Having a baby is such an exciting time but what many people don’t realize before they start on that journey is just how many different products are available to make their lives easier or to support their baby’s development.
It is even more difficult to anticipate just how involved the decision can become between exactly which product to get.
Such is the case for the Jumperoo vs exersaucer debate. If you’re struggling to decide which type to get for your baby, then read on for our review of the ExerSaucer vs Jumperoo.
Which One To Pick: ExerSaucer or Jumperoo?
ExerSaucers and Jumperoos are relatively new products. They weren’t available for your parents when you were a baby.
But why have they boomed in popularity in recent years? There is one reason and that is that they were designed to replace baby walkers.
Your parents may well have bought a baby walker for you.
Most parents did. But more and more evidence has come out recently that shows just how dangerous these products can be. In fact, they have even been banned in some countries.
When a baby who isn’t able to walk yet is placed in a baby walker, this allows them to move around at a speed that just isn’t safe.
Hundreds of thousands of babies have been injured, or worse, because of accidents when they are in a baby walker, including falling down the stairs and pulling pans full of scalding water onto themselves.
But most babies love being in the upright position that they are placed in when in a baby walker, so companies designed products like the exersaucer and Jumperoo to allow babies to have fun in that position while also keeping them safe.
FIrst Glance
In fact, at first glance, ExerSaucers and Jumperoos could be mistaken for a classic baby walker.
But the main difference with both is that they are completely stationary. This means that if you put them in a safe location, there is no risk to your baby. Perfect! So you know you want to get one of them, but now the question remains: which one should you get? Let’s take a look at the main features and differences between the ExerSaucer and the Jumperoo.
Before we move onto the product comparisons, a quick disclaimer. Jumperoo and ExerSaucer are both brand names.
ExerSaucer now make products that are the same as a Jumperoo. But for the sake of this article, we will be talking about the classic Jumperoo and ExerSaucer styles.
Lots of other brands now make their own versions of Jumperoos and ExerSaucers and the fundamentals are the same, so you don’t have to buy just from the ExerSaucer and Jumperoo brands themselves.
1. ExerSaucer
The ExerSaucer is a static play center, also known as a discovery center. It is designed as a ring with a seat in the middle for your baby. There are usually a variety of toys and things to do placed around the ring, within easy reach of your baby. The seat is elevated so that your baby’s feet don’t touch the ground. And the seat usually spins around, allowing your baby to reach all the different objects on the ring.
ExerSaucers are suitable for babies who can hold their heads upright confidently, so from between 4 and 6 months old. They usually have a weight limit of between 25 and 30 lbs. They can be really useful for keeping your baby safe and entertained while you get on with some housework or have a shower. There are a variety of toys available that can help to stimulate your baby’s cognitive development while also holding their attention.
Some versions of the ExerSaucer are dual-toys that grow with your baby. So once they have grown out of the ExerSaucer seat, it can then be converted to an activity table that they can stand at and play. The window in which your baby will be able to, and want to, sit in the seat, so being able to convert it to something that can be used for years rather than months really does mean value for money.
The Downside of the ExerSaucer
The downside of the ExerSaucer is that your baby will stay quite static, which might mean that they lose attention more quickly. It also means that they aren’t really getting any physical exercise out of using it. As well as this, there have been concerns that using an ExerSaucer for long stretches on a regular basis could cause developmental delays. This is because when your baby is suspended in the seat, their weight is being pushed forwards instead of upright. This can delay them from developing enough trunk control to stand up on their own. Any time spent in the ExerCauser means less time moving around on their own and discovering the world and how their bodies move, which can also delay some developmental milestones.
This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use the ExerSaucer at all. They can be great fun for your baby and give you some much-needed breathing space. But it does mean that you should limit the amount of time that your baby spends in it. Ideally no more than 20 minutes a day.
2. Jumperoo
At first glance, the Jumperoo does look very similar to the ExerSaucer. It has the same round design, with toys around the edge, and your baby sits in the middle. The big difference between the two is that the Jumperoo has the seat suspending on stretchy cords, which allow your baby to jump around. It is the same principle as the door jumpers you can get, where you attach the cords to the door frame and your baby can jump around. The problem with door jumpers is, again, a safety one. Your baby is able to bounce from side to side, which means that they can hit themselves on the edges of the door frame.
If you haven’t secured the cords correctly, they can come undone and your baby can fall onto the floor.
With the Jumperoo, you can relax in the knowledge that your baby is safe from those sorts of accidents. While the toys are available around the outside, your baby also gets a lot more mental stimulation than they would in a door jumper. With most Jumperoos, your baby will also be able to spin themselves around to access all the different toys and they will be rewarded with lights and sounds whenever they jump. This means that your baby will get lots of physical activity along with the mental stimulation from the toys.
When Can You Start Using the Jumperoo?
Your baby will need to be around 6 months of age before they can start using the Jumperoo because they need to be able to hold themselves up and push with their legs. It has a weight limit of 26.5 pounds and a height limit of 32 inches.
The Jumperoo has the same potential problems for development as the ExerSaucer. Your baby is suspended in the same forward angle and it also takes away from time that they can spend exploring the world on their own. As well as this, with the Jumperoo, babies have to jump up with their toes. This has the potential to delay them learning to walk because they have to relearn how to push off with their feet. As with the ExerSaucer, however, using the Jumperoo for no more than 20 minutes a day should limit those potential developmental problems.
So which is better – ExerSaucer vs Jumperoo?
The answer to whether the ExerSaucer or Jumperoo is better really depends on what matters to you.
ExerSaucers can be used from a slightly younger age, but still have a similar upper weight limit to the Jumperoo. So this means that you have the potential to get a few extra months of use out of it.
If you opt for an ExerSaucer that can be converted into an activity table, this extends the use even more. In comparison, the Jumperoo has quite a short useful life. So if value for money is important to you, then going for the ExerSaucer might be the right choice. The ExerSaucer also has slightly fewer developmental concerns associated with it.
On the other hand, the Jumperoo ticks a lot more boxes in terms of activities. Not only does it have the same array of toys around the edge as the ExerSaucer, but it also allows your baby to jump around. So if you want to give your baby something that really packs in the fun and that also allows them to have some physical activity alongside the mental stimulation, then the Jumperoo would be the better choice.
Final thoughts
There really isn’t a huge amount to choose from between the ExerSaucer and the Jumperoo.
The main difference between them is that the Jumperoo allows your baby to jump around as well as play with the toys, which adds an extra element of fun and activity.
On the other hand, the ExerSaucer can be used for a little longer and, because your baby isn’t jumping up and down with their toes, it doesn’t have the same potential impact on learning to walk (although the other developmental concerns do still stand).
