Best baby bouncer chairs 2023: 10 top parent-approved options

Helping to keep your hands free, the best baby bouncer chairs make for the perfect place to rest your baby throughout the day, while keeping your little one safe and secure.

Whether you need to get a few chores done, have a wash or just make yourself a cuppa and have a moment's rest, the best baby bouncers are a great addition to any new parent's arsenal. 

Just like the best Moses baskets, baby bouncers are handy gadgets that come in all different shapes and sizes. They can keep your little one entertained, by your side and in view at all times. 

Also known as rockers, some bouncers come with activity arches, many are portable and others are battery-powered and can rock, gently vibrate and play music to help soothe little dreamers.

To help you find the most suitable one for you, we asked a panel of parents to test out the market-leading options with their little ones, aged between five weeks and nine weeks old, over a period of several weeks. From bargain bounces to all-singing, all-dancing options, there's something for every parent and their little one. Keep scrolling to discover the top-rated options. 

Best baby bouncer chairs 2023 - our top pick

Our pick of the best baby bouncer chair is the Babymoov Graphik Baby Bouncer. It's simply designed with a cosy, cushioned seat and removable head support for newborns. You can use the seat in either a bouncing or fixed position and it comes with a detachable and adjustable activity arch. It also folds down compactly - ideal if you're short on space and want to pop it out of sight at bedtime. 

Best baby bouncers chairs 2023 - tried and tested

Our consumer editor says: The Babymoov Bouncer Graphik is a classic baby bouncer chair suitable from birth. The removable head support is a handy extra for smaller babies who don't yet have good head control, and the soft, fleecy seat offers good support for babies of all sizes. You can use this as both a fixed baby seat and as a rocker, which means you can pop your baby in it when they need to kick off some energy as well as when it's time to calm down before sleeping. 

The seat has multiple recline positions so you can adjust it depending on whether your baby is feeling sleepy or keen to sit up and see more of the world. This baby bouncer chair comes with an activity arch with a rattling bird toy included. The seat folds down compactly so it's handy to store and the cover can be removed for hand-washing. Carry handles make it easy to move from room to room with you. 

Our tester says: 'The seat features a really stylish graphic print, ensuring this would look beautiful in any nursery,' says our tester Clemmie Millbank, mum to Felix, five weeks. 'It's really easy to put together, and just as easy to adjust and then flatten down again for transporting around the house or popping in the car. The adjustable bar with the little toy bird is really sweet and kept my newborn entertained for quite a while.'

What stood out to Clemmie is the fact that this chair is a practical option for use from birth. 'Lots of bouncers are technically suitable from birth, but really tend to be better suited for older babies,' she says. "But this one is so well padded – and the headrest adds extra comfort and support – that my tiny five-week-old instantly loved it.'

Verdict: We've chosen this as the best baby bouncer because it's well-designed and ideal for both newborns and younger babies. This means you get brilliant value from the day your baby arrives. The toy arch is a lovely extra. Overall, this feels like a high-quality baby chair but it's also reasonably priced – our tester was surprised when we showed her the price tag and expected it to be more expensive.

• Read our full Babymoov Bouncer Graphik review

Our consumer editor says: The Joie Sansa 2-in-1 is an innovative baby seat that combines a baby rocker with a portable baby bouncer. You really do get two items here for the price of one. So although it's an expensive option, it offers real value for money. It's not an especially travel-friendly option but if you're looking for a practical baby bouncer chair for long days at home, this is an excellent choice. It also has a vibration mode and plays nature sounds and lullabies.

Our tester says: Louisa Field, mum to Liv, two months, says: 'If you have a baby that insists on being or rocked or bounced all day long, it's a huge plus that this seat can do that for you and save your back. The sound of the machinery when it rocks is a bit loud – not sure why, as it's only on the back-and-forth rocking. Whereas the side-to-side mode is basically silent. But you can even set it to do both at the same time. If only the rocking motion was even faster – our baby would like that even more!'

Our tester particularly loved the self-rocking functionality. As a busy parent, you don't always have your arms free to rock your baby. Even keeping your foot on the baby bouncer chair to keep it moving can be too much when you're a multi-tasking mum. The beauty of the Joie Sansa 2-in-1 is the fact that you can adjust the movement to suit your little one, and then let it take care of itself. (With close supervision, of course.)

Verdict: This is an ideal baby chair for busy parents.  It keeps your baby safe and entertained while you focus on attending to other children, tackling the laundry – or drinking a cuppa before it goes cold!

• Read our full Joie Sansa 2-in-1 review

Our consumer editor says: This classic baby bouncer is delightfully basic. There are no 'bells or whistles' – it's just a simply-designed bouncer that allows your baby to gently bounce themselves by kicking their feet. But if you're a fan of simple items of baby gear without complications or if you're on a strict budget and don't want to spend over the odds on an item that will be quickly outgrown, this is the one for you.

Our tester says: 'The BabaBing bouncer is very easy to assemble with no faff involved, plus it has a super cute print and it's light enough to move around the house with ease,' says Louisa Field, mum to Liv, two months. 'We have a small flat so we wouldn't choose anything bigger than this when it comes to shopping for a baby bouncer. Liv seemed comfortable enough in it, although it could perhaps have a little bit more 'bounce' to it – she's so small that kicking her legs doesn't actually make it move all that much yet. But she definitely liked being able to look up and out when sitting in this, so the height seems just right.'

Our tester also commented on how straightforward this baby bouncer is to use compared to other more complex designs. 'You can use this straight out of the box with no fiddly assembly required, and that's definitely a huge bonus when you have a newborn baby. On the downside, there are no special features or extra accessories, so it may be a bit too simplistic for gadget-loving parents or those who like baby gear with jazzy extras.'

Verdict: The non-slip base is ideal for wooden floors, and the bouncer chair comes with a play arch with toys included. So if you're looking for a well-designed baby bouncer without any unnecessary frills, this is well worth considering. It's a brilliant choice if you're sticking to a budget and don't want to waste cash on features you don't really need. If all you're after is a simple, stylish baby bouncer for those moments where you need to pop your baby somewhere safe, look no further.

Our consumer editor says: This vibrating baby bouncer comes with a removable toy bar plus three hanging toys for your little one to bat at and reach for. The bright, colourful design is seriously cheerful and bound to appeal to babies. The cover is removable and machine washable which is a real bonus – even the gentlest of bouncing sessions can sometimes lead to milk making an unwelcome reappearance.

Our tester says: The vibration feature and the toy bar are the standout features according to our tester Clemmie Millbank, mum to Felix, two months. 'This bouncer takes a little bit of putting together, but it's really easy to do – it has a basic metal frame and a fabric seat that stretches over it and offers a nice, comfy hammock-like chair,' she says. 'It's also quite a small bouncer chair, so it's ideal if you don't have much space, although it's a bit of a faff to pack down so not great for transporting or storing.'

Verdict: This bouncer has a fixed seat, so you can't adjust the recline setting, but the toy bar adds value. 'My baby really loved the toy bar, which is bright and cheerful and comes with three different toys which Felix could actually reach and play with,' says Clemmie. 'The toy bar is easy to remove too, so you can quickly pick your baby up without bashing their head on a dangly toy, and the three-point harness feels safe and secure. The vibration on the chair isn't too strong and my baby seemed to find it quite soothing.'

This is the ideal baby bouncer chair for bargain-loving parents and those who are short on space.

Our consumer editor says: With a soft, padded seat and a toy arch with three hanging toys, this is a versatile baby bouncer chair that can be used as a seat for older children too. It converts from a static bouncer into a rocking chair and it's quick and easy to fold, so it's a good choice for travel use or if you plan to store it away at the end of the day. The seat has four recline settings so you can adjust it to suit your baby's preference or energy level, and there are feet at the front which you can pop down to stop it rocking.

Our tester says: The standout feature, according to our tester Clemmie Millbank, mum, to Felix, six weeks, is how easy this is to fold away. 'Of all the bouncers I tested, this was probably the most simple to pop up and fold down flat, and therefore really easy to take around the house or away with you in the car,' she says. 

'It has a really wide seat, which I imagine would be good if you wanted to use the second function as a chair for children over 12 months, but it also comes with a newborn insert and waist strap with crotch support, so it feels secure and snuggly for newborns too.'

Verdict: Our tester generally prefers colourful fabrics and bright prints to the simple dark grey colour, but thinks lots of parents will love the simplicity of the design. 'It's more of a rocker than a bouncer,' she adds. 'But the motion itself is quite strong, so it's a good choice if your little one enjoys a decent sway.'

Our consumer editor says: This plush baby bouncer has three seat recline settings and a gentle rocking motion. It comes with a head and neck support for younger babies, as well as a toy arch with hanging toys. This bouncer chair is especially easy to fold, so it's a good choice for travel use or if you're short on space and want to pop it away at the end of each day. This baby bouncer also has musical features – you can choose from four different melodies – and there's also a vibration function that can help soothe and settle your baby.

Our tester says: 'This was quick to put together and my baby fits snugly in it both lying down and sitting up,' says Louisa Field, mum to Liv, two months. 'It's super easy to adjust between the recline positions and it folds away neatly. It feels a bit too big for my baby at the moment – she looks like she is sitting on a throne! But perhaps the size will look right once she's a little bigger. Personally, I prefer the bouncer chairs with a more rigorous rocking motion – this is more of a gentle bounce – but the overall design is simple and very stylish – it's slightly Scandi-looking.'

Verdict: Our tester's little one wasn't a huge fan of the vibrating function, but some babies love this feature. 'She looked puzzled and unimpressed when I put on the vibrating function – and even more so by the tunes – so that wasn't a huge success for us,' she says. Of course, you can switch these features off if your baby isn't a fan, but they're handy to have in the event that they help to soothe or entertain your baby.

If you're looking for a mid-range bouncer chair that is easy to store when it's not in use, or practical for popping in the car and taking with you to visit the grandparents, this is a good choice.

Our consumer editor says: The clean, contemporary design of this baby bouncer chair will appeal to style-loving parents – it's definitely one for those who dislike garish colours and plasticky baby items. The wood frame and stylish, muted colours make it easy on the eye, but it's also a practical choice. It's really easy to fold, whether you want to take it with you on an overnight trip or just pop it out of sight when it's not in use. It has three recline settings so you can adjust it to suit your baby, and it works as both a fixed chair and a rocker.

Our tester says: The standout feature for our tester Jill Bragg, mum to Grace, nine weeks is how easy this is to assemble and how neatly it folds for storage or transportation. 'The rocker was very easy to assemble, which is great for a time-starved parent, and the subtle colour scheme of grey against wood makes this look classy and luxurious compared to other garish plastic rockers,' she says. 'The frame is lightweight and folds up compactly so it's great for storage and easy to transport. It has a padded newborn insert that held my newborn so securely that she relaxed enough into it to fall asleep quite a few times. The three-point harness to strap the baby in was very easy to use and supported her well – it's well-padded, so the baby barely noticed I was securing her in.'

Verdict: Our tester found adjusting the rocker tricky when her baby fell asleep. 'It's not very smooth to adjust so that frequently woke her up," she says. "This worked well as a comfy seat for the baby to sit in, but as a rocker, the movement is quite limited and proved tricky to 'rock' on rugs and carpet. There also isn't any scope for independent rocking.'

To sum it up, this is a brilliant chair for settling a baby – the padding is very cosy for a newborn watching the world go by – but if you're looking for an energetic rocker, this probably isn't the one for you. 'This blends into a room rather than taking over, which is a plus, but it doesn't have any bells and whistles and needs to be manually rocked, so it's quite basic in terms of functionality,' adds Jill.

Our consumer editor says: This cleverly-designed 3-in-1 baby chair converts easily from a seat to a reclining napper suitable for snoozing in. It has three recline positions and rocking functionality, plus an adjustable canopy that helps to create a cosy environment for naps. It plays soothing music and can be set to vibrate as well. It also has a toy arm with two cute toys attached to encourage hand-eye coordination and the development of grasping skills.

Our tester says: 'At first I didn't like the Tiny Love Cozy Rocker Napper – it's a pain to assemble (the instructions were clear enough but you can't use it straight out of the box) and a lot bigger than expected, but I came to really love it and Liv was super happy and snug in it,' says Louisa Field, mum to Liv, two months old. 'Liv was so cosy with the hood pulled up. She was happy to just hang out in the seated position or go down for a nap in the recline position. It's quite creative/clever in the way it's constructed.'

Our tester's standout feature is how easy this is to rock with your foot. 'This creates a comforting and soothing motion if the baby is unsettled, and it means you can sit and read, watch TV or do chores while the little one watches the toys rock back and forth,' she says. 'I wasn't a big fan of the music nor the vibration function – and nor was Liv – but she liked the lights. Unfortunately you can't just have the lights without a lullaby and the sound quality just wasn't good enough for me to bear it. It also plays white noise which was much more useful. The mattress seems comfy and allegedly you can take it out and wash it. I didn't try this because it looked like you had to take quite a bit of it apart to get it out – but I guess doable if disaster strikes.'

Verdict: If you're investing in a baby bouncer chair for use from birth, this is a brilliant choice. The extra features are useful rather than gimmicky, and the ability to switch from a reclining mode to an upright seat is so handy as your baby grows. It's bulky, so bear that in mind, but our tester thinks it could be a great purchase for a baby who has trouble sleeping.

Our consumer editor says: This battery-operated baby swing seat has a five-speed side-to-side swaying setting as well as a two-speed vibration mode. It plays ten musical sounds and five natural sounds, and it has an audio input for a MP3 player, so you can play your own songs and recordings too. The seat has two recline settings and folds compactly, so it's a good choice for easy transportation and storage. It comes with a detachable toy bar with two toys, and the cover is removable and machine washable.

Our tester says: 'This chair has a super-cute star pattern with a cosy little canopy and two adorable star toys,' says Clemmie Millbank, mum to Felix Millbank, six weeks. 'The seat is really nicely padded, with an extra cuddly newborn insert and a secure, five-point harness. It needs quite a few batteries, but that means the chair is totally portable – although you can also use the mains adaptor for the swinging motion and sounds. It also has a two-speed vibration setting, which seemed to instantly stop colicky crying.'

Our tester's favourite feature is the swaying functionality. 'It was the five speed side-to-side swaying motion which me (and my baby) really loved. It seemed to mimic a natural parent rock really well and instantly calmed my baby, eventually sending him off to sleep – always a win – and soothing him back to sleep if he stirred. I love that you can ramp up the speed of the sway, too, depending on your baby's mood.'

Verdict: This baby seat is ideal for babies who love being swayed and rocked, while our tester thinks tech-loving parents will love all the bells and whistles on this chair. The newborn insert and five-point harness make it feel extra secure for new babies, but there's plenty to ensure it keeps older babies occupied too.

Our consumer editor says: This lightweight baby bouncer has a super-soft fabric seat and offers a natural rocking motion when your baby moves. It's easy to fold, so you can move it from room to room or pop it in the car for overnight visits.  The ergonomic design is supportive of your baby’s head, neck and back, while the fabric seat distributes your baby’s weight evenly. The bouncer chair has three recline settings so you can adjust it as your baby grows. This baby seat can be used for much longer than most – up to two years – so it represents value for money despite being one of the more expensive baby bouncers. The seat cover is removable and machine washable.

Our tester says: 'This bouncer comes assembled so there's no time wasted putting it together, which is great for a sleep-deprived parent,' says our tester Jill Bragg, mum to  Grace, nine weeks old. 'It also looks fantastic – the muted colours are a welcome alternative in a sea of garish baby paraphernalia. My daughter was very comfortable in this – the soft fabric and design supported her well and the mesh fabric was also very easy to wipe clean. It's lightweight so it was easy to transport around the house – this was great as I could keep an eye on her as I moved the narrow frame from the kitchen to the bathroom easily. It is also very compact so we could store it behind the sofa when it wasn't in use and it was easy to put in the car for a visit to my parents.'

This doesn't come with a toy bar, although you can buy one separately. 'It's a shame this doesn't come with a toy bar to provide any distraction as I can imagine as my daughter grows older she will need more stimuli,' adds Jill. 'However, I think as she gets older this will come into its own as it will rock when she moves her arms and legs.'

This bouncer chair will suit parents who value style and function but are short on space, as the low-key design doesn't overpower a room. It's cosy and supportive for newborns but can be used well into toddlerhood.

How to choose the best baby bouncer

• Decide which of the two types you need - there are two kinds of baby bouncers; the classic chair with a simple toy bar, or the all-singing and dancing version with vibrations, sounds, light features, and motion.
• Consider how much space you have - and whether you'll want to put your baby bouncer away at the end of the day. Some baby bouncers fold easily and can be popped out of sight, while others are more like permanent pieces of furniture. Additionally, think about whether you're likely to take the bouncer with you when visiting friends or relatives. If so, pay close attention to how much it weighs and how compact it is to transport.
• Take into account your baby’s age - some baby bouncer chairs have adjustable seats but others are in a fixed upright position. Newborn babies need to lie as flat as possible to help support the healthy development of the spine and hips and to aid optimal breathing. Most baby bouncers are suitable from birth until your baby is around six months old or starts trying to sit up unaided. However, some of the seats in this line-up are specifically designed to be used for longer. 
• Factor in the weight limit of the seat you choose - and stop using it before your baby exceeds it, or once your baby begins sitting up independently. The NHS advises parents not to use baby seats for prolonged periods of time. Doing so can delay your baby’s ability to sit unaided. Limit the use of a baby bouncer chair to around 20 minutes at a time and never leave your baby unattended in a baby bouncer.
• Check how to clean it - because babies are leaky little creatures and the best baby bouncer chair is ultimately one that's easy to clean. A removable fabric cover that can be popped into the washing machine is a winner, especially if your baby suffers from reflux, but something that wipes clean might be all you need.
• Check whether it reclines - Baby bouncers are not safe for overnight sleeping. The safest place for your baby to nap is in a cot or a Moses basket, but some bouncers are billed as suitable for short naps. If you plan to use a baby bouncer for this, make sure the seat recline can be adjusted appropriately. (And always use a baby bouncer chair on the floor – never place it on a raised surface – and fasten the harness and ensure it’s adjusted to fit your baby.)
• Think about value for money - and also what you’ll do with the baby bouncer chair when your little one outgrows it. If your family grows and you’ll use it again in the future, you’ll get even more bang for your buck. And if you buy a premium model and keep it in good condition, you're likely to be able to sell it for a decent price once your baby has outgrown it.

At what age should a baby use a bouncer chair?

Most bouncers are suitable from birth until your baby starts sitting up independently. At that point, a baby bouncer is no longer safe to use. This is because of the risk of your baby toppling out. If you plan to use a baby bouncer from birth, choose one with a newborn insert or padded head support. These offer extra support and comfort to smaller babies, and are easy to remove once outgrown.

How we tested these baby bouncers

Our product review testing process is fair, consistent and robust. 

Our Consumer Editor Heidi Scrimgeour came up with a shortlist of the best baby bouncers based on her product knowledge and industry research. She looked at the latest offering from the market-leading brands - and as a parenting journalist for 15 years and mother of three, what she doesn't know about baby products isn't worth knowing.  She also selected products from a broad range of price points so there's a product here to suit every budget. 

Next, we called on our pool of reliable parent testers and assigned each of them a baby bouncer to review with their baby. They tested the product rigorously for at least ten days. 

After this, they gave each product a rating out of five for overall performance. We also asked for comprehensive feedback on key factors including design appeal, functionality (how easy is it to assemble and use), portability (how easy is it to carry around the house and how compact when stored) and value for money.

While you're searching for the best baby bouncers, you might also be interested in discovering the best baby walkers, the best high chairs and the best baby carriers.