At large, baby bouncers are a nice-to-have and definitely not essential to your parenting journey. Personally though, I found baby bouncers a really useful product and would recommend them if you’re looking for a safe space to keep bub when you need some hands free time.
On your shopping journey you’ll come across baby bouncers, rockers and swings. All three products slightly vary in how they function and work to soothe your bub but essentially they all offer some gentle rocking/bouncing movement. You can read all about how each product is unique and the differences between them on our Baby Bouncer, Rocker and Swing Product and Shopping Guide here. 
To find out the best baby bouncers, rockers and swings on the market, we also surveyed thousands of Australian parents about the ones they used, loved and would recommend. We then compiled this data into our Best Of baby bouncers, rockers and swings list. One bouncer that ranked highly was BabyBjörn’s Bouncer Bliss, which I tested for The Baby Edit and used when my daughter Mimi was a newborn until she was about 6 months old.
Key takeaways after testing this product
I found the BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss really easy to use. It’s super compact, lightweight and I could easily move it around the house. The other good thing about it’s compact design is that when it’s not in use it folds down flat making it simple to store. As it’s so lightweight, I often found myself taking this bouncer to my mum’s house or if we went away for a weekend as it didn’t take too much room in the car or floor space.
The bouncer itself comes with three bouncer recline/adjustments and an insert for you to safely fasten bub. The design is pretty simple, which makes it really intuitive to use. The shape of the frame has a slight curved structure, which offers a simple bounce/rocking motion activated by a gentle nudge or when your bub moves. It doesn’t last too long though, so if you’re little one loves constant motion you’ll need to manually nudge the frame to move it.
On the plus side, as it is a manual bouncer and not electric it can be used anywhere without the need for a power source. Also, being manually powered contributes to the product being lightweight as no batteries are required or cords necessary. The BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss is also pretty easy to clean. You simply remove the seat liner and pop it into the wash.
The BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss advertises that it is suitable from newborn to when your baby weighs 9kg (approximately two years old) in bouncer mode. Once your child reaches this weight limit and can sit up unassisted, you then flip the seat liner (so the insert is no longer visible) and can use the bouncer as a toddler seat until your child reaches 13kg.
In my experience, Mimi was content in the bouncer when she was younger but at around 6 months she wasn’t content just sitting. You can purchase an additional toy bar that may have kept her more entertained and inclined to stay in the bouncer. I just felt the larger she got the more she’d recline in the bouncer when she preferred to sit upright. This is possibly something to keep in mind when considering the lifespan of the product but overall even if you use this product for a shorter period of time the quality is good, so you could use it for a second child or pass it onto a friend with a baby.
I’d definitely recommend the BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss for anyone who is looking for a lightweight and compact bouncer. However, if you’re little one likes to be continuously rocked then perhaps an electric bouncer or rocker may be suitable.
The BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss was tested by Emily and her daughter Mimi (from 2 to 6 months). Hero image supplied from BabyBjörn. Read our 2022 Best Of Baby Bouncers, Rockers and Swings in Australia list here.
This is general information only. If you need personal, health, medical or technical advice when it comes to your growing family, please seek out a professional.