Babies tend to feed around the clock when they’re first born, so making sure you and your little one are comfortable for the day and night feeds is essential. To ensure you’re both cosy and supported, you may want to consider purchasing one of the best nursery rocking chairs. After all, you’re going to be spending a lot of time breast or bottle feeding in those first months of your baby’s life so you may find a dedicated nursing chair useful.
What is a nursery rocking chair?
Simply put, a nursery rocking chair is a chair that sits in your baby's room that you can use for feeding time and soothing your baby to sleep.
Rocking nursery chairs gently move to get your baby to drift off to the land of nod. They simulate the feeling of being swayed to sleep in your arms.
Made with feeding in mind, they will also ensure that you and your little one stay comfortable throughout. They'll give you support while ensuring you're in the perfect position for breast and bottle feeding.
The different types of nursing chairs
There are four many types of nursery chairs, including a classic nursing armchair, a rocking chair, a gliding chair, and a reclining nursery chair. They all offer comfort to you and your baby while sitting in them, but each has slightly different functions, mostly in the way they move.
Classic nursing armchair
Your classic nursing armchair is very much like a traditional armchair. There are wider and lower than a normal chair to give you more flexibility during a feed.
Rocking chair
Rocking chairs rock back and forth in an arc, providing your baby with a relaxing spot to feed and snuggle with you.
Gliding chair
Gliding chairs are very similar to rocking chairs. Except they move backwards and forwards on a fixed track, and some may even swivel too. They tend to offer a smoother motion compared to rocking chairs.
Reclining nursing chair
With a reclining nursing chair, you can change the pitch of the seat to suit you. This style of chair will be particularly comforting if you suffer from back pain as you can adjust it to ensure you're in the most comfortable position.
Why is a rocking chair for your nursery important?
While a rocking chair isn't an absolute essential for your nursery, they are a must-have piece of furniture for many parents-to-be. With the help of KUB, we've rounded up some of the benefits of having one in your little one's bedroom.
• Feeding
A nursing chair will ensure that both you and your baby are comfortable while feeding. Whether you are breastfeeding or using a bottle to feed your bubba, a dedicated nursing chair will help you to get into a good position for feeding and ensure you are both well supported.
• Soothing
It's no secret that babies love the feeling of being rocked and swayed to sleep. A rocking nursing chair will create that repetitive, soothing motion, which will calm your little one and help them drift off to a peaceful slumber.
• Good back support
If you've struggled with back pain throughout your pregnancy and into post-partum, a nursing chair can help. It will support your back, ensuring you've got good posture to take off unnecessary pressure during lengthy feeds.
• Developing a routine
Feeding and settling your baby in the same chair at the same time every day will help your little one establish a routine. They'll soon associate feeling calm and comfortable with being in their nursery, making the transition to their own room a smooth one when the time comes.
• Convenience
Once you've got your baby into a comfortable position, you don't want to disturb them while they're feeding or sleeping. This is where the pockets on chairs come in handy. You can fill them with everything and anything, from bibs, muslins and breast pads to water bottles, magazines and books.
Discover the best nursery rocking chair for you and your baby below.
Traditional nursery rocking chair with contemporary styling
The smooth rocking motion of this chair will soon have your little one nodding off. Available with or without a matching stool, it adds a modern twist to a more traditionally-designed rocking chair with the well padded-cushions covered in a grey suedette material.
Pros: Has pockets on both sides of the armrests
Cons: Suedette material may be harder to clean than other materials
Review: "Needed a nursing chair for our baby, and this one is really comfortable, transformed feeding and is of very good quality for the price."
Nursery rocking chair made with soft-to-touch fabric
www.argos.co.uk
Soft-to-touch brushed fabric gives this nursery rocking chair a luxe feel. The seat is wide so there's enough room for you and your little one to curl up as you rock them to sleep. It comes with standard legs too so you can switch to adapt to your child's needs as they grow.
Pros: Fabric is treated with Scotchguard for protection
Cons: Some parents thought the chair was stiffer than they expected
Review: "Really comfy and lovely. Stylish and goes lovely in the nursery."
Ergonomically designed nursery rocking chair
www.wayfair.co.uk
The Oscar rocking chair is another great option by Tutti Bambini. It is ergonomically designed with a deep seat and a high backrest to give you full support and comfort while feeding. It includes a matching knitted pouffe you can rest your feet on.
Pros: Provides relief for backache and tired feet
Cons: The light colour may be more likely to show up marks from accidental spills
Review: "Absolutely perfect for breastfeeding and reading to a toddler with then tucked up next to you. Super comfy and great quality chair."
Most stylish nursery rocking chair
www.mamasandpapas.com
A stylish addition to any room, not just your baby's nursery. It's made from quality materials including solid oak for the rocking legs and soft, durable woven fabric for the fully upholstered seat. We love the navy option but it comes in four other colours including off-white and silver.
Pros: The cushion is reversible and can be removed for easy cleaning
Cons: Some parents wished the chair had more back support
Review: "Love this. For me it is a top ten item for having a baby. After having a C Section and finding other sitting arrangements difficult this chair was perfect very comfortable, and it was exactly what I needed for breastfeeding my little one. It is a beautiful, high quality chair that will last us for many years."
Great for neck support
www.ikea.com
We know this armchair from Ikea hasn't specifically been designed as a nursing chair, but it is a popular choice with mums. It offers support for your back and neck and a comfy place to rest your head with its cushioned headrest.
Pros: Lightweight, washable cover
Cons: Lower position compared to other nursery rocking chairs - it may be difficult to get out of when holding your baby
Review: "Fantastic chair to have In child’s room or nursery beside their cot. Comfortable for long nights also being able to rock is handy will continue to use for a very long time"
Best for small nurseries
Limited room inside your baby's nursery? This chair has a compact, space-saving design without compromising on features. It has arm cushion pockets where you can store any essentials for you and your baba, a tilted and padded back for extra support and a smooth rocking motion to lull your little one to sleep.
Pros: Easy to assemble, stylish
Cons: The covers are not machine washable
Review: "Fantastic chair. I'm finally comfortable while breastfeeding. It came very well wrapped, each part in a thin fabric cover. Very easy assembly. I didn't have any issues with the armrest covers, they fit perfectly fine. Its footprint in the nursery is fantastic as we have a small bedroom."
Best nursery rocking chair for parents and babies
Your baby will be gently rocked to sleep while you sit in complete comfort using this chair. The gliding motion will be relaxing for your little one while the recline back allows you to get in a perfect position for feeding and soothing. It's got extra deep cushions for snugness and pockets for storage.
Pros: Seven reclining settings
Cons: You need to lift the arm ends to change the seating position, which might be best to do when you're not sitting on it
Review: "Very lovely piece of furniture. Easy to assemble, extremely comfortable and very well made. Rocks/glides smoothly. The back can be adjusted to suit. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to furnish their nursery."
What to look for in a nursery rocking chair
Fabric
You'll be spending a lot of time in your nursery rocking chair so you'll want to make sure the fabric feels nice against your skin. Also, it's best to choose a fabric that is easy to clean. You don't want to worry about milk spills and baby sick staining the chair.
Cushions and padding
You don't want a chair that's uncomfortable so try to pick one that's got soft cushions and enough padding. If you have discomfort in your shoulders, neck and back, you'll want to make sure that the cushions and padding are supportive enough to alleviate the aches and pains
Armrests
Are the armrests at the right height and width for you? Do they also feel supportive?
Headrests
Picking a chair that's got a supportive headrest is an added bonus. Make sure you can comfortably rest your head on it.
Mechanisms
If you opt for a rocking, gliding or reclining chair, you'll want to check how noisy the mechanisms are. If your baby is drifting off, the last thing you'll want to do is disturb them with a sudden loud noise. Similarly, you won't want to move them from a comfortable position so make sure any buttons or levers are in easy reach.
Storage pocket
Having a storage pocket on your nursery chair will be useful if you need to reach for something and don't want to stir your baby from their slumber. You can keep everything you need close to hand, eliminating the need to move very much.