Rock on Little Dudes! (Rockers And Bouncers in General)

Member Name: lulu2004

Product:	Rockers And Bouncers in General
Date:	08/10/08 (118 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Safe place for babies to sit

Disadvantages: hard to decide which suits better

When many of us are having a baby we are bamboozled by the huge array of baby equipment out there. Different people tell us we need different things and everyone thinks their opinion is the correct one. I feel quite lucky, my job is Equipment consultant at a baby shop; although I've just had a baby myself so I have been able to weigh up everything out there and see what suited my lifestyle and beliefs rather than going on other people's hearsay.

For my son I had a bouncer, a Fisher Price bouncer that had vibrations and a toybar. He got almost 6 months use from it and I was very happy indeed with that. Although a lot of bouncers say suitable from birth, they can be slightly uncomfortable for a newborn as most bouncers do not recline; there are a few on the market that do recline but these are typically at the more expensive end of the spectrum.

A Newborn should be in a recline no steeper than 30 degrees when relaxing to prevent back problems. Car Seats are different; they can be 45 degrees as they are only used for short periods and need the rise to support the child's head, but the issue is that a lot of bouncers also start at 45 degrees, making them not particularly suitable from birth- more like 6 weeks+ . Rockers are different; they are typically adjustable; some go right back the full 180 degrees and sit up to 90 degrees. Apologies if Im getting too technical.

When your little one grows bigger as you can imagine, a bouncer seat will go lower and lower to the ground as the weight of the child forces it downwards. It becomes more difficult to bounce and bouncers are made of a finer structure to keep them lightweight, this does not really help support a heavier child and you could find yourself buying the likes of a Bumbo or Highchair to sit your child in from as early as 4 months depending on the weight of the child. So that's the cons of bouncers but there are certainly many pros too...

The Bouncer retails from very cheap to entirely over-priced depending on what you wish to spend, this means that there is one to fit every budget. If you buy one with vibrations you may find that the vibrating aspect helps a colicky baby; I know it helped my little boy and brought the air bubbles to the top of his tummy and helped him burp. Bouncers generally have toy bars which promote hand-eye co-ordination as the youngster firstly tries to bat the toys and eventually works up to grabbing and clenching the toys. It also provides a safe place for a parent to leave their child when they strap the baby in. Most are easily washable by simply removing the covers. So a bouncer is certainly worth considering as a mum-to-be.


I decided on a Rocker this time for my two month old daughter. I like substance in my baby products; I like them to look strong and sturdy, the frame on a rocker is usually much thicker than a bouncer. The one I chose is double the price of a standard bouncer would have been, but I intend to use it right up to weaning and beyond as I can bring the recline right up to a straight 90 degrees. I understand that people wean babies in bouncers, but I disagree with feeding a baby at an angle. Would you like to eat your dinner at 45 degrees?

I have not actually rocked my daughter in the rocker; I keep the brakes on it and ot remains a safe snug place to sit for her, perhaps when she is older I will let her rock using her own momentum but Ive never got into the habit of rocking.

I like the fact that she will not force the seat unit downwards to the floor as she gets heavier- the tubes are thick and will support her; in fact they seem so strong I think they would probably support me if I sat in it!

You can get rockers that have vibrations and toybars too. Ours has a toybar but no vibrations but my little girl isnt too bothered by the lack of vibration. She likes to lay back in a nicely reclined position and just watch the world go by.

The big con of the Rocker is the price. They really do cost more than the average bouncer, but in baby products you pay for substance and design. A rocker will see you through many more months than a bouncer will. However I can tell you through work that bouncers sell three times as well as Rockers.

I think you can tell I certainly lean towards Rockers but at the end of the day, both products provide mums with a safe haven for their little ones to chill out during the day. I will end the review with a few names of bouncers and Rockers that I think are worth checking out if you are in the market for one or the other:

Bouncers:
Mamas and Papas Capria
Fisher Price Cover and Play
Cosatto Jolly Jelly (Good budget option)

Rockers:
Chicco Relax and Play
Mamas and Papas Sereno

Summary: bouncers? Rockers? What's the difference?