Baby Swings : Ratings of Sources

Our Assessment"Baby Bargains" is written by consumer advocates Denise and Alan Fields. In addition to their own research, they interview more than 1,000 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, windsorpeak.com.

Our AssessmentToysRUs.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 My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing has more than 850 reviews, and the Fisher-Price Rainforest Open-Top Cradle Swing has more than 900. Both earn an average rating of 4 stars out of 5. Most of the Fisher-Price cradle swings receive ratings of 4 out of 5 stars and better. The Graco Silhouette Swing has more than 340 ratings, but reviews aren't as positive, earning this model an average rating of 3 stars out of 5.

Our AssessmentConsumerReports.org doesn't test or rate baby swings. This article is more of a buyer's guide. Though several brands are mentioned, they aren't evaluated. There are some excellent purchasing tips and helpful information on recalls, but not much that could help you decide on a specific swing.

Our AssessmentAlthough the mamaRoo is the only swing on this list of top tech toys and the review is short and wholly positive, it's worth reading. Reviewer Stephanie Chang praises the swing's ability to rock in five different motions and its built-in iPod port.

Our AssessmentViewpoints.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 receive only a handful of reviews. The front-runner, the Fisher-Price Baby Papasan Cradle Swing, maintains an average rating of approximately 4.7 out of 5 stars, but it has been discontinued.

Our AssessmentLilaGuide.com is operated by the same company that operates wedding website TheKnot.com and pregnancy site TheBump.com. Several swings accumulate more than 100 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 Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Take-Along Swing (discontinued) gets more than 300. Both maintain an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.

Our AssessmentPopular parenting resource site BabyCenter.com closed its retail operations and now refers its customers to retailer Diapers.com. Diapers.com is a newer site than some other consumer-review sites, and baby swings aren't reviewed here as frequently. That said, reviews are growing in number, especially for popular swings like the Fisher-Price Rainforest Open-Top Cradle Swing, which receives more than 40 reviews. The site is also easy to navigate; displaying relevant products with the star ratings and the number of reviews a product receives right in the search results page.

Our AssessmentOnly one swing, the Fisher-Price Nature's Touch Baby Papasan Cradle Swing, is given an "expert" review at ConsumerGuide.com. It does appear that this model was tested in an informal way, and there are some evaluative comments on weight limit and some other performance features.

Our AssessmentBobbysBest.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, which kicks in after 7 minutes. Although it's a safety precaution, editors say the shutoff should be controlled manually. It is not clear, however, why this swing was chosen as the best.