There is no shortage of baby swing brands nowadays. However, today, we would like to introduce you to only one of those numerous brands – Fisher-Price.
With a name that you probably wouldn’t associate with baby gear, Fisher-Price has quite interesting baby swings to offer. We chose six of their swings to showcase today, each offering a unique set of features to consider.
Aside from that, realizing that brands possess the power of being recognized and chosen over others, we would like to provide a couple of reasons for sticking with Fisher-Price. So after we finish our review of the six Fisher-Price baby swings, we are going to compare this brand to others so that you know what you are dealing with.
The Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Deluxe Cradle ‘n Swing isn’t the most functional or the best-padded swing on our list. However, we think that it has the best balance of features. Given that it doesn’t cost that much, we chose Deluxe Cradle ‘n Swing as our top pick.
The Moonlight Meadow features a nicely padded seat with a wide range of motion adjustment. The motor of this baby swing can rock the seat head-to-toe or side-to-side. Not only that, but you could select one of the six speeds offered, and the Smart Swing Technology is there to automatically adjust the swinging speed as the baby grows.
Like the other Fisher-Price baby swings on our list, the Moonlight Meadow is more newborn-oriented, so its seat has a strong recline which can be adjusted between two positions. Aside from that, the seat can be oriented in one of the three directions – right-facing, center-facing, and left-facing – for a little more variety for the baby.
In addition to the swinging motion, the Moonlight Meadow baby swing features sixteen songs and natural sounds for a better soothing effect. Above the seat also is the motorized mobile with three soft toys and a mirror, the purpose of which, as Fisher-Price claims, is to promote the development of the baby’s eyesight.
The infant insert and the seat overall are padded quite nicely, but according to some reviewers, the padding in the insert is actually lacking compared to some other Fisher-Price. You’ll see what we mean in a bit. But if you do decide to go for this baby swing, be prepared to add some padding under the infant insert.
It should also be noted that this baby swing is battery-operated, but you can use the provided plug and forget about having to worry about battery charge.
A common complaint is that the motor of the Moonlight Meadow produces annoying grinding noises while running. This noise, unfortunately, seems to be present in all Fisher-Price swings.
As the name suggests, the Snugapuppy swing is puppy-themed! Namely, it comes with a puppy-themed newborn insert. This insert appears to be larger than the insert of the Moonlight Meadow. Aside from that, it is cuter and may be more appealing to your baby.
Other than that, the Snugapuppy is virtually identical to the Moonlight Meadow swing. The overall design of this swing is the same, and so is its functionality – you are again getting two swing directions, two-position seat recline, three seat positions, six swing speeds, and the other stuff that the Moonlight Meadow had.
And, like the Moonlight Meadow, this swing is battery-powered with the option of powering it from an AC source via the included plug.
Unfortunately, there are also similarities in the downsides of the two swings. Namely, the motor again is a bit noisy, and the newborn insert is less padded than in other Fisher-Price inserts, albeit it seems to be bigger than in the Moonlight Meadow.
We can’t say it’s perfect since a few parents nonetheless found the cushioning to be insufficient and not too consistent, but it is definitely better than in the previous two swings. You may still need to add some cushioning yourself though, so keep that in mind.
Needless to say, basically being a bunny-themed Moonlight Meadow, the Snugabunny baby swing has the same functionality. It again has two recline positions, three seat directions, two swing directions, and six swing speeds delivered by the already-familiar SmartSwing Technology. And, of course, it has sixteen musical effects & sounds, three toys & a mirror on the motorized mobile, as well as comes with a rechargeable battery and an AC plug.
As mentioned above, the motor in this thing is again loud and grindy, which may be liked by some babies but definitely not by parents who are trying to sleep.
The most remarkable feature of this swing is its two-in-one design, as suggested by the name. The Deluxe can operate either as a swing or as a manual rocker once the seat is removed from the frame!
When in its rocker “mode”, the Deluxe loses its entire motor-operated swing functionality. On the other hand, it gets completely quiet, as well as occupies very little space on the floor.
Another notable thing in the Deluxe baby swing is its padded seat. It’s very thickly padded, so you should not even worry about your baby developing flat spots. The seat also literally engulfs the baby, which should make your child feel very cozy.
In terms of functionality, the Fisher-Price Deluxe baby swing is very similar to the previous three swings. It again has six swing speeds, two recline positions, two swinging motions, and soothing add-ons like toys and sounds.
However, this swing doesn’t have seat position adjustment (left, right, center) due to its design, but this isn’t a big downside. On the other hand, you are getting a vibration feature in the Deluxe swing, which could nicely add to the soothing effect of this swing.
The familiar grinding motor noise is also still here. Well, that’s just a thing that you will have to roll with Fisher-Price baby swings.
First comes the insert design. The seat in the Papasan swing seems to be similar to the seats in the Moonlight Meadow, Snugapuppy, and Snugabunny swings, but the insert has an eye-catching and extra-padded headrest which makes it resemble papasan chairs.
In terms of padding, the Papasan baby swing definitely has the edge over the first three swings, but it overall seems to have less padding than the 2-in-1 Deluxe swing.
The Papasan swing seems to have a sturdier design than all other baby swings on the list. Namely, its frame has fewer parts in it, which should positively impact the swing’s overall integrity and safety.
A feature unique to the Papasan is its curtain that covers the sides and the back of the seat. It should offer a cozier atmosphere for the baby, but if you find that your baby doesn’t like the curtain, you can easily remove it.
In addition, the Papasan baby swing features a plastic insert/feeding tray with a couple of bead toys on the sides. The beads are a very nice addition to the swing since they allow the baby to develop their finger motility.
When it comes to functions, the Papasan baby swing is identical to the Moonlight Meadow, Snugapuppy, and Snugabunny swings. It likewise has two swing motions, six swing speeds, two recline positions, three seat directions, and sixteen songs & sounds for soothing. And, of course, it runs on an alkaline battery yet comes with an AC adapter for more hassle-free operation.
As nice and functional as the Papasan swing is, it again isn’t free of downsides. The noisy motor is still here, but there is more to keep in mind.
First off, this baby swing is pricier than all other swings on the list, so it isn’t the best option if you are on a tighter budget.
Secondly, the curtain and the feeding tray limit the entrance to the seat, making it less convenient for you to get the baby in and out. Aside from that, the feeding tray will become unusable as your baby grows up, but it can be removed for added space. The curtain and feeding tray downsides are overall minor though and can easily be fixed by removal.
What further facilitates the transport of this baby swing is its foldable design. In addition to carrying, the foldable design also makes the Deluxe Take-Along swing very convenient for storage.
Due to its smaller size, the Deluxe Take-Along swing cannot boast the same variety of functions as all other Fisher-Price baby swings we reviewed. This swing lacks seat recline, seat direction, and seat motion adjustment. However, it still has six swing speeds to choose from, as well as has a vibration feature, which only the Deluxe baby swing had.
The variety of sounds is also poorer here – only 12 songs and sounds – but they should be well enough for soothing your baby. Plus, it has two overhead toys versus the three in the other baby swings.
On the other hand, the seat in the Deluxe Take-Along looks better-padded than in the Fisher-Price Moonlight Meadow, Snugapupppy, and Snugabunny.
In terms of downsides, we can pinpoint two – those are the familiar loud motor and the overall limited functionality of this swing.
There are quite a few baby swing brands out there, but why would you as a parent want to opt for Fisher-Price? Well, Fisher-Price baby swings have a wide range of benefits and disadvantages which make this brand great in some fields and not so good in others.
Our reviews of Fisher-Price baby swings have given us a good idea of what Fisher-Price baby swings have to offer. Let’s now briefly overview the main features of Fisher-Price swings so that we can then make comparisons with other brands.
Functionality:
Fisher-Price baby swings are among the most functional swings out there. Well, our review was a clear testimony to this. Although the functionality varied quite significantly between models, even the more basic Deluxe Take-Along baby swing offered adjustable speed, a good number of songs and sounds, as well as a vibration feature.
But if you go higher up the price ladder, you will have adjustable seat position, recline, and two swing directions. The wide array of features in Fisher-Price swings should thus allow most people to find the right swing for their baby.
Safety:
All Fisher-Price baby swings have decently deep seats with 5-point security harnesses to keep the baby in place. In terms of seat depth, there are better options on the market, but the 5-point harnesses are paralleled by no other system.
Washable seat & insert:
Fisher-Price baby swings come with removable seat covers and infant inserts that can be machine washed. These can be very easily removed from Fisher-Price baby swings to allow for hassle-free washing no matter the mess the baby has made.
Both battery- and AC-operated:
A very nice thing about Fisher-Price baby swings is that they are equipped with alkaline batteries and thus can be operated in any corner of your home. Furthermore, Fisher-Price actually includes an AC adapter with its baby swings. This adapter allows you to plug your Fisher-Price swing into a power outlet, thus allowing you not to think about the remaining battery charge.
Good value for the money:
Mostly priced between $100 and $200, Fisher-Price baby swings offer good value for the money. They are neither the most expensive nor the cheapest baby swings on the market, but for the level of functionality you are getting, the price seems really reasonable.
Padding:
If you recall, we mentioned that the padding in Fisher-Price baby swings appears to be inconsistent. Though Fisher-Price baby swings’ seats are quite nicely padded, padding seems to lack in some areas of the seat. It’s nothing disastrous, but you may want to put some additional padding under the infant inserts provided by Fisher-Price.
This doesn’t apply to all Fisher-Price baby swings though, as you could have seen from the reviews.
Noise:
Not that you wouldn’t expect noise from the motor of a baby swing, but Fisher-Price swings definitely aren’t the best on the market in regard to quietness. They all have grind-y motors, which doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby will be annoyed. On the contrary, your baby may like the motor’s sound and actually find it soothing, but you most likely will have an opposing opinion on the motor’s noise.
Bulkiness:
Lastly, Fisher-Price baby swings are relatively bulky and aren’t the best choice if you have very limited floor room. Of course, there is the exception of the Deluxe Take-Along swing, but Fisher-Price baby swings are, in general, bulkier than the swings of some other brands.
Now that we know what to expect from Fisher-Price baby swings, let’s compare Fisher-Price with other popular baby swing brands – Graco, Ingenuity, and 4moms.
Graco
The cost of Graco baby swings lies in the same range as Fisher-Price baby swings. Graco baby swings are overall less functional, but they do have a couple of other things to make up for the lack of functionality with.
Fisher-Price baby swings are rather sturdy, but Graco swings are sturdier. Graco baby swings have a more solid base and a stronger build, which allows for around 30 pounds of weight limit on baby swing, while Fisher-Price swings are around 25 pounds.
The second key advantage of Graco baby swings is their deep seat which allows for cozier positioning, as well as is safer since it is more difficult for the baby to roll out from.
On the other hand, these two advantages make Graco baby swings rather bulky. And although Graco does offer some foldable and compact models, their baby swings are generally big and occupy a lot of space.
The motor noise of Graco baby swings also appears to be loud, akin to Fisher-Price baby swings’ motors.
Other than that, things are pretty similar between Graco and Fisher-Price baby swings. To recap, the key benefits of Graco swings are their deeper seats and the sturdier design. If you are looking for a strong and big baby swing, Graco does have a couple of interesting options to consider.
Ingenuity
Ingenuity has a focus on portable and inexpensive baby swings, with most of their swings priced under $100. Thus, Ingenuity baby swings are better for those on a tighter budget and with a little amount of free floor room.
Another nice advantage of Ingenuity baby swings is that they are much quieter than other brand swings on the market.
On the other hand, in terms of functionality, Ingenuity lags behind many other swings out there. Aside from that, due to their short design, Ingenuity baby swings require you to bend down to take the baby out of the swing, which may be problematic for some parents.
4moms
4moms baby swings are arguably the most remarkable swings out there. Their main benefits are their sleek & futuristic design and remote operation capabilities via mobile devices. So if have a modern design and don’t want the baby swing to break the atmosphere, 4moms baby swings can be great.
On the other hand, 4moms baby swings reach $300, and given that they aren’t nearly as functional as Fisher-Price baby swings, 4moms isn’t a very cost-efficient brand. In addition, 4moms baby swings again have noisy motors, which is an important thing to keep in mind.