Top 5 Best Baby Rocker Chairs | 2017 Reviews
Full disclosure: there is no single piece of baby equipment which has personally gotten more use or been more important in our home than a baby rocker chair. Not only did it serve as an infant rocker for quite a long time, it also was the only place that one of our kids would sleep through the night while she was going through struggles with GERD and colic. It’s impossible to count the number of nights that she – finally – fell peacefully asleep in her rocker chair, allowing us to get some much-needed sleep as well. In fact, we had two identical chairs, one next to our bed and one next to our living room couch, so she could rock to sleep in either room.
Of course, most first-time parents don’t rely quite as much as we did on a baby rocker chair. But it’s still an invaluable tool for calming and entertaining an infant while letting her get a tiny bit of exercise and stimulation when she’s in the mood for some gentle play.
Most rocker/bouncer chairs have a number of things in common: they rock, they vibrate and they have some combination of reachable toys and the ability to play music. What’s more important to consider when shopping for a baby rocker is their comfort and safety, because a chair that isn’t padded enough will never make the infant happy or calm, and many inexpensive bouncers are prone to tipping quite easily. Fabric that’s easily washable will also be a godsend when accommodating children of this age (diapers have a way of letting loose when a baby is rocking), and being able to make at least a few adjustments to the angle of the chair is a helpful feature as well.
You may also want to take a read on our comprehensive Baby Rocker Chair Buying Guide.
Here’s our list of the top 5 best baby rocker chairs – and the full disclosure above will give you a hint as to why we selected our #1 choice to top the list.
Quick Comparison Table
|
Fisher-Price Infant To Toddler Rocker |
BabyHome Wave Wooden Rocker |
Tiny Love 3 in 1 Rocker Napper |
bloom Coco Go Lounger |
Nuna Leaf Baby Seat With Mesh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
|
7.7 pounds |
10.1 pounds |
11.5 pounds |
8.8 pounds |
11.5 pounds |
|
Not foldable |
Foldable |
Not foldable |
Foldable |
Not foldable |
 |
|
|
|
|
Fisher-Price Infant To Toddler Rocker
Here it is, the rocker that saved our sanity. It isn’t the most full-featured chair on our list, and it’s definitely the least expensive at about $25. But we swear by this baby rocker chair.
The Fisher-Price model has a deep seat and reclines almost flat, so it’s perfect for naps whether baby’s the type who will go to sleep on her own, if you want to rock her, or if you prefer to let the battery-powered vibrator function on the chair (which, unlike some competitors, doesn’t feel like you’ve unleashed a volcano) lull her into sleepy time. The recline also makes it easy to bottle feed if your arms or back are tired. There’s a locking kickbar as well, which prevents the chair from rocking or moving when the seat is reclined. The seat pad comes in a selection of lively patterns, but more importantly it can be removed and tossed in the washing machine. There’s a three-point restraint system for safety.
When you move the seat all the way up, the Infant to Toddler Rocker becomes a fun place to rock and play, thanks to the removable toy bar that stretches across the top but is within baby’s reach. Depending on the model you choose, there’s also an elephant which will play music when pulled – always a hit with the young ones. The toys are sort of chintzy, to be honest, but they’re meant to entertain baby, not us or even older toddlers. On the subject of older toddlers, the Fisher-Price rocker chair is built to hold weights up to 40 pounds, so once your child has outgrown the “baby functions,” the deep seat may make this her favorite rocking chair for TV watching once you’ve removed the toy bar.
We’re biased, as you know by now, but we tried really hard to find a negative feature of this baby rocker to balance our review. The only one we can come up with (other than it’s a rocker, not a bouncer) is that you should feel guilty that you didn’t have to pay more for the Fisher-Price chair.
|
Details of the Fisher-Price Infant To Toddler Rocker |
|
|---|---|
|
Weight Limit |
40 pounds |
|
Recline |
Yes |
|
Foldable |
No |
|
Vibrate |
Yes, D Battery |
|
Included Accesories |
Toy bar |
|
Washable |
Pad is machine-washable |
|
Size |
15 x 6 x 25 |
|
Weight |
7.7 pounds |
|
Warranty |
One year |
BabyHome Wave Wooden Rocker
We’re taking a major step up in style and price with this BabyHome rocker, which looks like a cross between an old-fashioned piece of furniture and something that would fit perfectly in a contemporary-style home.
The Wave rocker sort of resembles a folded chaise lounge, but the base and chair are made from high-quality laminated wood with a strong, cushioned fabric insert where baby reclines. Unlike the Fisher-Price, the BabyHome model is only designed for babies up to six months old; infants much larger would have their legs dangling out of this chair dangerously. The Wave Rocker can be used in three different positions which are at different degrees of incline, and in two of them the chair can be gently rocked with a front to back motion. The unit is heavy, though, so momentum won’t keep it moving for long and it requires constant rocking from mom or dad.
A three-point harness keeps baby firmly in position while in the chair, and the padded fabric is soft and very comfortable so she will likely be lulled to sleep quickly. It’s removable and washable, too. The BabyHome rocker chair isn’t a piece of inexpensive baby furniture that you will move from room to room (even though it does fold up nicely), or replace after a year or so. It’s a beautiful and extremely well-made (but heavy) piece that you’ll want to keep in one spot, perhaps even as the focus of a nursery or family room. But it also does a wonderful job of rocking baby to sleep – as it should, for a price of $150-175. The Wave’s fabric comes in a choice of four colors.
|
Details of the BabyHome Wave Wooden Rocker |
|
|---|---|
|
Weight Limit |
20 pounds |
|
Recline |
Yes |
|
Foldable |
Yes |
|
Vibrate |
No |
|
Included Accesories |
None |
|
Washable |
Pad is machine-washable |
|
Size |
20 x 16 x 32 |
|
Weight |
10.1 pounds |
|
Warranty |
One year limited |
Tiny Love 3 in 1 Rocker Napper
The Tiny Love Rocker Napper “splits the middle” between our first two entries on this list of top 5 best baby rocker chairs: it’s designed for both infants and smaller toddlers (although we really can’t picture using it for babies older than about nine months), it’s sturdy but not tremendously heavy so it’s easy to move around, and its price falls in between those of the Fisher-Price and BabyHome chairs.
When set up for baby, this chair takes the form of a flat pad with raised sides which resembles a cradle or bassinet and is the perfect environment for her to nap in comfortably. It can also be raised to three different positions with the sides lowered, ideal for resting, rocking or playing. The “upright” position still has a pretty decent incline, so we can’t really see this working as an actual chair for older kids, though. As with our first two products, the 3 in 1 doesn’t rock itself but moves smoothly with an adult hand doing the work, and also has a very effective vibrating function which quickly lulls a young child to sleep. There’s a locking bar on the bottom which will stop the chair from rocking if you’d like.
An adjustable toy bar hangs from one side of the Rocker Napper, with two rattling light-up toys easily within baby’s reach; there are also nine short songs you can play to amuse her (and annoy you after a little while – but that’s all part of being a mommy, right?). The fabric isn’t the softest we’ve seen, but it can be removed and tossed into the wash which is certainly a positive.
If you thought that the Wave was too expensive for a rocker that could only be used for six months, the Tiny Love chair will serve you well for almost twice as long, at $90.
|
Details of the Tiny Love 3 in 1 Rocker Napper |
|
|---|---|
|
Weight Limit |
20 pounds for Napper, 40 pounds for Rocker |
|
Recline |
Yes |
|
Foldable |
No |
|
Vibrate |
Yes, C battery |
|
Included Accesories |
Toy bar with music |
|
Washable |
Fabric is machine-washable |
|
Size |
30 x 19 x 30 |
|
Weight |
11.5 pounds |
|
Warranty |
One year limited |
bloom Coco Go Lounger
Here’s a well-made, higher-priced alternative to the Fisher-Price and Tiny Love rocker chairs we’ve discussed. It provides most of the same functions: lying nearly flat for sleeping infants, set at several reclines for older babies, and sitting upright as a chair for toddlers (with a locking option). Two-speed vibration is a welcome alternative to hand-rocking, and this is the only rocker chair on our rankings with a padded five-point safety harness. There will be no problem rocking baby to sleep in this bloom model.
The Go Lounger is the plushest and most comfortable of all the chairs we’ve looked at, yet the 100% organic seat pad is still machine-washable. It’s also nearly as beautiful as the Nuna Leaf which we’ll look at next, with a minimalist design and formed-birch accents along with three available warm fabric colors. There’s one other noteworthy positive to the bloom: it’s the only one on our list of the top 5 best baby rocker chairs that folds up completely flat for transport in the included reversible travel bag.
Visitors to your home who see the bloom may mistake it at first for a designer chair for kids, rather than a baby rocker. The good news is that it’s both, if you don’t mind paying almost $200 for it.
|
Details of the bloom Coco Go Lounger |
|
|---|---|
|
Weight Limit |
25 pounds |
|
Recline |
Yes |
|
Foldable |
Yes |
|
Vibrate |
Yes, 2 AA batteries |
|
Included Accesories |
Travel bag |
|
Washable |
Fabric is machine-washable |
|
Size |
21 x 17 x 28 |
|
Weight |
8.8 pounds |
|
Warranty |
One year |
Nuna Leaf Baby Seat With Mesh
OK, get out the credit card. This rocker chair will cost you well over $200 – but it will, in the words of the manufacturer, “treat baby to a mesmerizing ride…inspired by the carefree float of a leaf on a breeze.” Flowery language aside, this is one beautiful rocker chair at one huge price.
At least when you’re spending this kind of money, you’ll be getting a chair that won’t have to go into the garage when your baby becomes a toddler; the comfortable seat is suitable for children up to 130 pounds. Like the bloom chair, it will also look completely at home in a room with modern design as well.
The primary feature of this baby rocker, other than its comfort and beauty, is that it will rock and rock. Nuna says it will rock for two minutes with just one push, although you may find that the motion slows down noticeably after 30-60 seconds. You can also pay an extra $100 for the AC/battery Leaf Wind, which attaches to the base of the chair to rock it for you at one of six selectable speeds. One thing we do like is that the Leaf rocks from side to side instead of back and forth, which is a more soothing motion that’s helpful in coaxing baby to sleep. There’s a matching toy bar that can be purchased for another $40.
The Leaf is extremely well-constructed, and the organic cotton seat pad is machine-washable. However, there are only two modes for this rocker chair: swing mode to be used with a three-point harness until the baby can sit on her own, and chair mode. There’s no other incline feature (although there is a lock to stop the chair from swinging). That fact, plus the high price, make the Nuna model more of a toddler-sized chair to match a contemporary room, than a versatile baby rocker chair. It is gorgeous, though.
|
Details of the Nuna Leaf Baby Seat With Mesh |
|
|---|---|
|
Weight Limit |
130 pounds |
|
Recline |
No |
|
Foldable |
No |
|
Vibrate |
No |
|
Included Accesories |
None |
|
Washable |
Fabric is machine-washable |
|
Size |
28 x 18 x 28 |
|
Weight |
11.5 pounds |
|
Warranty |
One year limited |
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