Fisher-Price Rainforest Cradle Swing Review

Every year there are so many new toys, gadgets and gizmos for babies that are for sale, it's enough to make any parent insane. A few years back, swings took a dramatic turn for the softer side of life. Cradle swings came into play, and despite their high cost, were an instant hit. I mean, who wouldn't want to lie back in a cushy sling that cradles your body as it rocks you back and forth?

The Rainforest Cradle Swing, made by Fisher-Price caught my eye with its bright colors and fun animal mobile. Coming along with a hefty price tag of approximately $110, I hoped the swing would be all that it promised to be.

That night my husband promptly tore open the box to put the swing together. Assembly was not difficult; it took maybe 20 minutes to get it up and running. In person, this swing is definitely an eye catcher with the bright green, red, blue, and orange colors. The music and rainforest sounds promised to stimulate babies auditory as the mobile promotes visual tracking skills.

Your normal hard-backed seat is replaced here with a cradling sling. The material is bright, soft to the touch, and durable. Unlike your average swing, this one is a swivel seat, allowing baby to swing side to side or front to back. One thing I was disappointed in right from the start was the fact that the back part of the right foot would lift up as my baby would rock side to side. She is well under the weight limit of 25 pounds, only weighing 12 lbs at the time the swing was doing this. To remedy the foot lifting, I would only allow the swing to rock on the three lowest of six total speeds.

Unlike older swings, this swing offers the user to insert four D batteries, or the option of plugging the swing into an outlet. So, if you are using the swing near an outlet, use the plug, if there is not outlet available, switch the button in the back and you are instantly on battery power. This feature saves a lot of money on batteries, as well as the hassle of replacing them every few months.

Two weeks ago I had to place a call to the Fisher-Price company as my just turned six month old daughter fell out of her swing while she was fully buckled, without the swing being in motion. I was standing within a few feet, and was able to get to her quickly. She was not hurt, yet, I am still unsure of how this happened. I quickly called and placed an incident report with Fisher-Price. They were very easy to deal with, understood my situation, and put a request in for a shipping company to come get the swing. Currently, my daughter's swing is now being evaluated by Fisher-Price to see what went wrong. I am still waiting to hear back from them. All in all, the company has responded well to my complaint. I will continue to purchase Fisher-Price products, yet feel that this Rainforest Cradle Swing is just too unsafe. The swing has a lot of great new features, but the fact that the back part of the leg lifts up, and the fact that my child fell out is why I give this product a thumbs down.