The Best Baby Swings 2024

The best baby swings provide a safe and cozy place for your little one to chill while you get dinner on the table, tend to older siblings or blast off a quick email. And if you’re lucky, they calm crying kids down when they literally have no chill and refuse to snooze in that beautiful baby bassinet or on that dreamy, 100% organic crib mattress you spent a fortune on. Because that’s parenting, baby.

Like many kid contraptions, the swing your older child or BFF's babe loved might be the swing your new baby loathes so if you’re up at midnight researching all the latest and greatest, we got you.  From smart swings that do it all to compact, foldable options you can easily move around the house, we’ve rounded up the best baby swings for every budget, temperament, and style.

What to look for in the best baby swing

“Swings are great for soothing, entertainment, and short periods when parents need free hands,” says Sarah Huff, Baby Gear Product Expert at BabyQuip. Below she breaks down exactly what parents should look for when shopping for the best baby swings, though it’s important to remember that finding the right one for your little one may require some trial and error.

“Some babies really do not like swings, so starting with a lower-cost option might be good for testing the waters,” she advises. “You could also borrow one from a friend or rent one to see if your baby likes it first.”

• Multiple settings: Think gentle vibration settings, different song choices, and a variety of speeds. More options allow you to find one, two, or a few settings your kid likes. “Other features that are fun are dual swing motions (forward/back and side to side) and some swings even turn into gliders for babies that need a lot of variety,” says Huff.
• High weight limits: “If your baby loves a swing or even needs a swing to be soothed, you will likely need that thing for a while,” notes Huff. She recommends looking for swings with reclining seats for smaller babies and a higher weight limit for bigger babies.
• Safety features: Huff likes swings with a full 5-point harness to help keep babies securely in place and prevent sliding in the seat portion.
• Ease of use: The best baby swings aren’t rocket science. When your little one is fussy, you want to be able to buckle them in fast and get it in motion stat. Huff also prefers swings that plug in over battery-operated styles. “There’s nothing worse than a swing’s batteries dying and realizing you don’t have replacements,” she says.
• Size: Huff loves swings that fold for easy storage so parents don’t have to have a huge swing taking up most of their living space. Consider where you’ll be using the swing and if you’re okay with it staying out all the time or not.
• Entertainment: A swing with built-in entertainment, from music to a mobile with toys for tiny ones to look at and engage with, is likely to keep your baby happier for longer.

It goes without saying that your baby should always be supervised in a swing and placed in it for short spurts of time only.

The best baby swing products of 2024

• Best overall: Graco DuetConnect LX
• Best budget: Bright Starts Portable Automatic 6-Speed Baby Swing
• Best for small spaces: Munchkin Bluetooth Enabled Lightweight Baby Swing
• Best glider baby swing: Graco Glider LX Baby Swing
• Best tech: 4moms MamaRoo Multi-Motion Baby Swing
• Best portable: Ingenuity Compact Lightweight Portable Baby Swing
• Best newborn baby swing: Maxi Cosi Cassia
• Best for older babies: Nuna Leaf Grow Baby Seat

Best overall

Graco DuetConnect LX

This top-rated baby swing offers the best of both worlds: a swing to soothe them and a portable bouncer you can pop off and transport around the house. The fact that Graco offers them as a combo not only saves you money but precious space as well when you feel like your entire house is already being taken over by baby gear.

The DuetConnect LX features six side-by-side swinging speeds and two-speed vibrations, along with ten different melodies and five soothing sounds, so finding the right combination to appease your little one should be a breeze. The seat is extra roomy with a recline feature, head support, and a 5-point harness to secure even the smallest babies.

A built-in mobile with three soft toys above gives them something to look at while you get stuff done. For extra flexibility, plug it in or use it with batteries when there's not an outlet nearby. The Graco DuetSoothe swing and rocker is tops on our list for its versatility, affordability and multiple functions.

Pros

• Doubles as a portable bouncer
• Multiple swinging speeds and vibrations
• Music and soothing sounds
• Weight limit up to 30 pounds
• Reclining seat with head support
• Five-point harness
• Mobile with toys
• Can be plugged in or used with batteries

Cons

• Music volume is low according to many reviewers
• Some reviewers complained it's difficult to put together

Best budget

Bright Starts Portable Automatic 6-Speed Baby Swing

A great value option for parents who don't want to splurge on a fancy swing their baby may hate anyway, this bestselling Bright Starts swing comes highly recommended by thousands of parents with an average 4.5-star rating on Amazon. It's a rocking good time for your baby, with a two-position recline to keep them comfortable, two smiling toys and six soothing tags to play with, and six different melodies to jam out to as they sway.

The swing features six automatic swing positions and is beloved by many reviewers for its compact size and the fact that it's so easy to fold up and store out of sight when not in use. It's also apparently really easy to put together, which is an often overlooked feature.

Pros

• Great value
• Easy to assemble
• Lightweight, space-saving and folds easy
• 5-point adjustable harness
• Music options
• Two recline positions
• Removable toy bar

Cons

• Low weight limit of 20 pounds
• Only works with batteries

Best for small spaces

Munchkin Bluetooth Enabled Lightweight Baby Swing

For those moments when your arms feel like spaghetti and you legit can't sway with your baby any longer, this super compact and sleek little smart swing will take right over. It's designed to mimic a parent's natural side-t0-side sway and weighs in at only nine pounds so you can schlep it around the house with ease and it won't take up a ton of space. It also folds up compactly for storage, freeing up precious floor space.

For little ones who have a more sophisticated musical taste, this bad boy is Bluetooth-enabled so you can stream their favorite tunes straight from your phone without being limited to a small set of built-in options, though they are available. To change the settings, including the speed, timer, and music, use the smart touchscreen right on the swing or the included remote control.

Pros

• Compact and ultra-lightweight
• Bluetooth-enabled to stream music
• Modern, aesthetically pleasing design
• Easy to assemble
• Machine-washable seat pad and head support
• Soothing side-to-side sway
• Comes with a remote control

Cons

• No mobile or toys
• Low weight limit of 20 pounds and can't be used once baby can sit up (no 5-point harness)

Best glider baby swing

Graco Glider LX Baby Swing

The Graco Glider has nearly 5,000 five-star reviews and is praised by parents for its gentle gliding motion, which really seems to calm even the fussiest babies, space-saving frame, cushy (and roomy) seat, as well as all the options for speed, sound, and vibration. "It truly does simulate a nursery glider," writes one reviewer. It also can be plugged in or used with batteries, allowing for more versatility in where you set it up.

There are three different recline positions, which is nice depending on your baby's age or whether you want them to get a quick snooze or playtime session in. A cute little adjustable toy bar with two soft toys helps entertain, while 10 classic melodies and five nature sounds soothe when they get a little cranky.

There are six different gliding speeds and two vibration speed settings so you can experiment to discover the setting or settings your baby likes best.

Pros

• Space-saving frame
• Can be used plugged in with an AC adapter or with batteries
• High weight limit of 30 pounds
• Six gliding speeds and two vibration speed settings
• Ten melodies and five nature sounds
• Adjustable toy bar
• Three recline positions
• 5-point harness
• Deep, roomy seat with plush head and body support

Cons

• Not the easiest to assemble

Best tech

4moms MamaRoo Multi-Motion Baby Swing

This popular, albeit pricy, baby swing is decked out with all the tech features, allowing parents to control the motion, sound, speed, and timer straight from the 4Moms app on their phone. With Bluetooth functionality, you can stream Baby Shark, Beethoven, Taylor Swift or, you know, whatever strikes their fancy.

The coolest tech feature by far though is the innovative "Find Your Roo" app feature, which allows you to mimic the motion you manually use to comfort your baby and then the app will tell you exactly which swing motion and speed combos are most like your own, helping eliminate all the guesswork.

As if that wasn't enough, WiFi smart home integration is also available so you can use voice control (with Amazon, Alexa or Google Home) to operate your MamaRoo hands-free — an awesome perk if you have multiple kiddos or just like to take a shower without jumping out at the first sound of a cry.

The MamaRoo has five parent-inspired motions, as well as five speeds and four built-in sounds. There's an adjustable recline and the harness converts from a 5-point to a 3-point as needed.

Pros

• Can control everything, from speed to sound, via an app
• Innovative "Find Your Roo" feature takes the guesswork out of finding the perfect settings
• Bluetooth functionality to stream music
• Wifi smart home integration
• Space-saving design
• Convertible harness from 5-point to 3-point
• A higher weight limit of 25 pounds
• Lots of different motion and speed options
• Easy to assemble
• Toy mobile

Cons

• Expensive but retains resale value

Best portable

Ingenuity Compact Lightweight Portable Baby Swing

Huff is a big fan of this Ingenuity mini swing, which weighs in at only seven pounds and folds up super compact for easy transport, whether you're traveling or just moving it from the bedroom to the bathroom. It features five swing speeds and a variety of musical melodies and nature sounds to soothe your little one. There are also three different timer settings and it automatically shuts off after 90 minutes in case you forget.

We also love how easy it is to clean with a fully removable and machine-washable seat pad and headrest. There's a toy bar too with a cute little owl and hedgehog hanging to grab your babe's attention.

Pros

• Ultra lightweight
• Compact fold
• Affordable
• Five swing speeds
• Music and sound options
• 5-point harness
• Easy to clean with machine-washable seat pad and headrest
• Toy bar with two plush toys

Cons

• Max weight limit of 20 pounds (similar Fisher Price models go up to 25)
• Only works with batteries

Best newborn baby swing

Maxi Cosi Cassia

This chic swing for babies blends right in with modern decor and helps calm little ones with automatic motion detection instead of having to manually mess with the settings. If you have multiple children or are low on energy, you'll be especially grateful for this feature.

Another feature we appreciate about the Maxi Cosi swing is the option to swing side-to-side and front-to-back because you never know if your baby is going to strongly prefer one over the other. It rotates 360 degrees so you can always have eyes on your little angel from anywhere in the room. There are plenty of music options and nature sounds to choose from too and an easy-to-use touchscreen to operate it all.

Pros

• Automatic motion detector to soothe baby
• Dual swing motions with five speeds
• Rotates 360 degrees
• Beautiful, modern design
• Music (12 melodies + nature sounds) and toy mobile
• 5-point harness
• Machine-washable fabrics
• Two recline positions
• Can be plugged in or used with batteries

Cons

• Low max weight limit of 20 pounds, but it's fine if you only plan on using it for the newborn stage or first four months

Best for older babies

Nuna Leaf Grow Baby Seat

Like the uber-popular Baby Bjorne bouncer (a must-have of mine!), the Nuna Leaf relies on natural motion or a gentle push to get it going for up to two minutes at a time. It then turns into a cool big kid seat once they've graduated from the baby stage. While the whole no motor thing may be a negative for some parents, it also means the Leaf is completely noise-free with no short plugs or batteries to contend with.

The seat has three different recline settings and can be locked in a stationary position for playtime or mealtime. To transform it into a toddler chair, simply remove the seat pad and 3-point harness, adjust the recline, and let them sit back and relax. With a weight limit of 130 pounds, you'll be using this seat for quite some time to come.

Pros

• Transforms into a toddler seat with mesh backing
• Super high weight limit of 130 pounds
• Modern, minimalist, and gender-neutral design
• High quality
• Can be used from birth to big kid
• Made from OEKO–TEX–certified materials
• Cute little toy bar with three plush toys

Cons

• No motor so it won't continuously sway
• Expensive but the quality is unmatched, plus it can be used well into toddlerhood so you get your money's worth

What to keep in mind when using a baby swing

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other pediatric health resources, babies shouldn't stay in baby swing more than 30 minutes. That rules out long naps and full nights of sleep. While swings may help little ones fall asleep, it's always best to move to one of the best baby cribs.

Whether you use a full-size baby swing or one of the trendiest portable infant swings, these devices are meant to keep baby happy and entertained for short bursts of supervised time.

Expert:

• Sarah Huff, Baby Gear Product Expert at BabyQuip