Fisher Price Rainforest Baby Bouncer Review

My first two sons are separated by 10 years. When the second one came along I received a bouncer and a Boppy™, and I remember thinking at the time that I wish I'd had these wonderful baby-rearing accoutrements with the first one, but to the best of my knowledge, they had yet to be invented. 

Eight years after the second one was born I had my third son, and a bouncer was one of the first things I registered for, as I now considered it to be an indispensable item. I did a ton of "research", reading hundreds of reviews online, without even glancing at the least expensive or the most expensive varieties; I'm of the notion that you get what you pay for, up to a point. Also, being a practical person, there is a limit to what I consider a reasonable price for something that you'll only use for a few months at most. 

In the end I decided on this bouncer, and am pleased with it overall I guess. The vibration lulled my son to sleep when he was just a couple of weeks old. At right about three months he would start to giggle at the lights and moving animals and bat at the hanging toys. His eyes would light up when you sat him in the bouncer, and he would sit in it occasionally for as long as 20 or 30 minutes contentedly. In the last couple of weeks I've noticed he seems to be getting a little bored with it, but I don't blame the bouncer; he's just craving other activities, and doesn't like to be so reclined anymore.

It's solid in design, has decent battery life; about a solid month on 4 D batteries, using it everyday for 20-40 minutes. The toy bar comes off easily, which is nice because it's so big that with it on it's difficult for him to see anything else without turning his head to the side. It cleans up easily with a damp cloth, but the cover isn't removable for machine washing. It has VERY loud colors, so if you like more muted colors this isn't the bouncer for you. I love that you can turn the sound off altogether, without turning off the lights and mechanical parts. Too few baby toys offer this option. Great for when Dad and me are trying to watch a TV show.

Overall it's nothing more or less than what I expected.