Baby Loungers 101: A Buying Guide for Parents

When babies are first home from the hospital, soft, cozy baby loungers can be a great spot to let them rest on their own. Baby loungers are portable, contoured pillows designed to safely accommodate your infant for lounging and napping. If you want a comfy spot to safely lay your baby while you shower or do the dishes or watch TV, a baby lounger may be for you.

Baby loungers are a newer product on the baby market. Unlike strollers or car seats, which regularly get updated and reimagined but have been around for decades, baby loungers have really only been around for a little more than a decade at this point. There are several great baby loungers on the market right now, and they vary widely in price. If you’re on the fence and not sure which baby lounger to select (if any), read on to learn about the pros and cons of baby loungers.

Baby Loungers: Pros

• Baby loungers are soft, cushiony spots for your baby to rest
• Lightweight and portable, baby loungers are easy to move around the house or even take with you on the go. They make great spaces for baby to rest when you are away from home
• Available in different sizes, prints and styles, baby loungers are fairly customizable so they match your nursery décor or suit your taste. Many baby loungers also come with covers that can be purchased separately if you don’t like the pattern or color of your particular pillow
• Easy to clean, most baby loungers can be tossed in the washing machine. Some of the baby lounger inserts should not be tossed in the washing machine but the removable cover can be for easy cleaning
• Some baby loungers can also be used for tummy time and play time

Baby Loungers: Cons

• Unlike cribs or strollers, baby loungers have a shorter lifespan. Some baby loungers are only meant to be used (as baby loungers) until your baby is about four months old. Others, like the Dockatot, are designed to be used until your baby is about eight months old
• Baby loungers can be pricey. If you purchase them brand new, they can cost you from $40 to $275

Baby Loungers: Key Considerations

If you’re still not sure if a baby lounger is right for you, consider asking yourself these questions:

1. Are you frequently visiting friends’ and relatives’ homes and struggling finding a place to lay your baby down to rest?
2. Do you want to keep your baby close by when you do chores around the house but aren’t sure where to lay them?

If you answered yes to these questions, a baby lounger might be a great fit for you. 

Baby Loungers: Best Bets

If you’re having trouble narrowing down with baby lounger is right for you, take into account these popular brands that many parents swear by.

Snuggle Me Organic Infant Lounger: Use this larger pillow-like lounger for your baby up until they are around nine months and before they are crawling. The lounger is designed so your baby fits snugly inside the indent in the pillow. Launder the Snuggle Me by tossing it- insert and cover separated- in the washing machine. The Snuggle Me Organic will cost you around $100 if you purchase it new, but if you buy it preloved from Good Buy Gear, you can get it for as low as $63!

Dockatot: The Dockatot is the most expensive baby lounger on this list, but it is arguably the most versatile. The Dockatot can be used as a baby lounger but also as a tummy time pillow for your baby. Purchase some of the optional accessories, such as the mobile arch, to enhance your baby’s Dockatot experience. You can machine wash the cover (the cover zips off easily) and change out the cover to suit your taste. The bottom of the pillow also sticks together to form a cozy place for your newborn to lounge, and then you can pull the adjoining pillow pieces apart to make more room for your baby as they grow. Brand new, a Docktot will cost you between $175- $275. However, if you shopped preloved Dockatots on Good Buy Gear, you can find a Dockatot for as low as $95.

For more buying information, check out our buying guide comparing the DockATot and Snuggle Me Organic baby loungers. 

If you’re not sure you’ll get as much use out of these products as you’d like to, definitely consider buying preloved. Baby loungers can be nice to have on hand when you need to put your newborn down, and, when you get one for a steal of a deal, you won’t feel guilty if it goes largely unused.