I don’t normally start out a review by shouting my love for a product, but I’ve just gotta say it – I LOVE the 4Moms mamaRoo!
Keep reading to find out why…
It was when my daughter, Maggie (now 4 years old), was just a few months old that I first saw the mamaRoo on another blog that I followed. The blogger raved about how great it was, and I drooled on my keyboard. We were just managing to pay our bills each month, so it was a splurge we just couldn’t afford….especially not knowing if our baby would even like it. We had a hand-me-down swing and bouncer too, and I figured this couldn’t be much better than those.
Then my second child, Jacob, was born two years later. I thought about that mamaRoo, I wanted the mamaRoo, but it still just wasn’t in our limited budget. Plus, we still had that swing and bouncer.
Fast forward to my last pregnancy. After already having 2 babies, I had most things that I needed for our kids, but I had not forgotten the mamaRoo. My little Jacob had been a fussy, colicky baby and I couldn’t help but wonder if the mamaRoo would have made a difference in our lives. Actually, neither of my children had been very fond of swings or bouncers. I decided early on that I would scrimp and save during this pregnancy so I could purchase a mamaRoo. It was the one thing I really wanted for our baby. Imagine my delight when the great people at 4Moms sent me a mamaRoo (at no cost) to review! I was giddy when it showed up on my doorstep!
4Moms mamaRoo Review
Assembling the 4moms mamaRoo
Setting up the 4moms mamaRoo was really easy and took me maybe 5 minutes. Make sure you save the box that it comes in, because when you are ready to store it between babies, it disassembles and fits nicely back in the box. For any mom (or dad) who has set up a full-size swing before, you know this is a great feature! Those swings are a pain to take apart (if you want to go through the hassle) and storing them, in general, is just a pain.
Why the mamaRoo?
For those who don’t know it, the mamaRoo was developed to mimic the parents’ movements. You see, the people at 4Moms strapped motion sensors to real parents as they soothed and calmed their babies, then used that info to develop a product that would move the way that we do. Unlike a swing that just goes front to back or side to side or a bouncer that just vibrates, the mamaRoo moves in many ways – five ways to be exact. Each of the five movements can also be adjusted between five speeds. These movements are different from a swing and unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. For our baby, the favorite setting is “Kangaroo” on the fastest speed – more on that later!
What’s Different about the mamaRoo?
The movement of the mamaRoo is enough to make me recommend it to every parent I know, however, there are still a ton of other great features to it. Babies are messy and they will manage to spit up and poo in all the worst places (like the car seat, in your bed, and on your lap while you’re sitting in a restaurant).
The mamaRoo has a cover that zips into place, making it easy to remove for cleaning in your washing machine.
If your baby enjoys background noise, the mamaRoo has built-in nature sounds or you can use the MP3 player hook-up to play your own music. The seat also features a quick-adjust seat recline. There are 3 soft, reversible balls that easily pop in and out of the mobile. In fact, they are so easy to take out that my son frequently snatches them to play ball.
The last feature I’d like to mention is that the controls are all on the ground. That might seem like an odd place to you, but usually, your hands are going to have a baby in them. I love that the controls are on the floor because it enables me to start (and stop) the seat using my toes. Of course, this feature is probably more useful for parents that like to be barefoot, like myself.
My Baby’s Favorite mamaRoo Setting
Now, as I mentioned earlier, my baby Zellene LOVES the Kangaroo setting. Unlike my other two children, she has a thing for what I refer to as “leg-rocking”. When I’m seated, I lay her on her back across my upper legs and rock then side to side. This is by far her favorite way to be soothed and she generally quickly falls fast asleep. Once she has fallen asleep, I move her to the mamaRoo, start it up, then place her in it. The Kangaroo setting closely mirrors leg rocking, so it’s a perfect transition. She almost always stays asleep and will sleep for a long time.
Zellene has grown to love the mamaRoo so much that often times I can put her in it awake, and she will fall asleep without my even needing to rock her.
People often ask me how I do it all.
To be quite honest, it can be hard some days to clean my house, take care of my children, cook meals, and manage to fit in some time for blogging. The mamaRoo has been a LIFESAVER.
My husband and I both agree that this is the BEST piece of baby gear we have ever owned. I have been recommending it to every parent I know, and I’m recommending it to you today. Skip the bouncer, skip the swing, and just go for the mamaRoo. I have a brand new swing and bouncer for Zellene, and they are still in the boxes. The mamaRoo is just, by far, superior! We. Love. It!
Find out more about all of 4Moms products by visiting their website. You can purchase a mamaRoo at Amazon.com and at your favorite baby stores like Target.
Ona Archer
Tuesday 23rd of September 2014
My daughter had this on her baby shower gift registry, but didn't receive it! She would love to have it for my grandson that will be born in October.
Maureen L
Monday 22nd of September 2014
A friend of mine has one of these and she adores it! I would love one of these for my little one. They're so pretty too!
maria c
Monday 22nd of September 2014
I really love this product. It looks so nice and I like that the mamaRoo moves in 5 ways and can also be adjusted between 5 speeds. That it is awesome. Thank you for your review.
Anel
Monday 22nd of September 2014
I have heard mixed reviews about this product. Some say the baby didn't like it, while others say it was the best thing around! Regardless of the mixed reviews, I would love to win this for my baby boy who is due in November. I love the different settings, and that you can connect your phone to it. I love that you use your toes for the controls! hahaha that's great! Thank you!
Lily Kwan
Monday 22nd of September 2014
The mamaRoo looks very nice and your baby is so adorable! =)