Best nursing chair 2024: Comfortable seats for feeding your baby
Sink into one of these nursing chairs that are built for comfort and support during feeds
While you can feed your baby anywhere, after a time you might find that certain positions are more comfortable for you both, regardless of whether you’re breast or bottle feeding. Nursing chairs are designed to provide the optimal place to feed your baby.
These chairs are comfortable, and ergonomically designed so you’re supported in all the right places. This includes your upper back and shoulders as well as lumbar support. Plus your arms will be supported, so you can hold your baby right through their feed and the inevitable post-feed nap too, if you want.
Many chairs will also gently rock, and some feature leg support too. And, thankfully, we are seeing a trend towards nursing chairs that look nice – gone are the days of institutional-looking chairs, now there are pieces of furniture you’ll want to keep in your home long after your baby is weaned.
When choosing the best chair to feed your baby in, there are a few things you want to check and look out for. We’ve put together a guide to make sure you know everything you need to know to ensure you buy the best nursing chair for you, along with our picks of the best available right now.
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Best nursing chair: at a glance
- Best for quality: Gaia Baby Serena rocking and nursing chair | £450
- Best for back support: Kub Askern nursing rocking chai | £370
- Best for under £200: icklebubba Dursley rocking chair | £199
- Best investment buy: Mamas & Papas Hilston Nursing Cuddle Chair | £689
How to choose the best nursing chair for you
Do I need a specialist nursing chair?
The very quick answer here is no, you don’t need a specialist nursing chair. But they can be a real game changer for feeds, making your life more comfortable and saving your aching back. If you have a budget for one, then we suggest you think seriously about investing.
Something you might not be told before you have your first baby is how much looking after a newborn can play havoc with your body – not just for those who have birthed the baby, but other caregivers too. There’s a lot of bending over, picking the baby up at awkward angles, jiggling, rocking, craning your neck… we could go on and on… All of which has a huge impact on your body. And a nursing chair will lighten your load, literally.
To circle back to the ‘investment’ aspect of nursing chairs, there’s no shying away from it, they can be expensive. But the good ones are built to last – they can see you through as many kids as you end up having, and still look good enough to keep in your living room afterwards. So you’re not just buying this chair for six months – this could be a statement piece in your home for decades to come.
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What are the best chairs for nursing?
There are several types of nursing chair, which we will go into more detail on below, but the key thing you want to look for is back support. And the back of the chair should be high enough to give proper support across your shoulders, so you can lean back. This is a factor worth paying attention to, especially if you’re tall.
You will also need lumbar support – that’s your lower back – and a bolster cushion or decent upholstery should do this. You’ll want low arms, so your elbows can spread out to hold your baby and still rest on top of the arms. And, ideally, the arms should be padded, as you might be stuck in that position for a while.
There are other features that are nice to have, but that are not necessarily essential. When it’s born, your baby will be used to the motion of being carried inside the womb, so newborns love to be rocked, and a chair that rocks can help soothe a fussy baby. There are also chairs that have footrests built in, or that come with separate foot rests. And some chairs even have pockets on the side that you can load with all your essentials so you don’t get stuck under a sleeping baby without your snacks or drink.
What are the different types of nursing chairs?
There are a few different styles of nursing chairs. The first is a static chair, with a high back and low arms. This is probably the most simple, no-frills option.
Then there are also rocker chairs. These look much like your standard rocking chair, but have been ergonomically designed for feeding – those high backs and low arms should be present.
And lastly there are glider chairs. These slide back and forth rather than rocking. However, which is better really depends on your personal preference.
Some chairs also swivel. This can be handy if your baby gets distracted while feeding, as you can turn around to provide a calmer environment so that they’ll settle. It also means you can angle the chair, if you want a bit of privacy when feeding.
How we test nursing chairs
At Expert Reviews, we understand the importance of getting the full picture about a product before you buy it. This is the reason we test all the products we feature in our articles at length, putting them through their paces in real-life scenarios. As such, all the nursing chairs below have been tested by those for whom the products are designed, with young babies and their caregivers using the chairs for feeding times. In particular, we wanted to ensure that the chairs we recommended served the needs of both bottle-fed and breast-fed babies and their parents.
When it comes to assessing comfort, we consider the level of support on offer for both the adult and the baby. This includes lumber support, arm rests, foot rests and head support. We take note of the overall space on offer, for potentially having to make room for an additional child at feeding times, and in the case of twins, whether a chair is suitable for nursing both babies at one time. Finally, we consider a chair’s aesthetics, and whether it offers value for money.
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The best nursing chairs you can buy in 2024
1. Gaia Baby Serena rocking and nursing chair: The best for quality
Price when reviewed: £450 | Check price at John Lewis
Nursing or not, this rocker is incredibly comfortable. It became the seat everyone in our house fought over. But primarily looking at the nursing aspect, the back is high enough to provide support to even our tall 6ft frame, and the seat is also deep, to ensure legs are supported. There is a bolster cushion which gives loads of lower back support – we found this really fantastic for our postnatal sciatica – and the low armrests are thickly padded, so we could hold the baby for hours without feeling any niggles. What we absolutely loved about this chair was how wide it was – it’s perfect for a toddler to snuggle up to you while you feed your baby, or if you’re tandem feeding twins (parents of multiples, we see you and we salute you!). Be warned though, this chair is huge – it’s not going to sit snugly in a tight corner.
The fabric is hardwearing, as are the chunky rocker legs. We tried it in Midnight, which is a deep, inky blue, but it comes in a range of sophisticated colours. We also liked that the armrests had removable, washable covers for when the inevitable spillages happen. The Gaia Baby Serena rocker is a beautiful piece of furniture that we’d happily have in our home long after our children are out of babyhood.
Key features – Type: Rocker; Dimensions: 81 × 94 × 78cm (HWD); Extras: Bolster cushion, armrest covers
2. Obaby Savannah swivel glider recliner chair: The best glider chair
Price when reviewed: £480 | Check price at Obaby 
Slimmer than some others we tried, this chair might seem a good option if you’re short on space. But it does swivel and recline, as well as featuring an integrated footrest, which means you’ll need to factor in clearance for that. The recline on it is remarkably smooth, and is operated by pulling a discrete handle on the side of the chair. However, we did find that bringing it back to an upright position was quite an effort – perhaps not the ideal workout for your core if you’re recovering from childbirth.
The fabric is hard-wearing, but buttery soft, with a few subtle tones woven into it for extra interest. The back of this chair is very high too, so no matter how tall you are, you’ll feel supported. We loved the gentle glide on this chair – although you can’t glide it when the footrest is up – and that it swivels 360 degrees. We found this mechanism smooth and easy.
Key features – Type: Glider; Dimensions: 90 × 70 × 90cm (HWD); Extras: Integrated footrest, recline, 360-swivel
3. Kub Askern nursing rocking chair: The best for back support
Price when reviewed: £370 | Check price at Kub
We were into the mid-century, modern vibes on this rocking nursing chair – the high back, dark wood, and curved angles all bring a nice contemporary feel to it. And the back is high enough that even the tallest would be fully supported, including resting their heads back.
The seat is really supportive, with a nice spring to it – no numb bums, no matter how long the feed takes – and the padded arms give great support during feeds too, although they are on the high side. You might need to resort to a cushion underneath your arm to get the height right for you and your babe. The solid-wood rocker legs feel incredibly durable. As does the entire chair, which is really quite heavy.
This is a chair that would look good in your home well after you are done with night feeds, and it’s slim enough to sit in a corner too. This is a high-quality, yet simple, pared-back option.
Key features – Type: Rocker; Dimensions: 99 × 68 × 89cm (HWD); Extras: None
4. icklebubba Dursley rocking chair: The best for under £200
Price when reviewed: £199 | Check price at Wayfair
This nursing rocking chair comes with gorgeously soft cushions that feel incredibly luxurious to sit on. And, although it’s slightly more clinical-looking than others in this roundup, it gets some big ticks for practicality. We particularly liked the pockets on the arms for holding feeding essentials – muslins, snacks, and so on – and, as you would hope, the low armrests are well padded so your arms will be supported even through those trying cluster-feeding times. And we also loved that it’s available with a matching footstool, allowing you to totally rest while you feed.
The high, padded back provided our shoulders with plenty of support, while the gentle rocking motion was really easy and nice. The chair is made from solid wood, so it feels built to last. But thankfully, it doesn’t have that wooden creak to it that some do.
Key features – Type: Rocker; Dimensions: 98 × 64.5 × 84cm (HWD); Extras: Footstool, arm pockets
5. Mamas & Papas Hilston Nursing Cuddle Chair: The best investment buy
Price when reviewed: £689 | Check price at Mamas & Papas
If you’re looking for something that will last a lifetime and look good in your home long after your nursing days are over, this is the nursing chair for you. It’s stylish yet unobtrusive, and we received many compliments from visitors. The woven fabric is buttery soft, and although it does seem to attract stains, the seat cushion is removable and washable.
We loved the curved back, which made us feel snug and secure whether we were feeding or just having a cuddle. A high, straight back and a firm yet comfy seat save new parents’ aching bodies. The chair can accommodate an adult, a nursing infant, and a toddler who wants to snuggle up alongside. The legs are made from solid oak but aren’t too chunky, and the matching footstool is small but perfectly formed – you can buy the chair with or without.
Because this chair is made to order, there is a hefty price tag and an 11-week wait for delivery. However, it is the best of the best and will be loved for years to come.
Key specs – Type: Rocker; Dimensions: 78 x 99 x 83cm (HWD) Extras: Footstool
6. iL Tutto Henry Electric Recliner and Glider Chair with USB: The best luxury nursing chair
Price when reviewed: £799 | Check price at iL Tutto
If you’re looking to spend a little more on your nursing chair, with the idea that it will last beyond the baby years, then this beautiful recliner from iL Tutto is a great option.
Luxurious and comfortable, it looks like a designer armchair with contemporary curved arms and a reclining back. Available in two options, a grey or eggshell twill fabric, it features an electric recline and smooth 180-degree swivel motion that allows you to rock or tilt back. During testing, we found it super spacious, offering ample room for an adult and two little ones to enjoy a cuddle. The chair would also be a great option for those mums who might have had a C-section and require plenty of support after birth.
One of its smartest functions is the USB point on the side of the arm, which allows you to charge your phone or laptop while you relax. This will prove handy through those long feeds or contact naps with a new baby. The power cord is 5m in length, so it will need to be positioned relatively close to a plug socket.
Overall, this is an elegant and stylish chair that will not only make a beautiful addition to a nursery or living space, it’s one that you’ll be able to use for years to come.
Key features – Type: Rocker and electric recliner; Dimensions: 100 x 76 x 80cm (HWD); Extras: Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified, USB charging point
