Save bucks on bouncer seats for babies

Babies like to be where the action is and a bouncer or “bouncy” seat gives your baby a place to hang out near you and the rest of the family. It can also help your baby doze. It sounds like a dream except for one thing: Your baby will grow out of it by the time he’s 5 or 6 months old. Once he can sit up unassisted, he’ll likely move on to more interesting things, like playing and rolling. With that in mind, here are three ways to save money on this item. (See our bouncer seat safety tips.)

1. Go low-end. An inexpensive, lightweight model (provided it’s stable), such as the Bright Starts Bouncing Buddies Cradling Bouncer (www.brightstarts.com, $19.99), may serve you as well as a top-end design like the BabyBjorn Baby Sitter 1-2-3 (www.babybjorn, $100), which is designed to become a chair for a child up to 29 pounds. In general, more money will get you a seat that’s made to last and one that may be decked out with toys, reclining and vibrating features, realistic (not tinny) music, and plush or designer fabric. Still, more isn’t always better. Parents report product satisfaction at both ends of the price spectrum.

2. Buy either a bouncer seat or a swing. Many parents report that it’s overkill to buy both since a bouncer seat and a swing essentially do the same thing: provide a secure and soothing place for your baby to relax and stay occupied while you get some hands-free time to catch up on things around the house, while watching your baby at the same time. If you can, try your baby out in a friend or relative’s swing and bouncer or test store models, to gauge what your baby prefers. If your baby doesn’t like the motion of a swing (some don’t), go with a bouncer. If your baby seems to need more motion than a bouncer provides, opt for a swing.

3. Consider an infant rocker bouncer. It’s like a bouncer seat, only it rocks. Pricewise, a rocker bouncer is in the same ballpark as a bouncy seat—around $40—but you can get more mileage out of it. Infant bouncers such as the Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker can typically be used until your child reaches 40 pounds, which could be until age 3 or so. Tip: Get one that vibrates. You’ll use that mode a lot initially, especially since a young baby won’t be big enough to actually rock in the rocker. The rocking function kicks in as your baby becomes a toddler (in no time). Then, he’ll have his own little chair to enjoy.