliding the legs in or out. The batteries last long in the vibrator. I have come out in the morning to find the thing had been left on over night but is still running.

The seats are very stable. The bar that folds down to stabilize the chair has rubber pieces on it to keep it from sliding on the chai
r. When it is set to rock the nubs on the front and back of the rocker bars keep it from tipping forward or backwards. We tested them ourselves by putting a heavy bag (15lbs of cat food) in it and violently rocked it back and forth. The covers are secured with clips to keep the kids from getting them off. Of course when it rocks you have to be careful as toddlers love to climb. I always watch them carefully since they climb on the coffee table and every other thing I tell them not to climb on.

The recalls mentioned in previous opinions concerned me so I check it out. I checked with many recall sites and also with Fisher Price themselves. They admitted that there was an incident that a chair did collapse however they concluded that the bar on one side was not "locked" into place on to the seat. The other recall sites did not have any problems or concerns reported on this chair.

Now, onto the important part that makes all of the research either worth it or completely useless. The kids love them, they are almost 20 months old now. When I cook dinner I put on a video tape and set up the chairs so they are stable and recline. The kids climb in them and sit there watching the tape for a while the do get a toy from time to time but do sit in them for a time. They also tip them over sideways before they sit in it and stand in the center of the bars. I try to keep them from doing this but it is hard as they are toddlers.

They have changed the style slightly for this years chair. My sister purchased one of this years model and it is still basically the same except the fabric design is different and they straps do not go up as high. The straps on mine went up under the arms of my babies which if you have a small baby could chafe of cause some discomfort for the baby. These straps are designed to come up to a lower point. The high straps were probably designed for large toddlers also but they do not use the straps. You may run into a
small problem if you baby is unusually large but I do not think that would happen. By the time the baby outgrows the straps they most likely will not use them anyway. They also added an activity bar that can be attached to entertain young babies.

This chair is well worth the money and I highly recommend it. Regarding the price we purchased them for $39 (those of you who have read my other reviews know I'm and American). We purhcased them at Baby Depot which is part of Burlington Coat Factory but they have them at Babies R Us also. It is good for infants as well as toddlers.