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Fisher-Price Jumperoo
$111 $120 Save $9
With bold colors, musical sounds, and more, the Fisher-Price Jumperoo is a baby bouncer, activity center, and more. This bouncer offers 360 degrees of play and three height-level adjustments to accommodate your baby as they grow. The seat pad is removable and machine washable, adding to the convenience of keeping this pick clean.
Pros- Machine-washable seat cover
- Three height adjust levels
- Plenty of toy options
Cons- Requires batteries
- Assembly required
Skip Hop Explore & More
The Skip Hop Explore & More activity center features more than 25 developmental activities for infants to explore. This bouncer has a see-through window to give baby a view of their toes and includes a 360-degree rotating seat. The bouncer transforms into a cruise and interact toy and can also become a play table for preschoolers.
Pros- 25+ developmental activities
- See-through window
- Transforms into a playtable
Cons- Requires batteries
- Assembly required
Your baby is ready to go, go, go! But they haven’t mastered the art of walking yet – or for that matter, standing. How can you keep your curious kiddo busy? Enter the activity center. The Fisher-Price Jumperoo and the Skip Hop Explore & More are two of the top baby bouncers that both you and your little one will want to explore more. And, we’re putting these parenting faves head-to-head for bouncer battle royale.
The baby bouncer is so much more than just another toy. It helps older infants and young toddlers to build gross motor (large muscle) skills, fine motor (small hand and finger muscle) skills, and even develop cognitive abilities, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and spatial-reasoning. From the push and bounce motion that the activity center encourages to the brightly hued add-on accent toys that cover the top, the Fisher-Price and Skip Hop models will entertain, educate, and help your littlest learner to explore, make discoveries, and grow!
So what’s the difference between these two popular baby bouncers? Let’s take a look.
Price and specifications
When it comes to the larger, more permanent parts of your kiddo’s toy collection, you might expect to pay hundreds of dollars. While both bouncers are the full package (gross motor play, toys, and more) neither nears the upper edge of the gear spectrum. But if price is the only, or at least the primary, factor when choosing a bouncer, the Fisher-Price Jumperoo is the least expensive of the two. That said, both activity-rich options come in at under the $200-mark.
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Fisher-Price Jumperoo
$111 $120 Save $9
- Batteries
- 3 AA batteries required
- Maximum weight
- 25 pounds
- Material type
- Plastic
- Care instructions
- Machine washable seat, spot clean
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Skip Hop Explore & More
- Batteries
- AAA batteries required
- Maximum weight
- 25 pounds
- Material type
- PP, ABS, steel
- Care instructions
- Clean with dry cloth
Additional ways to play
Yes, as the name implies, both baby bouncers encourage your baby to bounce. So, judging each model on this feature alone in a head-to-head is a tie. This is where some of the additional ways to play factor in. Both options spin for 360 degrees of play. The Jumperoo adjusts to three different height levels to accommodate your growing baby. The Skip Hop also has three play choices – the sit/swivel/bounce and play, the cruise and interact, and the playtable.
While the Jumperoo’s adjustable height levels are a perk, this pick might not engage your child as much when they start to walk or as an older toddler. But the Explore & More might! This makes the Explore & more the better value for long-term use. Even though your child will outgrow the bouncer, converting it into a playtable will add months or years to the activity center’s lifespan.
Toys and activities
The Fisher-Price Jumperoo features toys and activities galore. You’ll get a chameleon that lights up, a lion slider, an alligator flipper, a bat-at elephant, a bat-at panda, a beaded giraffe, a frog-shaped teether, and take-along toys that detach from the bouncer. These toys provide plenty of sensory stimulation – lighting up, making sounds, and playing music.
The Skip Hop Explore & More offers baby 25-plus developmental activities in one convenient center. These include a peek-a-boo owl, beaded cloud, hedgehog bead mover with a spinner, clip-on toys, musical light-up piano (with a motion sensor), and a suction cup bee snack bowl. This popular pick also features a see-through window so that baby can sneak a peek at their feet as they play.
Both baby bouncers are packed with enough activities to keep most kiddos engaged and busy. The winner in this category comes down to pure personal preference. You’ll need to decide which toys will appeal to your baby’s interests to make the best decision.
Safety considerations for activity centers and jumpers
Fun is a major factor when choosing a baby bouncer. But safety is the priority for this, and any other, plaything. Physical activity is necessary – and healthy – for your baby’s development. But the wrong types of movements, activity centers that don’t meet safety standards, or incorrect use could pose serious problems. While an activity center does give your child time to bounce, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautions parents/caregivers not to use confining equipment, such as an exersaucer or bouncyseat, for long periods of time.
Hip and leg development is a major concern with baby bouncer/stationary activity center use. According to information from the Hospital for Special Surgery, the frog or “M” position is the best position for the developing baby’s hips. A stretched-out position, where baby’s legs dangle and don’t bend, could cause excessive friction at the hip joints. This could lead to hip dysplasia or hip dislocation. The risk of hip problems makes it important to choose a bouncer that fits your baby’s size and closely monitor their leg position during use.
Always supervise your baby in their bouncer. Yes, your little one is contained and confined to the activity center. But this doesn’t mean accidents can’t happen. Pay attention to your baby while they play in their activity center, engage them with open-ended questions, play with them, and limit the amount of time that they spend in one position. The AAP notes that two to three tummy time floor play sessions or more each day can help infants to build motor skills. Combine these with time spent in the bouncer to create a varied play schedule that your baby will enjoy!
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