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For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
by Denise and Alan Fields
"Baby Bargains" is written by consumer advocates Denise and Alan Fields. In addition to their own research, they interview more than1,000 parents while compiling recommendations for their book. The Fields… recommend trying a swing before buying, because not every child will enjoy it. They also urge shoppers to research the battery requirements of specific swing models first because, as they state, "swings eat batteries faster than toddlers can scarf M&Ms." Some owner comments can be found on the book publisher's website, ww.windsorpeak.com.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Amazon.com allows consumers to rate and review products they own. Fisher-Price baby swings get the most attention overall. The Baby Papasan Cradle Swing and Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing… maintain an average rating of 4.5 stars out of five, based on more than 1,100 and 800 owner-reviews, respectively. We also find good reviews here for the Graco Sweetpeace Newborn Soothing Center. Because of the large number of comments, Amazon.com is the best source for parent-written reviews.
by Contributors to ToysRUs.com
ToysRUs.com is a reasonably good place to find owner-written baby product reviews, although it rarely has the volume of posts seen on top user review sites like Amazon.com or Target.com. Baby swings seem to… be an exception, however, with many baby swings receiving several hundred reviews. The Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing has more than 400 reviews; the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing has more than 950 reviews and the Rainforest version has more than 850. All earn an average rating of four stars out of five. The Ocean Wonders Aquarium Take-Along Swing also has an average rating of four stars out of five, based on more than 320 user reviews. The Graco Silhouette Swing has more than 260 ratings, but reviews aren't as positive, earning this model an average rating of three stars out of five.
by Contributors to Target.com
Target offers customers the opportunity to rate the products they buy, and there's a good selection of the most popular baby swings. The Fisher-Price Baby Papasan Cradle Swing earns the best reviews from… readers here, with an average rating of four stars out of five, based on more than 850 owner-reviews. The Graco Sweetpeace Newborn Soothing Center gets less enthusiastic reviews here than as on other consumer review sites, with an average rating of 3.5 stars out of five, based on more than 100 consumer reviews. Consumers on Target.com who give the Newborn Soothing Center a lower rating say that they had problems with parts breaking or the swing not working correctly from the get-go.
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
by Colleen Dowd and Jessica Hartshorn
An overwhelming number of American Baby readers voted for a Fisher-Price brand swing, which was often chosen as one of their three favorite baby products overall. American Baby does not specify one standout… model, but says parents generally like that the Fisher-Price swings are easy to get babies into and out of, and that the toys actually engaged the babies. Editors say they received "thousands" of reader responses on baby gear, but we don't know how many commented specifically on swings.
by Contributors to Viewpoints.com
Viewpoints.com has decent baby-gear coverage. For each product category, there's a front page with the number of reviews and total average rating for each model, making Viewpoints.com easier to navigate… than sites like Target.com or ToysRUs.com. Other than a few top models from Fisher-Price and Graco, though, most swings have only a handful of reviews. The Fisher-Price Baby Papasan Cradle Swing and Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Swing maintain an average rating of approximately 4.5 out of five stars each, based on more than 100 consumer reviews. Most other models receive only a few reviews.
by Carley Roney
Carley Roney, editor-in-chief and cofounder of pregnancy website TheBump.com, offers her picks for the best baby swings on this website. The reviews are brief and highly positive, although the bulleted list… of features is helpful. The author notes that no one swing works best for all babies, but offers little insight into why a particular swing was selected above others. This review is ultimately not very helpful.
by Contributors to LilaGuide.com
LilaGuide.com is operated by the same company that operates wedding website TheKnot.com and TheBump.com. Several swings accumulate more than 100 parent reviews, but the site is more difficult to navigate… than most. It's difficult to narrow down the search results to include only baby swings, and parents must sort through several product pages. Although there are only a handful of swings reviewed on this site, those that are receive a fair number of reviews. The Fisher-Price Papasan Cradle Swing receives more than 150 reviews, and the Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing more than 300. Both maintain an average rating of 4.5 stars out of five.
by Contributors to ExpoTV.com
ExpoTV.com allows consumers to conduct video reviews of a variety of consumer products. The video reviews are useful because consumers can visually demonstrate different aspects of products rather than… relying on the written word to convey information. Several baby swings accumulate a few reviews, with the Fisher-Price Baby Papasan Cradle Swing leading the pack with an average rating of five out of five stars based on five reviews. One downside to this site is that it's difficult to narrow down the search results to include only baby swings, and visitors must scroll through related products.
by Contributors to Diapers.com
by Contributors to Epinions.com
Epinions.com is another consumer ratings site; it runs hot and cold when it comes to baby gear reviews. Many of the swings are no longer in production but are still listed with reviews. Quite a number of… the swings have only a small selection of consumer reviews. We find better, more plentiful parent-written ratings at Amazon.com. Of the available reviews here, the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing receives the most positive, with an average rating of four stars out of five, based on more than 20 owner-reviews.
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
by Heather Corley
Heather Corley, About.com's guide to baby gear, primarily offers advice on choosing a baby swing, suggesting shoppers examine features such as a swing's safety, power source, speed and sounds, and recline… capabilities. There is a list of three recommended baby swings but little is said about the criteria for choosing these particular models. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Editors of BobbysBest.com
BobbysBest.com recommends the Fisher-Price Baby Papasan Cradle Swing, citing its ability to swing in two directions, the plush fabric and the quiet operation. The one negative it cites is the swing's… automatic shutoff function after seven minutes. Although it's a safety precaution, the site suggests the shutoff should be controlled manually. It is not clear, however, why this swing was chosen as the best.
by Editors of 3Luxe.com
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