FP take along swing OR FP ocean wonders regular swing

[bee]

I received the FP link a doos open top, take along swing as a shower gift. I had not registered for it. I did register for the ocean wonders aquarium open top big swing. So ....now I have no clue if I should keep the take along swing or return it and hope to get the big swing. I know nothing about this take along swing. I tried to read a little about it on babies r us and for the most part people seemed to like it.
I wanted to get your opinions!

Thanks!

[kaitlinsmommy]

I guess it could depend on how much room you have in your home. I was very pleased with the Take Along swing b/c we lived in a 2 BR apt. and didn't have much room. DD slept in it a lot, which was great, but I felt she grew out of it more quickly than she might have with a bigger swing.

If I recall, doesn't the aquarium swing rock side-to-side, as well as back and forth. I think that one came out after she was born & if I was in the market for a swing now, I would definitely get that one.

[octmom]

We've got the Ocean Wonders cradle swing (the big one) and the take along swing, also in the Ocean Wonders theme. DS loves them both! We keep the big one upstairs and the take along downstairs. DS often sits in the little one to watch Baby Einstein videos. And we have taken that one on trips and it lived at my friend's house for a while when her sitter watched DS before he started at daycare. That's why we originally bought the take-along. We already had the big one (shower gift). The music is the same for both and the lights on these are softer (less carnival-like and more soothing) than on some of the other swings. The cradle (side-to-side) motion on the big swing was really great when DS was smaller. He fell asleep in it pretty frequently.

We've got the Ocean Wonders bouncer too, so you can tell that we've liked the line. Anyway, that's just our experience, but I would recommend all three of those Ocean Wonders products.

HTH!

Jerilyn
DS: Sean, 10/29/03

[amydiara]

I didnt have take along swing, but the larger swing, while big and obtrusive, was just AMAZING. It always puts him to sleep (now almost 5 months old). He hated the regular swings- likes to go side to side. I couldnt have lived without this swing- I have brought them for my two newly pregnant friends too.


Amy

[ChicagoMama]

My suggestion would be to return that take-a-long swing as quickly as you can! Seriously, though, we have a FP Take A Long (not the Ocean one), and it is right up there on my list of my worst purchases. Sydney was 10 lbs and 22 inches when she was born, but she was still WAAAY too small to sit in that swing when she was tiny. The seat doesn't recline enough for a newborn, and the strap does very little to keep them from flipping forward. She slouched too much, as well. By the time she was big enough to sit in the swing, the motor couldn't pull her very well. Now my toddler uses it as a fun chair in my bedroom while I get ready in the mornings.

On the other hand, we have the FP swing that rocks both forward and back and side to side (the model before the Ocean wonders came out), and we could not have lived without that swing. The side to side motion is just great. We have already put it away - as soon as my 2 babes started sitting up, they were done with the swing. So perhaps it's just a 6 month inconvenience in terms of size. I would go for the bigger ocean wonders swing and skip the take a long.
Becky

Mama to DDs Shelby 09/19/02 and Sydney 10/16/03

[kijip]

The FP Open Top Travel Swing was my favorite swing. It saves space, has a strong swing (if you keep the batteries juiced) and I used it from just after birth to when my son sat unassisted (about 5 1/2 months). My son hated the bigger FP swing we had but loved the little one. We ended up getting this swing after my son was born to replace the big one that he hated. I suggest holding off the return/buy another until after you get the rest of your gifts and after your babe is born. Your baby will let you know which one they like!

[babymama]

We have a big Graco deluxe open top swing (the one recommended in the BBB). I have to vote for the take along swing. Our swing is too big and bulky to move from room to room, let alone upstairs and downstairs (an option that I *sorely* miss). The previous poster has a good point about not being able to put a newborn in the take along - hadn't thought of that. We didn't put DS in his swing until he was about 3 1/2 months old (no particular reason, he just didn't seem ready for it). So the takealong would have been perfect for us.
The Graco deluxe has all those fancy settings (3 different low speed, 3 diff. hi speeds, timer, and 3 volumes for the music) that we simply don't need. We would have been fine with 1 hi speed, 1 low speed, and 1
Good luck making your decision!
Mama to Santiago, born 11/16/03

[jacksmomtobe]

I received the Ocean Wonders regular swing but have not set it up since it seems too big for our condo. I've been looking at the take along swings and the Ocean Wonders got bad reviews on amazon.com so I was thinking I should save $10 and get the link a doos take along but then realized a friend who recommended a take along got the Jack n Jill so I was wondering if anyone had experience with that one.

Thanks!
Kim
Mom to Jack born 3/26/04