Infantino 7 in 1 Kick N Keys Musical Piano Activity Gym Review

There's a lot to like about this baby gym. It's a clever design - compact but with an impressive number of elements that encourage you to look forward to the next stage of your baby's development. It ticks a lot of boxes: a useful place for your baby to lie flat and be entertained while you eg wash your hands after a nappy change, a suitably small pillow for tummy time (the bolsters always strike me as too high), which can then be teamed with a bigger cushion for sitting practice. The keyboard is a real winner; my baby has been hitting the keys with her legs from a really young age and it is hopefully encouraging her to recognise that those limbs belong to her! It'll also be fun as she gets older and engages with some of the more complex features using her hands. The keyboard in particular has real longevity, with the prospect of operating entirely independently of the baby gym (I had to retrieve it from my four year old's bedroom as he had taken a liking to it).

I would describe this gym as a good all-rounder. The hanging toys on display when your baby still only lies flat aren't the most engaging or entertaining I've seen (the colours are a bit muted compared to more vibrant alternatives or those that major on the contrast between black and white). As a parent of a 10 week old I'm still pleased with the gym though because it's so versatile and encourages me to think ahead to the next stage of development and the future fun we can have. Thankfully we haven't had any accidents but I was a bit concerned to see that it is wipe clean only, with no ability to stick it in the washing machine should there be any milk-ups or worse…

Safety

Given how lightweight and compact it is, it is not the sturdiest playgym - when trying to prop up my little one against the big sitting cushion, the velcro didn’t seem to hold it in place. I imagine it works fine though if you try it with an older baby who is closer to being able to sit. The arms do ping back quickly if you unclip them, so it’s wise to be careful or ideally adjust them at a time when your baby isn’t using the gym.

Features

• The hanging toys are quite small and subtle - in the first few months, they didn’t attract my baby’s attention in the way that more brightly coloured or black & white hanging toys (I’m thinking of the Fisher Price rainforest gym) did. Now that she’s four months old, she’s quite intrigued by them though.

• The keyboard is great: she’s been kicking it with her feet since day one and I imagine she’ll enjoy using her hands, perhaps eventually entirely independently of the playgym.

• The two cushions are a clever feature. I’m looking forward to using them for sitting practice but in the meantime they’ve been great for tummy time. We used the small one in the early days but after four months we graduated on to the big one and my baby seems to find it very comfortable (I put a muslin over it so that she’s not irritated by the velcro patches). She spends long stretches of time in that position as a result!

Size

The size is really practical: it’s only as big as it needs to be, meaning you can have it in your living space without it taking over and/or there’s still floor space for an older child’s toys so that the two can play alongside each other.

Weight

It’s very lightweight and therefore easy to move around, including with one hand while carrying a baby.

Budget

Given this costs the same as other playgyms that are much less versatile (in many cases simply a mat with hanging toys, without any of the additional features), this seems a really sensible use of funds. It can be rearranged to suit the particular stage that your baby is at and means you don’t have to spend money on a tummy time bolster or musical instrument.

Portability

Being light and foldable it is very portable and doesn’t take up much space even when laid out. We’re considering taking it with us when we go away for the weekend given how easy it will be to pack and how useful it will be once we get there.

Enjoyment of baby

It has always kept my baby safe, happy and entertained in a low-key way. It is not as overtly entertaining as some other gyms but that can be an advantage given how easy it is for your baby to become over-stimulated in the early days.

Comfort

There is enough padding to provide a soft surface and the size is perfectly sufficient until your baby becomes mobile. Once my baby started rotating and rolling, I used it on top of a bigger general playmat.

Durability

So far, so good. It seems durable and it is difficult to see how it could get damaged, other than getting dirty.

Ease of use

It is easy to set up (I was able to do so myself, which is a rarity) and the box displays a series of photos that neatly illustrate the ways in which it can be modified. It is straightforward to switch between the different modes, although it’s easier and safer to do so when your baby isn’t using it.

Ease of cleaning

It is a downside that the mat isn’t machine washable, so it starts looking a bit worn after a while. Milk-ups do seem to wipe off easily but I’d be much happier being able to put it through the machine every so often.

Stability

Sitting practice didn’t go terribly well as the velcro couldn’t hold the cushion in place but to be fair, my little one was a long way off sitting at the time so it was taking a lot of her weight.

Ease of storage

The arms can be unclipped and the mat folds so although the arms are quite long, it’s pretty easy to store.

Impact on development for baby

It strikes me as really useful from a developmental point of view on account of being so multi-functional. My baby enjoyed kicking around and hitting the keyboard when she was tiny, then she started to notice the hanging toys and reach for them; it’ll help with sitting in due course and for now it’s great for tummy time. My baby is happy on her front, sloped over the big cushion, for long stretches of time.

Design

It’s a really attractive design. The colour scheme is likely to work well in most homes given the palette is soft and easy on the eye. The cleverly placed sunrise provides the perfect backdrop for photos!