Gone are the days when you had to rely on hard wooden rocking chairs to comfort your cranky baby. Today, new mothers have a plethora of great glider options, like the Stork Craft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman, for example.
In this review, we are going to talk a little more about the features of the Stork Craft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman, but we are also going to give you an overview of what people who have purchased the nursery glider combo had to say about their overall experience with it.
Then, we’re going to give you our recommendation on whether or not this hoop glider set is something you should consider purchasing for your new baby’s nursery.
Finally, we’re going to give you a buyer’s guide for choosing the best glider for you and your baby. We know it’s a tough decision, so we’re going to give you a list of decision-making factors to consider before making your choice. Often, if you can simplify your decision to a few key variables, you can make a much better choice for your own requirements.
About the Product
Notable features of the Stork Craft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman include:
Durability
When it comes to stability and durability, you can’t go wrong with the solid wood construction that the Stork Craft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman features. The solid wood finish is available in several colors, and you can choose the cushion to match your baby’s nursery. The simplistic design makes the chair a beautiful addition to any room - not just the nursery.
The construction of the Stork Craft Hoop Glider is strong and durable. When it comes to baby products, you want to feel safe and secure at all times. This is a chair with a strong base and foundation, while still allowing you the flexibility to adjust the position to whatever is comfortable. Safety shouldn’t be a concern with an ottoman set, and it isn’t with this one.
Value
This glider chair is often revered as one of the best brands of gliders you can purchase for your nursery. Stork Craft furniture is a well-known brand and has been supplying new parents with nursery furniture for over 70 years. They provide furniture that is built with a family in mind and offer their furniture at affordable, entry-level prices, making it attainable for any kind of budget.
People tend to think of “value” as meaning inexpensive. However, you should really think of value as getting an excellent return on your investment. This is what you can expect with Storkcraft. The custom glider is affordable, but doesn’t sacrifice on quality and features.
Comfort
The cushions that you can get with this glider set are designed for maximum comfort. The back cushion is made from thick, tufted padding that will provide you with support and back relief while you’re feeding your little one. Also, the cushions are available in five colors so you can choose the best option that is going to work well with the overall design of the nursery.
Glider comfort isn’t just about the softness of the pillows. It needs to be firm and stable enough to stand up to the amount of time you plan to spend in your baby’s room. This chair is comfortable but firm, and will hold up to the amount of parenting that needs to get done beside your baby’s crib.
Functionality
What really stands out about this glider is that you don’t have to apply very much effort in order to get the glider to move. The enclosed metal ball bearings are key for this smooth, silent, and effortless motion. The ottoman also uses the same ball bearings, so you will experience the same effortless gliding while relaxing with your feet up.
The last thing you want out of a glider is motion that is jolty or loud. Not only is this frustrating to use, it can disturb your baby, or even awake them from a sleep. A baby glider needs to be smooth and silent, and you need to be able to depend on this functionality for a long time.
Cleaning
Should you have an accident on the glider, like spilled formula or spit up, you can easily wipe it off of the cushion fabric without worrying about any stains. The polyester cushions can be spot cleaned for those instances, and hand-washed, so they stay looking fresh and new for years to come.
Cleaning of a baby glider is probably more important than a chair for any other purpose, simply due to the frequency of messes you can expect in a nursery! You never know what’s going to happen, but it’s best to be prepared.
Space
This glider and ottoman set is the ideal set for those who have a generous amount of space. The recommended weight for this glider is 250 pounds. It is easily assembled and makes a great addition to any nursery. It can also be used in other rooms of the home as well and will still fit in nicely.
Ottoman
Finally, the other part of the set, the ottoman. The ottoman might be an easy to overlook part of this package, but you will find that it definitely comes in handy when you need it. You will quickly discover that you might need to spend an awful lot of long nights in your baby’s nursery. The opportunity to kick your feet up and even sleep becomes pretty essential after a while.
The one thing you should consider is whether you have enough space for a chair and an ottoman. Real estate in a nursery fills up fast. But even if you don’t have enough space, you can always store the ottoman and bring it out when you really need it.
The Whole Package
As you can see, this chair has many features, applications, and sturdy construction paired with high quality design. However, you need to consider these features in comparison with your own needs and requirements. Try to consider what you are looking for in a glider, and compare it to the features above.
Overall, the Storkcraft Glider and Ottoman has many of the features you would expect from a top tier baby glider. And best of all, it comes in at an affordable price tag. To help you make your decision even further, we are going to take a look at some customer reviews next.
What People Had to Say
We wanted to know what people had to say about the Stork Craft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman, and an overwhelming majority of parents were pleased with their purchase. Of these positive reviews, customers commented the most on how comfortable the glider was.
A few mothers were impressed by the thickness of the cushion on the backrest. They stated that they were unable to feel the wooden spokes, unlike with other models with thinner cushions.
Other customers were impressed by the construction and assembly of the set. Customers felt the pieces were very easy to assemble, and they liked that the chair was made from real wood and not pressed wood or anything subpar.
When the unit was assembled, they shared that the glider and ottoman both glide very smoothly, and the side pockets were the perfect addition because you can store burp cloths, books, wet naps, and anything else you may need right within reach.
While there were many positive reviews of this set, there were a few customers who didn’t care for the product very much. Fortunately, these reviews were quite rare. However, it does help to consider the good with the bad, so that you can have a complete picture of how this product ranks. After all, the most important part is whether this chair has the features that are important to you.
People felt that the cushions were not easy to clean, and they would get stained very easily. If they wanted (or needed) to clean the ottoman cushion, a few people had said they needed to take the whole unit outside and scrub it because the cushion does not come off.
Other customers mentioned that the springs of their chair popped off only after three months of using the chair, much to their disappointment. While they were able to put the springs back into their respective holes, the moment you sat back down on them, customers said the springs would pop out.
As a result, customers fear that if they continue to use the seat, they’ll “fall through” it, but also the unit is so noisy, making it completely useless for trying to rock a child to sleep.
So there you have it, an objective look at the positives and negatives of this product. We recommend that you consider these reviews in the context of what you are looking for out of a baby glider. Think of what is important to you in this product, and then compare it to what other customers have experienced.
Summary of the Review
Features
Pros
Cons
Buying Advice
With so many different glider and ottoman options available, it can sometimes overwhelm new parents as they set up their new nursery. The following are just a few things to keep in mind when choosing this or another ottoman and glider set.
By first considering these factors before you go over all the options, you can really narrow down your decision. If you know what you are looking for from the outset, you are able to go into your decision with a much tighter set of choices, which will help you choose the glider you really want.
Comfort
Having a comfortable seat is definitely important and is a chair that you will be using a lot for at least the first year of your baby's life. However, it can also feel like an expensive item that you don't want to splurge on. It is important to have a comfortable spot to cuddle and feed baby, and this offers you just that. Having a wider seat is also recommended for comfort.
Another major factor in comfort is firm vs. soft. Many people associate comfort with soft pillows, but the reality is that you need support if you intend on sitting for long periods. This means support for back, arms, neck, and more. The chair should offer soft yet firm cushions and structure.
Additionally, you want to be comfortable in all different positions, whether it is sitting up, laying down, or kicking your feet up.
Locking Mechanism
You want to make sure that this mechanism locks in place or it has a base that is constructed to hide the locking mechanism for safety. The Stork Craft Glider does not have a locking mechanism and cannot be locked in place. However, the ball bearings are enclosed and allow for smoother operation.
Space
You should definitely consider the space available in your room before making a purchase decision. Your nursery can fill up fast, and you don’t want to overfill it which would make it difficult to move around.
However, you also don’t want to sacrifice and get a smaller chair than you need. Space is especially crucial in a chair like this, as it needs to comfortably fit you and your baby.
Our recommendation when planning a nursery is to first allocate space for essential items. This includes all the elements you cannot do without in a nursery (crib, storage, chair, etc.) Allocate space for these first, and other elements after.
Take quick measurements to see how much space you need, and then compare them to the specifications of the products. This is especially helpful if you are buying things online.
Style
Style is always a consideration when buying furniture. When it comes to a baby glider, you probably want to ensure that it matches the décor that you had set out for the nursery overall. This is ultimately a subjective choice, and will depend on how you planned on decorating your nursery.
Another consideration is whether the style is “timeless”. Products that are designed with a more muted, classic look tend to last longer without going out of style. These classic products can last you for more than one child, and perhaps can even be upgraded to the living room once the nursery isn’t as popular of a space.
Our top recommendation here is to first decide on what style you are looking for. Give some thought to your nursery as a whole, and decide what kind of glider would complement the overall look.
At the end of the day, it is your choice. But we think that if you consider all of the factors above, and make your own set of decision criteria, you will be more than happy with your choice. We think the Storkcraft Hoop Glider is an excellent option, but it will really come down to if it is an excellent option for you.
Our Recommendation
There are many glider and ottoman sets available on the market today. These pieces of furniture could be the difference between calming down a fussy baby and a sleepless night. For many parents, having one of these sets is a must-have.
We particularly like this set by Stork Craft because it is an adorable set that would work beautifully in any nursery - especially when you can choose the wood finish and the cushion colors separately, allowing you to get the perfect combination for your nursery’s décor.
We also feel that the solid wood construction and the easy gliding enclosed ball bearings makes the glider an essential piece of furniture for tired mothers, fussy babies, and dutiful dads.
We are sure that with this glider and ottoman set, you’ll be able to comfortably (and silently) glide your baby into a peaceful sleep, you’ll be able to catch a few Zzzz’s yourself. For new parent’s, sometimes all you need is a good nap to help reenergize you and care for your bundle of joy.
Plus, the solid construction of the set ensures that you’ll be able to use the set long after your child is out of diapers!
Conclusion
Thank you for reading our buyer’s guide and review for the Storkcraft Customer Hoop Glider. We think this is a great product for your nursery, but we have aimed to give you all the tools to make that decision yourself. We recommend you first sit down and consider what you want out of this product, and then compare it to our features and customer feedback above.
If you really need help with this decision making process, consider our buying guide as well. We want you to be happy with your decision, and while we think that the Storkcraft will be an excellent choice, we want you to be on the same page.
Good luck shopping and choosing the perfect glider to complement to your nursery!
Our Rating