babyreview.com.au

New parents can find themselves juggling any number of odd jobs while caring for a small child. But without a spare set of hands, baby wrangling and housework can prove a tricky combination. In those moments you can’t devote to endless kisses and cuddles, a bouncer provides the perfect perch for Baby to watch the day-to-day goings-on at home.

Over the past few weeks our family has been putting a popular classic to the test. A half-century after the release of its first bouncer, BabyBjorn has added softer features and improved curves to its new Bouncer Balance Soft.

We’ve found the ergonomic design perfectly snug and comfy for our little girl. She loves rocking away in the supportive seat and, if your baby is anything like ours, she’ll enjoy having her own secure space to play and giggle while never being more than a few steps from dad or mum.

We found the padded safety harness easy to adjust, which means we can slip bub in and out of the bouncer without fiddling with awkward buckles that can restrict movement.

We especially love the three height settings, which let our little catnapper play, rest and snooze in the one spot without endless trips to and from the cot.

The super-sleek design, available in black/dark grey cotton or black/grey mesh, looks great in our modern home while the lightweight fold-flat design makes it super portable and easy to store. The mesh fabric is removable and machine-washable, too – a godsend for the hygiene freaks among us.

Best of all, even at seven months our baby still has many months of use left in the bouncer. Once she learns to walk, we can reverse the fabric and turn the bouncer into a toddler chair (for children up to 13 kilograms). Visit the BabyBjorn website for more information on the BabyBjorn Bouncer Balance Soft.

With summer around the corner, Baby will look and stay cool in her new BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance made with a soft and cool airy mesh fabric. The fabric specially developed for BabyBjorn is designed to draw heat and moisture away from Baby, so she remains cool in the warm summer months ahead.

The BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance responds to Baby’s movements to make it bounce. I’ve found the gentle rocking movement fun and relaxing for my 8 week old, who enjoys observing her big sister race around from the comfort of her bouncer, smiling and bouncing as if to join in.

The Babysitter Balance is proving wonderful for Baby to develop her own sense of movement, balance and motor skills. With a unique ergonomic shape, the bouncer’s design ensures my Baby’s back and head is well supported at all times.

The bouncer is intuitive to set up with a safety harness which fastens with buttons across Baby’s waist until your little one can sit up on their own. The frame of the BabyBjorn Balance can be adjusted to different positions. When the frame of the bouncer is placed at the greatest angle it is in ‘Play’ mode. To change the position of the BabyBjorn Balance, simply lift the positioner on the frame of the bouncer, at the same time as you lift the backrest with your other hand. The next angle down is ‘Rest’ mode and when the bouncer is at the slightest angle it is in ‘Sleep’ mode. The last position is totally flat which is ‘Transportation mode’.

Due to the popularity of the BabyBjorn Balance with my newborn baby, I have been taking it everywhere with me. I collapse it flat and place it in the boot ready for use at our destination, whether it be a friend’s place, mother’s group or playgroup. The bouncer is light weight at 2.25kg and compact measuring 39 x 79 cm when collapsed. It’s a breeze to transport and set up ready for use with Baby.

The mesh cover is easy to wash, simply loosen the two elastic loops at the bottom, pull it off the frame and machine wash it.

The practicality of the BabyBjorn Babysitter Balance makes it a fantastic choice of bouncer for Baby. In addition to the ‘mesh’ fabric, the bouncer is also available in ‘cotton mix’ and ‘organic cotton’. To find out more on the Babysitter Balance visit the BabyBjorn website.