There are a few brands that people just recognize right off the bat because they are so well known. Bumbo happens to be one of those brands that everyone knows. Most people have seen a Bumbo seat and know what it is right off the bat because it is a design that is really unlike any other on the market.
There are other activity center seats and boosters, but most look more similar to a booster chair or high chair. The Bumbo looks much more distinct. But it is not only because of the looks that people love the Bumbo. It is a favorite among many parents and is a very common baby shower gift.
Best Price on the Bumbo Floor Seat
Here are some reasons why people love it so much:
Contoured Position
Our society is a society of sitters. With the rise of technology and shorter recess times, sitting is a thing even children do quite a bit of. So it is important that you teach your children to sit with good posture. One thing that Bumbo claims on its website is that the Bumbo floor seat is designed with a contoured position that slightly reclines your baby.
This slightly reclined position helps babies before they can sit on their own to be in a position where they won’t slump forward and encourages good posture. Many high chairs and boosters have a flat high back that a baby can lean against, but there is no lumbar support for the lower back. Or your baby may sit straight up, but lack the muscles to stay straight up at first and will fall forward.
Babies who do not have the trunk muscles to hold themselves up can get themselves into all kinds of positions that could be potentially bad for their back and overall health.
The contoured position ensures that your baby’s back is supported and also allows him or her to relax into a position that will protect your baby’s posture before he or she can do it for themselves.
Color Variety
The Bumbo floor seat comes in several different colors. Bumbo made the seat from foam similar to the foam used in car upholstery. They then covered it in a leather-like surface that comes in any color you could ever want for your baby.
But if those colors aren’t what you prefer, there are also fabric covers that you can get to protect your product even more. Though it isn’t essential to even get a fabric cover, since they are so easy to clean.
Cleaning
Cleaning your Bumbo is a complete breeze.
No Liners Necessary
There are many baby products that come with a wide variety of fabric liners. They are cute, but most companies won’t even be recommended for the dryer. I don’t know about you, but I do not have time to wait for liners to line dry! So I end up doing a load at night or buying an extra fabric liner.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to have variety, but I also like to save a buck when I can.
One thing that I absolutely love about the Bumbo is that you do not need a fabric liner. You can just wipe down the foam surface with a damp rag. It is water-resistant and spill-resistant. This thing can really take a beating.
Liner Cleaning
There is, however, a fabric liner that you can buy if you want to. My guess is that you would want to buy this if you didn’t love the color of your Bumbo, that it was stained somehow, or that your baby was compulsively picking at the foam.
If you do get a liner, you can absolutely clean it by hand or in the washer.
No Slip
In any baby gear that gets set on the floor, you want to have some sort of no-slip material. Many people have homes with wood, laminate, or tile floor, so it makes sense to have a baby product that isn’t going to slide all over the floor.
The Bumbo seat is made of foam with a leather-like material that will grip to any smooth surface. It doesn’t need to have rubber feet because the entire surface is made of this material.
Best Price on the Bumbo Floor Seat
Unlikely Tips
The position that the Bumbo holds a baby in is unique in that it has a reclining position that leaves most babies’ legs dangling in the air. Since the seat is so deep and the legs are in the air, it is really difficult–nearly impossible even–for a baby to tip the seat over. They would have to be close to outgrowing the seat to be able to rock it hard enough to tip it over.
Some people claim that babies who arch their back can tip it backward, but if you are using the three-point harness that comes with it, this shouldn’t be possible either.
However, Bumbo does recommend that you do not ever leave your baby unsupervised or in precarious positions in the Bumbo seat in case they do try to wiggle free.
Portability
One really important thing to look for in any type of baby gear is how portable is it?
The Bumbo seat is very lightweight and easy to carry around, so you can easily take it with you from room to room without any trouble. You can also fit it into a trunk with a lot of room to spare.
As A Booster
The Bumbo is a great option if you have a Thanksgiving dinner to attend or just want to bring your baby to Grandma’s for a play date.
Normally, I wouldn’t suggest the Bumbo as your only option for a booster seat or a high chair. It does not strap to a seat, though Bumbo does have a booster option. It would have to remain on the floor, which isn’t ideal for everyday meals with the family. Even if your baby was happy with this option, it would be a huge paint to have to bend down and feed your baby on the floor. But for an occasional visit, it is a perfectly portable and easy option for feeding and entertaining your baby.
Tray
The Bumbo by itself is an alright baby product. It does hold your baby in place, and it is particularly handy when your baby wants to sit up to observe the world around them but does not have muscles strong enough to do it on their own. However, what really makes this seat a great buy is the tray feature.
Does It Come With A Tray?
A Bumbo tray just magnifies the number of things you can do with the Bumbo. And although it isn’t sold with the actual seat, it can be bought at the same time very affordable.
This video shows you how easily you can put the tray on:
Some people only use their Bumbo without buying a tray because they only want to use it as a floor seat for their baby. However, the tray allows parents to use the toy accessories that you can buy through Bumbo. It also allows the parent to use the floor seat for eating quick meals not eaten at the dinner table. Parents can also give their baby a book, small snacks, or a sippy cup and the baby can set it on the tray to hold it.
The tray will occupy the baby for much longer, especially if they have the Bumbo toys.
Toy Options
The Bumbo company comes with a variety of three basic toy designs that are made especially to be used in the Bumbo seat.
Suction Toys
There are four options of single figurine suction toys that Bumbo makes. They are called Hildi the Hippo, Luca the Lion, Enzo the Elephant, and Gwen the Giraffe. They are all unique and all do different things but they most commonly will have noise-making beads inside them, rotate, or move somehow. These are similar to baby rattles.
The great thing about these toys is the large suction cup on the bottom of each one that is strong enough to withstand the pulls of a baby. No more bending and grabbing toys that your baby threw all over the ground. No more picking up toys just because your baby enjoys watching you work. Now your baby will play with this toys without the satisfaction of torturing you.
Playtop Safari
The playtop safari is another toy that you can use with the tray. It has a flip book, an animal figurine, beads on a wire, and a cup holder for a sippy cup or snacks. This playtop fits the Bumbo very well but your baby can also use it on the ground.
The playtop safari, like the suction toys has several suction cups on the bottom of it. It will also stay in place without your baby throwing it around the room for kicks and giggles. Another reason I love the suction cups is that it is versatile enough that you can use it on other surfaces. You could put it on the refrigerator or the bath.
The Bumbo company made a versatile toy that fits more than the Bumbo tray. I mention this in my post, the Top 7 Reasons Why the Bumbo with a Tray is the Best for Babies, but it’s worth saying again. There are other play seats, namely the Fisher Price Sit Me Up Floor Seat that have little play centers that you can buy but they only fit in that particular seat. I do like the features of that seat (you can read my review of it here!) but the Bumbo made a wise choice in the suction cups.
Stages Safari
The Stages Safari is another really great toy option that will keep your baby interested and is versatile enough to grow with your baby. They manufactured this toy to be like a baby gym but has a few key differences.
As a newborn, your baby can lie beneath the gym and reach for the toys and look at him or herself in the mirror. As your baby grows and can start using the Bumbo floor seat, you can rotate the toys to face the side so your baby can play with the toys in the seat. The gym has adjustable legs so it will fit your baby no matter what his or her height.
Your baby will continue to enjoy this baby gym well into his or her toddler years, even when they have outgrown the Bumbo.
Activities To Do In The Bumbo
Play With Siblings
The Bumbo seat is just like any activity seat where babies can enjoy sitting up before they are ready to hold themselves up. Babies are pretty easily entertained, so just being in a new position usually will be exciting for your baby right off the bat. If you want your baby to enjoy the seat for even longer, consider doing some of the following:
If your newest addition to your family is a younger sibling, then he or she has a big advantage on the world. Only children are often limited to watching grown-up activities such as making dinner, paying the bills, or other household chores. While they can be learning during these observations, it is so much better for a baby to be able to watch older siblings.
Watching siblings interact with each other or their parents help babies learn about a lot of important things. They can learn about the rules of the home, what is safe and what is dangerous, songs, and other learning activities. In fact, my second child learned how to sing the ABC’s before I even considered teaching them by watching and listening to my oldest.
Encourage your older children to do tricks like acting out animals, singing songs, or dancing to entertain your baby. You’ll be amazed at how excited your baby will be by just watching this talent show!
Best Price on the Bumbo Floor Seat
Learning Shows and Flashcards
I know that screen time should be limited when your baby is very small, but did you know that you can teach your baby reading with flashcards starting before they can walk? Showing your baby a small word each day for a very small amount of time (think maybe a minute or two) will help your child recognize the words very early in life.
I am a firm believer that the earlier a child can read, the better jumpstart they have on academic learning. Just make sure that it is always fun and never force it! If your baby doesn’t show any interest, don’t worry. Just put them away and do a different activity.
Reading Books
A lap can be a great spot for sitting and reading books, but when you have multiple small children, it can be difficult to gather everyone around to see the pictures. Then there is fighting over who gets to sit on mom’s lap.
I love the Bumbo chair because you can have your babysitting in it and joining in a group activity with siblings like reading. You can read to them, librarian style, and then no one fights over who sits on mom. Or you can take this opportunity to read a book with the older child on your lap. It’s likely that they may feel forgotten after you had the newest family member.
Snack Time
If you do get the Bumbo with the tray, take full advantage of having a casual snack time with baby! It is so important that your baby works on their fine motor skills, and the best way to encourage this is through food!
Give your baby some puffs or cereal that he or she can easily chew on without choking and let them learn away! Figuring out the pincer grip is a tough skill, but babies can learn it quickly if they are motivated with a snack.
Best Price on the Bumbo Floor Seat
Is The Bumbo Bad?
There has been a lot of speculation that the Bumbo seat isn’t very good for babies. I’m not a chiropractic, though there are a lot of them with their opinions that you can find on the internet. It is true, that the Bumbo does not teach your child to sit up. Your baby will learn that on their own. You are only supposed to use the Bumbo as a prop to help your baby sit up and change positions.
You should not leave your baby in the Bumbo for hours on end, but your baby will likely get bored and let you know they are ready to be out of it before you need to worry about it being detrimental to their health.
This seat is similar to other activity seats, high chairs, or other sitting props. You should give your baby opportunities to try sitting on their own because they will only develop the muscles they need and the balance through practice. But if you want something more sturdy than pillows to prop your baby up while you do different activities with them, then the Bumbo is right for you.
Conclusion
Overall, the Bumbo floor seat is a great seat that props your baby up and entertains them with the accessory toys you can get with it. It is a great change of pace for a baby who is limited to laying on their back or stomach.