Our Consumer Editor Heidi Scrimgeour came up with a shortlist of the best baby bouncers based on her product knowledge and industry research. She looked at the latest offering from the market-leading brands - and as a parenting journalist for 15 years and mother of three, what she doesn't know about baby products isn't worth knowing. She also selected products from a broad range of price points so there's a product here to suit every budget. Our tester says: 'This bouncer comes assembled so there's no time wasted putting it together, which is great for a sleep-deprived parent,' says our tester Jill Bragg, mum to Grace, nine weeks old. 'It also looks fantastic – the muted colours are a welcome alternative in a sea of garish baby paraphernalia. My daughter was very comfortable in this – the soft fabric and design supported her well and the mesh fabric was also very easy to wipe clean. It's lightweight so it was easy to transport around the house – this was great as I could keep an eye on her as I moved the narrow frame from the kitchen to the bathroom easily. It is also very compact so we could store it behind the sofa when it wasn't in use and it was easy to put in the car for a visit to my parents.'

Our consumer editor says: This battery-operated baby swing seat has a five-speed side-to-side swaying setting as well as a two-speed vibration mode. It plays ten musical sounds and five natural sounds, and it has an audio input for a MP3 player, so you can play your own songs and recordings too. The seat has two recline settings and folds compactly, so it's a good choice for easy transportation and storage. It comes with a detachable toy bar with two toys, and the cover is removable and machine washable.

Coping with a very active toddler

Watching TV or using a tablet for long periods – or being strapped into a buggy, car seat or highchair – is not good for young children. The seat has multiple recline positions so you can adjust it depending on whether your baby is feeling sleepy or keen to sit up and see more of the world. This baby bouncer chair comes with an activity arch with a rattling bird toy included. The seat folds down compactly so it's handy to store and the cover can be removed for hand-washing. Carry handles make it easy to move from room to room with you. try to go out every day – go to a park, playground or other safe, open space where your child can run around and use up energy Pulling, pushing, grasping and playing with other people are great ways to practise different kinds of movements.

A baby bouncer is a small seat that you can strap your baby into, but unlike static chairs it is designed to move, which can help to pacify your little one when your arms need a break. 'That bouncing motion is really soothing; babies love that rhythmic movement,' says Lucy Shrimpton, Sleep Consultant and Founder of The Sleep Nanny. Baby awareness Next, we called on our pool of reliable parent testers and assigned each of them a baby bouncer to review with their baby. They tested the product rigorously for at least ten days.Decide which of the two types you need - there are two kinds of baby bouncers; the classic chair with a simple toy bar, or the all-singing and dancing version with vibrations, sounds, light features, and motion. Just like other children, they will enjoy being active and it will help their development. You may need to adapt some activities to suit your child.

Verdict: Our tester's little one wasn't a huge fan of the vibrating function, but some babies love this feature. 'She looked puzzled and unimpressed when I put on the vibrating function – and even more so by the tunes – so that wasn't a huge success for us,' she says. Of course, you can switch these features off if your baby isn't a fan, but they're handy to have in the event that they help to soothe or entertain your baby. You can take your baby swimming from a very young age – there's no need to wait until they've been vaccinated. baby carriers and seats – long periods in reclining carriers or seats, or seats that prop your baby in a sitting position, can delay your baby's ability to sit up on their own It has a really wide seat, which I imagine would be good if you wanted to use the second function as a chair for children over 12 months, but it also comes with a newborn insert and waist strap with crotch support, so it feels secure and snuggly for newborns too.'Our tester says: 'The seat features a really stylish graphic print, ensuring this would look beautiful in any nursery,' says our tester Clemmie Millbank, mum to Felix, five weeks. 'It's really easy to put together, and just as easy to adjust and then flatten down again for transporting around the house or popping in the car. The adjustable bar with the little toy bird is really sweet and kept my newborn entertained for quite a while.'