Last Updated: Apr 19, 2023 @ 11:19 am.

Best Glider Rocker with Ottoman, Budget Friendly: Angel Line Windsor Glider and Ottoman

Let’s talk about glider rockers. 

We’ll start off with our pick for best budget-friendly glider rocker: the Angle Line Windsor.

This rocker has a curved back and tufted upholstery that ties on. We liked the wrap around padding on the arms and think the price is right! Here’s more on why this one earns our pick:

What We Liked

• Good quality. The metal bearings provide a smooth glider, compared to other budget chairs we tested.

• Easy to assemble. The ottoman is pre-assembled! And the chair doesn’t take that long as well.

• Side storage pockets. 

• Padded armrests. That’s nice for nursing baby.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Durability could be better. We see occasional reports that spindles on these chairs can break after long term use. Use care when moving this chair around.

• Cushions could have more padding. In our testing, we thought the cushions were adequate. Yes, there are other choices on the market that are more cushy . . . but they often cost much more than this chair.

• Defective parts (sometimes). We didn’t have a problem with this, but we see a few reports that the chair sometimes ships with parts that don’t fit together correctly. The best advice: be sure to assemble the chair upon delivery, to make sure everything is correct.

Best Glider Rocker with Ottoman for Tall Folks: Stork Craft Custom Hoop Glider and Ottoman

Stork Craft’s Custom Hoop glider and ottoman are probably the best for option taller parents and caregivers—it’s taller back and deeper seat are impressive. Those are areas where budget glider rockers are skimpy. Here’s more on why we recommend this pick:

What We Liked

• Easy to assemble.

• Lightweight yet has a generous 250 lb. weight capacity.

• Padded armrests with storage pockets on side.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Sometimes squeaky. We didn’t notice this on a chair we tried out, but we see reports that chairs can start squeaking after long-term use.

• Thin cushions. Yep, the cushions could be more cushy! But we thought they were adequate.

• Missing hardware. There are occasional reports these chairs can ship with missing parts—good news, Stork Craft’s customer service is usually good about fixing this glitch.

Best Glider Rocker with Ottoman, Upholstered: DaVinci Olive Upholstered Swivel Glider with Bonus Ottoman 

Typically an all-upholstered glider rocker like the DaVinci Olive Upholstered Swivel Glider with Bonus Ottoman would be a pretty expensive piece of furniture—some top a thousand dollars. But DaVinci (a sub-brand of Million Dollar Baby) has found a way to bring it in for a lot less than competitors. It’s an incredible deal.

The Olive glider swivels as well as glides, comes in four colors (two with contrast piping) and includes a matching ottoman. We like the high back and the removable lumbar pillow.

Best of all: it arrives fully assembled. That’s right: no assembly required!

What do our readers think? Overwhelmingly, the quality and value stand out among their comments. That said, a few complain that it doesn’t work well for taller parents, given the chair’s smallish dimensions. The angle of the back can be uncomfortable for some parents as well. Overall, however, we recommend this chair and its stylish look for a decent price.

Best Glider Rocker with Ottoman, Easy Assembly: Naomi Home Brisbane Glider & Ottoman

Nearly all glider rockers need to be assembled—and some are easier than others. In our testing, we thought the Naomi Home Brisbane glider rocker was the easiest to assemble. We liked this smart looking chair–it is a good, affordable pick. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Very comfortable.

• Snazzy design. Most affordable glider rockers come in solid colors. This one has a bit more pizazz.

• Soft fabric = very cozy!

• Solid wood frame.

• Affordable.

What Needed Work

• Small chair may not work well for folks over 5’6″. That’s because the chair depth and back height are smaller than other glider rockers we tested.

• Sometimes squeaky. We didn’t have a problem with this, but we do see reports that it can squeak after long term use.

• Cushions could be more cushy.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing nursery furniture since 1994. In addition to hands on inspections of glider rockers, we have also visited manufacturer facilities and met with safety regulators—and when we travel, we pay our all of our own expenses. We also evaluate consumer reviews posted on our own message boards.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Baby Bargains is your independent and unbiased source for expert baby gear reviews. We’ve been writing and reviewing baby gear since 1994. Yes, that long!

How we picked a winner

We evaluate glider rockers with in-depth inspections, checking models for overall quality and durability. We also gather significant reader feedback (our book, Baby Bargains has over 1 million copies in print), tracking glider rockers on quality and durability. Besides interviewing parents, we also regularly talk with retailers of nursery furniture to see which brands are most trustworthy and other key quality metrics.

To come up with our ratings, we often tour manufacturing facilities. Above is a picture from Dutailier’s glider rocker factory in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. Those are rolls of leather about to be cut by a water jets, on the way to becoming a glider rocker in your nursery. Yes, water jets!

7 Things No One Tells You About Buying A Glider Rocker!

1. Yes, you can swap the cushions.

Glider rockers are certainly an investment, but there is one plus when you purchase one from major brands: you can often order a replacement cushion to replace a stained one or just to change the look.

2. Better padding = happier parent.

Yes, there are some affordable gliders sold out there that are less expensive than our top pick above. But some of these glider rockers have skimpy padding, making them uncomfortable. You’ll be spending a good amount of time in this chair, from feeding to reading bed time stories and more. Our readers are unanimous: go for the better padding. Also worthwhile: padded armrests, if that is an option for the model you are looking at.

3. Watch the width.

Some of the cheapest glider rockers are quite narrow, which might not seem bad if you are a small person. But remember you will most likely be using a nursing pillow with your newborn . . . and having the extra width to accommodate this pillow is most helpful!

4. Locks.

Consider a chair with a locking mechanism. Some styles have an auto-locking feature; when you stand up, the chair can no longer rock. Very helpful if you have a curious toddler who might end up with pinched fingers.

5. Focus on the chair, not the fabric or color.

With most glider rocker companies, you can choose from dozens if not hundreds of fabric colors. Hence the first job is to decide on the chair style. Certain styles can fit better than others—chairs with deeper backs are better for taller parents. Make sure your feet can comfortably rest on the floor when you are sitting all the way back in a rocker glider. Once you’ve decided on the best chair style, then consider fabrics and colors.

6. Cleaning: not so good.

The Achilles heal of many rocker gliders is cleanability, or lack thereof. Most cushions lack zip-off covers that can be machine washable. Hence, your only choice is dry cleaning. One solution: you can buy affordable slip covers. If your baby spits up a lot, this may be a wise investment!

7. There’s no rule that says you have to buy a “baby” glider rocker.

A rocking chair is a rocking chair, after all. We found many affordable options like the choices above that aren’t strictly designed for a nursery.