Best Nursery Chair for 2026 | Glider & Recliner Review

Confession: everyone starts with the crib. But the piece of nursery furniture you'll use most is the chair. Feedings, story time, 3 a.m. snuggles, the "just five more minutes" rocking: it all happens here, so comfort matters more than almost anything else on your registry.

The tricky part is that a chair is hard to choose from a screen. So we're answering the questions we hear every day in our stores to help you find the right fit for your space, your style, and your budget. We'll cover trusted brands like Best Chairs and Oilo (both proudly made in the USA), plus the best picks for small spaces, tall parents, and tighter budgets. Whether this is your first nursery or baby number two (or three!), we've got you.

Enelio talks about how choosing a nursery chair is such a personal decision. "It's really personal to body type and fabric choice."

That's the honest truth. Two people can sit in the same chair and come away with completely different opinions, which is why we always say to try before you buy if you can.

What Are the Best Nursery Chair Brands?

It’s no secret that there are a ton of nursery chairs to choose from, and it can quickly feel overwhelming, especially if you can’t see and feel them in person. At Bambi Baby, our best-selling nursery chairs come from trusted brands like Appleseed, Best Chairs, Oilo, Westwood Design, and Oxford Baby. Best Chairs and Oilo are proudly made in the USA, while all of these brands offer a range of styles, fabrics, and features to suit different needs, spaces, and budgets.

Appleseed: Family-Focused, Safety-Minded Nursery Chairs

Appleseed is a family-focused furniture brand dedicated to creating thoughtfully designed nursery pieces that prioritize safety, sustainability, and timeless style. Founded in 2003 by industry veterans with decades of experience, Appleseed was born from a desire to do things differently—offering families furniture they can trust and love for years to come. Built on the belief that "the details matter," every piece is crafted with care, using premium, family-safe materials and undergoing rigorous safety testing to meet the highest standards.

Storytime by Best Chairs: The Most Customizable Nursery Chairs

Storytime by Best Chairs, also known as Best Home Furnishings, is a family-owned company based in Ferdinand, Indiana, with a legacy dating back to 1962. Founded by two friends who aimed to create high-quality furniture at an affordable price, the company has grown into one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world. Despite its expansion, Best Home Furnishings remains committed to its founding principles of quality craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.

Specializing in upholstered seating, Best Home Furnishings offers a standout collection of nursery chairs, including gliders, rockers, and recliners designed with new parents in mind. Their chairs are known for comfort, durability, and smooth, quiet motion—ideal for soothing babies during late-night feedings. With hundreds of fabric options and customizable features like power recline or swivel bases, parents can tailor their chair to match their nursery style and daily needs. And since every chair is made in the USA, families can count on quality craftsmanship and reliable delivery times.

Oilo: Handcrafted Nursery Gliders Made in the USA

Founded by Annalisa Thomas in 2009 at the start of her motherhood journey, Oilo was created with the vision of helping parents design calm, beautiful nurseries that feel like a retreat. The brand offers a thoughtfully curated collection of nursery essentials—from soft bedding and swaddle blankets to bibs, burp cloths, and fine art for the walls. But the standout of the Oilo line is their handcrafted gliders, celebrated for their exceptional comfort and found in the nurseries of many well-known parents. Each glider is made in the USA with attention to detail and style.

The name Oilo is inspired by the Hawaiian words lio (small sprout) and ho‘oilo (the cool, rainy season), reflecting a time to slow down and find comfort indoors. In the same spirit, Oilo designs products that help families create cozy, nurturing spaces to relax, bond, and fully embrace those early moments with their newborns.

Westwood Design: Safe, High-Quality Nursery Furniture

Westwood Design is a nursery furniture brand dedicated to creating beautiful, thoughtfully designed pieces that grow with your child. With years of experience in nursery furniture design, engineering, and manufacturing, Westwood Design emphasizes genuine quality and considerate design as fundamental elements of long-lasting furniture. 

Safety is a top priority for Westwood Design. The company uses top-quality finishing materials that are durable and safe, with finishes tested for lead content, phthalates, and other harmful chemicals. All products meet or exceed U.S. government safety standards and are JPMA certified. To ensure extra safety, every production run undergoes additional testing by independent quality control experts.

Oxford Baby: Comfortable, Affordable Nursery Chairs 

Oxford Baby offers a thoughtfully curated collection of nursery chairs designed to blend comfort, functionality, and style. Their gliders and recliners, such as the Uptown and Teegan models, feature smooth 360-degree swivel and gentle rocking motions, providing a soothing experience for both parent and child. With plush cushioning and manual recline options, these chairs are crafted to support parents during feeding, reading, or simply relaxing moments. The use of soft, durable fabrics in neutral tones like boucle white, gray, and sand ensures these chairs complement a variety of nursery decors. Additionally, Oxford Baby emphasizes safety and quality, with products tested to meet or exceed U.S. safety standards, offering peace of mind to families. They are GreenGuard Gold Certified as well.

What Is the Fastest-Shipping Nursery Chair?

Let's set expectations: none of our nursery chairs ship next business day the way our baby gear does. These are oversized furniture deliveries, so they go by freight or our Bambi delivery service. Most are custom made, which can take up to 10 weeks, plus up to 2 weeks in transit.

The good news is that babies take about nine months to arrive, so most families have plenty of time. The wait is what you pay for a chair built just for you.

Which Nursery Chairs Have the Most Customization Options?

This is where you get to make the chair yours: fabric color and texture, swivel base, manual or motorized recline, contrast piping, even a matching ottoman.

Storytime by Best Chairs has one of the widest selections around, with over 750 fabric options, many at no extra cost. Oilo offers about 30 fabrics plus manual or motorized recline.

And here's why:

Storytime by Best Chairs Fabrics

• Performance Fabric: Exceptionally durable and stain-resistant; water-repellent for easy cleanup; ideal for everyday messes in the nursery
• Eco-Performance Fabric: Similar benefits to performance fabric (stain resistance and water repellency); made from sustainable materials like recycled plastic bottles - a more eco-friendly choice for environmentally conscious parents
• Bouclé: Thick, textured surface with a cozy and luxurious feel; stylish and inviting appearance; less durable and more difficult to clean than performance options
• Velvet: Soft, elegant texture that adds a touch of sophistication; relatively easy to clean, but more prone to matting over time with frequent use
• Shearling: Exceptionally soft and insulating—great for warmth during nighttime feedings; natural fabric with a plush feel; can be harder to clean and may not hold up as well long-term
• Leather: Durable and very easy to wipe clean; less soft or cozy compared to fabric options

Oilo Fabrics

You can easily order swatches directly from their website — your first five fabric samples ship free, making it simple to see and feel the materials before making a decision!

• Sheepskin: 100% Polyester
• High Performance Alabaster: 60% Recycled Polyester / 40% Polyester, High Performance Crypton. Stain, odor, and moisture resistant. High durability, eco- friendly, Greenguard Gold Certified.
• High Performance Tweed: 100% Polyester- Stain resist, high durability. Dry clean - spot clean mild soap, or mild dry cleaning solvent
• High Performance Breeze: 90% Polyester / 10% Linen. High-Performance Crypton. Stain, odor, and moisture resistant. High durability, eco-friendly and Greenguard Gold Certified.
• High Performance Basket: 100% Polyester. Stain and water resistant. High durability, environmentally friendly, non-hazardous. PFC & PFAS Free. OEKO-TEX Certified.
• High Performance: 100% Polyester- stain & water resist, high durability. Dry clean - spot clean mild soap.
• Dream: 100% Polyester - Washable with cold water only with mild soap - Spot clean with a damp cloth and mild soap. 
• Boucle: This tightly woven fabric brings subtle depth and texture to your space. Woven of pure polyester for lasting comfort, durability and beauty.

What Is the Best Nursery Chair for Tall Parents?

If you're tall, you know the struggle: chairs that sit too low with a backrest that stops at your shoulder blades. That's miserable during a long feed.

The Storytime by Best Chairs Calli and Heatherly both have deep seats and tall 42.5" backrests. The Oilo Drew is slightly shorter at 39" but still generous. On a tighter budget, the Westwood Jordan (25" seatback) is a solid runner-up with more support than many standard chairs, combining style and function at a great value.

What Is the Best Nursery Chair for a Small Nursery or Small Space?

Having a smaller home or nursery doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the comfort of a great nursery chair. Fortunately, several models are designed with compact dimensions that make them easy to fit in tight spaces—without sacrificing support or style. Many of these options also work beautifully in bedrooms or living rooms well beyond the baby years.

Our picks:

• Oilo Flynn – 29"W x 34"D x 38"H
  Sleek, modern, and compact, the Flynn glider fits easily in small spaces while still providing plush support.

• Appleseed Bea – 29.5"W x 35"D x 38.2"H
  With a minimal footprint and cozy feel, the Bea offers a good balance of comfort and space-saving design.

• Storytime Best Chairs Kersey – 33"W x 37"D x 41"H (Seat Height: 18.5")
  A classic style in a tighter footprint, this chair is perfect for those looking for something a bit more tailored but still roomy enough for long nights.

• Storytime Best Chairs Heatherly – 32"W x 37"D x 42.5"H (Seat Height: 19.5")
  One of the taller and more supportive options on the list that still fits nicely in many nursery layouts.

• Westwood Jordan – 35"W x 32"L x 41"H (Seat Width: 21")
  Although a bit heavier, the Jordan has one of the narrowest arm profiles and is great for maximizing floor space without compromising on quality or comfort.

The Storytime by Best Chairs Calli and Heatherly both have deep seats and tall 42.5" backrests. The Oilo Drew is slightly shorter at 39" but still generous. On a tighter budget, the Westwood Jordan (25" seatback) is a solid runner-up with more support than many standard chairs, combining style and function at a great value.

What Is the Best Nursery Chair With Easy-to-Clean Fabric?

Spit-up, spilled water, mystery stains: they're coming. Performance fabric is your friend.

Best Chairs offers Revolution fabrics (made in the USA, free from harmful chemicals, very cleanable) and OptiClean fabrics, which have a stain- and moisture-repellent finish that doesn't sacrifice softness. Oilo's high-performance fabrics are GREENGUARD Gold Certified and resist moisture, stains, and odors while staying soft.

These two videos come from Oilo, and they're really fun to watch. They put two of their fabrics through real nursery-style messes, and both clean up better than you'd expect.

A fruit pouch stain on Oilo's sheepskin fabric. A microfiber towel, some water, and Folex, and it comes out completely.

Red wine on Oilo's high performance ivory fabric. It pools on top instead of soaking in, so you blot it up with a dry paper towel. Let it dry, then go over what's left with a wet microfiber cloth and it disappears.

Best Chairs fabric and cleaning info  |  How to clean your Oilo chair

What Is the Best Budget-Friendly Nursery Chair?

Nursery chairs aren't cheap, and it's fair to wonder if you need one. But think about the hours you'll spend in it, and the years of use if you're planning more than one baby.

Still, we know every budget is different. For the most value, we love the Oxford Uptown. It's beautiful and cozy, with a gentle 360-degree swivel, rocking motion, manual recline, and sturdy plywood-and-steel construction. The Westwood Compass is another great choice: power recline, smooth gliding, rocking, swivel, and a built-in USB charger for your phone.

Is There a Nursery Chair That Converts Into a Twin Bed?

This one surprises people. The Storytime by Best Chairs Bayment Chair and a Half looks like a comfy chair, and then it opens up into a twin bed. If your nursery has to pull double duty, it's worth a look.

Watch how quickly Enelio transforms this comfy chair to a bed!

We love it for the nights when someone needs to sleep in the baby's room. Maybe that's you after a rough night, or grandma who's in town to help with the newborn. And in a smaller home, the nursery is often the guest room too.

The sleeper comes with your choice of a deluxe innerspring or memory foam mattress, and as you can see in the video, opening it up is quick and easy. Don't need a bed? You can also get the Bayment without the sleeper.

A Few Things We Like About It

• Loose back cushions filled with plush pillow fibers, with zippers so you can adjust them easily and keep them looking good
• Thin beveled arms with French seaming
• Two accent pillows in the fabric of your choice
• Turned wooden legs in Dark Walnut, Honey Birch, or Espresso
• Easy-to-clean, stain-resistant fabric
• Kiln-dried hardwood parts and eco-friendly components
• Made in the USA

Is a Glider or Rocking Chair Better for a Nursery?

A glider moves back and forth in a smooth, gentle motion. A classic rocker swings in a bigger arc. For long stretches, like a middle-of-the-night feeding, most parents find a glider more comfortable. The trade-off is that gliders cost more and take up a little more room. We think they're worth it every time.

Nursery Chair FAQs: How to Choose the Best Chair for Your Nursery

Why should you trust Bambi Baby?

At Bambi Baby, our decades-long commitment to quality and customer satisfaction has established us as a trusted authority in the baby products' industry. With 50 years of experience, we have developed a deep understanding of what parents require when choosing the perfect gear. Our expert team is dedicated to guiding you through this important decision with personalized recommendations, ensuring that the gear you pick perfectly matches your lifestyle and needs.

Still have questions? 

Bambi Baby experts are ready to connect! If you have any more questions regarding the best nursery chairs, you can reach us at cs@bambibaby.com or chat with us on our website. We would love to hear from you!

We would also love to see you in store! Feel free to visit any of our store locations in New York, New Jersey, or Miami if you prefer personalized assistance from one of our experts. We're here to ensure you find the perfect gear for your baby with confidence and ease.