Best Baby Bouncers

For parents with young babies, a bouncer can be a lifesaver when you need to free your hands to eat a quick meal or go to the bathroom when baby is awake and ready to play.

Baby bouncers — also sometimes called bouncy seats, bouncy chairs or bouncy swings, depending on their design — are fabric baby chairs with a harness to keep your little one strapped in safely.

Baby bouncers come in handy when baby is alert but you need both hands to do something around the house — just be careful not to use them as an alternative to holding your little one or giving her the appropriate amount of supervised tummy time. She needs your loving touch, as well as the motor and developmental benefits of playing and exploring.

However, many parents appreciate the way a baby bouncer engages and calms a fussy baby with constant movement, and your little one will love her view from a comfy seat.

You’ll also need to be careful not to let baby nap in her baby bouncer, especially if she’s old enough to roll over from back to front. Bouncers don’t follow the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) safe sleep recommendations, so these seats should only be used when your little one is awake and under careful supervision.

What to look for in a baby bouncer

Some baby bouncers have been recalled in the past, and it’s understandable that you may be nervous about making the right decision for your little one. Daniel S. Ganjian, M.D., F.A.A.P., a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, recommends looking out for the following qualities in a bouncer:

• Secure straps. The bouncer should have adjustable straps, including a strap that goes between the legs, to ensure that baby can be easily and comfortably secured in the seat. “Babies can wiggle their way out if they’re not securely fastened,” says Dr. Ganjian.
• A gentle incline. A bouncer shouldn’t be inclined too far back or forward, says Dr. Ganjian. If the bouncer is angled too far forward, baby can slump down over the straps; if it’s too far back, baby could slip out from the top. “The seat belt only prevents scooting off from the bottom — not from the top,” says Dr. Ganjian, recommending an angle of about 30 degrees.
• Sturdy base. A solid base that baby can’t easily topple over in is a must, says Dr. Ganjian. This can be tricky to determine if you're shopping online, says Dr. Ganjian. He recommends reading reviews and, if you happen to check it out in a store or at a friend's house, "try pushing the sides right, left, top and bottom, and see how easy it is for it to flip onto its side."

Types of baby bouncers

Most baby bouncers have the same basic design: a soft fabric seat with a three- or five-point harness buckle to keep baby safe and secure, set on a flexible frame that’s made out of metal or plastic.

From there, some bouncers have added bells and whistles that you may — or may not — find useful.

• Vibration. One feature that many parents swear by is a vibrating function that can help soothe a fussy baby.
• Toy bar. Another feature to look for is a toy bar with colorful plush toys for baby to bat at — and help hold her attention for longer.
• Sound. Some bouncers play music or emit nature sounds, which can be calming or annoying, depending on how much you like those tunes.
• Rocking motion. There are even high-tech bouncers that rock baby in different motions (forward and back, for example, or in a figure eight pattern) and can be controlled using an app.
• Swinging motion. Some baby bouncers also have swing functionality, so they can swing back and forth, usually powered by batteries.

Most babies will outgrow their bouncer by 6 months; by that time, they start to be more mobile and could potentially roll over with the bouncer attached (which is why you’ll always want to keep your baby-filled bouncer on the floor, never a table, countertop or other raised surface).

Choosing the best baby bouncer for you

Before registering for or buying a bouncer, you’ll want to consider:

• Space. You don’t want to get your bouncer home only to find that you’re tripping over it as you cross your living room. If space is an issue, look for one that can be easily stored.
• Portability. This goes hand in hand with size. If you want to be able to move the baby bouncer from room to room (say, from the living room to a safe space in the kitchen), you’ll want one that is light and easy to carry.
• Cost. Bouncers range in price — but some parents are willing to pay more for a bouncy seat that helps baby learn to self-soothe.
• Longevity. If you’re trying to limit the number of baby products you buy, look for a baby bouncer that can be transformed into a toddler chair to get more life out of your purchase (just make sure to double check the upper weight limit as set by the manufacturer).
• Power source. Bouncers with vibrations or sounds will either run on batteries, electricity or a combination of both. Vibrating baby bouncers are known to be battery guzzlers, which can add to the total cost of the bouncer and increase your carbon footprint.
• Easy to clean. You’ll be grateful to have a removable, machine-washable seat when baby inevitably spits up or has a diaper leak while strapped to her bouncer.

How we made our picks for the best baby bouncers

It can feel overwhelming to pick a baby bouncer for your little one out of the sea of options on the market, so we narrowed the field for you by doing research that focuses on popularity, innovation, design, quality, value and ease of use. We sought feedback from pediatricians and had What to Expect staff and contributors road-test baby bouncers at home. We also asked parents in the What to Expect Community to provide insights on the baby bouncers they love most.

Ready to rock? Here, the best baby bouncers on the market right now.