Baby Hammocks? reviews wanted!

[MamaFern]

Im debating on what to get for baby to sit in when I can't be holding him, which may be more than I would like, being baby #4 (we also have a 7, 4 & 2 year old & are homeschooling)..

At first I was considering a bouncy chair, but after researching it I just don't feel good about the options, especially that they are likely all covered in nasty chemicals..flame retardants, ect... and the few organic or more natural versions of them are quite expensive.

I like the idea of baby being up off the floor anyways (you aren't supposed to put these bouncy chairs up on any surfaces) so hammocks seem the simplest solution. I know that there are a million & 1 kinds of swings and such, but Im not big on big plastic furniture or things that make noise or vibrate or anything else like that.

sooo.. tell me... what baby hammock have you tried and did you like it? did it seem safe? did it come with a stand?

The one i'm eying is this one..They carry it at nova naturals and you can get the stand separately. It isn't "cheap", but its organic cotton and wool and we wont be buying much else for baby, so its affordable in that sense..plus Im imagining it has good resale value..

has anyone tried this one? I would get the stand for sure so it could be moved around to different parts of the house.

I know that there are a variety of baby hammocks on the market, so im just looking for peoples experiences with them.



any info/suggestions really appreciated

[otxena]

I know that the Amby ones (I had one) were recalled in Canada at least, not sure about the US. The one you're looking at is cute as bug.

I never let DD sleep in it without me around, and apparently that was a good idea as they were recalled due to accidents, possibly deaths. I would just keep my eye on it I think. I also had a bouncy chair an organic one from Toys R Us of all places, and loved that; it's great motor feedback for them as they start rounding the two month mark and learning kicking and simple cause and effect.

[texmati]

otxena-- I love your siggy.

We have one that looks like this and love it! We got it as a handme down from someone who got it from India, though.


I would def. want something that moved from side to side.

[LightForest]

We got the hammock and stand from Nova Natural. It's absolutely beautiful. Baby won't be here till next month, though, so I can't speak to its practicality yet
I definitely scoured the internet for hammock options before choosing this one, and I ended up choosing it because of the natural materials (100% hardwood and cotton), and because of the compact size of the stand. The only other hammock that I've found that comes close to this one (in terms of those two categories: natural materials and compactness), is called the Koala, and it's made by a company called "Amazonas." This hammock swings side to side in a way that's similar to texmati's. The Koala hammock does sit quite low to the ground, though, which seems like a disadvantage to me.

Can you tell I've thought about this stuff a lot?? I'm looking forward to hearing others' thoughts on hammock options, and I will report back once I have a baby to put in my hammock

[HeatherB]

The Nova one is lovely! I worry about the size, though... Is it enormous, LightForest?

I have looked at this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Reach-Co-...=2Z14SAGW3G05X

I haven't dug into it to figure out how much of it is organic, which would be good to know. It's currently on my registries, though. No experience, myself, with any of them but they certainly do appeal!

[MamaFern]

thanks everyone so the info so far!

The one im looking it was recalled a few years ago but it has been fixed to solve the problem. all in al it looks like the most natural and most affordable one.


lightforest, i want to hear all about how it works for you and your newborn!

texmati: that one looks cool! kind of industrial.

[MamaFern]

heather B, i like the look of that one as well.. but i dont love the stand as much as the wooden stand.

[kittywitty]

I am wanting one, too. The Kanoe one is supposed to be great, but the one from Nova is beautiful and more affordable. I don't know if I'd want a stand with my kids running around the house, or if I should get one to go into a ceiling stud. I still can't decide!

[Limabean1975]

I have this one. It is lovely, and it moves on all planes. It is so lovely looking that it is still hanging in our den/family room even though she has not been in it in months (we may lower it right down to just above the floor soon and see if she'd like to clamber in and out of it herself.)

[LightForest]

Oh I LOVE the Happy Hangup hammock - that one looks soooo nice My only concern about that one was the size of the stand. Seems like any hammock with a single spring hanging system needs a lot more height... Which also means the stand needs to be wider at the base to prevent tipping. (Sadly, we don't have a good place to insert a hanging hook in our apartment, so the stand is essential for now.)

The Nova Natural hammock stand is 24"x24" at the base, and the hammock isn't any bigger than that square area. The crossbar that the hammock hangs from is about 36" wide. It seems big enough for a larger baby to hang out in comfortably (weight capacity is about 40lbs), so long as squirminess isn't an issue. I also like that a sheepskin fits *perfectly* inside this hammock.

I am a little sad that I didn't end up choosing a hammock with a spring - I've seen some awesome videos on YouTube of babies who learned to lull themselves to sleep in their Amby hammocks by moving their bodies to "boing" the hammock up and down from the spring.

[LightForest]

I wanted to add that, if you used the Nova Natural hammock with the ceiling hanging kit instead of the stand, I think it would be pretty similar in size and function to the happy hangup. The only differences that I can see are:

• the Nova Natural hammock has a 5-point harness (not sure how practical that would be anyway, though)
• it is sewn at the ends to create a little bit more of a "pocket" for the baby to go in, with raised edges at the top and bottom.
• the hanging bar of the Nova Natural hammock is also designed so that you can squinch the sides of the hammock closer together or farther apart. Closer together might be nicer for a young baby who wants the cuddly feeling of the womb, and the wider setting might be good for an older baby who wants some room to kick around.
• the hanging bar of the NN hammock is just a round bar, which might be good for hanging toys from. But this isn't as pretty as the wooden hanging bar of the Happy Hangup.

[thebigfam]

Does anyone know how to make a hammock? They look fairly easy and well I am cheap.

Big momma

[MamaMonica]

Moved to LWAB

[Peace+Hope]

i have a kanoe, and the plan is to use it more and more as we include it in our nightime sleeping routine (right now charlie is 12 weeks and in our bed 100%).

he will hang out it in while i cook dinner or do a few chores, as much as 45 minutes at a time. often i reach over and give him a push to swing. i've also hung a spatula from the bar that he likes to look at and bat at. and he naps there, but not as long as i'd like. so far he prefers a flat surface for naps.

i love the spring, because even with a little movement from him, it jiggles around a little, and it can be swung any direction.

i'm finding that i wish i had something now for him to be more upright, like a bumbo, because he enjoys it. he's teething, and definitely has better control of teething toys when he's sitting up!

the other downside of the kanoe is that the sides are so high, he can't see around the room.

[isras1]

Originally Posted by thebigfam

Does anyone know how to make a hammock? They look fairly easy and well I am cheap.

Big momma

Buying a hammock wasn't in our budget, so I looked for patterns onlline. There were very few and this one was the best one I could find in my research. I am pleased to learn about the Nova Natural hammock though, it can be within our budget, lets see if I can talk DH in getting one....

Make Your Own Hammock

[MamaFern]

Originally Posted by isras1

Buying a hammock wasn't in our budget, so I looked for patterns onlline. There were very few and this one was the best one I could find in my research. I am pleased to learn about the Nova Natural hammock though, it can be within our budget, lets see if I can talk DH in getting one....

Make Your Own Hammock

i hope that you can! I showed my mom who is visiting and she loves it and now wants to give it to us as a baby gift.

[askew]

I had the arms reach one and loved it with my DD until she was about 7 months old. She napped like a dream in it. We cosleep at night so it was great to have a nap spot for her in the living room where I was hanging out with DS.

[kittywitty]

Can small toddlers fit in the Nova baby hammock ok? My 2 yo is only 23 lbs. and since she's under the weight limit by far, I didn't know if it'd be ok to let her in it, too.

Could the regular hammock chair (novanatural.com/natural-home/lounge/hammock-chair) work for a baby, too? I don't know how, but figured I'd check since it'd be more versatile.

[MamaFern]

the nova one does seem to be more for an infant. my 2 1/2 year old is about 23 LBS too and there is no way she would fit in there...more in length than weight mind you. and I honestly haven't tried it because I dont want to break it..it does seem very sturdy and well made though.

[tzs]

i don;t want to rain on this hammock parade cause they look awesome and if i could get that in my size i would but what do they say about SIDS with those things? i believe that was an issue with the amby no?
i'm definately not the type to worry about every little thing but what i'm wondering about i guess mainly has to do with co2 inhalation. #1 there doesn't seem to be air cross ventilation and #2 the babes face is potentially turned right up next to the wall of the hammock which would make a little co2 pocket and which is why they say to use a firm mattress in a crib and back to sleep.
i mean, even just for naps, g-d forbid it happens, it's not just at night (i had to take the daycare provider SIDS course so they scared the bejeebers out of me with the whole daytime nap SIDS thing!)