Do I really need a swing AND a bouncer?

skittleblu · September 2011

I'm looking at the FP Snuggabunny at Target. It comes in a swing and a bouncer. Do I need both right away? If no, which one should I start with? Or which should I skip all together?

Thanks...

haswelljme · September 2011

I'm a FTM, and from what advice I have been getting is that it all depends on what the baby likes. Baby could hate the bouncer but love the swing, or vice versa. Or could love both!

I've been looking at the Graco 2-in-1 Sweet Pea, where it is a bouncer and a swing together to kind of cheat the system. But I have no idea either Stick out tongue

SuperCuteBenz · September 2011

I swore I wasn't getting a swing with DD, because my mom told me that I hated the swing and it was a waste of money. Well, I am SO glad that I went against her opinion and bought a swing, because my DD loved it. I bought mine off of craigslist for a fraction of the price.

My DS loved it too, and slept in the swing for the first 4-5 months. The swing was worth every penny to us. It really does depend on your baby though.

ETA: We did use the bouncer a ton too. I bought it new, but it was on clearance. Otherwise, I would have bought one off craigslist too. We used it a lot, but I wouldn't say that it was worth $60-$70 that I see some of them priced at. Plus, ours does more than the ones that I have seen at Target. It plays classical music, had animals that light up behind a mirror, etc.

julygal · September 2011

Everyone told me to just buy the bouncer. I listened. Both my kids have hated the bouncer. I had to run out a buy a swing when my older DD was just a week old. She loved it. DS also was a swing baby. I used the bouncer to set them down on occasion but it mostly sat taking up space. I still have both, as I know the second I get rid of the bouncer I will have a baby that hates swinging and loves bouncing!

If I had to do it over again I would get a 2-in-1, so it was one piece of equipment that served both functions.

march17 · September 2011

We registered for the Graco Sweet Pea 2 in 1. It seems like the best of both worlds!

katcarls · September 2011

We had both and I'm glad we did. The swing is great for naps and the bouncer is good for moving around the house when you need to clean, do laundry, take a shower, etc. I would definitely recommend the FP Snugabunny over the Graco 2 in 1. The FP has more features and a lot of babies prefer to swing side to side. It's really not that much more expensive to have both separately, about $40. The Snugabunny also plugs in and you won't have to be pop the seat in and out to switch back and forth.

aubreyalise · September 2011

katcarls:
We had both and I'm glad we did. The swing is great for naps and the bouncer is good for moving around the house when you need to clean, do laundry, take a shower, etc. I would definitely recommend the FP Snugabunny over the Graco 2 in 1. The FP has more features and a lot of babies prefer to swing side to side. It's really not that much more expensive to have both separately, about $40. The Snugabunny also plugs in and you won't have to be pop the seat in and out to switch back and forth.

exactly this. almost every single one of DS's naps from 3ish weeks - 5 months were in the FP snugabunny. that swing is in my top 3 for baby gear. and the bouncy seat is great for portability. the bouncy seat is the only way i was able to consistently get showers for quite a while.

themissizz · September 2011

We had a swing, bouncer, and the Rock & Play. We sold our swing on CL because our son hated it. We got a lot of use out of a bare bones bouncer (just a regular FP one) and the Rock & Play.

meetmow · September 2011

This will all depend on your baby! I was hesitant to purchase the Snug-a-bunny swing because I had a bouncer that I thought would work, but got it anyway. I must say, my LO is 3 weeks old and without that swing I would never sleep! She loves the swing, but it is not portable in the least! That's where the bouncer comes in. It's very portable and I can use it in the bathroom when I take a shower, in my bedroom when I'm hanging up clothes, on the deck if we are eating dinner out there... I'd say that either way you will probably want a small, portable bouncer.

I'm sorry that I can't tell you if your LO will like the swing or not, but I can say that I am very glad that we had it beforehand because mine really loves it!

Also,if you register for the Snug-a-bunny at Amazon it is cheaper than at Target, and they will give you 10% off to complete your registry and you can probably swing some free shipping.

tct1219 · September 2011

I skipped both and I'm so glad I did. My cousin gave me her swing to borrow for a bit and Bay never sat in it. I just don't see why people think they're necessary and also am not comfortable with the toxicity of the materials. I just put her in a wrap or other carrier when I needed my hands free when she was little and then once she started sitting and crawling, she could play near me while I did whatever I needed. She's 11 months now and still likes to be held or in a carrier but usually only if she's tired or cranky.

virginiagirl11 · September 2011

We got a bouncer as a shower gift and DS didn't use it until he was like 2.5 months old. He hated it as a young newborn but loved the swing we borrowed from SIL. It really just depends. I would borrow one of each from a friend and see what LO prefers, then buy that.

natalie202 · September 2011

I completely agree with the suggestion to borrow first until you know what your LO likes. We use a bouncer and a small hand me down travel swing... A big swing would have been a waste, as our LO only likes swinging occasionally and prefers front to back motion when he does.

edilo · September 2011

DS LOVED his swing and we used it all.the.time. (He has acid reflux, so the inclined seat helped with that.) We hardly used our bouncy seat. It depends on the baby.

HSartteach · September 2011

We had both and used both. But it's different for every child. If you are looking to save some cash, buy used. We did. Fabric can be washed and plastic can be disinfected.

heavendreams · September 2011

I'm a FTM so I really don't know but we decided to get the bouncer because the swings are pricey. Then last week we found them on sale, you buy the swing and they give you the bouncer so we got them and we are so happy because now our little girl will have both, I hope she will enjoy them.

I don't believe they are a necessity but definetly something nice to have around to put baby down while you cook or take a shower.

Feb3 · September 2011

It really depends on your baby, but we had both and used them for two totally different things. The swing was very soothing for her and she would nap in it while we ate dinner. (But only side to side!) The bouncer was more of a convenient place to park the baby while we showered, did laundry, etc, and it was easy to move around the house.

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