Droolicious Shopping Guide: Fisher Price Swings

With more than a dozen models on offer, Fisher Price has a huge share of the baby swing market . When hunting for a swing you’ll need to pick from three basic categories: Cradle Swings, Full Size Swings and Take-Along Swings.

Once you decide on how much space you can devote to this device, you are on your way to bliss. Salvation is but a few batteries away for most parents. Frazzled newbies often discover a swing is a no-fail way to lull a fussy child to sleep.

Almost all the Fisher Price swings hold up to 25 lbs of baby (and many parents become addicted–dreading the day the child hits 26 lbs.) and most are battery eaters. So you may want to plant some trees to offset your carbon imprint.

We tested the new Precious Planet Take Along Swing ($70) for this guide. The cushy seat has a friendly lion on him and two dangling toys. We wish the toys were plush, but overall the seat and set-up was fine.

The lightweight swing is easy to lift and carry from room to room. When we clicked the swing on, the motion seemed soothing and relaxing—but we couldn’t get all seven speeds to work. At best, there appeared to be four different speeds. As for the samba-infused music (seven songs in all) we found them sweet and simple.

Pro: Extremely light and portable.
Con: Dangling toys were hard plastic and clunked the baby.
Best For: Parents who want a portable swing.

Ocean Wonders: Popular Take Along Swing. ($73)
Pro: Compact.
Con: Nothing chic about this.
Best for: Giving grandma a break while babysitting.

Dreamsicle: Full-sized swing in modern colors. ($150)
Pro: Contemporary looks; plug in option saves on batteries.
Con: Not easy to move from room to room.
Best for: Parents craving Euro style.

Starlight Papasan Cradle Swing: Cradled, canopied swing. ($160)
Pro: Looks cozy, Amazon bestseller.
Con: Over stimulating (16 songs!)
Best for: Parents who want to keep their kids busy for a long time.

Zen Collection Cradle Swing: The deluxe model requiring a large space. ($210)
Pro: Looks modern.
Con: For this price we wish there were organic fabrics or recycled materials.
Best for: Style snobs.