8 Best Nursery Gliders and Rocking Chairs, Tested by New Parents

The Babyletto Kiwi is an undeniably popular choice among The Bump community, so we weren’t surprised when it earned a perfect score from our product tester Larissa, a mom of two. High tech meets high comfort in this state-of-the-art chair, which reclines, swivels 270 degrees and glides back and forth in an upright position—and does it all smoothly and quietly, thanks to its high-quality construction.

It arrived in a large box that contained four pieces and our product tester was able to assemble it in under 5 minutes. “I would suggest assembling in the intended room of use since it is heavy,” says Larissa, who noted that moving the chair was a two person job. In terms of size, our product tester said this chair took up about 4 square feet while in an upright position. (Of course, when the chair is fully reclined it does take up considerably more space.)

The chair has a high back and a nice wide seat, making it a comfortable choice for our product tester and her partner. “I am 5'3" and my husband is 6'3" and we both found the nursery glider to be a perfect fit,” says Larissa, adding that the seat was roomy enough for her 6-year-old to snuggle up beside her. A common issue with nursery seating is that shorter parents often can’t find a chair that allows their feet to touch the floor, but that’s not the case with the Babyletto Kiwi. “The previous nursery chair I had didn’t allow my feet to touch the ground comfortably, which made supporting baby difficult,” shares Larissa. Fortunately with this reclining glider, “my feet can easily touch the ground when in the upright position, which made gliding super easy.” By pushing off from the ground, Larissa was able to set a slow and steady gliding pace, which helped soothe and relax her little one.

Once plugged into a power outlet the chair reclines at the push of a button, which was our product tester's favorite feature. The button is located on a control panel on the inner right-hand side of the seat, which also boasts a USB and USB-C charging port. “The recline goes to an almost flat fully recline, but I found the 120 degree position to be the most comfortable for me and my 9-week-old when soothing him,” explains Larissa. Our product tester loved sitting back and reclining with her kids, and only wishes she had it from day one of her postpartum recovery. “I suffered with postpartum feet swelling for about two weeks. The doctor ordered for me to elevate my feet as much as possible and the Kiwi glider would have made that 10 times easier,” shares Larissa. Based on her experience, Larissa said she “would highly recommend this nursery glider for C-section mothers” as the electric reclining feature makes the chair incredibly easy to get in and out of, without straining your abdominal muscles. Survey respondents also rave about this feature and remarked that the electronic recline was incredibly easy to use. “I love that when I’m in the chair I can push the buttons without having to move much, which helps when trying to keep the baby asleep in your arms,” says The Bump survey respondent and mom of one Heather*. One thing to note about this nursery chair is that the gliding motion won’t work when it’s fully reclined, but that’s a minor bugbear in the grand scheme of things.

Aside from the technical features, this chair scored a 10 out of 10 for comfort and design. It’s impeccably made, with thick foam padding and a strong frame crafted from sustainably sourced wood. “The glider is so comfortable that I find myself using it even without baby to catch-up on emails or scroll on social media,” gushes Larissa. “It’s not too firm and not too soft, it’s honestly perfect,” she continues. The neutral gray fabric also happens to be stain- and water-resistant, and our product tester can vouch for its effectiveness. After accidentally spilling water on the chair, most of the liquid “balled up and rolled off of the seat. I wiped the excess off but the chair remained dry,” explained Larissa who, based on this incident, felt that the materials would wear well over time. All in all Larissa and her family loved this nursery chair and she noted that they received “so many compliments on not just the appearance, but also the comfort and quality.”

Bonus: New customers can purchase the chair on Maisonette and take 10 percent off with code BUMP10.

Dimensions: 36″ (L) x 29″ (W) x 40.5″ (H) | Weight: 123.2 lbs. | Capacity: 300 lbs. | Movement: Swivels 270 degrees, glides and reclines | Color options: 5

Our community says:

Need a good nursing chair to breastfeed baby in? The Namesake Crewe Electronic Recliner is well worth the investment. “This chair is great for breastfeeding,” confirms product tester Shelby. It has a wide seat, which allows her to prop up a knee during feeding sessions, and the effortless recline function makes it easy to find the perfect angle to help baby latch or enjoy a contact nap. “I’ve found the height of the arms to be perfect to support my shoulders while nursing,” adds Shelby, who awarded this nursing chair a 9 out of 10 for quality and effectiveness.

According to Shelby, the chair came in two parts and was extremely easy to assemble. In fact, her husband had the chair put together before she even had a chance to open the instructions! Once assembled, Shelby immediately sat down to nurse her little one. And her initial impression was: “This chair is by far the nicest glider I’ve ever sat in!”

In terms of comfort, Shelby describes this chair as “soft, but not ‘sink into it and have trouble getting out’ soft” and says sitting down immediately takes pressure off her back and hips. “My husband, who suffers from chronic pain, often sits in the chair due to its support,” adds Shelby. The plush backrest comes up well above Shelby’s head, offering relief for her neck even in an upright position—but her toes still touch the ground, allowing her to rock with relative ease.

The chair glides back and forth, swivels 270 degrees and reclines at the push of a button. “Other recliners have clunky footrest releases that throw you around a bit,” explains Shelby, who loved the fact that “this recliner gently extends with a simple button.” Our product tester said the range of motion couldn't be smoother and felt that her baby found the gliding movement comforting. There’s also a built-in USB and USB-C port—“perfect for charging my phone or kindle,” says Shelby.

Described as a “luxury” nursing chair, this pick is expensive. But the stylish recliner fits in well with Scandi design trends and could easily be reused as regular living room seating once it's served its purpose as a nursing chair. “The overall aesthetic of this chair is perfect.The ivory boucle fabric is very on trend, but not too ‘out there’ that it’ll be out of style in a few years,” says Shelby, who described this chair as “trendy yet timeless.” Overall, our product tester felt it was worth the price for breastfeeding moms, “considering how much time a parent spends holding their baby.”

Dimensions: 40″ (L) x 30.5″ (W) x 42″ (H) | Weight: 110 lbs. | Capacity: 300 pounds | Movement: Reclines, swivels 270 degrees, glides | Color options: 6

Our community says:

No doubt about it, buying a nursery chair is a big investment. While quality is paramount, over 57 percent of parents surveyed said that price was a major factor when choosing a nursery chair. In a recent survey of The Bump community, many parents said the Storkcraft Hoop Glider was the best nursery glider for parents on a budget, so we decided to put it through its paces. Our product tester Mia used the classic hoop glider with her 6-month-old twins and, for a chair that cost less than $200, it surpassed her expectations. “It offers excellent value for its price, combining comfort, functionality and ease of use,” says Mia, who gave it a 10 out of 10 score for value.

Aside from affordability, 73 percent of survey respondents stated that comfort was their number one priority when shopping for a nursery chair. Fortunately this affordable option performed well in this area too. “As a mom exclusively breastfeeding my 7-month-old twins, I found the chair to be supportive and comfortable enough for tandem feeding,” shares Mia. The chair has a padded backrest that our product tester said felt like memory foam, allowing you to sink in slightly for added comfort. Meanwhile, the cushioned armrests “were at a perfect height, making it easy to rest both my arms and the babies.” It also comes with an adjustable ottoman that can be used to prop up tired feet. “While the lumbar support was standard, it helped keep my posture aligned, relieving the neck pain I often experience from breastfeeding in less ergonomic seats,” says Mia. It's worth noting that although our primary product tester is petite, her partner, who is 6'3", also found the chair comfortable. “The high back provided good support for him, while I appreciated that my feet touched the ground—something I like for feeling more grounded,” explains Mia.

Unlike other nursery chairs on this list that offer a wide range of movement, this chair only glides back and forth. While our product tester would have appreciated a recline feature, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the gliding motion is “exceptionally smooth and effective.” She gave the chair a top score for ease of use, saying: “It’s very easy to get in and out of the chair with both babies, and its operation is intuitive—just lean slightly forward or backward, and the chair smoothly glides without much effort.” Mia added that “both my babies and I found the gliding motion to be soothing and relaxing.”

Another selling point of this nursery chair is the compact size. “The glider takes up about the same space as a standard dining chair, making it a great option for smaller rooms,” says Mia, who placed the chair in a corner of her home. She also loves that the ottoman can be moved aside when not in use in order to maximize space. While this chair won’t match everyone's style aesthetic, our product tester concluded her review by saying that this glider is a reliable and affordable option that she would recommend to other parents.

Dimensions: 34.8″ (L) x 26.5″ (W) x 38.5″ (H) | Weight: 45.5 lbs. | Capacity: 250 pounds | Movement: Glides | Color options: 21

Our community says:

A lot of parents would say that a comfortable recline is a key feature in a good nursing chair—but it usually comes at a price (literally). With a price tag just under $350, the daVinci Suzy Recliner and Swivel Glider is by no means cheap, but it does offer excellent value for a chair of this type. (It’s between $200 to $1,050 cheaper than the other recliners on this list.) The Bump product tester Audrey, a mom of two, gave this nursery glider a top score for size, comfort, quality and effectiveness as well as materials and design.

A critical but often overlooked consideration for a nursery glider is its seat-back height: You want it to be high enough that both you and your partner can lean your head back. Audrey, who is 5'3", said that “the height of the back of the chair was perfect,” and noted that her husband, who is 6', had no issues with the fit of the chair either. The chair is nice and compact while in an upright position. However, Audrey notes that “to allow it to fully recline, it does need to be about 3 feet away from the wall, which could be an issue in a room that's tight on space.” When the chair isn’t reclined, Audrey said it was easy to get in and out of the chair while holding her baby. But “it was a little more difficult getting out of the reclined position and standing up while holding my child because I had to really push my legs against the chair to make the foot rest fully close,” remarked Audrey.

This nursery chair also checked the box in terms of comfort thanks to the footrest, cushioned headrest and wide armrests. “I was very comfortable when bottle-feeding my baby,” says Audrey although she does wish that the armrests were a little higher. The upholstery is soft and stain-resistant, which is a major plus point for new parents. Audrey shared that she spilled formula on the chair, but said “it was easy to swipe off and did not leave a stain or mark.”

The reclining chair has a manual gliding motion and swivels 270 degrees. “I was very happy with the range of motion of the chair,” says Audrey, noting that “the chair moves very smoothly” and never felt stiff. “This was one of my favorite qualities of the chair,” she adds. “It did a great job soothing my child,” and her 4-month-old son “quickly fell asleep and didn't wake up after I stopped rocking the chair.”

Dimensions: 36" (L) x 33.5" (W) x 40.5" (H) | Weight: 86 lbs. | Capacity: 300 lbs. | Movement: Swivels 270 degrees, glides and reclines | Color options: 3

Back pain is an occupational hazard of parenting, so having a supportive nursery chair is a must. After all, you’ll be seated for extended periods of time, and the last thing you want is to be constantly shifting position in an attempt to get comfortable. While it’s not technically classified as a nursery chair, the La-Z-Boy Pinnacle Power Rocking Recliner is an excellent choice for new parents grappling with aches and pains. The seat features a cushy headrest and a built-in lumbar support panel, both of which can be adjusted at the touch of a button. “To say this chair is comfortable would be an understatement,” says Calihan, a first-time mom who tested the recliner with her 3-month-old. She gave the chair a 10 out of 10 score for comfort, and explained that “the added support from the lumbar and headrest adjusters made finding a comfortable position to bottle-feed or nurse my baby super easy.” Better yet, a unique feature of this chair is that you can save your preferred settings, meaning Calihan and her husband could easily find a comfortable position with “minimal effort” each time they took a seat.

This chair also earned a top score for features despite the fact that it doesn’t have a swivel base. Unlike other options that swivel in place, it’s a true rocker-recliner, meaning it only moves in a back-and-forth motion. The chair comes with a convenient remote that magnetizes to the side of the chair, and Calihan says the “automatic control panel for operation was quiet and so easy to use.” Our product tester adored the recline feature, saying “I could nurse my baby in one position and easily adjust to a comfortable recline once she fell asleep without waking her.” Calihan reported that this chair did have a slight squeak, an issue that was also noted by some survey respondents. However, she felt that this squeak could easily be fixed with a little WD40 saying “it didn’t disrupt my baby’s ability to rock to sleep, but would probably be annoying over time if left untreated.” The chair also has a built-in USB charging port, which Calihan says is “a huge plus for those days where I’m nap-trapped and need to work on my phone.”

While our product tester wished the seat was slightly wider to accommodate more than one child in the future, in general she liked the size of this chair. “The height of the back of the chair was great and could be adjusted as needed. I’m 5'6" and could comfortably lay back in the chair when reclined,” says Calihan, who noted that her feet could touch the floor making it easy to rock. “My husband is 6'3" and felt the chair was a great fit for him as well.”

Our tester felt the overall aesthetic was a little lacking, but she said “the upholstery of this chair is super-soft and luxe.” It also passed the spilled milk test, as Calihan said it was easy to mop up breast milk that splashed onto the chair. “While not the most modern looking chair, its features and support make the balance of aesthetics and functionality worth it in my opinion,” concludes Calihan.

Dimensions: 40" (L) x 33" (W) x 40" (H)| Weight: 90.5 lbs. | Capacity:N/A | Movement: Glides and reclines | Color options: 382

Our community says:

If you’re taller than average, finding a nursery chair with adequate head and neck support can be tricky. The Glider Plus by Nurture& has an extra high backrest (42.5 inches to be exact) that’s a full head above an average recliner and the tallest nursery chair we tested. Product tester Kayla and her husband took this chair for a test drive and gave it a 10 out of 10 score for size, weight and height. “The seat is a great length for both me and my partner, who is 6 feet tall,” says Kayla, who is 5'5" and notes that her feet can touch the floor when the seat is in an upright position. Kayla added that the height of the backrest is perfect for her. As for her husband, he “wishes the top head portion was positioned just a few inches higher for those who are a little taller, [like him],” but nevertheless he finds it comfortable. The chair has a firm yet supportive feel and the armrests are located at a convenient height for breast- or bottle-feeding. “This chair is very comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. I have spent up to an hour and a half to two hours in it without needing to stand up to stretch,” says Kayla, who gave it a 9 out of 10 score for comfort.

Another area in which this nursery glider shines is adjustability. “I can adjust the chair accordingly all the way from my head to my feet,” explains Kayla. With the touch of a button, you can recline the seat and raise or lower the head pillow and leg rest. According to Kayla, this feature “allows you to get yourself into the perfect position” every time. The chair reclines to a near flat position, and our product tester says she could comfortably lie back and nap on it, if needed. Plus, it has a built-in lumbar support panel designed to take the pressure off your lower back and—yep, you’ve guessed it—it’s adjustable. “This chair contains a button so you can adjust the middle portion of the chair to fit your lower back comfortably,” says Kayla, who has recently experienced back pain and believes this chair helped to relieve it.

In addition to the supportive features, the chair swivels 200 degrees and has a built-in USB charger. While our product tester loved the look of this nursery chair, she felt that the ivory boucle fabric wasn’t kid-friendly. That said, she noted that she did spill some milk on the upholstery and it came up easily when she cleaned it.

Dimensions: 38″ (L) x 33″ (W) x 42.5″ (H) | Weight: N/A | Capacity: 330 pounds | Movement: Swivels 200 degrees, glides and reclines | Color options: 3

Need a nursery chair that’ll fit in a tight corner or small space? The Mercer Electronic Power Recliner and Swivel Glider is 2 inches narrower than the next smallest option we tested. Despite the compact frame, product tester and mom of three Christine says “there is enough room for either myself or my husband to sit in the chair while holding our baby.” (She is 5'6" and her husband is 5'10".) In fact, Christine gave this chair a 10 out of 10 score for size, weight and height.

This pick also earned a spot among the best nursery chairs thanks to the advanced features and relatively affordable price tag. The chair is on a swivel at the base, so it easily rocks and glides from side-to-side when it isn’t reclined. “This is my preferred motion for sitting in the chair with my baby, since I can easily get up and rock my baby to sleep as necessary,” says Christine, who noted that the chair moved in a smooth and quiet motion. The chair has a control panel on the outside of the armrest, which allows parents to recline the chair as well as raise or lower the footrest. While our product tester preferred to sit in an upright position, she said “I do like the option to recline the footrest when needed, which was smooth to do with the two buttons on the side of the chair.” Christine also appreciated the built-in USB charger, saying “I find /[it] useful when sitting for longer periods of time to feed my baby.” Although, she would have preferred a longer power cord so she wouldn’t have to place the chair right beside a power outlet.

The recliner also earned a top score for comfort, quality and effectiveness. Christine and her partner used the chair for long periods of time while bottle-feeding their 3-month-old and said they were “surprised by the back support, which was very nice and felt ergonomic.” The chair has a supportive, firm feel and the “the armrests are cushioned and sit at an appropriate height for myself and my partner.”

Christine also loved the neutral gray upholstery and said it fit in well with the decor in her new construction home. She noted that the fabric was “soft to the touch,” while being easy to clean with a damp cloth. All in all, our product tester said that the “quality, comfort and features were above my expectations,” adding that she would purchase this chair for herself and recommend it to other parents.

Dimensions: 35.5″ (L) x 26.2″ (W) x 39.2″ (H) | Weight: 103.75 lbs. | Capacity:N/A | Movement: Swivels 240 degrees, glides and reclines | Color options: 2

For parents expecting twins or just looking for an extra-roomy option, this rocking chair is a standout option for the nursery. It’s one-and-a-half times wider than a regular rocker, meaning it can comfortably accommodate caregivers of any size or parents tending to multiple children. Our product tester Stephanie has two children—a 3-month-old and 2-year-old—and she certainly appreciated the size of this nursery rocking chair. “The seat is definitely wide enough for me and one of my kids comfortably, which I enjoy,” says Stephanie who gave it a 9 out of 10 score for size, weight and height. Her two children can also comfortably snuggle up on the chair together. While it is pretty wide, she notes that it doesn’t take up too much space in her living room.

One area in which this chair lost a point is the weight: Stephanie notes that the chair is very heavy and says it would take two people to lift it. The backrest also verges on the shorter side, but Stephanie says that the chair’s height is perfect for her and her husband. “He’s 5'6" and fits comfortably with the height of the chair. I’m 5', so my legs do not touch the ground when sitting all the way back,” but she adds it isn’t an issue for her.

Our product tester loves the look of this “beautiful and simple chair” and feels that it can definitely be used as a regular piece of furniture once her family no longer needs a nursery chair. She also said it was comfortable to sit in for an hour or more. “When I bottle-feed, I enjoy using the little arm rests to rest my arm when holding my baby,” she says, adding that the armrests were the perfect height for her petite frame. This no-frills rocker gently moves back and forth on hard floors as well as carpeted areas, which isn’t a given with chairs of this type. “My baby has fallen asleep with me holding him on my lap and rocking,” Stephanie says. One possible downside? This is a manual rocking chair, so caregivers must “constantly kick off the floor to keep it rocking.” But if your biggest pet peeve is a squeaky nursery chair, you’ll be happy to hear that this model has felt-lined legs that stop noisy squeaks and scratches on hardwood floors. “It makes zero noise when in motion and rocking,” confirms Stephanie.

Dimensions: 36.5″ (L) x 40.5″ (W) x 36.5″ (H) | Weight: 69.8 lbs. | Capacity: 225 pounds | Movement: Rocks | Color options: 3