Cozy At Home Event - Day 6
The “Baby Bounce” isn’t something that is taught, but rather is something we instinctively know. This natural movement is the one we use to soothe fussy babies or lull babies into sleep by swaying and bouncing rhythmically and just about every parent does it. While there are thousands of baby products on the market that vibrate, rock, or swing, I have never seen an infant product that imitated the elusive “Baby Bounce” or moved as naturally as the mamaRoo.
They say the mamaRoo “moves like you do” and I would absolutely agree. With 5 different natural motions to choose from in 5 different speeds, you have 25 ways to soothe your baby when you can’t spend all day bouncing. Add in 5 different soothing sounds, a fully adjustable recline, and the ability to connect your iPod to the base and it’s very clear the mamaRoo is no ordinary infant seat.
This was very apparent even upon opening the box and beginning to assemble the mamaRoo. With its futuristic good looks and its sturdy base, I expected the mamaRoo to be heavy, bulky and rather difficult to put together. The mamaRoo proved to be none of these and was actually really simple to get ready for baby. Within a minute or two we had the mamaRoo set up, zipped up and adjusted, and then we were ready for the real fun.
The first thing I did was to select between the 5 different motions and speeds, enjoying the subtle differences between the movements and the various options for soothing. Instead of the single-motion bouncer, rocker or swing that is really hit and miss as far as which babies like them and which ones hate them, I love that there are numerous up/down and sideways motions on the mamaRoo. As well as offering a new experience for your babe just by the press of a button, you also have much better odds that your child will actually enjoy the ride.
Each of those motions has varying speeds, so whether your child is at rest or play, there is a good option for you to select. I really liked that the mamaRoo actually had a very slow option that most swings and rockers don’t have that is really useful for tiny babies and those who like subtle movements. Since my daughter preferred the slower moving soothers until she was almost ready to grow out of them, I really appreciate this feature and wish we had owned one with varying speeds such as this when she was young. The LCD control panel on the base displays the current mamaRoo settings and allows you to verify at a glance that your very curious toddler hasn’t made unauthorized adjustments without your knowledge.
The other really great thing for small babies is how much you can recline the seat of the mamaRoo, which is ideal for infants with little or no neck control. Even better is that the recline can be adjusted anywhere along the mamaRoo axis, which gives you complete control over how upright baby is. And, then when baby falls asleep, it is really easy to adjust the seat to its full recline without disturbing baby and let your little one relax and sway.
Speaking of relaxing, there are 5 different nature sounds that can play through two built-in speakers in the base of the mamaRoo including a “white noise” setting that would have made my sister-in-law so excited when her little ones were infants. I hadn’t ever been a fan of white noise machines before, but I think that the mamaRoo version is actually quite soothing, and sounds more like fast rushing water than radio static. Hubby and I both agree that the volume on the mamaRoo is truly awesome because it allows for minute adjustments that range from barely there all the way to rockin’ by a spinning dial that lets you get the noise level just right for baby as well as everyone else in the room.
And, since we are being considerate of the others in the room, it’s also beyond awesome that the mamaRoo allows you to connect any MP3 player to it so you can play tunes you actually want your kiddo humming along to someday. While it isn’t a sound dock or anything, the quality isn’t horrible and can actually be adjusted so it can fill a small room with sound. Since I plan on moving this seat just about everywhere I go for the first few months with a newborn, I am really excited about having an onboard music player that can go with us. My iPod is all set with parent-approved, children-appropriate music and I’m ready to groove right along with baby.
Because I am going to be moving the mamaRoo from room to room at times, I am really excited that it is much more portable than it looks as well as taking up far less space than I had allotted for it. Because I am used to the big and bulky swing that took up a huge amount of space and was impossible to move without completely disassembling the frame, the mamaRoo seems like a near travel seat in comparison. And, I guess since it is so easy to take down and disassemble and can even fit easily in my compact sedan, that wouldn’t be that far from the truth.
The mamaRoo seat comes in 6 different colors to match your décor or your nursery and is incredibly easy to zip off. Of course, I am especially fond of the fact that it is machine washable as well as easy to spot clean. Even the included mobile is easy to clean since the multi-colored balls pop easily out of the holder which also allows you to toss them in the washer as well as making playtime more fun.
In comparing the mamaRoo to other soothers, bouncers, rockers, and swings, I think it’s clear to all that there is something truly special about this little infant seat. It might be the 4moms amazing medical and professional team that lends their expertise to every baby item they make, or it might be the hundreds of parents that give their feedback on their designs before they ever make it to market. Whatever it is, the result is superior baby gear that is designed with parents and kids in mind and certainly turns heads.
In fact, my next door neighbor was so intrigued by the mamaRoo that she allowed me to borrow her new baby to fully check it out before our little one arrives. I'm happy to report that even though he detests being set down and truly hates his swing, he didn’t have any problem at all hanging out in the mamaRoo for quite a while and even let us do a little photo shoot with him in the mamaRoo. And, because we love our neighbors and want to give them a little bit of hands-free parenting a day, we even let them take the mamaRoo home for the next few days. After seeing it in action with a little one all snuggled in, it makes me even more excited about all the cool features I know we are all going to enjoy once my little one makes his appearance. Cozy At Home, indeed.
Features: The mamaRoo measures 24″ x 20″ x 34 inches and it weighs just 14 pounds. Accommodates children up to 25 pounds
Price: $199.99 at select retailers and available at 4moms Online
While you are visiting the 4moms website, I highly recommend you check out their other awesome products including the Origami stroller which I have heard is coming soon and have been dying to try for months and months now.
One lucky Rave and Review reader will win one of these awesome mamaRoo seats, in their choice of color!
To Enter: Go to 4moms and tell me one interesting fact you learned about them or a feature of another product of theirs you would like to try. Also, I would love it if you could let me know what color mamaRoo you would like if you win!
And, as always, there are extra entries available!
1) Subscribe to Rave and Review, top of right sidebar (2 extra entries, must be verified to count)
2) "Like" 4moms on Facebook
3) Become a 4moms Insider for your chance to earn points in their online store!
4) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview and @4moms with the link to this post (http://bit.ly/apWha7) after following us both (daily Tweet, just post link here)
5) Blog about this Giveaway with links back to this post as well as the www.raveandreview.com homepage (just post the URL where I can find your writeup)
6) Place my button or logo in your sidebar on your blog or website and/or the Cozy At Home Event Button (2 extra entries for each, must have an active link to R&R)
7) Comment love. Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!
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On October 7th at 11:59pm PST a winners will be drawn, announced here and notified via email. Winners will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to US addresses only.
Winner, winner! This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congrats to...
#141 Paula Caudill said... Hi, I was surprised to learn that 4moms is actually made up of 5 moms. And I like all the colors, but I would pick black. I hope that I can win this for my grandbaby, he has colic and I think that this might be just what he needs. Thank you so much for being so kind as to offer this in a great giveaway. :D
A big thank you to 4moms Online for sending their mamaRoo for review as well as offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.
