Product Spotlight 02/24: Rocking Chairs & Gliders

wanderlustsoul

Hello! We are all at about the (more than) halfway point of pregnancy now, so we're probably at least thinking about serious furniture and decor projects! Maybe you've started putting your nursery together, maybe you haven't. Either way, to help the process along I'd like to launch a three-week Nursery Product Spotlight Series! We have already discussed the most important item, the crib, but there's plenty more to research and buy, and it's always nice to have guidance from others. 

Week 1 (this week): Rocking Chairs and Gliders
Week 2: Other Nursery Furniture
Week 3: Nursery Decor 

So this week I'd like to bring up the other big furniture investment aside from the crib: rocking chairs and/or gliders. This isn't necessarily confined to the nursery, but it's frequently where you'll find them! What brand and model do you have? What brand and model are you coveting? How about general guideline on style? Preference between rocking chair and glider? What features are absolutely essential (foot rest?) and which features are not really necessary (idk, a built-in mini-fridge like a LaZBoy)? Are there different materials to consider, depending on comfort and/or ability to clean?

And how about peripheral products for the rocking chair set-up: what lighting do you have around it? Do you have a side-table for your own drink or a stack of baby supplies? Any tips on placing it within the nursery space (e.g., close to an outlet so your phone doesn't run out of batteries at 3 am)? What was your experience with actual use--did you use it every day to nurse or bottle feed and now use it for bedtime stories? Did you not really touch it until you moved baby into nursery and spent more time there? Was it an ambitious purchase that never got used? Please share!

Prior and Upcoming Product Spotlights

wanderlustsoul

We had a rocking chair but I never used it until we moved to this house (9 months) and I began reading to him in it. I didn't like it for nursing as I preferred the couch. Now I use it every single day with him and I absolutely love it. 

rvamom90

We have a rocker recliner we got from Big Lots for DS1 over 4 years ago that is still in great shape so we'll use that again for DS2. We wanted something that could rock or recline comfortably to sleep in if needed and this fit the bill. 

laurad75

+1 for a chair that rocks/ glides and reclines.  We splurged for this one at Pottery Barn where we bought all of DS 1's nursery furniture and I love it.  (link)

akoros

@AKuzReve Now I want to convince my husband to move his beer fridge up to the nursery, sounds convenient! 

ramzlau

We have the babyletto Kiwi Electronic Glider/Recliner. We lived in this chair the first year of DDs life. We have it in our room next to the bassinet and then move it to the nursery when baby moves there. We just recently moved it back to our room. It has built in outlets for your phone and an electronic recline, so easy in reach when you have a sleeping babe in your arms, and no jolting. We have slept in it with her when she had colds to keep her upright (okay not much sleeping but at least comfortable trapped under sleeping baby). 

I have it setup next to my nightstand that I use for my snack box holder and a place to put my water bottle (all necessary when breastfeeding or trapped under sleeping baby for hours). I have a small light that you tap on/off that I use for nighttime feedings for a bit of light that won’t wake H up and doesn’t disturb a groggy baby. 

Love it! 

DoubleUp8

We have a Dutailier Grand Glider (it's a bigger size since DH is 6'5") that I got used on Craigslist for DS's nursery. I LOVE it. It has the rocking footstool which is clutch for nursing sessions. It was in great shape, I removed and washed all the pillows and covers, and it was only $90. I set up a table next to it with a small light (low wattage light blub) for dim lighting during night-time feeds, a place for my water bottle, etc. 

MelissaMay82

We also have the Babyletto kiwi electronic recliner/ glider with the ottoman. I absolutely love this chair (DH does too). It is super comfortable and reclines nicely. We have it in the nursery and it got a lot of use in the early days. We still use it everyday for reading. We will definitely use it for #2. We bought it in grey to match our other furniture so when we no longer need it for the nursery we will put it in the living room (or if we have a new house maybe a bedroom reading nook).

_orchid_

We didn't get a rocker with DS1 bc we had a big, comfortable chair already for the nursery that I loved and I didn't want to buy another chair. Regretted that big time. One of the things I didn't take into account was that rocking soothed ME and helped me stay calm at those times in the middle of the night when ds1 was inconsolable. 

We bought a lazboy rocking recliner and ottoman for ds2 and I love it. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent in that chair and it's still comfortable. Ds2 was sick a lot as a baby/young toddler so we would spend hours in it overnight holding him upright. Haha I use it for half of my workday now since I'm working out of the nursery while we're hybrid. Using it again for ds3 and then moving it to our living room. 

I have a small end table next to it and have used a folding dinner tray table before for my water, book, tissues, nursing supplies, burp cloths, etc. Also have an outlet right next to it with a night light and a power strip for my cell phone charger, kindle charger, etc. 

sgrn18

@_orchid_ we did the same thing for our first.  I had this amazingly comfy oversized chair and rarely sat in it to feed him or put him to sleep.  I would get incredibly restless legs sitting there to feed him or put him to sleep.  I ended up moving to a rocking recliner in the living room.  The movement helped with the restlessness so much.   Now that recliner is in this baby’s room already and I bought a small foot rest/ottoman so I can rock in it easier with a baby.   Plus I can easily sleep in the recliner when necessary. 

Essentially get a rocker/recliner lol 

_orchid_

@sgrn18 yes restlessness is a perfect way to describe it!! We ended up moving the chair I loved to DS1's big boy room when he was 3 and used it a ton there until we got rid of it this past summer to move ds2 in. 

it_is_a_baby

We got our rocker/recliner/glider from Pottery Barn. It’s a wingback with a high back. My husband is tall so a lot of the rockers we tried were uncomfortable for him, but this one was high enough to support his head. When DS was a newborn I used the recliner a lot at night to snuggle. Now, I rock him and read every night and the glider is nice to reach all of his books without getting up with him.

dogmom5

We bought a smaller lazy boy recliner for the nursery and it’s amazing! I was looking at the chairs target had and then I found a lazy boy for about the same price. The nights I can’t sleep, I will go sleep in the chair and I have just had many nights sleeping in that chair with a child that just needed their mom