I have a swing and a bouncer, and I actually use the bouncer more because my daughter loves that she in in control of her bouncing.

I recommend something cheap, as your child probably will not use it beyond 6 months... and trust me, that time goes fast.

Although the Bjorn looks nice, it seems a little boring for an older baby. Also, the Oeuf bouncer was RECALLED because the frame collapsed, so I would definitely steer far from that.

The bouncer I linked below is really great because you can remove the activity bar during the newborn stage.... and once the child is around 3 or 4 months you can snap the bar back on so your baby can play. It would be ideal for your baby to get something like this:

http://www.target.com/Fisher-Price-Soothe-Play-Bouncer/dp/B002Q4R4M0/ref=br_1_4?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=1041928&node=1041928&sr=1-4&searchRank=pmrank&searchPage=1&searchSize=30&id=Fisher%20Price%20Soothe%20Play%20Bouncer&qid=

They're not as sleek looking, but I'd go for one with the toys and lights/whatever. Babies love that stuff even if it doesn't go with the decor. My daughter still has fond memories of the little spinning starfish on her bouncer!!

I agree with everyone- who cares what it looks like, because it will only be in your home about 6-8 months per baby.

A friend gave us the Fisher-Price Infant to Toddler Rocker as a gift. I never would have picked it myself, but my son has loved it. He would nap in it as an infant. At 18-months-old, he still loves sitting in it.

We were given a Fisher Price bouncer and a swing. They're not the best looking style-wise but my daughter loves them. Even at 14 months which she's clearly outgrown she'll get on her bouncy seat and I'll put on the vibration and she'll sit back and go "Ah!". Don't blame her, if I had a vibrating chair to relax I'd do the same thing!

i tried four different bouncers before i finally heard about the baby bjorn babysitter and it was by far the best one I used. i put my baby in it for everything! and it's adjustable.

I have the baby bjorn and love it! Thou, I bought mine at a garage sale, so I didn't have to fork out a lot of dough.
I like the way it bounces compared to other bouncers...Also, it folds up flat for travel or storage and the cover is just made out of cloth, so you can throw it in the wash. AND it looks great! I don't care what people say, I hate all the plasticky baby stuff out there. The baby bjorn bouncer does come with an activity bar for an older baby to play with. My baby loved the BB, he still naps in it. If money is not an issue, buy it! They are on sale right now on Gilte Groupe for $120.

I used the Bjorn seat with my son from the day he came home for the hospital. He loved the thing.

I Love that it folds flat. Our car could only hold so much on our trips to see family. My son is four now and we still store it under our couch for easy access. When friends come over with little ones I pull it out and off we go.

I had a hand me down swing which we used for two weeks and a second hand find excersaucer. Both with are long gone. The Bjorn seat also holds its value you can sell it and recoup more than half the cast.

And it looks great. How can you go wrong.

We loved the black and white baby bjorn bouncer and happily it was borrowed from a friend. It is pricey, but it's super to have one that folds flat and I loved how simple it was - the bears activity bar came off when we didn't need/want it and it was a great piece of kit for a good long while. Maybe you could share it with a friend and split the cost! The cover was washable and the black fabric made an AWESOME background for pictures!

LOVE my Bjorn! My baby is 8 months old, 25lbs., and still uses it, gladly. It's bigger than most seats, attractive, and simple. It folds flat for storage AND travel. It's simple and sweet. I recommend it, especially if you can find it used or on sale!

I would try borrowing one first, to avoid wasting money. My child would happily lay on her back, but refused all types of seats, bouncers, ect. And I tried a lot of them! She just got bored. She preferred riding in a sling.

Craigslist is also a good source for only lightly used things.

I cannot say enough about the Bjorn Babysitter. We used it constantly for our little guy. I echo all the comments above - especially those regarding travel. This seat took up no space and was so comfy my son used it for naps when we were away from home. And the seat itself comes off for super easy cleaning right in the washing machine. Ours has been passed on to a friend and she is equally thrilled with it.

We had the bijorn seat and when our son was really little he did not like it. He ended up sitting in a friend's fisher price one and loved it. I have to say it was pretty kiddie tacky but I can not say enough about the vibrating option. There were a few days that that was the only thing that would calm him down. As he got older he did like sitting in the bijorn, and it is great that it folds flat. I think that since it is big so you can use it longer it is not as cozy for the little ones. As for swings, or little guy hated them.

Emily @ http://456eleven.com

I have the Maclaren Rocker and absolutely love it. My daughter napped in it for the first month of her life and now 5 months old still loves it. It adjusts to several reclined positions, rocks, vibrates, has a sun-shade which will be great for summer, and folds flat- perfect for city living!
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3417056&moduleName=Brand Name Secondary

I recommend buying a cheap 2nd hand one first because not all babies like them, my son hated his as did one of my brothers when we were little. I also have friends with more than one child where one child loved it and the next hated it.

I agree: borrow first or buy used; your baby might not like it

Opt for one with toys and vibration: I thought I was philosophically opposed to vibrating chairs...but quickly changed my mind when it was the only thing that would stop my baby from crying.

My 18 month old still loves sitting (and climbing on) her Bjorn seat. And I love that the seat comes off to be washed.

I love our Combi bouncer as an inexpensive modern alternative to the Oeuf or Baby Bjorn. My son is just over two months old, but often sleeps in the bouncer during the day. It vibrates and plays music and is ipod capable (though I have never used this option).

http://www.amazon.com/Combi-Pod-Bouncer-in-Wasabi/dp/B0010BPM24

my daughter loves her swing--one of the graco loving hug ones. no, it isn't particularly attractive and it takes up way too much space in our apartment, but at almost 11 months old and 26 pounds, she still uses it regularly. she goes to sleep in her crib at night like a champ (usually), but when it comes to naptime the ONLY thing that is guaranteed to work is the swing.

I know the day will come way too soon when she outgrows it and I am terrified--she may never nap again!

My daughter loved the Bjorn bouncer so much both sets of grandparents got one. The toy bar and the adjustable back made it very versatile. We even fed her while she was sitting in it (on the most upright setting) when we were traveling at 7mo and there was no high chair available.

We love the Bjorn! My daughter hated just about every other apparatus. I loved that it didn't offend my eyes every time I walked past it, and it was super easy to clean. I did not buy the toy bar, but rather an ugly plastic clip on toy bar meant for strollers. It did the trick, and she loved playing with it while bouncing.

Right now, at 12 months, she'll have none of it...but she really won't sit still anywhere. It is good up to 28lbs and has a few incline settings, so maybe we'll be able to use it as a toddler chair when she's a little older.

Though, we did get a super deal and only paid $75! Not sure we would have paid full price.

BabyBjorn Bouncer was the best for us. The size can accomodate tiny babies or large toddlers, so it'll grow with your child. You can control the rhythm of the bounce with your own foot, instead of crossing your fingers that a vibrating/bouncing mechanism happens to work for your particular baby. It's light and folds up easy. It's attractive, or at least unobtrusive, which does matter to some of us...

My son slept or sat in his multiple times every day for the first five months. After that he wouldn't sit still in any chair or even on our laps for too long, so we didn't exactly blame the bouncer for that. It's a good buy and the resale value for those are probably higher than for other bouncers.

I also agree with the person that suggested borrowing all of these various contraptions in the beginning. I didn't want to have to rely on loans with our first and so I used my best judgment, but for our second baby we'll be doing test runs to find out what he or she likes. We were lucky with our son, since he loved being worn in the Ergo or napping in the BabyBjorn Bouncer and we didn't need many other contraptions, but every baby is a little different.

I don't recommend the Oeuf. Cool looking (and yes, had a minor recall for to strengthen the frame) but with a really low weight limit.

We borrowed the higher end Maclaren for this babe and have really used it. Lots of adjustments, etc. It was the only place babe #2 would comfortably nap outside of a sling.

The greenest option is to get something used, and then the risk is low if your baby hates it. We got this one at a consignment store for $17 (it's $35 new), and we love it. The vibrating bit broke (I think I did that, long story), but at 4.5 months he's been bouncing himself for a long time anyway. The toy bar is a key feature and we switch out the toys since they go on with velcro.

Where did my link go??? It's the Fisher Price Hoppy Days Bouncer with the frog motif....

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3160407

We love the Bjorn bouncer. The wooden bear toy that came with it was entertainment enough for my son and he preferred the better bouncing of the Bjorn to all the bells and whistles of most other chairs. My son is now two and still loves to sit in the Bjorn.

we love our combi pod bouncer... sturdy, comfortable, reclines, plays music, has hanging soft and wooden toy bar, and looks GOOD!

We have the Bjorn as well and our son has LOVED it. He's a big baby - born almost 10 lbs. He used the seat every day from when he was just home from the hospital til he was about 7.5 months old and crawling around. It's sturdy, bounces nicely, and folds up flat. There's a toy attachment too, tho we never bothered. Good luck!

i have an older version of the bjorn bouncer. it was the only thing my very finicky infant would nap in, and we still use it (14 months old, 20 lbs) when one of us has to shower and no one else can watch him.