Nuna Leaf vs. BabyBjorn Bouncer vs. Fisher Price Bouncer

Originally published on the BabyCenter Blog *March 30, 2018*
With about a million choices, it can be hard to pick a baby chair or baby bouncer. I now own the Nuna Leaf, BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss (previously called Babysitter Balance), and the Fisher Price Bouncer.

Here’s what I think about all three.

Nuna Leaf Curv vs. BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss vs. Fisher Price Bouncer

Nuna Leaf Curv: (Nuna, $229.95)

Pros: This baby chair is absolutely beautiful. It doesn’t use batteries but has a nice gentle motion that lasts over two minutes with a gentle push. I have found that with just a little hand movement or leg kick my baby makes the movement continue, which is nice. With all neutral colors, it doesn’t stick out in my home. The chair can be locked so you can use it for feeding or playing without motion. There are no batteries needed, so no frantic hunts for a screwdriver to change batteries. It has a mesh back so you don’t have to worry about your baby overheating in the hot summer weather. The harness doesn’t click when you open or close it, and is really easy to loosen and tighten. This is useful if baby falls asleep and you want to transport her from the Nuna Leaf to her crib without a clicking sound waking her up. It can be used up to 130 pounds so you don’t have to worry about older children testing it out.

Cons: It doesn’t fold down for transportation. The base is attractive but it’s fairly large. If it’s in a small space like my kitchen I tend to trip over the base. It’s also pretty expensive.

BabyBjorn Bouncer Bliss (Amazon, $203.95)

Pros: I have had the BabyBjorn Bouncer since my first was born in 2011. I tell everyone that it’s one of the few pieces of baby gear that I will never, ever, give away (along with my Nuna travel crib and Sakura Bloom sling baby carrier).

The BabyBjorn Bouncer also doesn’t require batteries, which is a huge bonus in my eyes. All of my babies have loved hanging out in it to watch me prepare dinner or shower. They’ve even napped in it.

My absolute favorite feature is that it folds flat. That makes it a breeze to stick it on the car to bring with us to a friend’s house or on vacation. I love having a safe place to put baby that is so portable and takes up very little space. Even when it’s all set up it fits comfortably in my small kitchen.

Cons: While it rocks naturally with baby’s motion or a little push of your hand, the motion doesn’t last the way it does with the Nuna Leaf. I can’t say anything else negative about it as it is one of my absolute favorite pieces of baby gear.

Fisher Price Bouncer (Amazon, $64.99)

Pros: I have an older Fisher-Price bouncer model but they all seem quite similar. I love how cozy this seat is. It is definitely plush and soft and exactly what one would imagine a baby would want to snuggle in. It costs a lot less than the other two bouncers. It has music, nature sounds, and can vibrate, which are nice features if you have a baby that has a hard time settling down. My favorite feature is the mobile, which my baby enjoys looking at as she hangs out in this bouncer.

Cons: I really prefer not to have baby products with batteries when I can avoid it. For one, I hate changing the batteries, but I also hate worrying that one of the kids will turn the music on or off when the baby has finally calmed down. I also wish it could fold flat as it is awkward to store between children.

I like all three bouncers for different reasons, but if I had to choose one to keep forever and ever it would be the BabyBjorn Bouncer. It folds flat for storage, is really easy to take apart and clean, babies love it, and there’s no maintenance (like changing batteries) required.