There are several things to consider when buying a baby swing. One must assess overall safety of the swing, comfort of the baby, and length of time one intends to use the swing. Also evaluate the additional features that come along with the swing, like trays, toys, or music.
Safety is the number one concern when buying a baby swing. The swing should be very stable. One shouldn’t be able to knock over the swing, without considerable force. Most modern models are quite stable; thus be wary of hand me downs as they may not meet today’s safety standards.
Securing the baby into the swing is also important. Discard the notion of buying a baby swing that doesn’t have a five-point harness. The five-point harness keeps the baby from sliding down, and also keeps the baby from flopping forward. The harness should be adjustable to provide the most secure setting, and extend use of the baby swing as baby grows.
Baby swings should have several seat positions. One should opt for buying a baby swing that allows reclining, or even has an attachable bassinet for very young babies. At the least, infants need a reclined seat so that their necks are better supported.
As baby grows, the baby seat can also become a seat in which to feed the baby small snacks. This makes having an upright position important. People should take into account when buying a baby swing that it has a locked position, allowing one to stabilize the baby for toy play or for eating snacks.
One might also think about buying a baby swing that has an easily removable seat portion. This way, if baby is gently rocked to sleep, he or she can be removed from the swing frame without having to be removed from the harness. Trying to remove a sleeping baby from a five-point harness system, while having him or her remain asleep is quite difficult.
Instead of the old crank system employed by baby swings, they are now either battery powered or plug in directly to a wall. Some have both batteries and an adapter. One may want to bear in mind buying a baby swing that can be plugged in. A baby who loves his or her swing is likely to use it a lot, and may go through many batteries in the process. Alternately, one might prefer buying a baby swing that will allows rechargeable batteries, to save money on battery costs.
Baby swings usually rock to accompanying music. One might want to reflect on buying a baby seat with volume control for music or at least on/off features. Weigh buying a baby seat with a song one likes, as one may hear it quite frequently.
Since babies are by nature rather messy, don’t waste money buying a baby seat that doesn’t have washable covers. Any fabric, including the harness, should be machine washable. The baby will occasionally mess up the seat. Further, if one plans to use the swing for another child in the future, look for a durable, and possibly slightly more expensive model. Look for a baby swing that packs up neatly to store for one’s next baby.
Consider buying a baby seat that has a removable tray, and perhaps some toys that can amuse baby. One might not want to employ these toys if one is trying to get baby to sleep. As well, infants who are just acquiring gross motor skills may have difficultly hanging onto toys if they are rocking. One might only use the toys when the seat is in locked position. Also be prepared to pick up the toys frequently, since baby will no doubt drop them or throw them with great regularity.
