I Thought the Perfect Nursery Glider Didn’t Exist, Until I Bought This Chair (It’s My 3rd Glider and the Best by Far)

3,650. That’s approximately how many hours I’ve spent rocking and nursing my five babies and toddlers in their nurseries over the past decade. It equals 152 days of my life. When I was researching nursery gliders, I knew I had to pick a chair that made me happy, cozy, and well-supported for the long haul.

Breastfeeding or not, all parents need a supportive chair with armrests for when your baby finally falls asleep in your arms. You need lower back support to offset rocking a toddler who just had a bad dream. And, you need enough extra room for a small child to climb up in the chair with you to read to the baby. Finally, if you are really investing in a quality glider or rocker that does all this, you also want it to seamlessly transition to another room post-nursery time to make it worth the money and give it a new purpose.

My first nursery chair was a gift from my family, a traditional rocker. My second was a recliner and a rocker. But it’s the third and final chair, the Nurture& Glider Plus that really put all the other options to shame, and accomplished all those goals above.

Here’s why you should consider it if you are preparing your nursery, or know new parents who are.

Here are the must-haves for a nursery glider or rocker.

• Gliding, rocking, swiveling, or all three: New parents might have their heads spinning when they research nursery chairs. There’s gliding and rocking, swiveling and still chairs. Whatever direction you want to go, ensure it can do at least one to lull your baby to sleep.
• Lumbar support: Postpartum can be a tough time on your back. Choose a chair that’s extra supportive, and at a comfortable angle for you. Some chairs, like the Nurture& Glider Plus, have a button to make it more or less support, while others might just have one set position.
• High-enough arm rests: Ensure you are going to be able to rest your tired elbows on the arm rests in this chair. Some new and trendier chairs look great, but then don’t give you enough arm support. Shop for chairs with higher armrest measurements, or give them a try in person if possible.
• Easy to clean: Lighter colors and some materials are harder to clean than others. You can request a swatch for the Nurture& Glider Plus to ensure both the color and fabric seem like they’ll hold up in your space.
• Reclines and has foot rest: You are going to want to take a load off and prop up your feet as a new parent. This also helps you transition your chair into a common space, such as the living room for watching TV later.
• Doesn’t creak: There’s nothing worse than getting a baby to sleep, only to go to stand up and wake them up with a loud chair. The Nurture& Glider Plus has a quiet motor on its buttons that change the lumbar support and reclining function — a must-have.

• Name: The Glider Plus
• Type: Glider, swivel, recliner with powered lumbar support
• Current price: $1,399
• Colors: Ivory, Gray or Boucle (a fuzzy white material)

Over the four months I’ve had this chair, I’ve sat in it reading to my toddler, rocking my baby, and nursing multiple times each day (and night, of course). I’ve used each of the positions of the chair, and my 5-year-old even occasionally shows up to push the buttons — always a favorite pastime. As someone who has a chronic spine condition, I also paid close attention to how my back felt during and after using this chair for longer periods of time (spoiler alert — it was always supportive and helpful for that issue).

The Glider Plus has many traits that make it the perfect chair for new parents’ nurseries, and much beyond in other rooms. It’s modern and looks great in multiple places, but doesn’t sacrifice comfort for style. Here are a few reasons to consider the Nurture& Glider Plus.

• It’s exceptionally comfortable: If I had to pick between this chair and my bed, I’d actually pause and have to consider it. It rivals the comfort of my super comfortable bed. The lower back support and neck support are just what you’d hope for, and you can adjust the lower back to have much more pressure in that area, if you want to sit more upright especially. Luckily you don’t have to move to charge your phone with a built-in USB port — because you won’t want to get up.
• It holds up over time: I’ve used this chair for four months so far, which is usually right around the time past chairs have started to lose their puffiness and support. This one is still the same as the first day, which gives me hope it will stay like this past nursing my baby and well into binging Netflix in my living room.
• It allows for multiple nursing positions: If you’ve ever tried to nurse a squirming baby, you know you need a little room. The same is true for squirmy bottle-fed babies. So, the plus is a must because it has extra room in the seat, enough for even a small toddler to sit beside you depending on your size.
• It keeps your body in the right position: Whether you’ve had a C-section, have pain issues, or simply want to ensure your posture is correct, this chair accommodates each. You feel like you are sitting comfortably up in your chair in the non-reclined setting, with support at each place your posture might typically sag.
• Stain-resistant fabric: You can’t tell that this chair has had chocolate milk spilled on it, and various bodily substances that come with parenting babies. (I’ll spare you the details.) The stain-proof fabric lives up to its name, and wipes off easily with a wet cloth. I would choose the darker gray color if I was worried about kids being really rough on it.

There are just two things that aren’t my favorite about this chair. 

• The price: At over $1,300, the price might be a barrier for some families. However, I’d forego the dozens of onesies and pacifiers people bring to baby showers and register for just this, as a potential group gift, and diapers, if I had to start again. Also, watch for substantial sales that come up. For example, as this publishes, there’s a July 4th sale for $125 off. Also, there are offers for pairing it with matching nursery sets for a discount.
• The armrest height: I’ve nursed in some chairs that are slightly more supportive of tired arms that have fallen asleep with a baby in them. Though the armrests get the job done, they are a bit lower than other options. But, it’s not a deal breaker.
• Guessing the buttons: It takes some practice to reach down the side of the outside of the chair and figure out which button will change your lumbar support and which will pop your feet up and recline the back. For a few weeks, I was still trying to figure it out, because you can’t really see what you are doing. 

The brand has a few other chairs to consider, such as a manual glider, and a regular glider (without adjustable lumbar support). But if you have a baby on the way, the Glider Plus is the item to splurge on. After all, the baby won’t remember how cute their crib is — but you will remember how you felt rocking them each night.

For more nursery essentials, check out The 2024 Cubby Nursery Awards!

This post originally appeared on Cubby. See it there: I Thought the Perfect Nursery Glider Didn’t Exist, Until I Bought This Chair (It’s My 3rd Glider and the Best By Far)