I love a couple of these, but I saved a bundle with the Poang Rocker from IKEA. I bought the beige cover with the medium-brown frame, and I am so pleased with the result! The total price was about $200.

See the Poang rocker here: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49860970/#/S49900990.

If anyone is leaning towards the Eames rocker, you really should see it in person first. It's pretty small. And if you're going for the mid century look and have the budget of the above chairs, I would suggest going authentic. There are some options out there that are an investment but you will probably get your money back if you decide to sell in a few years or maybe even make some, as long as you don't overpay to begin with. We've bought a Paoli, and Kofod Larsen selig rocker and love them both so much.

That Kennedy rocking chair is a bit point for a nursery, no? Heck, it's too pointy for me with no kids. I'd kill myself on that thing.

I highly recommend Best Chairs (available through Buy Buy Baby). We bought a beautiful rocker/glider/swivel chair 5 years ago when my son was born. It looks like a fully upholstered lounge chair (like many of the images shown above), with the rocker/glider mechanism hidden underneath. We've now relocated it to our guest bedroom, and it fits right in with the decor. It was very reasonably priced (about $350), and it has held up really well. It looks as good now as the day we bought it...plus it holds lots of happy memories. Here's a link: http://www.besthf.com/best/Storytime/Chairs

@RUMAGOGO I had the same thought. I would, without a doubt, be sporting bruises if that was in my home.

I simply cannot imagine why anyone purchasing a rocking chair in which to rock a baby or child would consider anything without a back high enough to rest your head.

The Ryder Rocking Chair from West Elm is another one you should have your list if you're locking for a modern rocking chair.

http://www.westelm.com/products/ryder-rocking-chair-g530/?pkey=e%7Cryder%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Summer%202012%20D1%2B2%20Billboards-_-

Do yourself a favor and skip the Eames rocker if you are over 5'2. I have one that we use for our computer desk and there is no way I would use it to rock or nurse a baby. I am 5'7 and the thing ends at mid back, giving absolutely no support. It is cute though.

I am debating between the Poang and the Ryder Rocker from West Elm. Has anyone actually sat in the Ryder?

That Kennedy chair is gorgeous, but it looks like an eye gouger for little kids. I'm kind of scared of it.

I use a regular Poang -- it has just enough bounce. It has a high back, perfect for resting my head. The seat is deep and angled back; it works for my 5'-10" husband and me (5'-7"). That said, the seat is so deep that it can be difficult to get out of with a sleeping baby in your arms. I would test-sit in one at Ikea and practice getting out of using only 1 hand (or none). Both of us have spent many a full (or almost) full night sleeping in the Poang; it's very supportive. I tried a few gliders/rockers and they were not conducive to sleeping :)

Now that my son is 4 month old, I find that I have to adjust the boppy pillow while breastfeeding each time I switch sides so that he doesn't rest his head or his feet on the wood arms. When he was a newborn, he was "contained" on the boppy, and it spanned the wood arms. Looking forward, I'm not sure how the Poang will be for reading books with him; a pillow will be a must. Some may prefer upholstered arms for this reason.

ETA: Our slightly oversized leather club recliner is perfect for naps / sleeping / reading, but not so much for rocking :)

Nothing beats the monte luca glider for nursing!

I have a Little Castle Normandy rocker/recliner in a custom, really wild fabric. It was about $700. It's super, crazy comfortable. But it's so freaking big, it looks ridiculous in our small house with mostly scaled-down mid-century-esque furniture.
It was nice for nursing and we still read in it every night.
I love the look of the monte luca and might go with that if I had it to do over again. However, my 6'4" husband would probably veto it. He loves the cushy giant chair.

We have a chair similar to #1 from urban outfitters. I have to agree with PhoebeK, I wish I could lean my head back. Also the arms aren't great for supporting the baby's head. And such a low chair, it can be difficult to smoothly get out of, which can wake the baby. For baby #2 we may splurge on the luca glider.

Getting a glider was the hardest thing for me, I'm 5'11," but our house was built in 1938 and is tiny. So we needed something I could rest my head on, but would also fit through our doorways. The monte luca is great looking, but much shorter than it seems. (If you're over 5'7" or so, i'd go check it out in a store.) The Dwell studio chairs were really comfortable for me, but they are huge and come in one piece, so a no go in the house. We finally decided on the intermezzo from Dutailier, it looks like a regular armchair but glides, reclines, and also locks when you have to get out of it. It's a little short for me when it's upright, but reclined it seems like it'll do nicely. Haven't had the baby or received the chair yet, so we'll see!

I've been on the hunt for the perfect glider for a few months. We live in a 90 year old bungalow and much of our furniture is smaller-scaled, so finding a chair that we could incorporate into the rest of our design was difficult. Add to that that my husband and I are both tall (6 ft, 5'9") and one requirement is that we had to be able to rest our head on the back. After sitting in the Delonge Luxe glider, Pottery Barn wingback rocker, Luca Glider, Joya rocker, Empire rocker and the new West Elm Graham Glider...the winner was hands down the West Elm chair. It's tall, it's comfortable, we love the slight wings for additional head support, and it's cheaper than many other options. Only con is that it comes in only one fabric and color. Fortunately for us, it fits with the rest of the colors of our home. We haven't purchased it yet, have a few months remaining before baby arrives and I'm hoping to get a west elm coupon!