No single bouncer will work best for every family, and it's important to look beyond commonly-promised features like "padded comfort" and "developmentally appropriate stimulation."

For starters, more padding doesn't necessarily equate to superior comfort, as this also leads to greater restriction of baby's ability to move and turn their head. Since free movement is a universal need for all babies, this feature could backfire because being routinely confined in the same position can lead to motor development concerns.

From an expert perspective over at Can Do Kiddo: "Popular baby-holding devices are designed to be soft and supportive, holding your baby in a comfy, cozy position. However, that supportive holding restricts your infant's ability to strengthen and stretch through movement. Research shows that infants with high use of baby holding devices score lower on infant motor development tests than babies who don't spend as much time in equipment."

Second, while it's true that features like music and gentle movement can be soothing for babies, it's not recommended to keep baby in gear for more than 15 minutes at a time – or beyond two hours a day in total. This means that regardless of which brand you choose and how many features it has, the recommendation for usage will stay the same: keep it a small portion of your day, not a default-use item.

With this in mind, here are the top bouncers pulled from popular 2023 roundup lists: Hint, there's one bouncer currently dominating the scene: The Baby Bjorn bouncer is the top pick from BabyGear, BabyCenter, VeryWell Family, BabyList, New York Times, Good Housekeeping, and The Bump.

Alternatively, Forbes and Healthline both chose this one for No. 1: Fisher-Price Deluxe

From a parent's perspective, Baby Bjorn is a clear favorite. From a child development lens, it likely doesn't matter which bouncer you use – or if you even use one – because time spent in one should still be limited, with twice as much time spent on the floor.