Fisher-Price Cradle Swing B0639; This Swing is Just Ducky!
Written: Mar 01 '04 (Updated Jan 11 '05)
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Pros: HAPPY BABY; adjustable seat, swing direction, speed and modes; cute design; sturdy construction
Cons: Battery-operated; a bit wobbly (scary to new parents, although nothing to really worry about.)
The Bottom Line: Comparatively, this swing offered the most features at the best price. Our baby loves it, and I love grabbing a few minutes to myself while she swings happily away!
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| krissingene's Full Review: Fisher-Price Cradle Swing B0639 |
To swing or not to swing?, that is the question...at least it was for us during those long months of planning and shopping for baby. The decision to purchase a swing was perhaps the only one that neither my husband nor I felt strongly about - the way we saw it, it was a relatively expensive purchase with no guarantee that our little one would have any part of it once she arrived. On the other hand, if she DID enjoy swinging, we knew we would pay dearly if we didn't have one handy. So, after amassing several Babies R Us gift cards from friends and family, we decided 'what the heck?' and headed out to do some shopping...
Choosing A Battery-Operated Babysitter
Confronted with a long aisle full of swings to choose from, we immediately discarded those that were just too hideous to display in our home - who wants a green and brown swing anyway? Then we (somewhat more maturely) began comparing features and prices of the swings that we liked the look of, narrowing it down to just two or three in a matter of minutes. The Fisher-Price Cradle Swing stood out because it was one of a very few that functioned both as a swing (front to back swinging motion) and a cradle (side to side swinging motion) - thus, in our minds, doubling the chance that our daughter would like at least one of the two modes. This swing also featured a tray and toy bar in front, a moving mobile and six speed settings. At $79.99, it was also $40 cheaper than the one other swing we really liked, so we decided that this was the swing for us.
Why'd You REALLY Buy It?
GEEZ, am I THAT transparent?! Okay, fine, here's the deal. I love ducks. LOVE ducks. Don't believe me? Just check out my ducky little avatar up there. Then take a good look at the picture of this swing - see anything incriminating? Yep - it's teeming with the little yellow cuties. At first I thought that maybe all the navy on the removable seat cover might be a bit much for a sweet little girl - but then none of the swings we saw were very 'girly' anyway. The navy fabric is patterned with yellow ducks and has a matching yellow and navy ruffle along the edge - and best of all, the swing's mobile features four dangling duckies that were just too cute to pass up!
Assembly
So back to my story...after finally choosing the ducky swing, we took our little claim ticket to the counter and waited for our new toy. The salesperson finally emerged from the back of the store carrying what appeared to be an impossibly small box to contain a full-sized swing. Fortunately, it felt heavy enough to contain two or three full-sized swings, thus averting a possible panic on my part prior to leaving the store. Upon arriving home, my husband deposited the box unceremoniously in the middle of the nursery floor and skedaddled for parts unknown, quite possibly because he *knew* I'd want the thing put together NOW.
Alone again (as was usually the case when it came to assembling baby items), I set about unpacking the box and putting the thing together myself. I was happy to uncover, amidst all the crazily-shaped pieces, a 12-page instruction manual with plenty of diagrams. The only tools required for assembly were a Phillips screwdriver and adjustable wrench. Screwdriver - no problem. Adjustable wrench? I had no clue what one looked like, much less how to use it. I located dear sweet Husband cowering in a corner of the basement and demanded that he fetch said tool, and was back on the job in a matter of minutes.
Complete assembly of the swing took me approximately 45 minutes - mostly because (as I mentioned already) the metal pieces of the frame are made in some crazy shapes. It took plenty of checking and double-checking the diagram to be sure the L-shaped legs were indeed in the correct position, and there were a couple of times that I could have used an extra hand or two to help position pieces, tighten screws and such. With the frame completed, it was time to assemble the seat - which is when I discovered that putting the removable cloth cover on the swing would be my most difficult task of all. The cover fits very well, but pulling restraint belts through new, stiff fabric is never easy. Patience, patience - if I did it, you can too.
A Word to the Wise
For crying out loud, start assembling this swing in the SAME room that you'd like for it to ultimately wind up staying in. While it does fold once completely assembled, it's a bit of a pain to move. Dumb blonde me actually started assembly in one room and then had to wrestle the long unruly legs through the house to the living room, where I completed the process...thank goodness I did at least move it when I did, or it never would have gotten there at all.
Up/Down, Left/Right & Side-to-Side
This swing does so much more than just swing - it swings in several directions and at multiple speeds...but first, you must feed the savage beast. Have on hand four D batteries, the huge clunky kind you haven't used for anything since you were a kid yourself. Rechargeable batteries are okay for this swing, but we haven't used them - in fact, we're rather frugal (ahem, CHEAP) people and opted for the $1-per-four-pack of D batteries to start with. Three weeks and MANY MANY MANY hours of use later, we're still using those same cheap batteries. I've heard that the first set will last the longest, but only time will tell - I have plenty of backup batteries ready and waiting just in case.
Batteries installed, we turned our swing on for the first time before baby ever arrived...and immediately thought it was broken. Neither my husband nor I had extensive baby-swing experience so we were unprepared for the fact that it's actually a bit noisy when operating - not to the point of distraction, but there is a definite 'whooshing' noise when the swing is in operation, and an additional, more grinding noise when the mobile is rotating as well. The instructions didn't say anything about the swing making a sound, so I ran to read reviews here on ePinions (which I should have done prior to purchasing the swing, but would have anyway) - and learned that it was completely normal. *Insert sigh of relief here.*
The first thing we did to our swing to prepare it for our baby girl was to adjust the seat from 'upright' to 'recline' position. Be prepared - it takes two hands to press the buttons on the seat back to change the seat position; don't wait until you have a screaming newborn in one arm and nowhere to lie her down before you decide to recline the seat!
As mentioned earlier, this swing can be set to normal back-and-forth swing mode or side-to-side cradle mode. Its direction is changed by pressing a red button near the mobile and turning the seat's anchor (near the top of the swing) - thankfully, this is easily done one-handed with a screaming newborn in one arm if need be, and can also be adjusted while the baby is in the seat. Although it may work differently with different children, we've found that our daughter enjoys the regular swinging motion when she's alert and the cradle motion when she's sleeping (or nearly so - regular swinging motion will wake her right up if she's already dozing when we put her down.)
There are six speed settings controlled by a yellow dial on the top of the swing - the first position is a horrible Sunday-driver slow which our baby simply won't tolerate; the last position threatens to sling our little girl across the room. We generally keep ours set on the fourth highest setting, which is a pretty lively swing and has rendered no complaints from the swing's occupant thus far. We again noticed rather quickly that the swing wobbles a bit when baby is going at a good clip; the legs never leave the floor, but there is definitely a noticeable jerkiness to the metal frame when the swing is in use. Hours and hours of close scrutiny, however, have convinced me that a swing will wobble and my baby is in no immediate danger of tipping over. The leg base on this swing is quite expansive, and I'm comfortable that it is adequately supported.
Also located on the top of the swing is a mode switch, which enables you to control just what's going on with your swing at any given time. You can opt to have the swing turned on by itself, swing and mobile simultaneously, or just the mobile rotating over a still swing (a reset button allows you to change modes while the swing is in use; the on-off button is also located here.)
The white toy bar and tray snaps on and off the front of the swing via two slots located on each side of the seat. Although easy to put on/take off, we leave ours off for the time being to make baby positioning and removal that much easier. The only gripe I have about the tray is that it's either ON or OFF - it won't swing to one side as some models will to allow for easy access to the seat.
Just A-Swingin'
"The decision to purchase a swing was perhaps the only one that neither my husband nor I felt strongly about - the way we saw it, it was a relatively expensive purchase with no guarantee that our little one would have any part of it once she arrived. On the other hand, if she DID enjoy swinging, we knew we would pay dearly if we didn't have one handy."
Oh, were you listening when I said that the first time? If so, sorry for the repeat... Anyway, we learned in a matter of days after bringing our daughter home from the hospital that she was a born swinger. While it doesn't always calm her down mid-tantrum, it is one of the only two places in our home I can sit her down long enough to run to the restroom or cram a bit of lunch down my throat (the other is the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer.) More often than not, she'll sit happily in the swing for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time and there have been several blessed occasions in which she's actually gone to sleep in the swing - for as long as three hours at a time! We have considered, more than once, moving the whole thing into our bedroom and letting her swing all night long, but darn that wide leg base - there's just no room. While I do occasionally feel a massive twinge of guilt for relegating our newborn to the confines of a battery-operated babysitter, there are times when you just need both of your hands for a few minutes - and this swing more than affords me that opportunity. I shudder to think that this is one purchase we almost *didn't* make.
Storage
This swing is designed to fold somewhat for storage - but don't fool yourself, it still takes up plenty of room. The two legs collapse against each other, but the swing's length is not decreased at all by doing this, and the width remains the same as that of the seat. This may come in handy for leaning the swing against a wall, but forget stashing it in a closet or anything.
Safety Precautions
As with all baby equipment, certain common-sense safety precautions should always be observed. This swing's seat features a three-point safety harness which fastens around baby's hips and should always be used, even if the plastic tray is in place. Never leave a child unattended in the swing, and once he/she may be able to climb out of the swing, it's time to stop using it.
The instruction manual states that "this equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules (which) provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation."
Contact Information
This swing is covered by a one-year manufacturer warranty against defects in material and workmanship. Fisher-Price Consumer Relations may be reached at 1-800-432-5437, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. The company may be contacted in writing at:
Fisher-Price Consumer Relations
636 Girard Avenue
East Aurora, NY 14052
Also By Fisher-Price
Deluxe Take-Along Swing * Healthy Care Booster Seat * Kick 'N Play Piano * Laugh & Learn Learning Table * Link-a-doos On-the-Go Goldfish * Link-a-doos Teething Ring * Ocean Wonders Aquarium * Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer * Peek-a-Blocks Barnyard Friends Blocks * PowerTouch Baby Learning System * Sesame Street Light-Up Pet Pals: Ernie * Sparkling Symphony Twinkle Dancer * Swim 'n Spin Fish Rattle
Recommended:
Yes
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krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
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The strength of Motherhood is greater than Natural Laws. -Barbara Kingsolver
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