Baby loungers: A baby pillow chair to free your hands

A new baby brings a lot of adjustments to your lifestyle. The one I struggled with the most was needing to take my baby from one room to the next, setting up a comfortable area for him to rest in a location where I could easily keep my eyes on him.

And when I needed to go to the next room, I would have to repeat the whole process all over again. This was a particular problem when I was doing household chores.

I never thought a lounger would have been the solution to my problems. And if it wasn’t for my neighbor giving me the one her daughter had outgrown; I probably never would have used one.

But now there is no going back. My baby lounger changed my life!

• Mommy cooking dinner? Baby lounging in the kitchen.
• Mommy making the bed? Baby lounging in the bedroom.
• Mommy hanging the washing? Baby lounging in the yard.
• Mommy pooping? Dad holds baby… Some things I just need to do on my own!

But you get the point – a baby lounger allows you to place your baby down and use two hands. And as a new mom, that is a luxury.

Psst.. Spoiler – The below two infant loungers are the best!

Leachco Podster Sling-Style Infant Lounger

An adjustable infant lounger for a cozy and comfortable fit.

Boppy Newborn Lounger

A cute and soft infant lounger for your baby.

What is a baby lounger?

A baby lounger is essentially a pillow with a groove allowing your baby to sit nested in it without rolling or falling out. No straps, no harnesses, just a comfy baby seat.

A lounger can be set up on any flat surface and allows your baby to recline at an angle for a better view.

Pros and cons of baby loungers

Not sure if a baby lounger is right for you? I have put together a quick list of the pros and cons loungers to help you decide for yourself!

Advantages of baby loungers

• checkHands-free - Perhaps the biggest benefit of a baby lounger is that it frees up both your hands. You will be free to wash the dishes, exercise or even do the Macarena while your baby watches and silently judges you from the comfort of his lounger.
• checkGives a good view - Your newborn baby has no neck support. A lounger seats your baby at a slight angle so that he can get get a good view of what you are doing. No more staring at the ceiling. Plus the elevated upper body can even help aid digestion and breathing!
• checkCan be set up anywhere - A baby lounger isn’t exactly a complicated product. All you need is a flat surface and you can set it up in seconds. And the best part is that your house is full of flat surfaces. Countertops, beds and the floor are just a few of the places you can set up your baby’s lounger.
• checkPortable - While loungers are just too bulky to pack away in your luggage, they are more than easy enough to carry around your home or to pack in the trunk of your car when visiting grandma. Try doing that with your baby swing or baby bouncer, which are somewhat of a chore to haul around the home.
• check No more bending over - If you have a sore back, you can simply place your infant lounger on a high surface (like your kitchen counter) and bottle feed without having to stoop over.
• check Easy to clean - Your baby is a mess monster. With gunky stuff coming out of all holes, it’s only a matter of time before you need to wash your baby lounger. Lucky for you, baby loungers are very easy to clean. A quick wipe down with a cloth is often all it takes, however for bigger spills, you have the option of throwing your lounger through a wash cycle.

Disadvantages of baby loungers

• checkLimited use - Loungers are only used up until 4 months or until your baby can push himself up. So you won’t get to enjoy the benefits of the lounger for long.
• checkIt’s another baby product - By now your home is overflowing with baby gadgets. And baby loungers are one more product to add to your collection.

Every parent’s situation is different and this is definitely a nice to have rather than a must-have. So the importance you place on a baby lounger may vary. But for me, I don’t know what I would have done without one.

Loungers are for lounging not snoozing

Perhaps the most common question is whether or not a lounger can be used for napping.

Let’s face it – loungers are comfy. So much so that your baby may find himself falling asleep while reclining there.

But a lounger just isn’t suitable for sleep. Any soft pillow/padding is a suffocation risk.

Trust, I have been tempted to leave my baby sleeping there on more than one occasion. Especially when he looks so peaceful. And I have even heard of other parents having success with sleeping on a lounger. But my pediatrician advised against it and the risk just isn’t worth it.

And just in case it isn’t obvious… Never place your baby face down on a lounger!

Best baby lounger

Leachco Podster Sling-Style Infant Lounger

• Age: 0 – 3 months
• Dimensions: 25.5” x 23” x 8”
• Material: Cover – cotton/polyester Inner - polyester
• thumbs-upMade in China

Leachco is best known for their super comfortable pregnancy pillow, the Snoogle. Well, it turns out that their baby lounger game is on point too.

Unlike other loungers, the poster features tabs allowing you to adjust the support for a custom fit. Fasten the strap for a cozier and more secure seat for a smaller infant. Release them to create a larger area for your growing baby.

You can see the straps at the front of the lounger below:

Without the adjustable tabs, I wouldn’t have been able to use this lounger for my baby in the early days. His head would just dangle in an awkward position. However, after adjusting the lounger I felt comfortable that he was properly supported.

As a mom, I worry. A lot. And my first worry when I saw this lounger was that my little one was going to fall out. My wiggle-monster can squirm his way out of all but a few swaddles and I was a little worried about his ability to stay put in this infant lounger.

Fortunately, the Podster lounger has deeper contoured sides than other loungers on the market. While I never trouble with my baby falling out of any lounger, the thicker sides did help put my overly-worrying mind to ease.

And the Poster is sturdy. My wiggle-monster was unable to wobble his way off the lounger. Which is a good thing too, I often place the lounger on my kitchen counter while I do the dishes. However, when he can push himself up or roll over I will definitely be ending this practice.

The Leachco Podster has an edge over other loungers in that the cover can be removed. Although my baby outgrew the lounger well before the cover could even wear, I liked having a spare cover on hand. This way I could throw one through a wash cycle and have the other covering the lounger.

Whether that’s through a leaky diaper, sticky fingers or reflux, it’s only a matter of time before the Leachco Podster Lounger needs cleaning. And because you cannot machine wash the inner (only spot-clean) a second cover is a must.

When it comes to color choice, the Podster Lounger is available in 4 color options, Pink, Blue, Green or a green with bear print. Besides the pink, the patterns are fairly unisex and would suit either a boy or girl.

The replacement covers are only available in bear print. While it isn’t much choice, it is by far the cutest of the options.

Unfortunately, the Leachco Podster will not replace your regular nursing pillow. The angle that your baby sits and the shape of the pillow makes breastfeeding awkward. While it isn’t a problem for bottle feeding, those of you who want a dedicated breastfeeding pillow will need to purchase one separately.

If you are looking for a sturdy, comfortable baby lounger then the Leachco Podster is my top pick.

Cheapest lounger

Boppy Newborn Lounger

• Age 0 – 4 months (up to 16 lbs)
• Material - 100% Polyester
• Made in China

Now the cost of the Leachco Podster can add up. Especially if you are buying additional covers. If your budget won’t stretch that fart then I have a cheaper option for you – the Boppy Newborn Lounger. And it’s still pretty great and even beats out my top pick in a few areas.

Straight up, the Boppy Infant Lounger patterns are much cuter than the limited offering of other loungers. With fun and funky unisex patterns that would suit any baby boy or girl, there is a whole lot to choose from.

No matter which design you choose, the fabric is soft and my little baby had no problems getting comfortable.

Boppy has chosen to skip the removable cover altogether. You don’t even have the option to purchase one separately.

Fortunately, the surface is easy to wipe down. And you can even throw the whole bean bag through a washing cycle – it’s small size allows it to easily fit in your washer and keeps it shape wash after wash.

Yep, this pillow is machine washable. While this does mean that your whole pillow will be out of action until it dries, it does offer a simple way to keep the entire pillow clean and hygienic.

Now baby loungers are lightweight at the best of times. But Boppy has gone one step further make their infant lounger as easy to carry as possible – they have added a handle to the rear of the pillow.

It might not look like much, but the addition of a handle is genius. The handle allowed me to easily carry the baby lounger while also carrying my baby and a pile of neatly folded washing. All without dropping any of it!

When in use, the handle sits just behind your baby’s head. Safely out of sight and out of reach from even the most curious baby.

You may be wondering if the Boppy Infant Lounger can be used as a nursing pillow. Just like other baby loungers, this one isn’t suitable for breastfeeding. Bottle feeding is fine, but if you want a dedicated nursing pillow then Boppy makes one of the best around. In fact, it’s what made Boppy famous.

Boppy Newborn Lounger

Update (2018)

I have been getting a lot of questions about whether a baby lounger could cause flat head. Baby loungers are very soft and elevated off the ground, I have never had an issue with it. However, I never let my baby sleep in his lounger.

This is just my experience. If you are concerned about infant loungers and flat head you should consult with your healthcare professional.

Do you use an infant lounger for your baby? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments below!