Being a new mom is hard, but having a newborn and a toddler or more than one toddler is a different level. While I would love to just sit and hold my sweet newborn, sometimes I needed to be able to put him down whether it be to catch a mischievous 3-year-old or to just cook dinner.
While pregnant and preparing for our baby’s arrival, I read through thousands of reviews for rockers and swings and the 4moms mamaRoo 4 kept popping up. Unlike the traditional baby rockers and swings, this one combines all the settings into one seat. It has five movements unlike a rocker that just rockers or a swing that just swings.
So to make sure you don’t waste your money, we wanted to check this thing out.
Features of the mamaRoo 4.0
Five Unique Motions
The mamaRoo4 has five distinct movements with five different speed settings. The motions are named after what they represent and are fairly accurate in that way.
- Car Ride: Moves in a figure-8 motion with a little bit of bounce here and there
- Kangaroo: Bounces forward then backward
- Tree Swing: Swings from left to right and back
- Rock-a-Bye: Moves in an arch back and forth
- Wave: Makes a circle going up, around, and back down
Design Features
The mamaRoo4 has built-in Bluetooth that allows parents to control the seat’s movement with an app. It has four different built-in soothing sounds but also has MP3 option. The seat is adjustable from sitting up to recline. All the fabrics are machine washable and come in three options. It has a mobile on top that has a rattle, mirror, and crinkle ball.
Size and weight
It mamaRoo4 is compact measuring 33?L x 19.5?W x 25.5?H and weighs 19 pounds.
What We Love about MamaRoo
Multiple Movements
The unique feature for the mamaRoo4 and the one we love the most is the five different movements. Our 1st child love the motion of the Graco swing, but our 2nd little boy wanted nothing to do with it.
If your baby isn’t into swaying move on to bouncing, continue until you find one they love. These movements are designed to mimic different moves that typically calm a baby.
The five movements include:
- the car (our little one’s favorite)
- the kangaroo
- tree swing
- rock a bye
- the wave
MamaRoo4 gets it right that one movement isn’t always the answer and sometimes a baby may like bouncing more than swaying on Tuesday but Wednesday rolls around and all the baby wants is to be swayed.
Easy to Clean – Machine Washable (Hallelujah)
One of the things I always look for with babies is, “How easy is it to clean?” Maybe it’s just me but if something is machine washable I am here for it. Easy to remove and throw in the wash are musts in our household because I just don’t have time to wash things by hand and also who even wants to do that?
Change Motion Remotely Bluetooth Controls
So this feature is pretty cool Sometimes the baby just needs a change of motion. So, being able to change the motion setting while in another room and your baby in the connected living room is a time saver. I am going to be honest here, I’ve used it while sitting on the couch watching Netflix so I didn’t have to get up.
The one downside to the app, is it can only be paired to one phone at a time. So, if dad wants to use the app, he has to pair it and then when mom wants to use it she will have to pair hers. This was a back and forth struggle so we just stuck with one parent having the app on their phone.
Negatives
- Age and Weight Limits: The mamaRoo4 is designed for babies 5 – 25 pounds or until they can sit unassisted. So you will only get around 9 to 15 months of use out of this seat.
- Mobile: The 2017 version adds touch points—a rattle ball, crinkle ball and a ball with a mirror. They don’t move on their own, which is something that we would like to see
- Speakers: While present, the speakers are not very loud. The four programmed sounds are all white noise and have no actual music/lullabies. In order to play music, you have to use an AUX cord. If you have Bluetooth and an app available, it would make more sense to me to be able to play music through Bluetooth.
- Cost: The mamaRoo4 costs $220 for the basic fabric and $250 for the plush and mesh fabrics. If your baby is on the smaller side, you’ll need a newborn insert which is an additional $35. That is pricey for a seat you won’t use after six months.
What is the difference of 4Moms MamaRoo 4.0 versus 3.0
In a word, convenience. The new user interface is much more adaptive. They event made it where you can easily change something with your foot.
Other Changes include:
• Improved fabrics that are softer to the touch, even in the Classic model.
• Upgraded mobile. The MamaRoo 3.0 had a mobile that was basically three balls which did nothing. The 4Moms MamaRoo 4.0 version adds touch points—a rattle ball, crinkle ball and a ball with a mirror. Unfortunately, the mobile doesn’t spin by itself
• App upgrades. When the MamaRoo 3.0 model debuted, it came along with Bluetooth connected app that enabled you to change the motion and speed from your smartphone. 4Moms MamaRoo 4.0 model is more stable and does not drop connection.
Our Overall Review
In our honest opinion we like the Graco Soothe My Baby Rocker, it has more functions, speeds and could stand alone.
What Other Parents Say
The mamaRoo4 is a great addition in our house but here are what other parents had to say about the seat.
4.2 out of 5 Stars (1,665 reviews) on 4moms.com
“I bought this for my grand baby. He loves it. Only 2 days old and it helped with his fuss. Hes 2 weeks old now and still loving it.’ –Nikki
“This is the perfect item for a new mom that has chores or even work from home.” –Wilson
“I have this and a Graco swing. What I like about the mamaRoo is that it’s lightweight and portable. I can quickly move it to another room I need to go to which is perfect for a mom with more than one kid. The only thing that could make this better is if it had battery capability so you aren’t bound to an outlet all the time.” –Kendra
“Love this. Son was in the NICU and they had them and was great for the babies.” – Levi Lynn
4.1 out of 5 Stars (1,450 ratings) on Target.com
“Love this swing! We looked at other swings until finally deciding to go with this one. The price is what held us back at first but, it’s a thousand times worth the investment. Our little one is a spit up baby so the fact that we are able to adjust the actual seat to have her sit up a little more has helped tremendously. I would recommend this to every/anyone.” –Mom of Girls (verified purchase)
“definitely a pricier swing than I ever anticipated buying, but it’s super smooth and quiet and lets my daughter sleep while I get some work done around those house…so I guess that makes it a great deal? Love that I can change the settings via an app vs. reaching for the buttons on the base of the machine while it’s moving.” –EMR26 (verified purchase)
“This worked terrific for my baby. He was having trouble settling down and we would have to put him in the car and ride him around which would put him to sleep right away. Once we got the mamaRoo it took the place of the car ride. As soon as we put him in, he calms down and goes to sleep right of way. We love the mamaRoo!! No regrets!!” – Ellie J (verified purchase)
4.5 out of 5 Stars (3,906 reviews) on Amazon.com
“SOON AS I put my 1 month old little guy in it, he stopped “air swimming.” (flailing arms and legs), not too long after that, his eyes were closed. Usually that only happens when I pick him up. So I hold him most of the time…UNTIL TODAY. I am very happy with this product so far.” –Antonette (verified purchase)
“I have had this mamaroo for less than a week but my whole family already loves it. I am a stay at home mom. I homeschool three kids and have a one month old. My infant is rather fussy/ opinionated about being held and bounced on a yoga ball. If I wasn’t holding him he was screaming. If I got him to sleep and then laid him down he usually woke 30 mins later screaming to be held and bounced. Needless to say I lived on the yoga ball. It made homeschooling difficult to say the least as well as all the other things I needed to do around the house.
“Before the mamaroo I had tried swings and manual bouncers and nothing worked. This was my last ditch effort and I was hesitant because of the price. It is worth it if you have a screamer like I do that needs to be held constantly. Since I have gotten the mamaroo I have had way more time for everything. I’m so excited!!! The one thing I was concerned about was the bouncing motion. Before I got the mamaroo I was bouncing my infant on a yoga ball. He loved that julty movement. I was concerned that the mamaroo wouldn’t be enough of a bounce for him.
Although the mamaroo is not as intense a bounce as the yoga ball at all he loves it. All five different settings are smooth and different. The motions are soothing and are supposed to move like a mommy would. My son prefers the car ride on level five speed which is the fastest it goes. He sleeps longer in the mamaroo and will lay awake in the mamaroo very content. If he does wake during a nap the movement usually lulls him back to sleep.” –Brittney (verified purchase)
Check out our related article, The Best Baby Swing for 2021 + Tips to Soothe a fussy baby!
