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Types of Glider Chairs
Glider chairs are available in two main categories: wood and upholstered.
Wood Gliders
The main styles for wood gliders include transitional, sleigh, bow, two-post, grand, and curved. One of the main advantages of wood gliders is that they generally take up less space in your room when compared to upholstered glider chairs. This is because they come with removable cushions but you have to ensure that the cushions are machine washable.
Wood gliders also come with additional features such as padded armrests with pockets as well as lumbar support for your back.
Upholstered Gliders
Unlike wood glider chairs, upholstered glider chairs are plusher and very comfortable. They offer maximum cushioning and are available in a wide range of styles, patterns, and fabrics. They also have additional features including a space-saving ottoman and convenient built-in footrest.
You should keep in mind that most modern gliders are designed with a swivel. This is a handy feature that can allow you to easily watch your baby play and run around the room while you are seated on the glider chair.
Glider Chair Styles
Glider chairs come in different styles, so it’s important to know which styles are available so that you can find the perfect fit for your space. They include:
Modern and Contemporary Gliders
These are among the most popular styles of glider chairs today thanks to their stylish and modern outlook. They’re available in various patterns, shapes, and sizes. Unlike other styles, modern and contemporary gliders are typically structurally defined and clean-lined.
Traditional Gliders
If you want to add a classic or timeless look to your space, traditional gliders can be a great addition. They are available in various materials ranging from upholstered gliders with rolled arms to classic wood gliders.
Cottage and Country Gliders
These styles can bring a more feminine touch to your space with floral motifs and soft pastel colors. Such gliders can be quite ideal for a girlish outlook.
Key Factors to Consider when Choosing the Best Glider Chair
Besides the crib, the glider chair is most definitely one of the best pieces of furniture in a nursery. This means that you should go for the best glider chair since you are most likely to spend a lot of time in it, especially during the early years of your baby’s life.
Again, using a random chair around the house will make things uncomfortable for you and the baby may not fall asleep as quickly as you would want. That’s not all; other activities such as feeding and soothing the baby may become quite overwhelming without a proper glider chair. As such, here are a few things to consider when choosing the best glider chair.
What’s the Purpose of the Glider Chair?
The most important thing when choosing the best glider chair is to have a clear idea of why you need it. Keep in mind that gliders are designed for specific purposes. For example, a glider that is designed to be used in your living room might be different from a glider that’s designed to be used in a nursery.
As such, it’s of great importance to identify the purpose of the glider chair as well as the factors that are most relevant to you to help you make an informed choice. In short, you should choose a glider chair that is best for your situation.
With that in mind, here are some of the most crucial factors to consider when choosing the best glider chair for you.
Style of the Glider Chair
As noted earlier, the two main types of glider chairs are upholstered gliders and wood gliders. These gliders can be available in various colors and endless cushion options. But even with that, you have to keep in mind that upholstered gliders are more comfortable but may take up more space.
Again, upholstered gliders are more versatile and can be used both in the nursery or living room.
Even though there are just two types of glider chairs to choose from, choosing the right one for you can be a bit overwhelming. For this reason, you should know the right features and the right type of glider chair that you want in your space before you begin shopping. This is essential in helping you in narrowing down your options while also ensuring that you know exactly the type of glider chair that you want.
More importantly, your choice of a glider chair should be informed by its main purpose and aesthetic needs of your space. You can also consider going for a glider chair that can transition from one purpose to another or from one room to another if need be.
Safety
Whether you’ll be using the glider chair in the nursery or your living room, safety should be one of the most important things to consider. Of course, your baby is the most precious gift and his/her safety should be the main priority. As such, the glider chair must be safe for both you and your baby.
One of the most crucial things to consider when evaluating how safe a glider chair is is its sturdiness and the type of materials used in making the glider chair. A good glider should have metal bases and should be made from solid wood, although this is not always the case. Again, the glider chair should have a locking mechanism that can lock the glider thereby making getting out of the glider chair safer and easier.
You should also keep in mind that a glider chair has many different moving parts. These parts can probably cause danger to the little ones. So if you have children around the house, you should consider choosing a glider chair that covers the moving parts. This is why an upholstered glider chair might be the right one if you have children around.
You should also make sure that the glider chair doesn’t have gaps between cushions as they can be potentially hazardous if the baby slips between the gaps. That being said, the glider chair shouldn’t have gaps between cushions if it is meant to be used in the nursery. This is essential in minimizing the risks of your baby slipping between them.
Comfort
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a glider chair is, without a doubt, comfort. You’ll most definitely be spending a lot of the time in the glider chair and it can be a real issue if the glider is uncomfortable. Imagine having to use an uncomfortable glider chair when the baby is awake in the middle of the night!
In essence, you should choose a glider chair that is comfortable while also providing the support that you need. And comfort shouldn’t just revolve around soft pillows. Instead, it should be comfortable and offer ample support depending on your body weight. It should also be large enough to accommodate both you and the baby.
Some extra features that might make the glider chair comfortable include a large seat cushion, cushioned armrests, back support, lumbar support, and overall firmness.
Size of the Glider Chair
The size of the glider chair that you choose is also important. It should be large enough for you and the baby to sit comfortably. It should also offer enough space for you to reposition without having to get up or out of the chair.
That’s not all; the glider should have enough to allow you to feed the baby comfortably. You should also keep in mind that the baby is growing so the need for space will increase with time. In essence, make sure that the glider chair is designed with enough space to make it comfortable.
Size of Your Space
Speaking of the size of the glider chair, you should also consider the size of your space and whether the glider chair will be a perfect fit for your space. It’s, therefore, essential that you find the right space before making such an important decision.
You should take the measurements of the space and make sure that the glider chair will fit in there. Compare the dimensions of the room with the dimensions of the glider chair that you want to go for. It wouldn’t make much sense to buy a glider chair only to realize that it doesn’t fit in your space.
Reclining
Most modern gliders can recline. However, many people consider it as a bonus but it’s essential in enhancing your level of comfort. This can allow you to lay back, sleep, or even take a nap with the baby.
Choosing a glider chair with a reclining feature offers the best of both worlds and can be an ideal feature if you’ll be spending most of the time on the glider chair. This is a feature that you can consider if you want the glider to offer an extra level of comfort and also double as a recliner chair.
Durability
It’s a good idea that you go for a glider chair that is designed to last. If you’re planning to buy a glider chair for your nursery, a time will come when the baby will grow up and probably will no longer need the glider. But this doesn’t mean that it should be the end of the glider chair. Besides, glider chairs are an investment and they should be durable enough not just to offer value for your money but also to serve you for many years to come.
Again, you should choose a glider chair that won’t go out of style after a few months or years. In other words, you should go for a glider that is good-looking, timeless, and can blend in almost any interior design. In essence, choose a glider chair that is well-designed and can last the test of time both in terms of durability and style.
Noise
Having a noisy glider can be a real nuisance. Imagine how frustrating it can be to try rocking your baby to sleep on a noisy glider chair! With that in mind, it’s essential to make sure that every part of the glider is working perfectly and silently.
For this reason, you have to make sure that you buy a high-quality glider that can operate efficiently for a very long period. In other words, its moving parts should function smoothly. These parts should have ball bearings that can help in ensuring that it operates efficiently.
You should also check a couple of customer reviews and confirm whether the glider is known for operating smoothly and consistently for a long period.
Cleaning
If you’re planning to use the glider chair in the nursery, just keep in mind that babies are quite messy, so you need a glider chair that’s easy to clean. A perfect glider should have stain-resistant upholstery but this may come at a higher cost.
Secondly, the pillow covers should be removable and machine washable. More importantly, you can consider a glider chair that is designed with darker hues. Such colors can hide stains and even make them less visible. This is especially important if you have a tight schedule and cannot clean the glider frequently.
Price
Price is, without a doubt, one of the main things to consider when buying anything. The price that you pay for a glider chair should be measured in terms of its quality. The most important thing is to ensure that the glider chair that you choose has all the features that you want and at a fair price.
The idea here is that you’ll be making a poor investment if you spend your money on a glider chair that has features that you don’t want. You should, therefore, buy a glider chair that offers the features that you want and satisfies your requirements at the right price range.
The Ottoman and Other Additional Features
Many glider chairs come as an ottoman set in the sense that you can put your feet up, kick back, and relax. This can be a great addition to your glider if you will be spending most of your time on it. The most important thing is to ensure that you have enough space for the ottoman feature. You should also have enough space to store it when it’s not in use.
While the main aim of having a glider is to make you comfortable, especially when spending some quality time with your baby, it can be a nice touch if the glider chair has some extra features thrown in. Features such as the ability to recline, swivel, pockets for storage, the ottoman, and an easy-to-clean fabric can be of great importance.
Best Glider Chairs for 2021
Here’s a quick look at some of the best glider chairs to consider.
Carter’s by DaVinci Arlo Recliner and Glider – Best Overall
The Carter’s by DaVinci Arlo Recliner and Glider offers everything that you’d need in a glider chair. In addition to its classic design, it is comfortable and is designed to let you kick back and relax with your feet up.
Delta Furniture Emma Nursery Rocking Chair – Best Upholstered Glider Chair
The Delta Furniture Emma Nursery Rocking Chair is a fully upholstered glider chair that can offer a great facelift to any space. The seat cushion is plush for extra comfort and its armrests are thickly padded. It’s also very stable thanks to its sturdy wooden frame, which is essential in preventing any form of noise.
StorkCraft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman – Most Affordable
In addition to being super comfortable and perfect for confined spaces, the StorkCraft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman is one of the most affordable and functional glider chairs out there. It has a footrest, padded arm cushions, and convenient storage pockets on both sides of the armrests.
It’s also available in different colors to give you the option of choosing what works best for you.
Baby Relax Mikayla Swivel Glider Recliner – Best Reclining Glider
The Baby Relax Mikayla Swivel Glider Recliner stands shoulders above other recliner gliders since its recliner goes all the way back. This means that you can use it for feeding, rocking the baby, and sleeping. It can also swivel for the utmost comfort and relaxation. More importantly, it’s easy to set up and a one-year warranty is thrown in as a bonus.
Delta Children Kenwood Slim Glider – Best for Small Spaces
If you live in a confined house with not much space but still want a functional glider chair, look no further than the Delta Children Kenwood Slim Nursery Glider. It is comfortable, has a swivel feature, and is ideal for small spaces. It’s also available in a wide variety of colors to give you options.
Million Dollar Baby Classic Miranda Rocker – Best Rocker Glider
If one of your must-have features is the rocking feature, then the Million Dollar Baby Classic is your ultimate choice. This glider chair is designed in such a way that it rocks gently and comfortably without eliciting any frustrating sound.
It’s also designed with stain-resistant and water-repellent features to make it utterly safe for both you and your baby.
Babyletto Kiwi Electronic Power Recliner and Swivel Glider – Best Modern Glider
The Babyletto Kiwi Electronic Power Recliner and Swivel Glider is designed with modernity in mind. It is designed with features that make the use of technology a breeze. It can glide back and forth, swivel to 270 degrees, and comes with a built-in USB port to ensure that you can easily use your gadgets without necessarily placing the glider next to a power outlet.
Babyletto Madison Swivel Glider – Best Classic Glider
If you want to accentuate your space with a classic style that gives your space the mid-century vibe but remains timeless, the Babyletto Madison Swivel Glider should be your ideal option. This glider is not only plush but brings an old Hollywood vibe to any space.
It is designed with all features that make it safe both for you and the baby, so you don’t have to worry about any of you being affected by inflammable or poisonous chemicals. Although this glider is smaller than most gliders out there, it’s super chic, very comfortable, and utterly luxurious.
CANMOV Swivel Rocker Recliner Chair – Best Swivel Glider
One of the best manual gliders out there, the CANMOV Swivel Rocker Recliner Chair is adjustable up to 150 degrees and comes in three different models to choose from. It is designed in such a way that you can never lack a perfect position to enjoy the comfort that it brings.
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