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How to Choose Your Rocking Chair?

Ultimate icon of baby’s room, the rocking chair sits at the centre of this infinitely calm and reassuring room. But all future parents ask themselves the same question: how to choose a rocking chair? Indeed, the chair or recliner that is perfectly adapted to your needs will require careful consideration. Whether it’s for nursing, bottle-feeding, relieving colic or simply relaxing, you’ll likely spend a lot of your time there. Browse this article to fully understand each of the characteristics and thus choose the model that will accompany you during your sweetest moments with baby.

To discover in this article:

  • The classic rocking chair
  • The glider-type rocking chair
  • Quality materials
  • Essential accessories

Choosing a Rocking or Gliding Chair?

 

After baby arrives, your rocking chair or recliner will undoubtedly occupy a place of choice in your daily life! But what is the difference between a rocking chair and a gliding chair? In short, it lies in the way they move.

The Classic Rocking Chair

Margot Rocking Chair Kids Room

Designed with arched legs, rocking chairs and recliners generally create a long, very fluid rocking motion from front to back. The classic rocking chair, or cradle chair, is a model that you have probably already seen at your grandparents’ house.

Built from high-quality solid wood frames, they can be upholstered with weather-resistant fabric and a cushion that will provide you with greater comfort. As a bonus: a guaranteed moment of relaxation with baby, at any time of the day or night.

Smaller and generally less expensive than a gliding chair, the rocking chair is the perfect choice for furnishing small spaces with taste, while respecting the constraints of a limited budget.

The Glider-Type Rocking Chair

Dutailier glider 826 in green and natural

By moving from front to back on a fixed rail, gliding chairs and recliners offer a much smoother movement. Ideal for nursing, the glider usually has a backrest with different angles of inclination and is sometimes accompanied by a stool. Both comfortable and ergonomic, it offers unparalleled support for your shoulders and neck. Result? You will enjoy a well-deserved moment of relaxation by soaking up the smell of baby fresh out of the bath.

Although they are generally larger than rocking chairs, gliding chairs usually have more features to ensure the comfort of young and old, such as extra padding or pockets to store various accessories.

Concerned about your baby’s safety? Most gliding chairs have a locking mechanism to prevent the delicate fingers of baby—having grown up—from getting stuck in the mechanism.

Dutailier Kallia glider

However, these models have grown—just like you have—and some (swivel type) now offer the possibility of swivelling from left to right: a perfect option for grabbing a comforter placed on the corner of the changing table! Another added bonus!

 

Prioritizing Quality Materials

 

The key element to consider at the time of purchase: a seat that is solid, firm, and ergonomic. A model equipped with padded armrests, a backrest high enough to support your head, as well as a backrest offering good lumbar support are undoubtedly essential elements to keep in mind.

And what could be more annoying than feeling stuck while baby is crying? So, remember to choose a model that is large enough to allow you to feed or calm your baby without being cramped. This feature is even more important if you want to nurse, since you will probably try a few nursing positions before finding the one that will satiate baby properly. To make a wise choice, bring your nursing pillow when shopping in store: this will probably save you some disappointment.

Also, ask about the quality of the fabric used. Resistant and waterproof, it should be easy to clean and resistant to many stains … and regurgitation. Ideally, look for a woven fabric that doesn’t fray and—bonus point!—whose covers can be removed, and machine washed. Despite all your precautions, your cushions ​​have lost their lustre over the years? Browse our online store to find replacement cushions in a jiffy and thus give a second life to your sleepless nights’ ally.

Choosing Essential Accessories That Will Make Your Life Easier

 

Several models of rocking and gliding chairs and recliners offer essential accessories that will greatly facilitate the life of parents who are sometimes sleep deprived.

Among these are:

  • Padded armrests to watch over the greatest treasure in the world
  • A backrest with different angles of inclination for maximum comfort, day and night
  • Brilliantly concealed pockets provide additional storage
  • A cup holder to hold your favourite beverage
  • An integrated footrest or a matching stool
  • And why not a USB socket to play baby’s favourite lullabies?

A little extra: add a cushion with cooling gel that will adapt to the arch of your back and thus prevent many ailments. After all, the last thing you want after putting your baby to sleep is having trouble getting up … at the risk of waking them up!

Finally, before deciding, consider the long-term use you will make of your rocking chair. Will it still have its place in baby’s room in a few years or will it proudly sit in your family room? Although the arrival of a baby entails many expenses, the purchase of a rocking chair or recliner will never be a luxury: it is a precious ally in the creation of a bond.