The Best Nursery Rocking Chairs

Jenny Lind

• Built for children, the Jenny Lind Angel Line of rocking chairs come with ornate back spindles and classic, straight lines. The gently tilting seat keeps children from slipping out of the chair while rocking. The long back legs prevent the chair from accidentally tipping back. Built from solid wood, Jenny Ling Angel chairs come in white, maple, oak, natural wood, white wash and cherry.

Sam Maloof

• The Sam Maloof rocker, named after its creator, encompasses a tilted seat that nestles the user comfortably against the wide curving back and straight, supporting spindles. High armrests keep the shoulders leveled, and the long, curved chair legs ensure a soft, almost leveled rocking motion. Replica Sam Maloof rockers, designed after the more expensive antique versions, come in a range of wood finishes.

Bentwood Rocker

• The Bentwood Rocker, designed by Michael Thonet, offers an ornate, light-weight chair. Named for the intricate pattern of curled wood making up its legs, the Bentwood Rocker affords a deep seating position, which increases as the chair rocks backwards with the weight of the sitter. The wide curve of the legs ensures a safe, long-sweeping rocking movement without the risk of tipping back, although the length of the chair requires a large nursery corner. Bentwood rockers come in a range of wood finishes or opaque colors.

Kennedy Rocker

• Named after President John F. Kennedy, the Kennedy Rocker offers a soft, steam-curved wooden back support that bends to fit the contours of the sitter. The height of 43 inches keeps pressure from building in the thighs. The back and seat cushions, woven from cane in a Herringbone pattern, add further comfort and support. The Kennedy Rocker comes in wood finish to match the pale, yellow hue of the woven cane seat and back.

Hinkle Rocking Chairs

• Designed by Andrew Jackson Hinkle in 1834, the Hinkle rocking chair offers a mild backwards tilt against a strong back support. Spindles of straight wood compose the seat and back, while short rocking legs allow the sitter to rise without the chair sinking under him. In addition, the curved legs offer a leveled, limited rocking motion. The Hinkle rocking chair comes in a range of wood finishes or plastic. A seat cushion is recommended.

Glider Rockers

• For safe rocking chairs, turn to glider rockers designed specifically for nurseries. Constructed with their moving parts hidden from sight, gliders replace the old-fashioned rolling motion of rocking chairs with a forward-and-back, gliding motion. Appearance ranges from old-fashioned rocking chair frames to modern arm chair or love seat designs. For larger nurseries, select the bench glider, which allows a mother and child to sit side-by-side.