Glider rocker can be a key piece of furniture in a well-kitted-out home nursery. This type of chair provides a number of very useful functions.
It is a comfortable place for nursing mothers while at the same time providing the ability to gently rock a baby (and sometimes their parent) off to sleep.
As such, it is something of a specialized piece of furniture that really has to come with a number of features in order to perform its function. With an array of different designs from a range of manufacturers on the market however, it can be hard to pick the right one.
That’s where we come in.
Glider Rockers Reviews
Comparison Chart
DaVinci Olive Upholstered Swivel Glider with Bonus Ottoman in Grey with Cream Piping, Greenguard Gold & CertiPUR-US Certified
1. Pulaski Harmony Swivel Glider
A very sleek chair that boasts a contemporary design, this glider would look at home in any modern nursery. With a price tag well toward the top end of the range however, does it bring enough premium features to justify the outlay?
Review
The first thing to note with this product is that it is remarkably comfortable. It employs very generous padding in the arms, the back and the seat to ensure that sitting down in this after a hard day’s work is as pleasurable as sinking into a cloud.
It’s also a hardwearing design. It boasts individually wrapped spring coils to better distribute weight. This means it will resist sagging and remain firm – but soft – for quite a while.
Design wise it is certainly a more contemporary style than some others on this list, which makes it easier to place this chair in the home – frankly; it would look good in just about any room.
The fabric is durable, soft and easy to clean – though it may be a little on the light side for a glider rocker – that light blue isn’t going to hide stains very well. The gliding mechanism is smooth and easy to use but beware the price tag, this chair isn’t cheap and is in fact the second most expensive item on the list.
PROS
- Very comfortable
- Individually wrapped internal coils prevent sagging
- Smooth gliding mechanism
CONS
- Expensive
- Poor leg support
2. Dutailier Multiposition Glider
The main feature is right there in the description, this is indeed a chair of multiple positions, and all of them are comfortable. The price tag is extremely high however, at least compared to the rest of this list, so does it justify it?
Review
This is a real premium chair from Dutailier, which comes with a number of high-end features. The first to address is right there in it’s name – the ability to be maneuvered into a number of positions is extremely useful; as every Mom will have their position that they like to sit in when nursing. So you can recline the back or you sit more upright with good lumbar support and the accompanying Ottoman can be used to – literally – put your feet up.
The glide action is remarkably smooth and you can easily maneuver this chair without worrying about waking a sleeping baby. The material itself is soft to the touch and pretty durable. It’s also wipe clean, an extremely useful feature when it comes to nursing babies, and their sometimes… well, let’s say “unpredictable” stomachs.
Style wise, this chair looks good too, with a lovely dark grey finish and espresso colored hardwood frame that again gives this product the looks to suit any room.
An overall excellent product then, but with a price tag to match – say hello to the most expensive item on this list, more than double the cost of some of the others. You are though getting an awful lot of high quality glider chair for your money.
PROS
- Reclining back
- Great leg support
- Smooth gliding action
CONS
- Very expensive
- Seat padding is a little thin
3. DaVinci Swivel Glider with Ottoman
Bearing the name of one of the finest inventors in history, does this chair have the high design and top quality features to justify its association with its illustrious namesake?
Review
This chair has been very thoughtfully crafted to provide optimum comfort to Mom as she feeds and nurses.
The standout feature has got to be the included lumbar support pillow. If you’ve already had a baby, you’ll no doubt know already, and if you haven’t yet you’ll soon find out – having a baby is agony on your back. All the lifting, bending and weight bearing can really start to take its toll. The lumbar pillow on this product is therefore a very welcome addition, as is the comfortable ottoman.
The gliding action is nice and smooth and the metal lower frame provides a very solid base on which the chair can move.
The only real downside is the looks of this chair. It’s chunky and angular at the same time, which is not going to be to everyone’s taste, and it may stand out in rooms and decorating schemes.
Still, apart from the overall appearance under the hood this is a very well designed, very comfortable and very well put together chair for a surprisingly low price.
PROS
- Soft and durable material
- High back with extra lumbar pillow
- Solid metal base
CONS
- Looks are hit and miss
- Quite heavy
- Light Color scheme won’t hide stains
4. Baby Relax Mikayla Recliner
Baby Relax have looked to more traditional Lazy-Boy-style chairs with this design, though of course they have also added a range of features suitable for mom and baby.
Review
The styling of this chair means that it will happily sit in among the furnishing and design of just about any room in any home – it is literally the style of a traditional reclining chair with some added features so it will never look out of place.
Amongst those features we have ball bearing mounted mechanism for nice, smooth gliding movement. That mechanism is mounted on a sturdy metal base too, giving the chair a comfortable and solid feel.
The seat is spring core & foam filled for added comfort, though the springs are not individually wrapped to protect against sagging. The arms are also a little on the thin side and thus not as well padded as some other chairs on this list, so bear that in mind if you like to lean on the arms, especially when nursing or cradling baby – this may not provide the level of comfort you really need in that one area.
Still, overall it’s a very good chair with a simple but attractive design.
PROS
- Traditional chair design
- Reclines
- Good gliding mechanism
CONS
- Thin arms
- Quite expensive
5. Angel Line Windsor Glider and Ottoman
This is the cheapest chair on the list, and as such, it trims a few of the bells and whistles that are found on more premium products. It is however still a well-designed piece of furniture, with quite a few useful features.
Review
When looking at the cheapest item on a list such as this, the first thing to do is to judge how the manufacturer has saved money. Often this will be via cutting back on materials, sometimes on added features and all to often on quality.
This product from Angel Line has not cut back on quality – this is in fact a well-made, thoughtfully designed glider chair. Instead it is the materials that have been cut back on a little.
There is no solid metal base, as found on some other products. The padding is a little thinner than you’ll see on premium chairs, and the wood is not “Hardwood with an Espresso Finish,” as on the Dutaillier above – it’s just wood, though it is solid wood not a composite.
Yet despite that, this remains a very good chair for the money. The back padding in particular is nice and deep, while the fact you can remove all the cushions make them easy to clean. The glider mechanism is ball bearing mounted for silent operation, and it’s a really nice touch that the Ottoman footstool also has the same glider mechanism installed. That means you can put your feet up and glide gently, without your legs rubbing on the Ottoman, as it will move with you.
So yes, whilst is does miss a few of the premium features found on the higher price tag items, it is still a very good chair with an exceptional price tag.
PROS
- Removable cushions
- Well designed
- Excellent price
CONS
- Thin padding places
- Quite basic materials
Conclusion
The best chair on the list is the Dutailier Multiposition Glider. It has a number of very useful features such as the excellent gliding mechanism; wipe-clean material and superb quality build. It also has a timeless design that means it can be placed in nearly any room without looking out of place.
The Angel Line Windsor Glider and Ottoman is the best budget buy on the list, combining a number of useful features into a very well designed chair with a pleasantly low price point.