

“If a baby falls asleep in the swing, he or she should be moved to a flat and firm sleeping surface as soon as possible,” says Lyndsey Garbi, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of Blueberry Pediatrics and medical review board member at Verywell Family. Parents and caregivers should also make sure their baby does not fall asleep in the swing. “, babies need constant supervision the same way they would in a bathtub,” says Ben Hoffman, MD, CPST-I, FAAP, professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University and president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). While there are several safety measures parents and caregivers should follow when using a baby swing, perhaps the most important one is to supervise their baby when they are in the swing. We thoroughly evaluated their design, features, stability, motion, portability, and ease of use. In addition, a family physician in our Review Board reviewed our content to ensure the accuracy of our information and address safety concerns related to the correct usage of baby swings. Following their expert advice, we researched dozens of baby swings on the market and tested the 18 top-rated swings at the Verywell Testing Lab in New York City.

To select the best baby swings, we spoke to four pediatric experts about what matters most in this type of baby product and safety concerns. Caregivers should also limit the amount of time their baby spends in the swing to prevent positional plagiocephaly, otherwise known as flat head syndrome. Doing so can position their neck in such a way that it hinders their ability to breathe. They should also pay attention to the type and size of the swing as well as its features, such as a mobile, sounds, and app connectivity.Īlthough it may seem convenient, babies should not be allowed to sleep in a swing. When shopping for a baby swing, parents should consider the product’s safety, stability, and weight limit. Not only can swings be entertaining and soothing, but they can also allow parents to take a short break while still supervising their baby (as long as you take safety precautions). Thankfully, baby swings can provide a safe, comfortable spot for parents to place their babies briefly while awake. Babies require a lot of holding, soothing, and feeding, which can sometimes feel exhausting for parents.
