The Great Rocking Chair Debate — by Guest Mom Sara Stratford

Seven years ago, when my daughter was born, my mom came out to help take care of her. Travis and I had only been in our apartment for a month, and had failed to buy a crib, dresser, or the all-important rocking chair. Truth be told, we weren’t that excited about buying a rocker. But our infant was less than a week old, and we were exhausted. We had left her home with Nana on an adventure to Buy Buy Baby, and after picking out the crib and dresser, found ourselves each in a glider with matching ottoman. After lulling ourselves into a stupor (I think this took all of 2 seconds), he looked over at me and said, “Well, they aren’t very cool looking but they sure are comfortable.” Nana had been pushing hard for a rocking chair, so we broke down and bought one.

We lugged that thing with us to Brooklyn, and found a spot for it in our 500 square foot apartment. Then it came with us to our next apartment. I used it less and less, and then one day a tear in the seat cushion began sprouting stuffing. I started looking at replacing the cushions; imagine my horror when I found out new cushions could cost up to 400 bucks! Even the cheapest set of cushions were around $200. We decided instead to give it to a friend who had a new baby (and was crafty enough to sew new cushion covers) and used our money instead to purchase a train table. It nicely filled the spot where the rocker had lived, and I never looked back.

Fast forward several years and the arrival of baby #3 is imminent. Nana is insisting on a rocking chair, but now I find the idea of a classic glider appalling. What has happened to me? Every rocker I look at makes me want to run out of the room screaming. Why can’t they make these chairs better looking?

I’ve found a few that I think could work. But I’d really love some input from the rest of you... hopefully there is a perfect rocking chair that will merge form and function enough to please both my mom and I. Here are the ones I’m liking so far. Let me know what you think:


I like how simple this one is, and cheap! Plus the cushions are so basic, maybe I could get slipcovers made for them, once I decide what color the nursery will be. I saw this first at Erin’s, and she had dyed the cushion covers brown. It looked great, so I could try that too... although my RIT dying skills are pretty lacking.


I love the look of the Eames rocker; it’s a classic. But it doesn’t look so cozy for nursing in the middle of the night. Nothing would be worse than the shock of cold plastic when it’s 2 am.


This one is super cool, but way too pricey. I’d love to find something along these lines, but in the $300 range.


I love this rocker more than anything. But somehow it seems like a bad idea to buy a chair you’d be afraid to let a baby near. What if he spit up on it? I think I’d cry.

Design Mom readers, help me! What kind of rockers do you have? What kind should I buy? Or should I just give up and invest my money in more Thomas the Tank Engine stuff?