10 Best Baby Bouncers of 2024, Tested by Experts

Long a staff favorite, the BabyBjörn Bouncer Balance Soft can be used from day one into the toddler years, which we love. The "bounce" is powered by you or your baby's own movement, so there are no outlets or batteries needed. The pleasing minimalist design and soft fabrics will look great in almost any home, and the seat is lightweight and easy to fold up for travel.

"My daughter loved this cozy but sturdy seat," says GH staffer Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.O. "I would put her in it while I prepared lunch or cleaned the kitchen. I also collapsed it and took it in the car to our playgroup so that if I needed to set her down for a few minutes, I had this option."

This bouncer is designed for newborns and toddlers (there are three different recline adjustments) and, without the harness, can still be used as a chair once your baby can walk. One staffer's 2-year-old sat in it for weekend screen time relaxation. In the Lab, we love how fast it is to set up right out of the box and appreciate the child lock that parents have to push to make it fully fold down.

You can find this BabyBjörn baby bouncer in several colors — including light pink/gray and dark gray/gray — and three different fabrics: cotton, cotton jersey and mesh. There is a toy bar sold separately with cute wooden toys for about $60. Also take a look at the similar but extra-quilted BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss variation.

This classic, basic bouncer seat with gentle vibration works well for a young baby who's not yet trying to sit up on their own. A toy bar offers your newborn something to stare at, and eventually your baby will be tempted to reach and spin the toys. You can also easily take the toy bar off if your baby would rather have them out of the way so they can watch the ceiling fan or the goings-on at home instead.

The vibration is mild; if your baby really likes to move, consider a baby swing instead. This bouncer's low price makes it a no-brainer to have at a grandparent's house. Another idea: One home tester uses this primarily in her bathroom so her baby has a seat while Mom takes a quick shower. "It's a great place to put her down, and I got it for so little money," she said. It's also sold in other color and pattern variations.

Popular as a first chair for a baby who is ready to sit up — when they have good head control, at about 4 months old — this simple seat keeps your baby's bottom toward the floor, resting on a soft mat, but gives them a backrest.

Babies love to be upright and watching whatever the grown-ups and big kids are doing; however, babies should not be kept in this position for more than 20 minutes a day, according to the pediatric physical therapist we consulted, as it's not conducive to natural development.

Note that some online reviewers say they use this chair "instead of" tummy time, but sitting can't replace rolling and reaching on a floor mat for building a baby's muscles. Tummy time gets them ready to crawl and then walk, though some seated time is fine for entertainment or a break. This seat comes with a few simple toys and is also sold in other colors and patterns, from muted designs to bright animal motifs.

Plus, it folds down so you can take it with you or stash it out of sight, and the pad is machine washable. There's some initial light assembly required. Also note that some reviewers say the fit is a tight squeeze for babies with chunky legs.

Ready to rock? This seat from Ingenuity works as a regular baby bouncer, or you can rock it on its curved base like a rocking chair. It's got a five-point harness that goes over your baby's shoulders and not just across their lap, which is useful if your little monkey is trying to climb out and you need them to stay put for a minute. (Though note: Once your baby is ready to crawl and explore, be sure to give them plenty of time to do that each day.)

This comes with an infant headrest to make it nice for a newborn. Install the battery, and it can also provide gentle vibration. Much later, engage the kickstand and take off the harness to make this a stable toddler seat for your 1-year-old.

The mobile is a little flimsy, and this seat does not fold up small. It also has only two recline positions. But our testers found the straps easy to adjust for a growing baby and the fabric easy to remove for washing.

Entertain your baby two ways with this chair: Spin the tray in front and give them a snack, or rotate the three toys in front for some playtime. The mat is attached with hook-and-loop closures, so it's easy to pull on and off for cleaning — and testers say if you use the chair for serving food, you'll be rinsing the polyester fabric in your sink quite a bit. This floor seat requires a bit of easy initial assembly; know, though, that it does not fold down.

Not to be a broken record, but do be sure to use this seat only on the floor. Though it has a snack tray, it is not safe to set it on a chair as if it is a booster seat. For mealtime, see our list of the best high chairs.

If you're thinking this baby bouncer looks a lot like that BabyBjörn seat, we agree. But we do appreciate that the Ergobaby version has a supportive newborn insert that makes it a nice little nest for the early months. Otherwise, the features are similar, including the three different recline positions (good through toddlerhood) and the seat's ability to be folded flat for storage or travel (though at eight pounds, this is the heaviest bouncer seat on our list). With this seat, you can easily adjust the angle with a foot pedal, a nice innovation.

The Evolve comes in three color options: pink, navy and gray. A toy bar with cute sea creatures is sold separately for a little less than $50. This baby bouncer launched in August 2022, so testing is ongoing while we wait for families to have the chance to use it for more than a full year, but we like that it's pretty much ready to go out of the box, no assembly required.

A classic favorite floor toy, the Kick & Play Piano is now integrated into a baby seat that works from about 3 to 9 months. This is a brand-new offering from Fisher-Price, so we'll be doing more extensive testing with it in homes this year. Initial reviews are that it's very engaging for babies, with lights, music and multiple learning modes. Your baby can kick the keyboard, or the toy can attach to a tray in front of them so they can use their hands. Take the keyboard off and you can use the tray for snacks.

The tray fits in the dishwasher, and the seat pad can be machine washed. The whole thing folds for travel, and the keyboard remains a useful toy into toddlerhood. This floor seat is not a place for your baby to sit quietly; the keyboard vocalizes letters, colors and shapes; plays songs; and encourages your baby to make sounds in return. There's more than 65 total tunes and phrases, and the music can go for 10 minutes straight. But it's a lot of fun!

For parents who want a neutral-colored bouncer seat that blends into the living room but comes with some toys, Tiny Love has this fashion-oriented bouncer and rocker.

Use the newborn insert and set the seat on a recline for a young baby. As your infant grows, you can set them more upright. With the kickstand down, this bouncer functions as a stationary baby seat. Put the kickstand up, and the seat can rock on the base like a rocking chair. Note: You, the caregiver, have to make it rock, or let your baby's own motion tip it gently back and forth.

The toy bar is removable, and the entire seat folds flat for storage. All of the fabric zips off and is machine washable. The gender-neutral theme makes this (or the brand's Gymini play mat) a nice baby shower gift.

In our Lab tests, we found the squeeze handle to be super easy to use to adjust the recline of this seat to any of its three positions. We also like that this baby bouncer folds completely flat for storage or travel when you squeeze the child lock.

There aren't any toy options, but this baby bouncer and rocker has significant perks. For example, the fabric zips all the way off and can be machine washed — and you can use this seat from birth. The Maxi-Cosi Kori can be set to be stationary or you can gently rock it back and forth, battery-free. We also like the pretty faux-wood frame.

Surround your baby with entertaining toys in this seat that takes up much less space than a baby jumper. The tray is wide enough to use for serving snacks. Furthermore, this floor seat turns into a booster seat that you can secure to a kitchen chair with the included straps, giving it a longer life than most baby seats.

Our testers found this one to be tougher to assemble than any other seat on our list. You need a screwdriver to tighten small screws and firmly fit the pieces of the tray together. Also, our experts feel the toys on the toy bar hang too low, which isn't a safety hazard, but it means you end up taking the toy bar on and off a lot. Those frustrations aside, our experts like that this baby seat is nicely priced, easy to rinse clean and useful beyond babyhood.