Best Baby Jumper
The Summer Pop 'n Jump Portable Activity Center is a highly portable entertainment station that is a great way to keep little minds and bodies engaged. The Summer Pop is a foldable option that comes with its own carry case. It features three height levels and various entertainment, including a mirror and a spinner ball. We love the UV-rated canopy for outside use and that you can remove the seat for quick machine washing.
This product isn't a traditional jumping product and lacks some of the wild jumping activity we saw in competitors. While this could be frustrating for older babies seeking frenetic fun, it might be just what the younger baby wants (less movement overall), and some parents might find the lack of bounce better suited to their goals. We love this travel-friendly pop-up bouncing seat and think parents will find more ways than one to engage little ones in indoor and outdoor activities at home and on the go.
The Jolly Jumper Exerciser + Playmat is a throwback to the early days of jumping products. This doorway hanging product has ample bounce thanks to a center spring and a supporting harness with a somewhat stiff seating area to better support the baby's spine. Little ones enjoy the included bounce mat, and the swaying bouncing motion helps little ones develop coordination and increased balance and rhythm. Our tiny testers enjoyed the motion of this option, and parents liked the ease of doorway installation and the insignificant space utilized by this choice. Its smaller size makes it a shoo-in for potential travel.
This is an old-school product that hangs in a doorway, which means you need the proper door trim to use it safely. Depending on your house's style or available doorways, this could be challenging where you want it. Also, there is no place to hang toys or other entertainment for a baby to engage in besides hanging, bouncing, and looking at the world. While this might be more than enough for some little ones, others may need more stimulation. Overall, we love the simplicity of this travel-friendly choice and think many parents will find it infinitely useful for the right situations.
The Graco Doorway Bumper Jumper doorway hanging jumper is listed as good for babies who can hold up their head unassisted. It attaches to doorways with appropriate trim and includes a toy tray and removable interactive toys. This bouncer has a soft, somewhat padded seat, and putting your baby in and taking him out is easy. Little testers enjoyed the firm ring support to lean against when getting tired, and parents liked how easy it is to use and clean. The Graco is height adjustable, has a "no mark" clamp with a hidden safety cord. The seat pad is machine washable, and the whole thing is fairly transportable.
This product requires a good doorway with sturdy trim to keep it safely in place. This design could be hard to come by where you want or need it, leaving you unable to utilize it like you'll want to. However, we like the simplicity of this option and felt the open seating area, toy tray, and engaging toys give it a bump up in entertainment value for little ones who'll want more than just jumping.
The Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo is a vibrant stand-alone jumper that folds for storage or portability. This jumper has a padded colorful frog seat and 360 rotation to keep little ones entertained for longer periods. It comes with a variety of toys from different angles. It is height adjustable and comes with sounds and music for more stimulation. The seat is removable and is good to go in the washing machine and dryer for limited downtime. Little testers loved all the interactive entertainment, and parents liked the free-standing design that doesn't require a special doorway and can be placed anywhere.
This jumper has a lot of parts to assemble. It isn't difficult, and everything fits together well, but it is something to keep in mind. Also, it takes up a lot of real estate and might not be the best choice for smaller digs. Despite these minor hiccups, we think parents and babies alike will love this engaging jumper with something for everyone looking for entertainment galore.
The KidCo GoPod is a collapsable travel pod for little ones that comes with its own slim carry case. The canvas chair folds much like a camping chair and includes Velcro straps for connecting toys. The seat has some flex to it for movement and wipes clean fairly easily.
This option doesn't jump or bounce as a traditional product might. It also is devoid of any toys or bright, stimulating colors and enrichment. This makes it a poor choice if you want stimulation or entertainment for little ones, and jumping is a must. However, it is a safe place you can place your little one during outdoor adventures, and you can add toys or snacks to the surface to keep little ones entertained. The chair has some flex, and little ones can move and use their feet to push up to stimulate muscle development and coordination. We think this is a good choice for travel or camping fun.
The Jolly Jumper and Stand is a traditional jumping harness with a spring that attaches to the included stand. The metal stand is easy to set up, and the harness is simple to use. The seat harness's stiff structure provides some support for little ones, and the height adjustment allows for customization of how much jumping little ones can do. Testers liked the freedom of movement with this option, and parents liked the included stand. The harness is machine washable and can be tumble dried on low.
The stand takes up a bit of space so that it might be a no-go for those in small spaces. Also, it lacks entertainment beyond the jumping and turning allowed by the spring and tether. It also requires some assembly of nuts and bolts but nothing complicated or challenging. For little ones who like to move and shake, this traditional jumper may be just what the baby ordered, especially if your doorways aren't where they need to be for the jumper with no stand.
The Jolly Jumper with Super Stand is similar to the other Jolly Jumpers for the baby harness, but the stand it comes with is the ultra-stand. This stand is six feet tall, assembles without tools, and folds flat for storage, a big plus for small spaces. It is suitable for indoor or outdoor use and offers 4 leg stability where doorways are unavailable. The harness is adjustable in size, and the jumper can change heights as little ones grow. The harness/seat offers spine support and is good for active little ones who like to bounce and move.
This option comes with no entertainment beyond bouncing and moving. This action may be perfect for some little ones, while others might want things to hold or novel sounds and lights. Also, while it folds flat to store, it takes up some space when used, which could be limited for smaller homes. This option's price is also one of the highest in the group, so tighter budgets might need to consider the other stand option. Overall, we love this stable frame's versatility and the simplicity of this super jumping harness seat.
The Fisher-Price SpaceSaver Jumperoo is a standalone jumper with its own frame and fabric-covered spring. The seat is easy to get a baby into and out of quickly, and it has four height adjustments for growing little ones. It features some connected toys, including sounds and lights for extra stimulation. The seat fabric is removable and can be machine washed, which is a big plus. Little ones like the controlled bouncing and our parent testers like how easy it is to use and store.
This option could get boring as little one's age and want more movement or different things to engage with. It has limited bounce and movement (the set doesn't spin), unlike the options that use a doorway or stand and allow more movement in all directions. While this isn't our favorite option, it does have a reasonable price and could be useful for younger babies for brief periods.
The Evenflo ExerSaucer Doorway Jumper is a padded doorway hanging option with a simpler seat than the Jolly version. It is somewhat padded and machine washable, making it comfortable for a baby and convenient for parents. This option has ample bounce and movement and is small enough to fit in your travel bag or apartment.
This option requires a doorway with supportive trim, which could be a problem depending on your home or where you hope to use it. Also, it lacks any attached entertainment for engagement. However, it has a budget-friendly price, and it could be a potential contender for tight budgets, travel simplicity, or secondary entertainment.
Why You Should Trust Us
Senior Review Analyst, Bob Wofford, led this review. Bob is the father of 7 and has been testing baby gear for over 7 years. Bob researched and selected the jumping products in this review with an eye for portability, fun, and ease of use. Wendy Schmitz, Senior Review Editor, rounds out the team with test result analysis and write-up. Wendy is a 7-year member of the BabyGearLab team and a mother of 2. We tested each jumper in this review for ease of installation/setup, entertainment value, quality, portability, and more.
Analysis and Test Results
We researched over 15 potential competitors for this review. We purchased and tested the most impressive contenders for this roundup focusing on ease of use, portability, quality, and of course, fun.
Always read the user manual of any baby gear and discuss your jumping plans with your pediatrician to ensure your baby is developmentally prepared for the action involved with this kind of product. Use of a jumping product before your little one has adequate muscle development and head and neck control could lead to serious injuries.
Ease of Use
Most of the products we tested are easy enough to use once assembly is over. Each option has some assembly, taking forty seconds for the Kidco up to almost ten minutes for the Jolly Jumper with Super Stand. However, setup is typically a one-time task unless you need to move it to a new home, so we suggest that it not be the driving factor in your product selection process. The daily ease of use is far more important in the long run and will impact how and when you opt to use your jumping entertainment center. If it is time-consuming or challenging to get your baby ready to jump, you might not use your option and wish you'd made a different selection.
The easiest options to use are those you can easily put your baby into without planning or an involved process. The Fisher-Price Rainforest is one of the easiest as the seat is always open and all you need to do is pull legs gently through the holes, and you're ready. The Fisher-Price SpaceSaver also has an open and easy-to-use seat. If you have a small home and need to store your jumper between uses, the KidCo and the Summer Pop 'n Jump Portable Activity Center are quick to set up and put the baby into place. They are simple to use with few adjustments or considerations before the fun can commence.
All of the Jolly Jumpers are more convoluted despite their simple look. Whether it has a stand or clips to a doorway, the Jolly Jumper harness seat is more involved than an open seat to put your baby inside. The harness requires a certain level of adjustments to secure your baby properly into the seat for safe and supportive jumping fun. While it gets easier, the more you do it, you'll never be able to quickly put your child into the seat to grab your dinner from the oven before it burns.
Entertainment
Every baby is different, and your little one's personality or physical development might influence you to select one product over another. The Jolly Jumpers all allow more freedom of movement as little ones can bounce, jump, twist, turn, and wiggle in 360 degrees. If you have a mover and a shaker who loves the challenge of building skills, then these options hold great potential, especially for older babies.
Alternatively, if your little one is more subdued and enjoys calmly watching the world go by, then a stand-alone floor style jumper might be more their speed. The Summer Pop 'n Jump Portable Activity Center offers entertaining toys, bright colors, with minimal bounce. It isn't super physically challenging like the Jolly Jumpers or ultra-stimulating like the Fisher-Price RainForest that includes sounds and lights. If your little one gets bored easily, then both Fisher-Price options are good choices with more features to engage multiple senses at once.
Quality
Quality and durability can impact how long you get to use your bouncer or if it will be around for a second baby or resale. Most of the products we tested are durable enough, and we love that many manufacturers include easy washing instructions to keep the jumpers in play. Most of the jumpers assemble easily, and we didn't experience any issues with manufacturing defects or parts that didn't work. For the most part, when it comes to jumpers, it does seem that you get what you pay for, and we found the price of each product was a fairly good indicator of the quality level, no matter how many parts the products came with or the overall design features.
Conclusion
Whether you have a tiny loft apartment with limited space or a sprawling suburban home, there is an entertaining jumper in this lineup that can meet your needs and budgeting goals. While the world of jumpers is vast, choosing a great option doesn't have to be a struggle without testing the information at hand. If you are looking for a novel way to entertain your little one or just a safe place for them to hang out while you make dinner, this lineup has something for you.
— Wendy Schmitz and BabyGearLab Review Team