Rocker Versus Glider and Ottoman

I second Lazyboy! We were going to go with the chair and ottoman from Lone Star Baby and stopped into Lazyboy on the way. We found a great chair/recliner.

I love my rocker and ottoman. It's very comfortable and my twin girls love it too! I bought it at Pickles and Ice Cream and thought it was reasonably priced.

I LOVE my glider and ottoman. I paid $400 for it back in 1995 but I can't remember where I got it...anyway, it is awesome for rocking babies. There is just something about the extended rocking motion that feels much more satisfying than the rocking chair. Anyway the gliding ottoman feels wonderful when you've had a long day on your feet. Regular rocking chairs just let your feet dangle or sit on the ground- with the glider and ottoman you get sort of a little massage when you rock, or at least it helps get your blood circulating.

i will say that i have had two glider/ottomans from wal mart & they are not worth it. they come apart after using them a lot. i'm not sure if a more expensive brand would be better but that has been my experience

Mama A said it best! We have a rocker but it was never very comfortable. With both my pregnancies went with cheap gliders (4 1/2 years apart) and both times ended up getting rid of them. On the other hand I have a friend with a nice one that I love to sit in and use - she's had it I believe since her 10 year old was born and it is very comfortable, looks nice, etc. I still wish we had invested the money in a good, nice glider.

This made me laugh when I read your rocker/glider dilemma. With my first child, I was only concerned about the fabric matching the nursery. I bought two different wooden gliders that appeared to have nice fabric and padding on them. Even though they matched and looked nice in the nursery they were terribly uncomfortable especially for the late night feedings. I returned them both.

I purchased a very neutral chair and ottoman from Babies R Us in an off white chenille. It goes with everything and I have used it with both of my girls. I hignly recommend getting an upholstered chair and ottoman. Looking back this would have been my splurge and I should have gotten an even nicer one for as much as we use it. The one I got from Babies R Us was moderately priced. Depending on your budget, a lot of the children's boutiques have them and Pottery Barn Kids has some great ones too with lots of fabric and slip cover options.

Trust me some of my favorite memories are cuddling with my girls in their chair, reading them books, and watching them fall asleep in my arms. Both of my girls love to read and now at age 3 1/2 and 14 months, it is priceless seeing them climb up in the chair and read books together. I am glad I bought a neutral one as I doubt I will ever be able to get rid of it!!

With our first, I borrowed a glider/ottoman from my mom (it was one of the cheaper ones that most of the moms have recommended you NOT get and I AGREE). It was most uncomfortable and I rarely used it. With our second (he's almost 8 weeks old) we purchased a regular old recliner that rocks. It has been GREAT and is very comfortable.

I like a glider because a rocker is more likely to squash fingers. We have one with a gliding ottoman that doesn't lock still. So I ended up turning the ottoman sideways a lot to make it useful for pushing to rock and for adjusting while nursing and such. In the end, I really didn't use the glider that much. We have the wooden kind with cushions, and I found that a big apholstered chair was better. I do use the glider some now to rock my 2 year old, but not that much. I think one of those big cushy gliders that's like a real arm chair might be nice, but they're big for a small house!

I vote for a glider and ottoman. I own a rocker too but the glider is by far more comfortable. I absolutely loved my Shermag glider from BabiesRus. I will admit it was a lot more money but so worth it to me.

If you can afford it...Glider is the resounding answer. Also brand does matter. Dutalier is by far one of the highest quality gliders you can get. There is nothing more annoying than a sqeaky or off-balanced glider!
My Dutalier is now 6 year old and I still LOVE it. I spent extra to get a reclining one and never regretted the expense. I also got the ottoman. If you plan on having more kids it is definitely worth the expense for those nights you are up with a sick child or just a fussy child.
Good luck!

I loved my glider chair and glider ottoman. I have spent tons of time in it and both my husband and I have even slept in it. Since the ottoman glided too, it was super comfy. Mine was done in a denimn fabric. My son is 5 1/2 and it still looks new. We kept it because it is so comfy! It was custom--check out at the baby store at Lakeside Market on Preston, just south of Spring Creek Pkway. Can't remember the name right now...

I love my glider/ottoman! As much as I have rocked in the past 13 mos with my son I'm so thankful to have it. It's a Dutailier. They're are very expensive. Mine was a hand me down from a friend. They are very durable and you can probably find one on craigslist.

I went with a rocker than swivels. I liked the feel causing the rocker choice. You need to determine what's comfortable to you. I bought mine at USA Baby (now has a new name, but same location off of 75/Royal I think it is). Anyway, I got the brand they primarily sell which is a real furniture brand and made very well. Yes, I somewhat splurged, but we're talking furniture that should last for years. I am glad I did not go with the rocker at babies r us. they are indeed comfortable, but you can so easily so the usage and it just doesn't appear like it's made for a long time. looke underneath the fabric. mine remains in great condition and now i just wish i didn't pick a pale green so it could go in another non kid room. good luck!

I like the glider we bought second hand. It has a steel frame and has survived not only wear and tear from my kids but also from the kids before us. I never use the ottoman, it actually just got in the way. Plus my kids began to "surf" on it and that was not going to be allowed. It now sits in the garage. We have a regular rocker as well but it takes up far too much room.

Get a high quality glider rocker, ottoman optional. You will use it for years.

Glider and ottoman definitely...I rock babies every other Sunday at church and way prefer the gliders!

A good baby store can give you some guidance regarding brands. The one I got 12 years ago is still in great shape but I don't remember the brand name. I had it custom made through Kid to Kid near the Parks Mall in Arlington.

Blessings,

M.

P.S. I am building a team of 5 financially free champions over the next 2-5 years. Want to be one of them? Email me through Mamasource if you are ready for change!

M.

I have a glider and ottoman. I believe it's a shermag, but I got it from Target, not BRU. My son's nursery furniture is black, and it was the only one I could find that was black with tan fabric. It looks so beautiful in there!

As far as comfort and function, my son is 18 months old now, and I still rock him in that chair every single night. We read there, cuddle there, get dressed there... I can't imagine the hours I've logged in that chair.

I did recently put the ottoman in the closet though. I admit it would be nice to have a place to put my feet up, but it can be kind of hard to rock with it, and it always slips on the carpet. Although, when he's a newborn and you're still swollen and recovering, you will probably want to be able to put your feet up.

I just saw you have a 9 month old. I'm not sure if you're expecting again, so if that doesn't apply, just ignore me. :) If so, congratulations!

Go with a glider and ottoman! But not a cheap one. The cheap ones are terrible and not even worth having. If you are trying to be cheap, I would recommend a regular old wooden rocking chair before I would tell you to get a cheap glider. Cheap gliders are horrible. If you can afford an expensive brand, do it. Truthfully, this is the only baby item that I think that price matters and expensive is better. Especially if you will be nursind. If you have older children, get a glider that is big enough for you to sit in and an older child to sit next to you while you feed and read to the baby. I would not get a rocker, they are more dangerous and they are typically noisy, which is not helpful at a latenight feeding.

K.,

PLEASE check out lazyboy. We bought one of the top of the line Dutalier gliders from Babies R Us and I HATE it! My husband talked me out of a Lazyboy because he didn't like the look of it, but it has great lumbar support at any angle. The Dutalier does not support your back, and after 30 minutes of rocking or reclining you will want to blow your brains out. My son is now 15 months, and we have another on the way. I really want to chuck the Dutalier and get a Lazyboy! Also... Lazyboy can make any chair a glider, and will help you choose the best chair for your height (also very important). They are also about the same price.
In short - save your back! Get a Lazyboy!!!

Personally, I wanted a rocker b/c I liked the look of it. It doesnt' take up too much space, you can put it in virtually any room. However, I think the gliders are more comfortable.

I think I have the same glider and ottoman that Stephanie M mentions below. I have the off white chenille one as well and I absolutely love it! I pondered for months on which glider to get. I really didn't like the look of the wooden gliders even though they were cheaper than the upholstered ones. I lucked out and Babies R Us had a 40% sale on all gliders and ottomans so with the discount and a few gift cards I have received as shower gifts, I didn't have to pay that month out of pocket. I have enjoyed it immensely. It's so comfy - I have fallen asleep in it.

If you decide to go with the upholstered glider, you might also try Craigs List as I've seen a few on there.

The best brand that I found was Dutailier. They make both rockers and gliders, I think. They are a lot more expensive than other brands, but they are worth it, especially if you plan to have more than one child, and want to use the same chair. They are very comfortable and durable. I tried a lot of stores and a lot of brands - I was lucky to find a Dutailier glider at a resale shop.