Review – Stokke Steps Bouncer

The new Stokke Steps system has been created to last from birth until age ten, through use of a cleverly adaptable chair and add-ons that make it comfortable for tiny babies and much larger children too.

Bubby D loves the Stokke Steps chair itself, with it’s ‘jumping step’ that allows her to easily get into and out of the chair on her own. But with Little B recently arrived in our lives, she has surrendered use of the chair every now and then so that her little sister can make use of it too.

The Stokke Steps baby bouncer can not only be used as a bouncer in its own right, but it can also be attached to the chair to bring it up to table height – perfect when I’m trying to get something done in the kitchen or at family mealtimes where previously I’d be balancing Little B on one arm whilst trying to eat one handed.

The bouncer is lovely and padded, and when I first looked at it I was a little concerned that the seat didn’t appear that deep – with Little B elevated to a height much taller than she herself is once the bouncer is attached to the chair I didn’t want her sliding off of it! However, once she was safely strapped into the bouncer with the secure five point harness I realised my fears were unfounded – she looked very comfortable and not at all like she might fall out. The newborn insert included with the bouncer obviously helped her feel safe and secure too, as she is very happy to sit in the seat for a reasonable time and stare at the toy bar or simply look around the room.

Talking of the toy bar, it’s the one thing I’d potentially change about the bouncer. It’s great in that it allows many different baby toys to be attached as it simply has a hoop at the end – but it’s really not high enough for most of Little B’s toys and they end up right in her face. It’s not a big issue as in general she seems to prefer sitting in the seat without the toy bar anyway, but the addition of a slightly higher bar would make this seat practically perfect!

The bouncer has various levels of recline and a nice gentle bouncing action when used on it’s own. I’m also absolutely amazed how flat it folds down too – it’s been fantastic when we are visiting relatives and friends as it can be slotted behind the car seat in the footwell of the car, taking up hardly any space at all. It also means it’s great for storage, as it can easily slide behind the sofa or be propped up against a wall (not that we ever really do that – it’s pretty much in constant use!).

When used with the Stokke Steps chair, it’s very easy to attach – it simply slots onto the top. A small indicator each side of the bouncer turns from orange to green to show that it is firmly attached, and it is so secure that you can even pick up the entire chair holding just the bouncer. The wide leg base of the chair and the sturdiness of the chair and bouncer combination is a big plus when Little B is being enthusiastically greeted by her older brother and sister too – and having her higher up means she is a bit more out of harm’s way as well.

I can honestly say that the Stokke Steps bouncer has made a big positive impact on our lives, and it has really helped me in these first few weeks with a newborn to be able to get things done, with Little B safely and happily able to observe me. The Stokke Steps system certainly isn’t cheap but as they say, you get what you pay for and in this instance the peace of mind in terms of safety and comfort, and the ability to do the washing up is worth the price!