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Rocking chairs may seem old fashioned, but they are extremely comfortable. If you're looking for a great rocking chair or glider, the Baby Relax Mikayla Swivel Gliding Recliner is the best one you can buy. This stylish rocking chair works as a glider or recliner and it has a 360-degree swivel action.
If you look at a rocking chair or glider and think they’re only for nursing mothers soothing a baby or senior citizens relaxing on the porch, you’re partially right. Certainly, those are two of the more common users of rocking chairs. But almost anyone can enjoy a rocking chair, and they are many more cool styles to choose from these days.
Rocking chairs are even becoming modern and somewhat popular. After all, you don’t have to be a baby to enjoy the gentle rocking sensation of these chairs. You can enjoy your new rocker in cushioned comfort, whether you’re in the baby’s nursery, on the porch, or in a living room watching TV.
The benefits of rocking chairs
As Architizer explains, the first rocking chairs appeared in the 1700s, and they were often oversized chairs, designed for two people. A mother and a nursing child would use rocking chairs at feeding time to create a soothing environment. A nurse and ill patient might use a rocking chair together, too, in an effort to calm the patient.
Rocking chairs eventually migrated into the one-person chairs commonly in use today, although they still work great for a mother and a fussy baby. Rocking chairs have become part of American art and folklore, symbolizing leisure time and a country lifestyle.
Medical professionals encourage the use of rocking chairs to help senior citizens improve balance and muscle tone, when other types of exercise are too strenuous, according to Live Strong. Rocking Chair Therapy discusses the use of rocking chairs in parent-child bonding, as well as in helping dementia patients overcome anxiety.
Features of rocking chairs
Rocking chairs and gliders are available in many shapes, designs, styles, and sizes. All of them allow you to create a gentle rocking motion, but they go about the process in slightly different ways. Baby Center, The Bump, eBay, and Apartment Therapy discuss some of the different designs and styles.
- Fabric: If you’re often rocking your baby in the chair, the chair is going to become soiled at some point. It’s inevitable. So pick a type of chair and fabric that’s easy to clean.
- Glider or platform: A glider rocking chair moves forward and backward, leaving the base in a stable position, rather than having the entire chair move in an arc like a traditional rocking chair. The movement of a glider is often smoother than a rocking chair, which is good for moms and babies. Gliders and platform rockers operate in a similar manner.
- Locking mechanism: Some rocking chairs can be locked in place, which makes it easier for you to stand up while holding a baby.
- Ottoman: Many rocking chairs come with an ottoman, which allows you to put your feet up when you don’t want to rock. Some ottomans that ship with glider rocking chairs also move in the same manner as the glider, allowing for a smooth motion.
- Outdoor: Some rocking chairs are made for indoor use, while others are made for outdoor use. If you plan to leave your rocking chair exposed to the weather, be sure to pick a chair rated for outdoor use.
- Padding: A rocking chair may provide padding to support your back, neck, and arms. You may be spending a few hours in the chair to comfort a sick baby, so padding is important. Even an all-wood rocking chair can be made more comfortable with removable padding that ties onto the chair.
- Recliner: Some rockers have a reclining feature, which allows you to lock the rocking chair in place and put your feet up on a foot rest.
- Swivel: Some rocking chairs have a circular base, which allows you to spin the chair 360 degrees in addition to rocking in it. This is a great feature for being able to swing around and see other children playing in the entire room while sitting with a baby.
With all that in mind, these are the best rocking chairs you can buy on Amazon. We've checked all the reviews and looked over the feature sets of every rocking chair in our guide to find only the best ones. Whether you're a new mom, a grandparent, or just someone who loves rocking chairs, we have a pick for you here.
The best rocking chair overall
Why you'll love it: No matter what style of rocking chair you prefer, the versatile Baby Relax Mikayla Swivel Gliding Recliner fulfills your needs, with a glider, recliner, and swivel chair all wrapped into one.
The Baby Relax Mikayla Swivel Gliding Recliner combines many of the best features in modern rocking chairs, all in one comfortable chair.
It’s able to serve as a glider, a recliner, and a swivel chair. It has a gentle rocking motion, which the Best Rocking Chairs review says is a tremendous advantage. Because of the high-quality construction of this chair, all of the movements of the Baby Relax rocking chair are extremely smooth and controlled. That's especially important for nursing mothers.
The Gliders Hub review appreciated the padded leg rest, which feels great when putting your feet up while you're using the Mikayla rocking chair as a recliner. The Val’s Views review likes the stylish design of this rocking chair, which includes button tufting on the backrest.
It's also nice that the chair comes in different colors and fabrics. You can choose between gray linen, gray microfiber, and mocha microfiber (currently sold out on Amazon). Note that the microfiber fabrics will be the easiest to clean.
One Amazon reviewer was initially hesitant to purchase the Baby Relax Mikayla glider because of its price, but has been very pleased with it since buying the chair. However, another Amazon customer said the rocking chair developed a squeak after about a year of use, one that was loud enough to wake up the baby. Luckily, that should be fairly easy to solve with some oil in the joints, and it's also a rare problem.
By and large, buyers love this chair for its reasonable price and comfortable design.
Pros: Versatile rocking chair offering glider and swivel features inside a recliner, soft and comfortable cushioning, high back is good for tall people, nice looking design, easy to clean microfiber fabric
Cons: Price is a little high, some chairs squeak
The best rocking chair with an ottoman
Why you'll love it: The Naomi Home Brisbane Glider & Ottoman set is a stylish gliding rocking chair that comes with a matching ottoman and your choice of five different colors.
If you’d like a stylish rocking chair glider that also provides smooth movement, the Naomi Home Brisbane Glider & Ottoman set is a great option. As you can tell from the name, the rocking chair ships with an ottoman so you can put your feet up and relax.
Many rocking chairs are heavy and big, but the Naomi Home glider is not. The Mom’s Choice Nursery Glider review praises the chair's small footprint and low weight, which make it easy to move around. In its review, the Glider’s Hub said the smooth motion of the chair’s gliding mechanism is a great feature. It's particularly key for nursing moms who need a steady, stable chair.
The Naomi Home glider is available in five colors: Black/chocolate, black/gray chevron, espresso/cream, white/dark gray, and white/gray chevron. The included ottoman carries the same design and color of the fabric. Nursery Gliderz said the fabrics were easy to clean in its review, which is a blessing for new moms.
One Amazon customer liked the Brisbane rocking chair, but recommends being gentle while using it, as it doesn’t stand up to rough treatment well. Another Amazon reviewer also said that the chair’s construction was a disappointment and it squeaks. However, complaints are fairly rare for this chair, and it's a great deal at this price.
Pros: Five stylish color designs available, reasonable price point, matching ottoman provides good leg support, comfortable cushions on chair and ottoman, smooth gliding mechanism, fabrics are easy to clean
Cons: Construction quality is suspect, glider mechanism may develop a squeak
The best rocking chair for nursing babies
Why you'll love it: If you’re looking for a rocking chair specifically for nursing a baby — and you don’t mind spending a little extra — the Dutailier Nursing Grand Modern Glider Chair offers several desirable features.
The Dutailier Nursing Grand Modern Glider is an expensive rocking chair, but it provides a high quality of fabric, build quality, and cushioning.
It also includes built-in feeding pillows that make this rocking chair even more appealing to nursing mothers. The pillows tuck into the back cushion when not in use. You’ll just pull the pillows out of place when you need to position them. The Lady Qs review calls this built-in feeding pillow a tremendous feature that sets the Grand Modern Glider apart.
It includes a fully adjustable backrest with extra seating space that’s perfect for sitting comfortably with your baby. You also can lock the position of the glider, ensuring you remain in just the right position without movement while feeding your baby, according to the New Mom Stuff review. One Amazon reviewer said the locking mechanism failed on the glider, but it seems to be a rare occurrence.
Another Amazon buyer mentioned the high-quality construction of the Dutailier Nursing rocking chair as its best feature, saying the glider is worth the extra money you’ll spend for it.
Hayneedle's video review mentions the high back and strong cushioning throughout the Dutailier glider rocker, which provides tremendous comfort.
Pros: High construction quality, sharp looking glider, built-in nursing pillows set this rocking chair apart, very comfortable cushions, position of glider can be locked in during feeding
Cons: Higher than average cost, must purchase ottoman separately
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