Graco vs. FP Swings??

[bradytyler]

DH & I were looking at swings tonight at Babies R Us. He likes the Graco Bermuda swing, but I thought the tray was difficult to lift... I liked the FP Rainforest swing because the tray was easier and it has a plug.

If you own a Graco swing or an FP cradle swing I would love to hear what you think of it!! Thanks =)

[sidmand]

We don't own either, but FWIW, we never ever used the tray. I just saw our swing (the Aquarium one) and a friend's house with the tray which DS was having a ball playing with NOW (19 months old) and I forgot it even had that.

DH always wondered why the swing couldn't plug in...I didn't know they had one now that did. We just had rechargeable batteries although we did replace them a lot. I think that would be more of a concern, although I think tripping over the cord or finding a place to plug it in could be a problem, but not necessarily. I don't know if most run on batteries for safety reasons or so you don't leave the baby in there all day?

Debbie
http://b2.lilypie.com/BI7Tm5.png

[wencit]

I have the Fisher Price Aquarium swing and love it. We definitely got our money's worth out of it. Some days, it was the only way DS would go to sleep! I liked that it could swing both ways, because sometimes DS would get bored of swinging in one direction, then I would switch -- and voila! New things to look at. I actually removed the tray because it was a pain to keep it in there, and we haven't missed it at all. DS had plenty to look at in the room, as well as the little lights and rotating fishies.

[cstack]

I have a Graco. I love the look of the FP swings, but am unsure of what looks to be such a steep recline. My DS used the swing for almost 9 months and I'm thinking that the FP swings would not have worked as long because of how reclined the seats are. (Hope this makes sense as I was up all nite with a puking DC)

[smilequeen]

Personally, I prefer the FP cradle swings. The side to side motion is so great. We have the papasan swing and DS always loved it. I didn't use the tray much until he was older. The recline was actually great when he was little and the upright position is pretty upright. The plug would be a definite bonus.

[turtledove]

Ditto! We never really used the tray either. DD slept in this daily for close to 7 months. It was the only place she would nap.

[lorien_ca]

i ownded both (well, the predecessors to the two you're looking at - FP aquarium and Graco open top).

we started with the graco b/c i registered based on price and of all stupid things, the pattern. i wanted to have the pattern that matched my interior downstairs in my house the best, so registered for the swing, PNP and highchair in that pattern. well, DS hated the PNP and it's been used, oh about 3 times in 21months. the swing got a little more use, but i can probably count on two hands the number of times he actually fell asleep in it and slept in it. i craigslisted it at about 4months old. strangely, b/c of the same reason a PP listed as a reason she liked it, the recline - it didn't recline enough. his head fell forward, and even with an infant head/neck cosie, it still didn't do it for him, and he was a swing baby. luckily, we deferred getting the highchair and i'm so happy we did, b/c we used an elcheapo $20 first years booster from 6mos until about 14mos, and then got a kinderzeat which is the greatest thing ever! :).

so now to what you really asked about. i'd pick the FP hands down. my DS was one of those babies that rarely slept, and when he did, he mostly had to be in arms or moving for MONTHS. problem was, he would have nothing to do with the graco swing for the first 2weeks. then we were over at at a friends house, who had the FP aquarium, and lo and behold, he fell asleep in 2min flat. we got one that night! he slept in it for naps every day until about 8 or 9 months old, and often spent the early dawn in it after nursing - it was often the only way i could get him back to sleep so i could get back in bed myself. the plug feature only makes it even better. having to keep track of changing out and remember to recharge batteries is a pain. the fact that it swings in both directions also makes it much more versatile.

despite all that, i'm going to tell you not to get either one. our experience with registering was really that you can't know what you really want until you get to that stage. not every kiddo is a swing baby, and you won't know if yours is until he/she gets here. if you can stand it, i'd wait and let the BABY pick the swing :). then you're sure to get one you actually need/want (which will be whichever one works for your baby and gives you a little break :)). if you want to register for it so you can hopefully get it as a gift, great, but then return it and hold onto the gift card until you know if you're going to need that swing, or PNP, or high chair. just my 2 cents.

lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

[HannaAddict]

I totally agree, I would say the FP cradle style hands down. Had a Graco swing for my son and it was too upright, etc. Tried the FP Papasan swing and have now used the older FP Ocean Wonders wing, and they rock! Baby sleeps great for naps and will even tolerate it when awake, she looks out the window, at the mobile, etc. I would not get a Graco swing at all, I think the cradle style is sooo much nicer and easier on baby and their posture, etc. Batteries are not a big deal, we are pleasantly surprised at how long they last in the Papsan swing.

Kimberly

[Tondi G]

I have a Graco swing and have gone through two kids who didn't care for that swing (DH didn't want to buy a new FP cause our old Graco was barely used and looked brand new!). Anyways.... I know SOOO many people who have the FP swing and most of their babies do enjoy it. If we have another baby one day I am getting an FP cradle swing. I would think the plug in feature is a huge selling point cause the battery eating was the one drawback that people always complained about with ANY swing!

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01 and Aidan 5/4/05

[josiesmom]

We bought the FP papasan swing when DD was 8 weeks old and still refused to nap anywhere but on me and DH. It was an instant success! We really only needed it for 3 months until she started taking naps in her crib, but it was completely worth it! Interestingly, we didn't need the swing feature to get her to sleep--it was the position that the seat put her in and the mobile that she loved. In fact, at first the swing was way too fast for her until she go a little heavier. Because we didn't use the swing feature as much as others, we didn't have to change the batteries very often, but i could see the plug-in feature being nice anyways. Now we just use the swing here and there if we need to set her down somewhere safe for a few minutes. I do use the tray now that DD is older and enjoys having the toy bar in front of her, but it is defeinitely not necessary.