As a new mom of a baby who never wanted to be put down for a second, I
was interested to try the LapBaby Hands Free Seating Aid. This item is
a soft, flexible belt worn around the waist of the parent and the baby
allowing infants who can sit with assistance the ability to sit on a
parent’s lap hands free. This allows the parent to eat, work, or even
feed or play with the baby with both hands available.
The LapBaby is available through the manufacture on Amazon for $34.99.
We first tried out the lap baby a little too early – the baby needs to
have strong confident neck support. While my baby could hold his head
up when we tried it, it seemed tiring for him and he would start to
slouch quickly. The manufacturer recommends 3 months as the ideal time
to start using it, and that seemed to be about the time when it
started to get more comfortable for my son.
The LapBaby was comfortable for me to wear around my waist. The fabric
is soft and straps are well padded. The infant sits on your lap and
then a second fabric belt goes around their belly, velcros and then
clips securely in place. I was impressed by how stable he seemed on my
lap. Be aware though that this item is not intended to be worn while
standing up, only while sitting, so if you need to get up you will
need one hand to hold your infant safely, but you won’t have to remove
the LapBaby. It also includes a fabric strap to attach a toy, and a
lap cover that stows away when not in use for eating. The whole thing
stows in a fabric bag about the size of a large cosmetic bag.
The item is well designed and nicely made, but in full disclosure, I
did pull on the infant side of the belt one day and had some stitches
come loose. I did not attempt to contact the manufacturer about this,
as the item is still useable, but I am sure they would have been happy
to replace.
I think the LapBaby would be a great tool for the right parent and
child pair. If you need to work but your infant is only happy on your
lap, this could be a great tool for you. It is more comfortable for me
to wear while sitting than my soft structured carrier, and my son does
prefer the LapBaby while I am sitting down over the carrier because he
is facing out and has more mobility. Unfortunately my son will only
sit for a few minutes before he gets bored, but he is an incredibly
active baby with very little interest in ever sitting still or staying
in one spot for long. With the right temperament and a good rotation
of toys to play with, I think a baby could be very happy in the
LapBaby. It is also very possible that when my currently 4 month old
son is a little older, and has more dexterity and interest in toys, he
might enjoy it more. The only risk I see as they get older is that he
will want to reach for the computer or my plate and try to fling it
off the table.
I really wanted to like this for eating, but I am not very tall, so
having his head right under my mouth while eating was a little
awkward. I typically hold him on one leg so I have more space to eat
and he can’t grab my plate, but I don’t think it is recommended to
wear the LapBaby any other way except in the center of your lap. I
have yet to try the LapBaby on an airplane, but I actually think it
might be great for that purpose. It is not a seat belt, and is not
intended to keep your infant safer on a plane, but I think for a long
flight it might be nice for him to be able to sit up safely without me
having to hold him, and will leave my hands free to hold things that
might entertain him.
The LapBaby is not a must-have item, but for parents with a specific need to keep their infant entertained and safe on their lap, it seems like it could be a great help if it was tolerated by the baby. I hope to try it out some more as my son gets older and for travel, and will update you if we end up loving it over the next few months!
Bébé Voyage was sent a lap baby in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are our own. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through this link Bébé Voyage receives a small payment at no cost to you.
