I borrowed the baby swing from Graco from a friend when my third baby was about 1.5 months old and I do wish I would have gotten a baby swing for his older siblings. The question of whether a baby swing helps to soothe a baby has a definite answer, yes it helps! I am not going to say that my baby sits content in this swing day around because he doesn’t, but it gives me time enough to do dishes, brush other kids’ teeth, pack a laundry and write an article, and that is a huge help.
Now, let’s look at the actual baby swing to review its pros and cons…
Putting it together
The Graco baby swing comes in 3 different parts that are easy to assemble. You don’t need a manual for this because the parts show you where they should go and how. This is a plus both for the actual process of assembly and for moving the swing around. Remember, I borrowed mine and we managed to pack it into a small car without any problems.
The swing is powered by 3 size D E95 batteries (the big ones) and it can be used for weeks without needing new ones (of course depending on how much you use the swing) The batteries are also easy to insert and you don’t need a screwdriver for this. A kitchen knife will pop the lid open but siblings won’t be able to do this, perfect!
Putting the baby in the swing
The swing has belts but I never figured how to get the upper part to fit over my baby, the lower belt is enough to keep him in so this doesn’t bother me. There is also a tray, with 2 toys, and this tray folds over the baby. I am not completely satisfied with the tray function because it can easily snap over the hands and fingers of the baby if you are not careful when putting it in place. You must raise the baby’s arms when sliding the tray in place.
Effects and music
The baby swing from Graco comes with a few classical tunes that can be played while swinging the baby. These are pleasant and I find that the rest of the family enjoys hearing them. You can also play white noise like birds chirping but I personally find these sounds annoying so I don’t use them. There is also vibration in the chair but I don’t use this either as it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference to the baby.
Speed
The speed can be adjusted in 6 steps. I find that level 1 and 2 are fast enough and levels 4-6 makes my head spin. Since my baby is starting to be too heavy for the swing (to 9 kg) I find that I often have to give the swing a push to make it run smooth. This could also be due to need of new batteries and it is not something that bothers me. You can swing manually if you want to.
Cleanliness
To clean the swing you can take the fabrics off the chair and run them in the laundry machine. The materials are easy to keep clean and the rest of the swing is made of plastic parts that are easy to wipe off. The only detail that could be tricky to clean is the belt but the one in my swing is in perfect condition, this most likely because you don’t really feed a baby this age in the swing so it stays clean. Just make sure to instruct older siblings not to play with food, colors or other staining materials around the swing.
Summary
This Graco baby swing review will simply have to give the swing thumbs up. It is a big help and even if you will only use it for a few months it can do a lot to keep you sane and happy during a period when things can be very hectic. I would say borrow one if you can and buy one when you know that you will hopefully use it more than once.
Since the swing stays in such nice condition it should be perfectly fine to buy one that has been used without much difference from a new one.
I will put this post under gift for Mom because this is a great gift for a new Mom since it can really help out during the day and night!