View Full Version : Swing question--which one to register for?!
nicknack
07-02-2003, 08:30 AM
Hi-
I'm going to be a posting fool today, we went to register last night and I have to do some more research!
I had heard from many people that the Ocean Wonders Aquarium swing was very popular and babies liked it, but to me it was sort of ugly...Now, I KNOW it's not for me, it's for the baby :) but I saw another FP one that I thought was cuter, it was the Rubber Ducky Cradle Swing and it had the same movements as the OCean Wonders one. Any difference between the two? Reason why I should go with Ocean Wonders or another brand all together? Are the Graco Open-Top ones any good?
Thanks so much!!!
Nicole
stillplayswithbarbies
07-02-2003, 09:10 AM
I say get what you like. The baby will most likely fall asleep in the swing anyway and then it doesn't matter what it looks like. :)
My daughter likes looking at the fish on the aquarium one, but she falls asleep within minutes of being in the swing.
...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03
nicknack
07-02-2003, 09:42 AM
Thanks Karen, you're helping me a lot today!
Marisa6826
07-02-2003, 09:49 AM
Hi again!
We have the Graco open top six speed one and love it. We thank the Graco Gods constantly! There were many nights where it was the only place Sophie would sleep. We still put her there (at seven months) for naps! Fortunately, she's small so she can still fit.
A lot of babies either love the swing or hate it. Sophie is in the former category.
The Aquarum swing wasn't out when I registered, but it looks cool.
Do you have anybody you can borrow a swing from for a few weeks to see if your babe will like it?
-m
nicknack
07-02-2003, 09:56 AM
Thanks Marisa!! Unfortunately, we don't have anyone who we can borrow one from, might just have to see if we get it as a gift and see if the baby likes it. I thought I had heard that BRU was pretty good about returns, so maybe we could even return/exchange if it doesn't work out...thanks for the input!
nofeea
07-02-2003, 09:58 AM
Sorry-probably not what you wanted to hear, but we LOVE the Aquarium swing. It is big but DD loves the Aquarium mobile and the ocean/bubble sounds really soothed her when she was a newborn. (You can set the sound to music, bubbles, waves, etc.) DD did not really like the back and forth motion of traditional swings for a long time (we also tried the Take-along swing) so we're big fans of this swing!
August Mom
07-02-2003, 11:39 AM
We started out with a FP cradle swing (before the aquarium swing was out). We tried it out but DS didn't like it and we thought it went too fast, even on low. So, we took it apart, boxed it up and returned it to BRU. I had no problems returning it. We then got a Graco 6-speed open top. We still use it at times and DS is 10 months. In all honesty, you'd probably be be fine with a 2-speed. I generally only use the medium-low speed. And, I've never used the timer. Oh, and even though a lot of the Graco swing toys look lame, you never know. My DS loves the lion with the spinning and rattling mane.
heidi_timms
07-02-2003, 02:32 PM
We love the new Graco travel swing. We just got it a week ago and BRU just got it in stock. It's perfect for taking places and doesn't take up your whole house!!! It also holds a baby up to 22 pounds, which is pretty good. It has a light show and music too.
~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03
houseof3boys
07-02-2003, 10:17 PM
We got the one with the ducks on it instead of the ocean wonders. I think the duck one had a mirror on the mobile and the ocean one didn't. Ocean may have also been a little bit bigger but I just wanted the cradle motion that both of them had so we chose the ducks as he has the FP crib aquarium already. Ryan is still adjusting to the swing so I can't tell if he likes it yet. He has fallen asleep in it the three times we put him in it. It makes a weird whirring sound and we thought it was broken and took it back and exchanged it. After putting it together AGAIN it made the same sound. I went on-line and read some reviews and everyone mentioned this sound. It annoyed me at first but now I am used to it and it seems to be soothing to him like white noise.
alkagift
07-03-2003, 01:23 PM
I was like you--completely hated the Ocean one but loved the cradle action. I disliked it not because of the theme but because of the unbelieveably annoying music! I decided that I couldn't stand to listen to it and didn't want to pay extra for the feature, regardless of how much the baby might like it. So I got the ducky one and have never looked back. Matthew likes it and I'm at peace!
Allison
Mom to Matthew Clayton, 5/19/03
kristine_elen
07-03-2003, 02:31 PM
If I was to do it again, I would just get a travel swing. We started w/an Evenflo Whisper Quiet (which it wasn't) and it was OK for a few months but then started to wear down a bit, plus you have to unscrew the battery opening instead of just popping off. Later got a Graco open top three speed w/no frills. Really, the music on swings is pretty bad and I don't think the mobile is that useful. Our son looked at the mobile on the Evenflo, but later when we had the graco open top, he just looked around the room and was equally happy. It would be nice to have a swing you can easily take with you to friends' houses, etc. I would definitely get an open top, it makes getting baby in/out much easier.
bunnisa
07-05-2003, 01:30 PM
Wilkes loves his FP Aquarium Swing. A lot of ppl have thought it moves too fast (you can drape the seat with a blanket that drags on the ground to slow it down), but he really likes it. Guess it's similar to the speed of me walking back when he was in-utero. He likes both the side to side and front to back motion, and we switch it once in a while if he gets bored. The music is great! There is a rain sound and an ocean waves sound, which is not irritating, and the actual songs are okay -- not my favorite but not grating, either, and he seems to like them.
HTH!
Bethany
Torey
07-05-2003, 10:42 PM
We have the Graco 6 speed, open top with mobile and LOVE IT!!! I started using it when our daughter was around 2 months old and refusing to go to sleep at night. Turns out she loved sleeping in the swing. So many a night I put her in there, turned on the timer so she wouldn't swing for hours and then moved her to her crib when I woke up a couple hours later (when I needed to feed her). This worked really well for us. The open top is great for moving a sleeping baby out of the swing. Now at 6 months, we still use the swing to calm her down when she seems really fussy. I wonder if we'll have to have some permanent swing installed in our house when she outgrows this so she'll always have a swing! HA! :~)
nicknack
07-07-2003, 08:17 AM
Wow, thanks SO much for all of your responses!!! I threw the Rubber Ducky one on there for now, but still have plenty of time to change my mind (which is quite often!). The more I think about it, though, the more I wonder if the smaller travel swing is better in terms of space and all that. Then again, it looks as though it's difficult to get a bigger baby in and out of it with that bar at the top (saw one at my friend's house this weekend). Hmm, will have to think about this some more!
MartiesMom2B
07-08-2003, 03:06 PM
Just wanted to add that we have the rubber ducky swing too. I think one of the differences is that it doesn't make music. Martie loves it though and loves to watch the duckies go around in a circle and I think she looks up at the mirror. It's a little loud but she falls asleep to the sound - I think it has that white noise affect.
Friends of ours have the FP take a long swing. I never got a chance to put Martie in there to see if she liked it though, but I think its cool because it has lights around it and does make music.
Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03
DCmommy
07-08-2003, 04:17 PM
We had a Graco open-top and DS loved it almost right away. For awhile, it was the only place we could get him to nap. I've heard that some babies don't like the side-to-side motion of the cradle swing and they prefer the front-to-back motion of the open-tops.
I also liked the "Ocean Wonders" motif, so we got the Ocean Wonders bouncy seat and DS loved that too. It was very portable -- we've brought it with us on several vacations, and I still use it as a sort of portable high chair now that DS is eating solids. He loved the vibration feature when he was smaller (another great nap-inducing feature), and now that he's 6 mos., we still use it as a TV chair -- pop him in it, put Sesame Street on, and he squeals with delight while I know that he's safe for a few minutes while I take a shower or go to the bathroom. In fact, if I had it to do over again, I would have skipped the swing altogether and just gotten the bouncy seat, which we've gotten far more mileage out of, although DS loved them both. Hope that helps!
Megan
Mommy to Patrick 1/16/03
stillplayswithbarbies
07-08-2003, 05:20 PM
>I've heard that some babies don't like the side-to-side
>motion of the cradle swing and they prefer the front-to-back
>motion of the open-tops.
>
The Aquarium cradle swing converts from side-to-side to front-to-back. She didn't seem to like the side-to-side when she was a newborn and we have never tried it again.
...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03
TraciG
07-10-2003, 03:27 PM
I totally understand you, since I started my regisrty i've been obsessed with my Baby Bargains book & now here on this website !! The book says the best swing is the Graco, Gentle Choice, they say their second choice is the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium.
Good luck
nicknack
07-11-2003, 07:54 AM
Wow, thanks again for all this great information. I'm STILL confused, but all of this helps a lot!
Traci--I'm not sure I know that Graco swing. Is it different from the open-top ones they have? Did you get that info from the new version of the book? I have the purple one and didn't really want to buy the new one, I should refer to it again this weekend, haven't checked it out in a while...
TraciG
07-11-2003, 01:30 PM
Yes the Graco swing is open top. I got the info from the new baby bargains book.
DCmommy
07-11-2003, 10:27 PM
DEFINITELY buy the new red baby bargains book -- lots more info., subjects, photos, and handy tabbed sides. I already had most of what I needed for DS based on the purple edition, but I refer to the new book almost constantly as a reference. Also, several recommendations for best product have changed, as well as additional information about several brands (particularly strollers!).
Definitely worth the investment!
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