Strollers Buying Guide

A Rockin’ Rocking Chair or Glider

A rocking chair or glider is the perfect piece of furniture for new parents. Because young babies are accustomed to being in the mother’s womb, they instinctively enjoy the rocking or gliding motion that baby rocking chairs and gliders provide. They are wonderful chairs for when your baby is being fussy and you want to calm her down.

So what are rocking chairs and nursery gliders? How are they different, and what should you look for?

Nursery Rocking Chairs

Rocking chairs are a traditional piece of furniture with no moving parts. Instead, rocking chairs rely on two pieces of bended wood attached to the chair legs to produce the rocking motion. This is great because you’ll never have to worry about pieces or mechanisms breaking down.

The classic design of a rocking chair is instantly recognizable and will fit in with nearly every type of nursery décor.

Make sure to keep the legs of the chair smooth so as to avoid young ones with splinters, and keep a close eye on crawling babies who could pinch body parts pulling down on the legs.

Nursery Glider

A nursery glider is similar to a rocker, in that it provides a smooth and comforting motion for your baby to enjoy. But think of it as the evolution of the rocking chair, as it provides quite a few features that a traditional rocking chair does not. The frame of a glider chair is moves as a swing seat, connected to support bars and hinges. The glider chair ‘glides’ smoothly along the slides in a front and back motion. Just think of exercise ski machines you see on the shopping channel.

It’s also common to pair a glider with an ottoman for added comfort. You’ll also be able to find gliding chairs that recline. These chairs are extremely comfortable. If the hinges become rusty or worn, the motion may grind or become stilted, so maintenance may be an issue down the road.

Keep hinges and spaces between the mechanisms safely covered because you don’t want curious babies pinching or cutting their small fingers.

Shape and Comfort

If you’re buying a glider or rocker specifically because of your baby, then you want to make sure that you find a chair with a wide seat and significant arm room. If you’re rocking, feeding or reading to your baby, you want to make sure that you’re in a spacious seat that won’t leave you feeling boxed in after a few minutes. When choosing pillows, cushions or blankets, it’s often best to go with darker colors that will hide accidental stains and the regular wear and tear of everyday use.