Which bouncer is right for my bub?

The best way to be hands-free is to have a bouncer on hand. Babies love to sit up in them, playing, and you get to do important things like shower and clean your teeth.

You'll want to go to a store to check out bouncers. You need to feel them and rock them to see which one you like. Here are some criteria to judge them by:

• If I was a baby, would I find it comfortable to lie or sit in for up to an hour?
• If I was a baby, would I find it fun to sit in this? Is there a bar to hang toys from, and can the toys be swapped to keep my interest?
• Is the harness easy to do up and undo so that I can be put in or taken out without waking up?
• Does the bouncer have a smooth rocking action that will soothe me when I am unsettled?

Many bouncers also come with fancy extras like music or vibrations. In general, the KISS principle works well in baby buying. There's nothing to say these extra gadgets are good for baby, they are just something extra that these brands can use to market their product.

We bought a Chicco bouncer, which has a newborn insert and is ultra comfy. They sold out the first week of being stocked by Babies Galore, and ours was the display model that had only been on the floor for two days. Bub loves being in it while you chat or dance for him, and will sleep in it too if he has colic. But it fails the last two criterion.

What do you think of your bouncer?