Doorway Jumpers Are Delightful

17. Nov, 2009 0 Comments

Doorway Jumpers

There are a few brands of Doorway jumpers available, but the one at my house was of the basic variety, much like the EvenFlo ABC 123 Jump & Go or Sassy Seat Doorway Jumper. A doorway jumper is essentially a seat for baby that has a spring well above baby’s head. A clamp at the top fits the jumper over the door frame giving you a bouncing exercise popular with the non-walkers.

When I was starting to buy baby gear for my first, I received a basic doorway jumper as a gift. I remembered having one decades previously for my younger sister and was excited. I heard a few concerns about safety in the seat, but nothing alarming. It turns out my instincts were dead on. When my oldest was ready to jump, meaning he could sit up with assistance and had a strong head and neck – about five or six months, he loved it. Unfortunately, he loved it for only a short amount of time thanks to his size.

The doorway jumper is a relatively inexpensive, non-bulky way to help your active baby get a bit of exercise. Babies that aren’t walking or cruising yet love to be upright and the seat holds them easily in that position. Raise the level of the seat so that baby’s toes touch the floor and then show her how to jump. She pushes off the floor and goes up and down thanks to the large spring. The jumping is fun in small doses and is a good substitute for other walkers that can be dangerous around stairs and threshholds.

Both of my boys had a great time in the doorway jumper and it’s easy to pull out, hang carefully and then put away again. Of course, the primary safety concern is that the doorway jumper must be attached firmly over the doorframe. The clamp holding the jumper in place should fit tightly using the top of the doorframe as a brace. Test the jumper before putting baby in the seat to be sure the clamp and seat are secure.

Our biggest complaints about the jumper might be problems only for children over the average size. The first problem was that my oldest was too heavy for the doorway jumper within just a month of him learning to use it. We raised the level of the jumper to the maximum amount but he was still so heavy his bottom was just a few inches off the ground. The weight limit on the doorway jumpers is only about 20 pounds, unfortunately. My second son never fit in the jumper correctly.

Another common safety problem with the doorway jumpers is the lack of a steady jump pattern. The baby is almost as likely to swing sideways into the door frame as he is to just jump straight up and down. Be sure you position the height of the jumper correctly to avoid this problem and be sure your baby is old enough to sit in the doorway jumper correctly.

Doorway jumpers are available from baby retailers and start around $39.

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