Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance Review
We have used Baby Bjorn’s Babysitter Balance bouncy chair for 3 out of 4 of our babies (and after using a less great bouncy chair for our eldest – we regret not spending the extra on the Babysitter balance to begin with!)
So, why exactly is Baby Bjorn’s Babysitter balance the best baby bouncy chair around?
The Baby Bjorn bouncer folds flat
This is SUCH an important factor for us, as we often take our Baby Bjorn baby chair to grandparents’ houses when we visit for the day, and the bouncy chair often comes with us on holiday. Most baby bouncy chairs do not fold, and it would be tricky to fit a bulky bouncy chair in the car alongside a car seat and travel system unless you have a lot of extra car space.
Baby Bjorn bouncer positions
The Baby Bjorn Babysitter balance has 3 positions – play, rest, and sleep (otherwise known as upright, slightly reclined, and full recline). We’ve used some bouncers that have just one static position, and I’ve found that it’s slightly too upright for a newborn, and not upright enough for a baby over 3 months who is keen to interact more. The multiple Baby Bjorn bouncer positions work perfectly for all baby stages.
The Baby Bjorn bouncer is designed to last until 2 years old
Most baby bouncers last until 6 months or when your baby is sitting up. The Baby Bjorn bouncer may be the pricier option, but you definitely get your money’s worth if you plan to use it into toddlerhood. Since I’ve had our babysitter balance, I’ve spoken to quite a few parents who wished they’d bought the Baby Bjorn bouncer sooner, rather than when they realised their 8 month old was still quite partial to a bouncy chair but had outgrown their old bouncer. Why not buy it from birth and get the full two years use out of it?
Baby Bjorn bouncer weight minimum and maximum
The Baby Bjorn babysitter balance baby bouncer is suitable for newborns (minimum weight 8 lbs / 3.5 kg) and can be used up to the age of two (maximum weight 29 lbs / 13 kg).
The Baby Bjorn Babysitter balance is much more responsive to movement
Our cheap baby bouncer has no way near the same bounce or suspension. This is the point that most impresses my husband. The Baby Bjorn bouncer is very responsive, a young baby can get a soothing bouncing rhythm going just by kicking their legs.
The Baby Bjorn bouncy chair is also REALLY strong. If a pre-schooler felt inclined to sit in it (as ours often tries to get away with when he thinks we are not looking!), I would be confident that it would hold his weight, whereas I reckon that our other baby bouncer would collapse straight away.
The Baby Bjorn bouncy chair helps prevent flat head syndrome
The Baby Bjorn bouncer has suspended fabric over a frame – a bit like a hammock. This feature of the chair has become more important to me than I ever imagined. Our second baby developed plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) due to a birth injury to his neck and having a preference to always turn his head to the right. When he was a young baby, we were constantly repositioning his head and giving him lots of tummy time/sling time, but I didn’t worry as much about the flat spot getting worse when he was in the Baby Bjorn bouncer, as the hammock-like fabric moulds around your baby’s head, meaning there is much less pressure on their head than if you are using a chair with a solid plastic or foam shell.
The Baby Bjorn bouncer chair is extremely easy to clean
The bouncer chair fabric just lifts off the frame and slides back on like a slip – easy-peasy removal for washing. We’ve had some bouncers and baby chairs that were barely washed, or surface washed only as it was such a pain to remove and re-attaching the covers. Some baby bouncers don’t even have an option to remove the fabric at all.
The Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance is well-made and will last a long time
Our Baby Bjorn bouncer is still going strong after being used by three of our children, and is currently being used by their newborn cousin – the chair still has a lot of life in it yet! As long as the base of the frame is in good condition, you can make a second hand Baby Bjorn bouncer look good as new with a new fabric cover. The Baby Bjorn Babysitter balance is a bit of an investment, but it holds great resale value as it is such a popular baby bouncer chair.
The Baby Bjorn babysitter balance is one of the simplest, smallest, lightest, and best designed baby bouncers you can find. Over the years with our four babies, the Baby Bjorn bouncer has become one of my most-used ‘couldn’t live without’ baby products.
In a nutshell, the Baby Bjorn babysitter balance does everything you would ever want from a bouncer, and it does it far more effectively than any other bouncer we’ve tried. If you are looking for the king of baby bouncer chairs, look no further.
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Disclosure: I was provided with the Baby Bjorn Babysitter Balance in exchange for this review when my second child was a baby in 2013. We have continued to use and love the product for two more babies since then!
11 comments
I discovered this after I’d had Oliver but couldn’t justify the cost as obviously I’d just gone self-employed. Wished I’d spotted it with Izz though and invested, as having been through 2 cheap bouncers, the 2nd of which got barely any use because O grew so quickly, it wouldn’t have worked out that much difference in price overall. Never mind, there’s always a #3…. 😉
Definitely for number 3, it’s worth it just for one baby! (Plus, I imagine the resale value is pretty high).
That is one CUTE baby! Love the pic of him in a little beanie hat 🙂 We’re having our second child in December so will think about investing – our old bouncer got so much use but I totally agree that the clips are so annoying when trying to move a sleeping baby…
Hehe, yes, I just get him off to sleep and then startle him with noisy clips!
I have the same exact Baby Bjorn bouncer. It is over 10 years old and has “serviced” 5 babies! You can check it out at BabyBjorn Bouncer, along with my experiences and thoughts.
I too can not over hype it.
It can be easily washed, you just take the fabric off and wash it.
You can transport or store it quite easily by folding it.
My kid even used it for play when he was 3!
Very durable and high quality item.
You can resell it after you’re done with it or regift because it will look almost new when you’re done with it.
Look beautiful and much much more!
I have seen people use it for baby naps but it is not designed for that and I strongly suggest you do not use it for that though.
We too have a bjorn babysitter bouncer and we love it! Can I ask though why it has a ‘sleep’ position if babies aren’t meant to sleep in it? Isaac falls asleep easily in the bouncer but doesn’t settle when transferred to his Moses basket.
We too have a bjorn babysitter bouncer and we love it! Can I ask though why it has a ‘sleep’ position if babies aren’t meant to sleep in it? Isaac falls asleep easily in the bouncer but doesn’t settle when transferred to his Moses basket. Thanks!
We definitely use ours for daytime sleep, perhaps they mean not for overnight sleep rather than naps.
I once saw somewhere that the company (BabyBjorn) says it is not designed for that (while doing research on the bouncer). For quick naps or to help the baby fall asleep sure, but for long naps or overnight sleep no way.
Hi, I’ve read that this can cause flat head. How did it pan out with your son’s head? Did you have this issue?Thanks.
Hi, as I wrote in the post I actually think the balance sitter helped prevent his flat head from getting worse.