What's Your Fav Baby Swing?

I had the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders and Papasan style swings. If you are going to get one (they are a life saver) I would get the ones that are a combo side to side/ front to back swing. Believe it or not babies have their preference for how they want to swing.

Fisher Price Zen collection :
does side to side & back & forth
You can remove the seat to take it with you
Calming music or nature sounds
takes batteries AND you can use ac/dc adaptor to save big bucks on batteries
I think it is something like $140, but we recovered that cost in about 2 mos because we didn't have to buy batteries for it
Really pretty design - espresso colored wood/metal with sage green and mulberry accents

I gave away my FP Ocean Wonders swing when i got the Zen swing. My Ocean Wonders swing served me well thru 2 babies, but I was spent a fortune on batteries and jumped at the chance for a swing with a plug.

I liked the Fisher Price Papasan one (side to side). I have been able to pass it on to 5 other babies. It is now with my daycare provider.

I have a Fisher Price Aquarium Swing. It can go back and forth or side to side. It has a mobile with fishes, plays music or white noise, has lights, and several swinging speeds. And it was a hand me down that is about 7 years old now! You can definitely find these used! I have also seen lots of their rainforrest swings at consignment shops. They are basically the same, just a different animal theme. We used rechargeable batteries which is an absolute must if baby loves to swing!
My big advice for swings is to make sure they are colorful and that the baby sits slightly upright, not totally reclined. This way baby is happy in it even as he/she gets older. I ended up lending my swing to my cousin who already had a papasan that her baby hated. Her papasan was pastel and too reclined so he spit up quite a bit.

At first we just had a cheap swing, but a couple months in we got the fisher price my L. lamb cradle n' swing. So worth it! It was a nap miracle-super cozy and can swing front to back and side to side. I think it was our best piece of baby gear!

Just make sure it doesn't take batteries!

I have one that goes front to back and side to side. I got mine on clearance at Babies R Us for @ $90. I loved it. My daughter loved the side to side, my one twin loved the side to side, and the other one loved the front to back. Check out consignment sales. I see swings there all the time. Check out Just Between Friends and see if one is coming to Pittsburgh, or Divine Consign. Craigslist also has them. Mine takes batteries, we used it for 7 months with my daughter and never had to replace the batteries. For what it's worth, all three of my kids loved the vibrating rocking chairs much more than the swing. For my one son, it was magical. No matter how upset or cranky he got, he would settle down the minute he got in the vibrating chair. They can be pricey too, but the magical chair retails for around $30. We have another one that we paid $70 for, and the fussy son hated it. Good thing the other twin loved it. They are also at consignment sales and craigslist all the time.

I had the Fisher Price Papasean swing. I used both settings, but favored the side to side motion, I don't think the kid cared either way. Some babies take to the swing and others reject it, so its an iffy item to invest in. That said, i think babies like a real and natural motion of a pendulum swing. I personally would avoid any swing where the motion comes from the bottom to mimic a pendulum. Swings are a good item to buy used since they get very limited use (6 mo max each kid) and there is no guarantee your baby will take to it. My first lived in her swing and I considered it my best baby investment, my second didn't take to it at all (for her Ergo baby was my best baby investment). Just be ware, they didn't get the nick name "neglec-o-matic" for nothing.