8 best baby bouncers and rockers to keep your little one soothed and relaxed

Suitable from birth to up to 9kg, this rocker is a minimalistic, stylish choice. It weighs barely anything, so, we were able to cart it around the house as needed. Our baby seemed to enjoy how deep the seat was, but preferred it when more sleepy than awake. There are three recline positions to choose from that we clicked into place with one touch, and we found the padded inlay one of the softest we tried. This is another baby seat that folds away, so you can reclaim some space.

This bouncer is one of the best on the market in terms of value. We loved its soft bounce and elephant-themed style, with cute toys for our baby to reach up to. It’s very light, and we were able to take it from room to room. In terms of safety, we liked that the buckle clip is covered by the harness, meaning it’s hidden from curious baby fingers.

It did require some assembly, so, you’ll need a PZ screwdriver on hand, but it wasn’t too onerous. This bouncer is suitable from birth to up to around 9kg, so, you’ll perhaps need to size up – but this is a good value bouncer for those first few months.

This is a really interesting-looking piece of kit. Meant to mimic the feeling of being cradled in mother’s arms, this bouncer is softly cushioned and has several different seating positions to suit each child. For newborns, the cushioned insert ensures they don’t feel lost inside the chair, while a detachable arm allows for hanging toys to be looked at and played with. We hung Lamaze toys from the arm and our baby was able to get a good grip.

The seat isn’t that deep, and we were slightly concerned our baby would slide off it in the most upright position, but the five-point harness is sturdy and the chair is angled enough so that no slipping occurs. As an aside, it looks great, too. The design is sleek and the soft grey complemented our living room.

This bouncer is also part of the Stokke Steps system, which means it can be clipped onto the brand’s high chair. However, it’s a pretty good investment for just the bouncer itself, if you’re planning to use it for the the first six months after birth.

Most new parents will know of this bouncer and perhaps covet it. Known in some parenting circles as “the babysitter”, the BabyBjörn bliss bouncer is designed to respond to our baby’s movements, creating soft or more vigorous natural bouncing, depending on how much the baby kicks. It’s at the higher end of the market for baby bouncers, but we found it was the most aesthetically pleasing, coming in a range of colourways. It was also super easy to fold and put away, or take with us to family occasions.

Our baby seemed to enjoy the soft material, which appeared to envelop her beautifully, and she looked very relaxed while we raced around putting the house back together after tummy time. This bouncer doesn’t come with a toy arm, which is a shame, considering the price. However, if you’re looking for a portable, comfortable, beautiful bouncer that responds easily to movement, and doesn’t require batteries, this is a great choice.

Arriving in one piece, this bouncer has three seating positions, a three-point harness and a removable toy arm that comes with a couple of toys attached. We really liked the toy arm – it was quite high up but we were able to attach much more to it ourselves than other bouncers and our baby enjoyed the variety.

We used this bouncer a lot and were able to simply unclip it and slide it behind the sofa when not in use. It has a similar shape to the BabyBjörn bliss but is a good, cheaper competitive product for natural bouncing. Though, we would say it doesn’t quite have the range of motion as the bliss. Still, our baby really enjoyed it and definitely preferred how upright she could sit. A great natural bouncer for those babies who like to be seeing and doing.

This rocker promises to emulate the feeling of being rocked in your arms, with only a small push to create a gentle side-to-side motion. With no batteries, cords or noise, this is one for those who prefer quiet and gentle soothing. It also has a great weight limit: from birth up to a huge 60kg, so is a good investment for longevity.

However, it’s certainly not a bouncer you’ll be lugging from room to room. As it weighs more than 8kg, you’ll want to pick a spot and stick to it. That said, the base and seat itself look really slick, making this is a nice addition to any room. It takes a manual push to set the rocker swinging gently side to side, and it will keep going for up to two minutes.

It’s up at the higher end of the price bracket for a rocker, but you can also make the rocker static with a quick switch and have the chair carry your little one through to childhood. The toy bar, which is included, is a nice touch, and the toys are really lovely to look at, as well as being well within reach of little exploring hands.

This rocker and bouncer comes in several different designs and colourways. The three-position reclining seat rocks or bounces with a simple push or when baby moves, giving you choice when it comes to soothing baby, depending on their preference.

Realistically, though, this one is best suited to babies who are soothed by noise. With five classical lullabies and five nature sounds paired with vibration and a visual toy bar above our baby’s head, it was possible to entertain her for a while as well as finding a little peace and quiet. Suitable up to 15kg, this bouncer comes with a three-point harness, to keep baby safe. We found the body support really soft and comfortable – plush but removable and washable, which is ideal.

With four different relaxing melodies and a gentle vibrate motion, we loved this bouncer for when we wanted to calm down our baby before bed with some quiet playtime. The melodies aren’t in any way annoying (you’ll not be needing to take any batteries out) and there are some rattle toys attached to the removable toy bar, too. We especially liked the “head hugging” cloud pillow, which we thought added some extra comfort.

This bouncer is suitable from birth up until the age of about six months, so it’s not one for longevity, but, at this price, we feel it’s a great bouncer to soothe and entertain a very young baby by stimulating their senses.