Best nursing chairs: comfortable and stylish seats for breastfeeding and bottle feeding

Newborn babies need a lot of stuff, and sometimes it can be difficult to know exactly which stuff will prove essential and which stuff you could probably do without. There’s some debate over whether a nursing chair counts as a newborn essential, but Mumsnetters who’ve been there and got the milk-stained T-shirt say that investing in the best feeding chair they could find was a wise decision.

At Mumsnet, we know how much difference the right baby products can make to feeding your baby. Whether you're looking for the best steriliser to keep bottles hygienic, a nappy rash cream that'll soothe your baby's sore bottom or the best nipple cream Mumsnetters swear by, we've got you covered.

The best nursing chairs are kind on your back and help to create a calm, peaceful space where you can feed and enjoy some quality snuggling time with your newborn. As your baby grows and you come to the end of your feeding journey, a good chair comes in handy for bedtime stories or staying at the bedside of a poorly toddler.

To take the legwork out of finding a comfy chair to feed your baby in, we’ve spent hours researching honest, authentic recommendations from the real parents on the Mumsnet forums to discover which nursing chairs our users really rate.

For more buying advice, check out our guides to the best changing mats, the best nappy bins, the best potties and the best baby wipes, all featuring product recommendations from Mumsnetters.

Do I really need a nursing chair?

In the strictest terms, you don’t need a nursing chair but, as many Mumsnet parents will tell you, there are huge benefits to buying one. A good nursing chair will support your back for long periods of feeding and will be much better for your posture rather than feeding on the sofa (however comfy it may be). A chair that rocks or glides is also a great labour-saving device for helping to get your baby to sleep.

Read next: The best nipple creams to buy

What kinds of nursing chairs are there?

Nursing chairs generally fall into two types - gliders and rockers. A glider chair itself doesn’t move but it travels smoothly forwards and backwards on a fixed track, while arched legs move the whole of a rocker chair back and forth in one big movement.

What is better - a glider or a rocker?

This boils down to personal preference, but Mumsnetters tend to plump for gliders over rockers. This is because a glider offers a smoother, quieter motion, and often comes with handy storage pockets for all your feeding essentials.

However if you would rather your chair stay in one place, you can always go for a static option, such as M&S’s Elliot Armchair.

How do I choose the best nursing chair?

There are a number of things you should consider before purchasing your nursing chair.

• Comfort: Comfort is key! Try before you buy if you can, but consider whether the chair has an appropriate amount of padding on the back, seat and armrests. Some nursing chairs have a larger seat size to allow you to shift around and find your optimum feeding position. Other questions you should ask yourself are ‘does it recline?’ and ‘is the back high enough?’ Some chairs come with a footstool, which can prove useful for tired feet and swollen ankles.

• Size: Does it fit in your nursery? Make sure you measure the space and check the measurements of the chair before ordering. The last thing you want is to have to return the nursing chair of your dreams because it won't fit into your box room. And don’t forget to factor in the footstool too.

• Cleaning instructions: You may have noticed that we bang on about this quite a bit, but feeding a baby can be a messy, messy business. Some chairs have removable cushions which can be put in the washing machine, others are dry clean only while other chairs have non-removable cushions. Check the care instructions before committing to a purchase, particularly if the chair is made out of a special material like velvet.

• Storage: Some chairs come with deep pockets on the armrests to store everything you need for feeding, such as muslins, baby wipes and breastfeeding snacks. And don’t forget your tablet, book or TV remote. Not all chairs come with this storage.

• Motion: Do you want your chair to rock, glide, bounce or just stay still?

• Budget: Always set a budget. Nursing chairs can cost hundreds of pounds and it is very easy to get carried away when buying baby gear. But many Mumsnetters have found that the cheaper options have served them just as well. Set yourself a firm budget - and stick to it.

How much do nursing chairs cost?

The cost of nursing chairs varies wildly. You can pick up a no-frills nursing chair, such as the IKEA POÄNG Armchair, for under £100 but, as a rule, you should expect to pay over £100 for a new chair. A designer nursing chair can cost several hundred pounds, especially if a footstool is included.

What is the best nursing chair?

Mumsnetters can’t get enough of the Ickle Bubba Dursley thanks to its comfortable armrests, handy pockets and gentle rocking action. Available in three colours, there's a Dursley to suit every nursery.

How we chose our recommendations

Our expert writers and journalists spend hours researching the very best quality products for our Swears By articles.

All the nursing chairs on this list have been tried and tested by Mumsnet users who have recommended their favourite based on factors including comfort, motion and ease of cleaning. We include these so you know that real people are behind these recommendations.

Finally, we collated all that information and then looked at other online reviews to see which nursing chairs have received the best recommendations.

This article is not intended as a countdown of the ‘top 10’ best products, but rather a list of recommendations so you can be safe in the knowledge that you are getting honest and reliable advice on choosing an appropriate nursing chair to meet your needs.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.

About the Author

Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor for Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising pregnancy, baby care and general parenting-related content. As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making Mumsetters' lives easier through rigorous research of all items recommended in reviews, features buyers' guides.

She regularly reviews a wide range of parenting and lifestyle products for Mumsnet, from breast pumps to kettles, board games and cribs. Jenny is also a sci-fi author (writing as J M Briscoe) and experienced journalist.