There are times when baby just will not calm down. These are the times when parents take comfort knowing there is a baby swing in the house. Baby swings move baby from side to side or front to back and offer a calming movement that often creates the perfect situation for sleep. Choosing the best baby swing is all about what you need and what you want for baby. There are some baby swings that simply cost too much and offer too little while other are both affordable and work wonders to keep baby happy.
New or Used Baby Swings
Baby swings can often be found at a local thrift or second hand store. These are perfect for saving money, but parents should always check to recall listing from the Consumer Product Safety Commission for potential recalls. Used swings that run on batteries could have problems and not work correctly, so test before paying.
New baby swings tend to be very expensive if parents want all the bells and whistles. If baby’s comfort is the priority, a manual swing is the most affordable option. There are few hand crank models left, so parents may have to invest a bit more money in a battery operated baby swing. Batteries are very expensive, so buy rechargeable and buy more than one set.
Infant Age and Baby Swings
Some baby swings are made for infants as the back will lie down nearly flat. Others stay in a seated position. The seated baby swing is not made for an infant. Trunk control is required for baby to be safe in a baby swing that does not lie down. If you have trouble discerning between the two, the infant baby swing offers a seat that look similar to an infant car seat. Baby swings for older children have a solid plastic back that does not recline as far.
Don’t Go Overboard
Babies tend to enjoy the baby swing for less than a year. While it is perfect to calm baby once in a while, the cost of higher end models is not recovered in that time. Unless parents are expecting to have more children, the base model that winds up is the best solution. As there is no battery to power the swing, as the baby swing unwinds, parents must pay attention to baby when they walk over to wind the swing again, making it the safest option as well.