bumbo vs summer infant seats

rebecca4980

Does anyone have a bumbo or a summer infant 3 stage seat?  LO is turning 3 months tomorrow and has good head control.  I want to buy a seat so he can practice sitting up (while I watch, of course!).  Any opinions on either of these (or the bebe pod if you have that).  I read reviews on amazon and whatnot and it seems most people like the summer infant/bebe pod rather than the bumbo.  My LO is on the small side though-not sure if the summer infant/bebepod is made for smaller LOs. 

Thanks!

aeh72

We have both. I registered for the Bumbo because that the only infant seat I'd ever seen anyone use, and it's just okay to me. DS sat in it fine and didn't dislike it but to me, it was only good if I was sitting right in front of him handing him toys (the tray you can buy to go with it is not worth the $ at all. It never stayed on properly.) Plus, at 5 mos., I feel like its already snug for him (although is a little chunky). I just happened upon the Summer Infant recently at Target and even though we already had the Bumbo, I had to get it. It's awesome! The circular tray with toys keeps DS so entertained. And, I like that it will fit him for a while (I think the box said up to 4 years as a booster). I definitely recommend it over the Bumbo.

sam19

We have the summer infant super seat and I like it. We got it for my first daughter and used it for a long time as a booster seat at the table once she outgrew the tray. 

ElleCee41809

DD loves the summer infant seat. the seatbelt and the saucer/tray seemed a lot safer to me than the bumbo. Plus, the summer seat comes with toys that are removable for when baby doesn't quite get how to reach out far yet. Also, its cheaper than a bumbo and I think it can be used longer after a bumbo could be. I'm very happy I went with the summer seat instead!

Topi-Jan

We have the summer infant one because back when I had my first I didn't think his chunky thighs would fit in the other seat.  We're on baby #3 and still loving this seat.  The tray is very handy for lots of different reasons (toys, cheerios, sippies, etc).  It's also compact enough that you can take it on a road trip and use it as your "high" chair at your destination.

I wouldn't worry about LO being too small for the seat, or most baby products, because babies will grow and get the right fit soon enough (and there are always things you can do to support them until they are more comfortable with it).  My concern is always the product being too small for baby because there really isn't a work-around to that problem.

lhgd1989

I have heard the the bumbo seats were recently recalled.

drbethc

I ordered the summer infant seat...My sister had the bumbo and it seemed her baby rarely used it.  I like the transition to other stages and it seems can be used longer for LO. Yeah, the bumbo was recalled because babies were falling out of them and getting seriously hurt. (skull fractures). So it was recalled to install seat belts in them. Still I wouldn't want one. 

Zimger

lhgd1989:

I have heard the the bumbo seats were recently recalled.

It wasn't a recall of the seat all together. They added a seatbelt that can be ordered.

OP It seems that the kids grow out of the Bumbo faster than they do the Summer Infant Seat. 

DS has the Bumbo and he loves it, but I have been thinking of getting the other seat because DS is growing out of his Bumbo.

Edit: I want to add that I think it is common knowledge (and should be common sense) that the children should not be left unsupervised in these types of seats. They also should not be used on uneven surfaces, ect, ect (they come with warnings).

MrsJetSet

As the mom of a smaller child I am in the minority here. I bought the bebe pod 2nd hand because I thought it would last longer. Daycare has a bumbo and dd can sit so much better in it. She is almost 6 mos and could use it quite a while longer. I wish I had the bumbo instead. I do agree about the bumbo tray being useless though. We used SILs bumbo with tray and it kept falling off.

SpartanRN

I had never heard of the Summer Infant seat, but thanks to this thread I have now ordered one on Amazon. I didn't want a Bumbo due to the safety issues, but I am glad I heard about this Summer Infant seat. The reviews on Amazon seem to be almost all positive, so I can't wait until it arrives! Thanks for the tip

starswinger

I had both and my chunker outgrew the bumbo before he was old enough to use it. The infant seat is awesome. i love the toys and it gives a barrier so he cannot reach out and grab things he should not.

LadyTyler

I'm a little late to the party but thought I'd throw in that we have a BebePod that we got from a neighbor and both of us really liked it for the similar reasons people said they like the Summer seat. That said, if I was going to be buying one (and space wasn't a concern because the Pod is much smaller) I'd probably go with the Summer version because of the full tray seems more practical and fun for baby. We can only get one toy on our tray so a bigger one seems nice.

BornThisWay

Bumbo is such a waste of money IMO. Summer infant seat can be used longer...and has toys built in! LO loves it.