Rocking chairs have been a familiar item in the nursery for a long time. The traditional way to put the baby to sleep was to sit on a rocking chair with baby gently cradled in your arms. One setback the rocking chair has is the constant danger that its rocking mechanism represents for anything that can get pinched in the chair's arched base. The rule to follow is never to leave baby crawling around in the nursery. For the same reason, pets should also be kept out of the nursery, especially if someone is rocking the baby to sleep.
As a safer option to the rocking chair, gliders for nursery are becoming increasingly popular. Gliders are like seats attached to a support in such a way as to enable the user to make it behave like a swing. Unlike the rocker which swings in an upward arch, gliders for nursery swings downwards.
When looking around for gliders for nursery you should check the item very meticulously for the durability of materials used and the firmness of the swinging device. If the glider is made of metal, make sure the kind of metal used is rust-resistant or rust-free. Examine the glider carefully and test the joints and glued parts for durability. Sit on it and see for yourself whether the swing motion is smooth throughout. You might want to ask the vendor how long the sample you are testing has been used. From the condition of the sample at the time you test it, you will be able to determine whether the model is a sturdy one or not.
Good gliders for nursery work smoothly and silently. Creaking and squeaking gliders for nursery will make it more difficult to put baby to sleep. If you do notice a squeak, ask the vendor if it just needs to be oiled along its joints, or if that noise is a sign of wearing out.
Besides the smoothness of the swing movement, you should also make sure that the chair itself is easy to sit on, feels comfortable while swinging and is easy to get up from. The seat of the glider should be sturdy enough to hold you, but soft enough not to make swinging in it uncomfortable. Some gliders for the nursery have pillows or cushions attached to them. Check if that pillow is stable and does not move while you are swinging. If it does, you and baby may end up on the floor. In fact, it might be better to get a glider for the nursery that has a fixed seat cushion which is covered by a somewhat coarse and non-slippery material. The color of the cushion should be a dark shade that can camouflage stains and spots. Perhaps inquire if under the cushion case, there is a layer of water-proof material that will prevent liquids from entering the stuffing of the pillow.
The best gliders for nursery will be one in which the swinging joints are, under normal circumstances, entirely inaccessible. Perhaps you can find gliders for nursery that have all the mechanisms covered by wood or plastic. This will protect your baby and your pets from being nipped by those moving parts.