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I vividly remember long nights of rocking our son to sleep in our small apartment with an even smaller baby nursery. I also remember the sizable chunk that was taken out of our security deposit because of the dent our wedged-in rocking chair left in our drywall. Not all of us live in spacious homes that can accommodate a glider or a nursing chair, and not all of us want to invest hundreds of dollars on a short-term piece of furniture that will be donated by the time our child is in kindergarten. An alternative for the bulky glider has been a long time coming. The Ready Rocker portable rocking chair claims to “revolutionize the way the world rocks” and, from our experience, they aren’t wrong.
About the Ready Rocker portable rocker
Incredibly portable and lightweight, the Ready Rocker really can transform just about any surface into a rocking chair or nursing chair.
The Ready Rocker is a compact and fully adjustable portable rocker that allows you to turn any flat surface into a rocking chair. The ergonomic design and soft, foam padding are comfortable and give excellent lumbar support, relieving back and joint pressure.
- Price: $139
- Colors: Grey
- Dimensions: 11"D x 16"W x 17"H
- Weight: 6.3 lbs
- Assembly: Not required
- How to clean: Spot clean
What we like about the Ready Rocker
In a pinch, the Ready Rocker can make your dining room chairs a soothing place to comfort a baby.
When I first saw the Ready Rocker at the Babylist Cribs event in Venice, California, it seemed like an odd and possibly unnecessary contraption that didn’t interest me much. When my host, Javi, encouraged me to try it, however, I was immediately sold.
It’s compact
The Ready Rocker is a resistance-rocker that can turn just about any seating situation into a rocking chair. Only about 18 inches long and less than 7 lbs, it can easily be transported from room-to-room or, for traveling parents, it can fit into a carry-on bag for a rocker-on-arrival wherever you may go.
For small-space living—or for tired parents who have a baby who needs to be rocked all day every day—we tried this in every imaginable seating situation and were impressed with how it performed. We tried it on the couch, in bed, in an Adirondack chair, and even on the floor propped up against the wall. It not only transformed each seating area into a cozy rocking chair, it made each spot more comfortable and more supported.
It’s comfortable
That’s what everyone wants to know, right? If you're looking at pillowy gliders, that will likely run you upwards of $600, and want a chair you can sleep in with your baby, you should know that the Ready Rocker is a very different overall experience.
It doesn’t create a seating situation that you can melt into, instead it offers firm support to your lumbar system and your upper back, and that comfort is adjustable with a quick turn of a dial. As someone who had a lot of back pain during and post-pregnancy, my cushiony nursery chair actually made my back worse. Having something like the Ready Rocker would have been a life-saver.
While testing, I watched 30 minutes of TV on the couch while sitting in the Ready Rocker and I also read in bed with it for over an hour. It easily made both my couch and my bed a comfortable rocker, like it claimed it would, and it also made them infinitely more supportive than stacks of pillows or a bolster. What's more, when I was finished it stowed easily under the bed.
As someone who isn’t currently nursing or rocking a baby to sleep nightly, I was wowed by how well-supported my back was. If you have any back issues or weaknesses, we recommend investing in one of these.
It’s multi-purpose
There are few things I love more than a product that is multi-purpose. The Ready Rocker replaces a bed bolster for anyone who likes to sit up in bed reading. It replaces a wedge pillow for anyone with acid reflux (read: almost every pregnant person). And it allows for more comfortable seating anywhere where someone may need added support.
What we don't like about the Ready Rocker
The Ready Rocker claims it can turn any chair into a rocking chair. While that’s true, there is more you should know.
Some chairs work better than others
It fits beautifully in an armchair or easy chair, but if you plan to use this with a typical kitchen or dining room chair, know that it will be a highly utilitarian experience. It took up most of the seating area in the dining room and kitchen chairs we tried, nearly pushing me off the seat. I had to seriously engage my glute muscles to stay on the chairs with a smaller surface area.
Does it technically fit in one of these chairs? Yes. Is it comfortable? Not really. If your thought is you can grab a kitchen chair and put it in the nursery and voilà: Instant rocker! You may be disappointed. If you plan to take it with you to a family gathering and pull it out for a quick rock fest with a cranky baby, however, then you’ll be happy to have it on you. For a nursery, we recommend putting some pillows on the floor and propping it up against a wall rather than planning on using the Ready Rocker with a small chair.
Should you buy the Ready Rocker?
Yes, and we don’t just recommend it for expectant parents.
While it’s getting the most chatter as a nursing chair alternative, this is one baby shower gift that the recipient is likely to hold onto for a very long time.
Not only is this a perfect rocker for easing a baby to sleep, it offers terrific lumbar support for any cushiony chair. It makes sitting on the floor more supported and it’s a perfect prop-up for in-bed reading.
This is one shower gift that isn’t likely to make it into the hand-me-down bin and will gain anyone who gives it MVP gift-giver status.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
