Graco SnugGlider

As the full size cradle swing I had registered for lingered, unpurchased on my baby’s registry, I was pleased to instead find the Graco SnugGlider infant car seat swing. It appealed to me in several ways, especially in convenience and size. It is compatible with Graco SnugRide car seats, making it an easy transition from car to comfort. My husband had been hesitant to set up any large pieces of infant equipment in the living space in our home, and so when the SnugGlider arrived, I knew its compact size would please him as well.
I had spent countless hours assembling other infant equipment and was pleased to find that the SnugGlider consisted of only eight or so parts, and no tools were required for assembly. The manual was extremely easy to follow, with both visual and written aids, however I found the assembly to be very intuitive and could do most without any instruction at all. The simple, stream-lined frame was set up in minutes and was ready to use. It has a very low profile and takes up very little space. In fact, it can be folded down quickly for travel or to be tucked away out of sight.
There are two battery compartments, one requires 4 C batteries and controls the varying swing speeds and the other, which takes 3 AA batteries, allows for nature sounds, classical songs, and 2 speed vibrations. I found this aspect to be convenient because if the batteries wear for the swing, often the batteries for the music and vibrations would still be working, which still offered my baby a nice distraction while in the swing. Having an AC adapter with the ability to be plugged in for the swing would be a nice feature, however, I understand that the battery component makes this swing frame perfect for travel.
The swing motion itself works well, but does require some monitoring. I have found that turning the swing motion on once the car seat and baby are clicked in keeps the momentum of the swing moving for longer, and also swinging at a higher speed works best to keep the swing moving.
The open access top also makes putting the car seat in and out of the swing simple and easy. The same pop in mechanism used for the car seat base is what is used for the swing. I am able to come in from a car ride with my sleeping baby and rather than just resting her car seat on the floor, I pop the car seat into the swing and she can stay perfectly content while I unload groceries, let the dogs out, etc. This is the obvious main appeal of this product, which is its ability to transition my new baby seamlessly from car to home. Taking her out of the car seat and strapping her into a full size swing would only wake her up.
While it may lack some of the bells and whistles of full size swings, it makes up for it in its compact design and ease of use.
Price: $75
To buy: buybuybaby.com