Glider v. Rocker? And importance of reclining?

kls6382 · January 2015

Starting to shop for a rocker or glider, and could use some advice from STM+. Which do you prefer for comfort / soothing baby?

A couple other BMBs had ladies that said reclining was the most important feature, do you agree?

Lastly, any recos on where to find something comfortable but also attractive? RH has some beautiful rockers, but they look like they were built for show, not use!

Edited: posted accidentally when question was only half typed!

girlymama79 · January 2015

I have a lazy boy rocker recliner I got two dd2...best choice ever. Makes gliders seem like complete crap in comparison IMO.

blu-eyedwife · January 2015

I never needed a recliner. It probably depends on the size of your breasts and speed of flow, but the only people I know who needed a reclining feature were those with a super fast letdown that choked the baby.

For nursing and back support I needed to be upright. And for rocking, the gliding motion was all I needed. The chair was so comfortable I didn't need to lean back.

kls6382 · January 2015

blu-eyedwife said:
I never needed a recliner. It probably depends on the size of your breasts and speed of flow, but the only people I know who needed a reclining feature were those with a super fast letdown that choked the baby.

For nursing and back support I needed to be upright. And for rocking, the gliding motion was all I needed. The chair was so comfortable I didn't need to lean back.

The reason for recline mentioned on the other BMBs was so you could sleep in the chair. We have a split level house and our bedroom is on a different floor, so that's made me think maybe being able to sleep in a recliner in the baby's room could be helpful.

Thanks all for opinions!

tiffbot1985 · January 2015

We just have a glider (that came with a gliding ottoman). I can see how a recliner would be really nice, but I haven't found it to be necessary, yet. We also bedshared with DS until 8 months so that would make a difference for early newborn feedings and such.

gingerbabe · January 2015

I was given a free plain creaky wood rocker and like it. Would I love something more comfy and not so creaky/noisy, yes, but it does its job just fine. I use it to rock my toddler while I sing to him before bed and I feed my 12 month old a bottle in it during the night when she wakes up.

In my experience almost no rockers are comfy while breastfeeding. I breastfed my babies while laying down in the middle of the night. If you plan to breastfeed and want to breastfeed in the rocker, I suggest stopping by a store and seeing what kind of chair, especially arms, work best for you. Try to think of how the baby is going to lay while latched on.

Another option to think of if baby is going to be on a different level then you, is a twin bed in the baby's room for you to breastfeed her on and to sleep on if too tired to make it back to bed.

ajgerber · January 2015

We had an antique wooden rocking chair but ended up using our recliner that could rock more than anything. I'm not sure what people do with gliders after baby. I guess that is why I would lean more to a recliner or sitting chair that I could use in other rooms after you are past that stage.

Bednarova · January 2015

We bought a rocking recliner. It was well worth the $$, since we spent so much time nursing and snuggling and reading in it. (and some sleeping too)

H has fallen asleep in it without DS, so, I think he approves as well!

girlymama79 · January 2015

I would say that on the importance of reclining on a scale from 1 to 10 is about a bazillion.

Yes I know this is my second stop here on this post today. I'm supposed to be 'resting' and I don't have anything better to do while I lay on the couch.

kls6382 · January 2015

Appreciate it, @girlymama79‌!

ElRuby · January 2015

I like rocking gliders but I sometimes found mine annoying.... Like it would slide sometimes.... I enjoyed holding and rocking in it but for nursing I found a regular arm chair with a nursing stool fabulous.... It helped with the perfect positioning and felt very secure!

LadySif · January 2015

I nursed DS for just over two years and my back paid for it with the lovely but terribly wrong antique rocker I used. This pregnancy I am splurging on a rocking or gliding wingback reclining chair of some kind. Haven't decided between rocking or gliding but reclining is a must. I'm still searching. I may go so far as to have DH attach rockers or gliding mechanics to the right chair if I can't find it the way I want. Wingback is necessary so I can prop my head. I did stuff like this otherwise:

Mama-Bear · January 2015

I have THIS 7.5 years later and still love it. It's now in our room instead of a nursery (obviously since our "babies" are 5 and 7). One important thing to decide is if you like soft and squishy or firm and supportive. I go for soft and squishy. I fell asleep many nights while nursing in my glider.

THIS is similar to the fabric I chose but it was a mocha color instead of garnet.

Bednarova · January 2015

Mine is very similar to @Mama-Bear‌ 's. I think it's the Tryp model though. Ours is chocolate brown.

kls6382 · January 2015

@LadySif‌, good point on wingback for head support. I'm sure I will be dozing off like your first gif and killing my neck (that has been me many times on long flights). Unf. a google search doesn't turn up many options; let me know if you find something!

WifeDeAngel · January 2015

For DD I used a glider with the glider ottoman. I'm tall and still needed to use the ottoman, and an extra pillow at my back. I've since upgraded to a rocker recliner and will still use the gliding ottoman with it.

hooper2014 · January 2015

We bought a glider from amish country! An I'm in love with it. It has a gliding footrest with it. It's something I can pass down to my child when they get older. We are actually considering getting another, bc my son wants to sit beside me. And our butts don't fit

but looking back, I sat in our recliner more. An the only way I could tell is because there was breast milk all over it! Lol oops. But I sit in my rocking chair/ glider all the time!!!!

mamahawk12 · January 2015

I advise you to steer clear of a rocking chair if the nursery is carpeted - is really won't rock smoothly/with minimal effort. In regard to all of the other possible features, I suggest you just go sit in every model you're considering and just pick whichever is most comfortable to you.

blu-eyedwife · January 2015

kls6382 said:

I never needed a recliner. It probably depends on the size of your breasts and speed of flow, but the only people I know who needed a reclining feature were those with a super fast letdown that choked the baby. For nursing and back support I needed to be upright. And for rocking, the gliding motion was all I needed. The chair was so comfortable I didn't need to lean back.
The reason for recline mentioned on the other BMBs was so you could sleep in the chair. We have a split level house and our bedroom is on a different floor, so that's made me think maybe being able to sleep in a recliner in the baby's room could be helpful. Thanks all for opinions!

Yeah I slept in mine every night for 14 months. I still don't think you need the reclining feature. If you have a comfortable chair, it doesn't matter if it leans back.

LadySif · January 2015

@kls6382 will do. I have looked a bit but haven't found it yet. This one comes close but it is the only glider and recliner combo I've found so far at a reasonable price, and it isn't wingback:

https://www.wayfair.com/Wildon-Home-%C2%AE-Birch-Hill-Swivel-Glider-Recliner-CST14083.html

I found several cute wingback gliders, but they don't recline. I may end up with one and use an ottoman with it, but I'm hoping I can find what I really want.

ashleyrj1982 · January 2015

I bought a Best Chair, Tryp, in a steel blue. It was expensive but the very best purchase we made. I do not regret it and we use it every day in our LO's room. It will move into the new baby's room. I rocked and nursed in it multiple times a day. It is considered a swivel glider recliner and it still looks fantastic after 3 years.

Sugarbean17 · January 2015

LadySif said:
@kls6382 will do. I have looked a bit but haven't found it yet. This one comes close but it is the only glider and recliner combo I've found so far at a reasonable price, and it isn't wingback:
https://www.wayfair.com/Wildon-Home-%C2%AE-Birch-Hill-Swivel-Glider-Recliner-CST14083.html

I found several cute wingback gliders, but they don't recline. I may end up with one and use an ottoman with it, but I'm hoping I can find what I really want.

I was not buying anything new but then followed the link to wayfair.com and found the perfect swivel/recliner/glider that I didn't know I always needed.

LadySif · January 2015

Ha, sorry @Sugarbean17! They do have a ton of cute ones, don't they?

Sugarbean17 · January 2015

@LadySif‌ oh yeah! They have so many cute ones! The ratings are all really good too! Plus free Shipping! My husband is going to kill me.

honeybunches101 · January 2015

We bought the biggest glider we could find, made by Serena and lily. It doesn't recline and I can't imagine ever needing that option, but it sounds like that's a personal decision. I still rock my almost 3yo to sleep for bedtime and naps and we read in it, so we will likely be getting another one for the new baby's room! It has a high back so I can rest my head and have fallen asleep in it many, many times. I did a lot of nursing just on the couch or in our bed. My mom has an old school rocking chair at her house and it didn't work for nursing or rocking to sleep at all.

caro123caro · January 2015

I had a rocker with no recline with the first, I think I would prefer a glider for the ease of motion. I didn't miss the recline, probably cause I didn't nurse long. I'd imagine the recline might be good when nursing.

auburnmamma · January 2015

We bought a swivel rocker recliner and it was one of THE best purchases we made. DS had multiple ear infections and the only way he could sleep was next to me reclined in the chair.

I think we purchased a chair from Best Chairs storyline series. The fabric has held up great and it looks like a normal chair.

Cuij · January 2015

My son was not a rocker or a glider, he was a bouncer. So we just used a yoga ball. His second choice was a rocker. I think they are closer to our natural movement patterns but I also think they require more effort. But it's all preference.

slr1229 · January 2015

I've been super picky about this and haven't found one yet. I am tall and want a high back chair and most I've seen aren't tall- I may have to go with a wooden framed glider.

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