The Scandi style isn’t showing any style of going anywhere, so if you’re thinking about filling your baby’s nursery with cosy borg textures and luxurious neutral shades, then this Dunelm Iris Sherpa Rocking Chair might be the perfect nursery chair for you. Easy to build, affordable and light weight, it makes a lovely addition to any nursery space.
Find out what our Products Editor Lorna White thought of the Dunelm Iris.
Best affordable nursing chair
Mother&Babywww.dunelm.com
If a cosy borg theme is what you’re going for in your baby’s nursery then this luxurious Dunelm Exclusive rocking chair could be the perfect addition. It’s super stylish and bang on trend thanks to its elegant Scandi inspired design.
Our Products Editor, Lorna, found the process of building this chair pretty straight forward, although fitting the base of the seat to the chair part was a little challenging. “As with most furniture that’s on the more affordable side, there was an issue when it came to lining up the holes to screw the base into the chair which ended up taking four people to complete – we did get there in the end, but it may be worth asking for some help when building. It took around 30 minutes in total to build this with a bit of extra help for this tricky part but all in all, was very easy.”
Another aspect our tester loved was how light it was to manoeuvre around the room, making it ideal for parents who have their hands full. “I could easily push this around a carpeted floor with my legs with ease.”
We know that with anything cream, easy cleaning is a must, which is why we love that the seat cushion is fully removable and sticks on with velcro. And despite the affordable price, it really does have a luxurious feel when sitting in it, and the rocking function is very relaxing. The only downside of the design worth noting is the back height. “At 5ft 11in, I personally found the back a little too short for me, however, I did have some other shorter testers give this a try and they didn’t find the height an issue.”
Pros
- Lightweight
- Stylish Scandi design
- Soft and cosy materials
- Removable seat cushion for easy cleaning
Cons
- Not as durable as others on the list
- Smaller seat space than other options
- A little fiddly to assemble
| Type: | Rocking |
| Separate footstool included: | No |
| Assembly required: | Partial assembly required |
| Care instructions: | Wipe clean with a soft cloth |
| Dimensions: | 53 cm x 72 cm x 66 cm |
| Material: | Steel, beech wood, polyester, foam |
| Weight: | Unlisted |
As Mother&Baby’s Products Editor, I’m very familiar with the different nursery chairs available on the market and have sat in A LOT of them over the years. All designed to make those night feeds extra comfortable and provide you with somewhere to rest in baby’s room, these chairs can often be rather expensive, so I was keen to try this more affordable chair from Dunelm.
Ordering furniture can often be a bit of a chore, and whether it’s long delivery times or a complicated building experience when it actually arrives, we’re always prioritising ease and minimising stress when it comes to nursery furniture. If you’re familiar with Dunelm, you’ll know how speedy their delivery turnaround can be, making this chair ideal if you want a last minute chair for their nursery but don’t want to wait ages for it.
With just the legs that need fitting, I anticipated this to be very easy to put together, which overall, it really was. Firstly, you need to fit the wooden rocking feet to the metal base. The instructions were very easy to follow, the screws were labelled clearly and the tools that came with it were very useful. The trickiest part came next when trying to fit the legs to the chair as the holes didn’t align quite correctly. It was here when you could see the quality you were really compromising on when it came to price. After three of us attempted this part and failed to successfully get the screws in with ease, we ended up having to force it in which in the end, was fine – it was just rather frustrating to have to do this and I was a little concerned we may break the chair.
Once this part is complete, all you need to to is velcro the seat pad to the base and you have your chair complete. In terms of the style and design of this chair, it really does look stunning, and could look beautiful in any room, even after your nursery days are over so it definitely has longevity in its style. It feels super soft to the touch and cosy to sit in. It also looks much heavier than it actually is and is very easy and light weight to pick up and move around which makes it ideal for when you’re juggling baby in one arm and needing to move your chair with the other. As it’s not solely a nursing chair and it is so easy to move around, it would easily look at home in your own bedroom if you have the room too!
While the chair is comfortable to sit on, I personally wouldn’t recommend this for taller parents as the back sits quite a bit lower compared to other designs I’ve tried. However, at 5ft 11in, I do appreciate I am on the taller side, but for more averaged height parents or petite mums, this chair is more than ideal. Similarly, the armrests sit quite low, so if you are planning on feeding baby in this chair, you would need to use a support under your arm such as a breast feeding cushion to bring baby comfortably to your breast while being able to rest your elbow at a suitable height.
The rocking function is easy to control just by raising your heels and lowering them to give a gentle rocking motion for you and baby to relax. It’s also sturdy enough for you to sit back in the chair without rocking too far backwards.
Overall, this chair really does look and feel stylish, soft and luxurious. The build took around 30 minutes in total, and that was with a struggle with the base. Delivery was fast and you really can’t fault the Dunelm service and price points when you’re trying to save every penny you can as a parent. Although it’s not quite as comfortable for taller parents, the averaged sized mum or dad would find this seat a comfortable place to rest when feeding their baby or rocking them to sleep, as well as being a stylish addition to any room.
Lorna White is the Products Editor for Mother&Baby. After running the Yours magazine website, specialising in content about caring for kids and grandchildren, Lorna brought her expertise to Mother&Baby in 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics from potty training and nutrition to baby names and early development and has a wide range of experienced medical experts and professionals at her fingertips. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sisters, dog walking and enjoying the outdoors with her family.