Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle Swing

If you are looking for a baby swing to help keep your little one calm and happy, then check out the swing that parents are calling a “life saver!”

Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle Swing Description

(Description Provided By Fisher Price)

Sometimes your little one likes being held over your shoulder. Sometimes on your knee. Other times, she wants to be cradled in your arms as you rock her side-to-side or back-and-forth. But for the times you need to put baby down, here’s a swing that cradles and swings, soothes and entertains her just the way she likes it! It surrounds her in plush, cozy fabrics and a canopy that cocoons her. The soothing continues with eight tunes and a side-to-side cradle motion, a lot like the way you rock her in your arms. When your little lamb is ready for play, the swinging changes to a back-and-forth motion (because babies love variety) and she’s engaged with nature sound tracks and a mobile featuring a mirror, floating clouds and little lambs to entertain her. Includes six soothing swing speeds, little plush friend tethered right to the removable tray, and bead bar. Sturdy steel frame has legs that fold in for storage and portability. Requires 4 D batteries.

Weight Limit: 25 lbs. (11.3 kg)

Developmental Guidelines: Use cradle swing from birth until a child becomes active and can climb out of the seat.

Better for Baby…

Soothes

• Soothing music and alternate swinging motions help calm baby and promotes a sense of security.
• Plush fabrics enhance baby’s sense of security by providing comfort.
• Seeing baby’s own image in the mirror encourages self-recognition, enhancing emotional development.

Engages

• Seeing baby’s own reflection and other objects in mirrored globe stimulates baby’s visual sense.
• Rich fabrics and textures stimulate baby’s tactile sense.
• Watching and anticipating motion of lambs and clouds fosters visual tracking skills.
• Listening to nature sounds as well as musical selections strengthens auditory skills.

Better for Mom…

• Choice of three positions in one swing—variety for baby and convenience when you want baby facing you!
• Easy to convert from one position to another.
• Folds for storage and portability.

Cost: The Fisher Price Little Lamb Dreamy Motions Cradle Swing sells for $122.00-$149.99 so shop around for the best price.

Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle Swing User Reviews

The Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle Swing has received a rating of 4 out of 5 stars from users at amazon.com, toysrus.com, target.com and diapers.com.  This rating tends to come from a very high number of 5 star reviews brought down by a noticeable number of 1 star reviews.

The Good

One of the most common comments you will see throughout the over 3,000 online reviews for the Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle Swing is that this product is a “life saver.”  Reviewer after reviewer writes “I wouldn’t have survived my baby’s first few months without it.”

Users write that baby loves this swing and sleeps really well in it.  Satisfied users say thanks to this swing they were able to get chores done, have a shower, and regain their “sanity.” Many users say their baby prefers the swing over the crib for naps and night sleep.  Babies love the swing motion and speed, the soft gentle music, and the entertaining mobile.  The seat on this swing reclines well making it a great seat for young babies.  This swing is also a great place to put babies after feedings to help avoid acid reflux.   The seat cushions wash well and the batteries have a long life, with many users reporting that they only had to change the batteries every two months (and this with daily use).

Users say this is a great product for keeping happy fussy babies who always want to be held and many users write that they have gotten more use out of this baby product than out of anything else, except for maybe the baby car seat.

Users declare this product a “must have!” and say it is the “best investment ever.”  “Worth Every Penny!!!”

And Now The Ugly

Although there are thousands of very positive reviews for this swing there are also a few very noticeable negative reviews that must be taken into account.  This swing does appear to have a small design flaw with the motor.  There are several reviews going back as far as 2005 reporting swing motors that suddenly give out and die and there are also several users who report motor fires.  Apparently after the swing stops moving the motor fails to turn off and it eventually wears out and begins to smoke.  Because I saw such reports numerous times there must be something to them.  However, as of September 2010 there is no recall for this product.  But, there does seem to be some defect with some of the motors on this baby swing.  While thousands of users have no problem, you do run the risk of buying one of the defective swings.  Fisher Price does maintain a yearlong warranty though.

Other complaints for this swing that I saw more than a few times is that the swing makes a clicking sound when swinging, although many users say this clicking is like a “white noise” that just blends into the background.  Also, some users feel the lowest speed, speed 1, is way too fast for small babies. Some say they attach a blanket to the swing to drag on the floor to slow the swing down.  Others users say the swing is too heavy and is not very portable and some are annoyed that the swing only works on batteries and does not come with a plug-in option.

To Buy Or Not To Buy?

Some of the negative reviews for this swing are pretty disconcerting and it is a bit bothersome that the motor defect has been going on for at least five years without Fisher Price fixing this flaw. However, with that said, there are thousands of reviewers who have absolutely no problem with this swing and, as reported above, there are hundreds of reviews that declare the Fisher Price Little Lamb Cradle Swing the best baby product ever and something they never would have been able to survive without.

Therefore, if you are in the market for a baby swing then give this one a try due to all of its positive features but be sure to hang on to the purchase receipt for return or exchange if you end up with a faulty swing.

For more swing reviews check out the Fisher Price Papasan Butterfly Swing, the Graco Lovin Hug Swing, the Bright Starts Portable InGenuity Swing, or the Bright Starts InGenuity Cradle and Sway Swing.