Disclaimer: I received a free product for my review! These views are my own and were not at all influenced by the party who gave me this opportunity..
No matter your mommy status–mommy of one, mommy of multiple, single mom, mom with a deployed spouse–baby swings are SO helpful! Choosing a great baby swing with many options to cater to your baby’s needs is essential. We have the Bright Starts Up Up & Away Plug-in Sway & Swing and I really do love it!
This swing comes in a cute, gender-neutral pattern that you can easily blend into your décor. The design is sleek, the mobile is cute, and the floating fabric seat is comfortable (though it could be more plush and fuzzy for warmth and softness to the touch.) I was nervous at first about the fact that the seat does not have support underneath, but it has proven very sturdy. I also love that there are pieces added to better fit newborns such as the headrest and a padded piece that goes over the 5-point harness belt buckles (which is also an added comfort and safety feature.) It also includes several slots to adjust where the straps go as your child grows. I am not huge on the fact that the mobile toys are not plush, but for now that is ok since my newborn can’t reach and pull on them. My older son does like to hit them though not realizing they would hurt his brother if they fell off so I would love if the mobile animals were soft.
In my opinion, the base of the swing is a little bit wide and the legs seem to be a little loose, but once it is set up it is actually very sturdy which makes up for that. Now, it does not look bulky as our last swing did; the bulkiness is more due to space limitations in our house and finding a place to put the swing, however, this is an issue that most people will have when adding any baby swing into a room.
Multiple positions really comes in handy; face the seat outward to sway back and forth or turn to either side for a swinging motion and you can move the mobile along with the swing! Their Comfort Recline also allows you to have the seat in a sitting position or a lying position to best suit your baby. Mine uses the lying position as he is a newborn and just a little man. His favorite position is the swinging position and he falls asleep almost right away after I start the swing! The motor is also very quiet which is a bonus!
The Up UP & Away Sway & Swing also has different options for swing speed and sound. Adjusting speed is extra useful as your child begins to put on weight as some lower speeds may not move your growing baby very much; simply bump up the speed! This swing also lets you choose from songs, sounds from nature or no sounds at all. You are able to adjust the volume as well to suit your needs. My newborn has a favorite song already and is always calmed down when that song begins. They are delightful songs as well and have not yet become irritating to me as many infant products tend to. I actually really enjoy them!
Not only does this product have great swing and sound options, it also has an auto stop on the sounds so it does not just run for hours on and on. There is also a button that you can use to set a timer to set the auto shut-off for the swinging motion to 30, 45 or 60 minutes. Another great feature is that you can choose between using an AC adapter or batteries!
Assembly is fairly simple, though it will take a little bit of time and elbow grease. The majority of the pieces fit in easily, but some required a little extra push to get the buttons to match up properly. The directions are fairly simple to follow as well, but I do wish that they had more wording and descriptions as some of the pictures are difficult to decipher. One of the parts looked nothing like the part shown in the photos in the booklet. You will be able to deduce which way some of the parts go, however, because you will have to match up buttons and dimples and some even have an “L” or “R” in the plastic. As I mentioned, it was not difficult to figure out, but I would have been happy to have some more zoomed in pictures and worded descriptions in the instructions.
Overall, I really love this swing and so do my kids. I love all of the options and the fact that my newborn boy is very comfortable and happy in it which means I have time to get things done around the house. With my husband deployed, a little time to preoccupy the baby and work on cleaning is very important. My older son also loves how easy the buttons are to press and control so he can help to turn on the swing for me and choose the sound track for his baby brother to listen to which makes this mommy so proud that her oldest wants to help her youngest.
You can purchase the Bright Starts Up Up & Away Plug-in Sway & Swing from Walmart or Amazon.com and it runs for $99.99. Shop through Ebates or ShopAtHome to earn cash back on your purchase!
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Very informative review. I am definitely thinking of purchasing this for a family member. Thanks.
This swing looks great, especially good that such small babies can safely use it.
He looks so adorable! What a great item to have around when you need an extra set of hands 🙂
Very cool. I love the overall look of the swing! They sure have come a long way even since my 5-year old was a baby!