What’s it like in day-to-day use?
Chad Valley's Jungle Friends Bouncer is a simple and basic baby bouncer with none of the fancy bells and whistles you see on other baby seats, such as the Joie Serina 2-in-1 Swing. Yet our tester liked how portable it was and how easy it was to use day-to-day.
The seat is made from polyester but is soft enough for a baby’s sensitive skin, and the material wraps around them snugly with lots of room for growth. Because it is so roomy, our tester was able to lay a towel in the seat for her daughter to relax in after bath time (speaking of bath time, don't miss our guide to the best baby shampoo for your little one's gentle skin).
One of the benefits to the Chad Valley Jungle Friends Bouncer is that it weighs just 1.6kg so is very portable without being flimsy. Luci was able to pick up her baby with one hand and move the bouncer up and down stairs and from room to room with the other so that her baby always had somewhere to sit. The bouncer was even small enough to be stored in the bath when it wasn’t being used.
The seat can’t be folded but can dismantled for storage or travel, so you could take it on holiday with you or away for a weekend. Just remember to take your screwdriver.
When it comes to recline, the bouncer only provides one recline position and it doesn’t lie completely flat, however it is a good angle for a newborn baby to rest in after a feed.
The chair can be bounced with a push from your hand or foot and, as baby gets bigger, they can start the motion themselves.
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How easy is it to clean?
This is an area in which the bouncer came up trumps. The cover is removable and comes off very easily by unclipping the back and sliding it off the base.
You can machine wash the fabric on a cold, gentle cycle but our tester found she didn’t need to. Both milk and tomato ketchup stains wiped away with no problem and the frame was cleaned with a damp cloth. You can also tumble dry the cover on a low heat if you need to dry it quickly.
The Jungle Friends Bouncer comes in a mint colour with a themed animal print and our tester reported that it looked perfect after testing.
How does it look?
The colourful print on the Chad Valley Jungle Friends Bouncer may not be to everyone’s taste, but our tester’s baby loved it.
The bright colours provided good visual stimulation, but our tester felt a bar with some sensory toys for babies attached (which the Chad Valley doesn’t have) would keep older infants entertained for longer. But as the bouncer can only be used up to 9kg, this may not matter so much.
Overall, the bouncer boasts a unisex design and it isn’t big or bulky so won’t take up too much space in your home. The seat might not blend in with your décor as nicely as other baby bouncers, such as the BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss (which we also tested and loved), but the colourful animals – including cats, monkeys and zebras – are a fun addition for little ones.
Is the Chad Valley Jungle Friends Bouncer good value for money?
Costing just £20 currently, this is one of the lowest priced bouncers on the market (and the lowest we tested), which makes it great value for money.
The fabric isn’t as good quality or as versatile as the materials on more luxurious bouncers like BabyBjörn Bliss, but our tester’s baby was thoroughly happy resting and playing in it.
Final verdict
There’s no denying that the Chad Valley Jungle Friends Bouncer is more basic than a lot of the bouncers we tested, but what it does do is provide somewhere safe and comfortable for your baby to sit wherever you are.
If you don’t want to splash out on a baby product that will only last for six months, then the Jungle Friends Bouncer may be just what you're after – and it's cheap enough that you could even buy a spare for the grandparents' house too.
About Mumsnet Reviews
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All prices correct at time of publication.
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