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When babies are little, they’re generally happy just hanging out in your arms, a baby carrier or their crib. But as they grow, baby bouncers and jumpers let your little one enjoy a little more motion. The best baby bouncers are more portable and have a smaller footprint compared to a baby swing. Often designed as essentially an infant floor seat, these bouncers also let baby sit more upright, so they can be in on all the family activities.

The BabyBjorn Bouncer Balance is a popular infant seating choice for parents.

These handy devices can be used by infants to lounge, exercise and play in. But the best baby bouncers keep your little one safe and entertained, allowing you to supervise playtime without worry. “Baby bouncers can be safe, fun and good for both parent and baby,” says Danelle Fisher, M.D., a pediatrician and chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

Bouncers can be “soothing,” she says, noting that they can mimic the rocking motion that your baby felt in the womb. Just remember that bouncers and rockers are not intended for safe baby sleep. If they become sleepy in one, experts recommend relocating your child to their crib or bassinet.

Product weight: 7 pounds | Weight limit: 20 pounds | Vibration: Yes | Rocking: Self-bouncing

The Snugapuppy is specially designed to bounce along with your baby’s natural movements, allowing your little one to set the pace. The seat is snuggly enough for younger babies but has a weight capacity up to 20 pounds, allowing room for baby to grow. The seat is deep and comes with a supportive head rest to allow your baby to get comfortable. It also has a machine-washable removable seat pad in case of spit-ups or blowouts.

What We Love: The option to turn on calming vibrations, along with up to 20 minutes of music and sounds (along with volume control), as well as two removable mobile toys, make this bouncer quite the entertainment zone for babies.

Product weight: 4.5 pounds | Max weight: 20 pounds | Vibration: No | Rocking: Self-bouncing

This practical baby bouncer and seat lets your little one get their groove on while you’re on the go. It’s portable and very lightweight. The chair has three-position reclining settings to allow you to find the just-right angle for your baby. A detachable toy bar contains two soft toys for added entertainment. The entire cover is removable and washable, so your seat can be easily cleaned, no matter what baby dishes out.

What We Love: This lightweight baby bouncer and seat folds flat for storage or travel and includes its own carrying bag, all at a reasonable price.

Product weight: 3.5 pounds | | Maximum weight: 20 pounds | Vibration: Yes | Rocking: Self-bouncing

This baby bouncer has many entertainment avenues, and yet, it’s only $33. Your baby can enjoy three spinning toys that hang on the removable toy bar, along with vibrations for a nice massage when she’s feeling fussy (you control the vibrations with an on-off switch). The bouncer is swathed in a soft cover that’s removable and machine washable. There’s also a huge selection of kid-friendly themes to choose from, including adorable flamingos, rainforest animals, and pinwheels. It lacks padding and the recline might be too steep for the youngest babies, so certainly wait to place them in this bouncer until they have excellent head and neck control

What We Love: This colorful bouncer comes with all the basics, including vibrations and a toy bar, along with fun designs for kids, all at a reasonable price.

Product weight: 26 pounds | Maximum weight: 30 pounds for swing; 18 pounds for bouncer | Vibration: Yes | Rocking: Swinging or self-bouncing

Want a bouncer with versatility? The Graco DuetConnect serves as a bouncer and swing, allowing you to get a lot of out one contraption. Simply remove the swing seat from its frame by squeezing the safety lock and place it on the floor for bouncing or portability. Your baby will enjoy six swinging speeds and a reclined seat with head support for ultimate comfort. There are even two vibration speeds to choose from for a little massage baby can enjoy while gazing at the overhead mobile. Your baby can kick back with 10 different songs and five soothing sounds for those fussy moments.

What We Love: Instead of purchasing both a swing and a bouncer seat, you could potentially just nab this swing/bouncer combo to save costs, plus it’s a comfortable seat loaded with features.

Product weight: 21 pounds | Maximum weight: 25 pounds| Vibration: No | Rocking: Self-jumping/swaying

Active, older babies often like to jump, getting those legs ready for standing and walking—and the beloved Jumperoo is ready for action. This bouncer has a rotating seat with 360-degree activities, so your baby can spin herself around while playing. She’ll enjoy lights, music and sounds that happen when she jumps. The seat also has three different heights, so you can adjust things as baby grows. The springs are swathed in soft covers for safety, and the seat pads are removable for machine washing. Unlike some jumpers, you don’t need a doorframe for fun: Baby can bounce right in the freestanding chair.

What We Love: The Jumperoo is a classic for good reason. It’s like an extra awesome activity table; babies can make it jump, exercising their legs, blowing off some baby steam and entertaining themselves for precious minutes.

Product weight: 5 pounds | Maximum weight: 29 pounds | Vibration: No | Rocking: Self-bouncing

The BabyBjörn Bouncer Balance is admittedly a splurge, but plenty of parents swear by it. It features three different recline positions, along with a transport mode that lays flat, so you can store it out of the way or until the next baby comes along. The chair features a soft fabric seat that’s easily removable and tossed in the wash. The three-point harness is adjustable without adding extra straps. Overall, the seat is a good option for parents who want someplace for baby to hang out that won’t mess with their design aesthetic. The BabyBjörn Bouncer Balance toy bar is purchased separately.

What We Love: This neutral seat blends seamlessly into any decor and yet it’s also practical with multiple seat positions and a washable cover.

It depends on the bouncer and size of your baby. Dr. Fisher says you want to make sure your child has good head control before you introduce a jumping bouncer seat. Many bouncers will have a minimum weight (often 8 pounds), so smaller babies will need to wait until they’re larger to bounce. However, once baby does sit up on their own, they also must be moved out of a bouncer. This might happen around 6 months of age even if your baby has not yet hit the weight max of your bouncer.

Features like three- or five-point harnesses are important for keeping baby in place. Of course, it’s important to make sure your baby bouncer has important safety features like three- or five-point harnesses that will keep them from falling or slumping over. And these seats should not be set on top of things like coffee tables; instead, always place a bouncer or baby seat on the floor, to avoid a dangerous fall.

Bouncers also become unsafe when used as a sleep space as they are not designed for this. Babies should not sleep at an incline, nor in a soft, plush environment.

To choose our list of the best baby bouncers, we analyzed the most popular options on the market for important elements like safety features, ease of use and value. We’ve also polled parents and tried a number of the items on this list firsthand with our own children.