Jumpers - are they safe?

[deborah_r]

Like the Johnny Jump Up? I'm trying to find an activity type toy that can go with us to my MIL's house.

[writeleigh]

I was thinking about getting one too - the Graco Bumper Jumper. The Bumper Jumper gets rave reviews from my friends as well as online (see amazon.com/babiesrus.com for examples). I believe they can be unsafe, but high chairs, strollers, and cribs still cause more injuries per year than jumpers. As long as you don't leave the baby unsupervised, I think it should be fine. But that's just my 2-cents :)

[nohomama]

I think the key with jumpers and similar toys is not to use them as a babysitter. If they're installed properly (very important!) and you don't leave your babe unattended in them, I think they're about as safe as any other toy. We had a jumper for Lola, the Bungee Baby Bouncer, and all of us loved it.

[Dcclerk]

We've got the Graco one and DS LOVES it. We are careful to watch him the whole time, but I really don't think it is any more unsafe than any others. (Just make sure it is clamped really well over a door casing.) I have a paranoia of DS putting too much weight on his growth pltes before they are ready, so we just have it so he can barely touch the ground. He still can bounce and turn himself around, and basically have a fabulous time. I honestly think Kai would really enjoy it.

[kapow]

I have the Graco Jumpster and Ian has slowly taken to it. I'm not as worried about the thing coming off the door so much as I am Ian working up enough sideways motion to really whack his head on the doorframe. So when he's in it, I sit with him and make sure he doesn't hurt himself. After a few test drives, he's really starting to like it.

[pritchettzoo]

We put her in the Graco jumper for the first time last night, and she had so much fun! She's just turning herself in half-circles and feeling the floor with the bottom of her feet at this point, but she had a huge grin on her face for most of the time.

Ours has been borrowed from a dear friend who is equally paranoid. Another dear friend used it next with her son, and watching those boys in the jumper was absolutely adorable. They LOVED it, and it was a hoot to watch them go! I wouldn't borrow one from people I didn't know well (and I would trust these people with DD's life!) or buy one from a yard sale because I wouldn't know what kind of abuse the spring had taken. Otherwise, I look at it like everything else--close observation is the key. The newest version of the Graco model has a plastic tray all the way around with a rubber bumper, which would help prevent bumps on the doorframe and bumps to the head on the doorframe. Ours is hung on the livingroom entryway, which is about 6 feet wide, so I don't have to worry about that.

And just because I have one, here's a pic of Gracie in her jumper for the first time!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[kristine_elen]

My ped said no. I used it anyway, while carefully watching Jack, then had a scary experience with it where he almost took a header, and I put it in the garbage.