Snuggle Me Vs Dock A Tot: Which Baby Lounger Is The Best?

I’ve had a discussion with my mamma friends recently about baby loungers. While we discussed a number of them at the start, it all boiled down to the battle of Snuggle Me vs Dock A Tot.

Why those two? Well, because we all came to a consensus that Snuggle Me vs Dock A Tot was ultimately the only logical duel given that they’re two of the best baby loungers on the market. But then the question was: Which one is better?

While this isn’t exactly some political debate, it still took us quite a bit of time to make a sizable list of the different qualities each of them possessed and then compared them.

While the results eventually ended up being split, I can at least share our data with you so you can draw your own conclusions.

Though, you might be asking yourself “Do I really need a baby lounger?”

Well, I wouldn’t say it’s a necessity, but it’s sure nice to have and makes life a bit easier for you in those early months of motherhood by letting you give your arms a rest while still having the baby in a comfortable spot near you.

It’s like this little baby nest your precious little child can snuggle up into like a baby bird awaiting it’s mamma to come back and play with him, while also serving as a secure playspace for him.

Without any further pomp, I’ll list the two individually first, then pit them against each other.

Snuggle Me Organic Patented Sensory Lounger for Baby

The first contestant in the ring for the baby lounger championship belt is Snuggle Me organic baby lounger.

It’s a lounger made out of pure 100% organic cotton for all of you eco-friendly moms out there who keep an eye on your carbon footprint.

It was this fact alone that initially warmed me up to this infant lounger during our discussion of Snuggle Me Organic versus Dock A Tot Deluxe.

Its design when it first came out was something groundbreaking and innovative in the world of loungers, with the padded sides and an unpadded and suspended center sling constructed out of breathable virgin polyester fill.

The covers that line the infant lounger are easy to remove and are machine washable as well – just follow their instructions of washing and drying on a gentle setting so the cover doesn’t end up shrinking.

They recommend air drying and I can personally attest that that is the best option.

This unique construction makes it feel like a child is being hugged by his loving mother, placed in a swaddle, or like he’s back inside the comfort of the womb once more – all while making sure he stays put for as long as he fits.

It’s meant to be a portable space that your little one can familiarize himself with and have an easier time resting in case he’s taken to a daycare or supervising nanny.

Trust me, they’ll thank you for the extra help.

Not to mention, it’s not really cumbersome to carry around thanks to the travel bag that comes with the baby lounger itself, leaving it nice, compact and portable whenever you’re on the go.

And, not only is it made out of high-quality organic materials, it’s also manufactured in the USA, meaning you’re helping keep our nation’s economy running by supporting local products.

Also, if you’re not satisfied with the product for some reason, they offer a full 100% 30-day satisfaction guarantee or your money back.

That’s something all baby products should have these days in my humble opinion.

The cover on the baby lounger also comes in a variety of different colors so you can customize it and match it to your home or nursery color scheme.

Plus, the product is entirely GOTS-certified, meaning it’s safe for the baby as long as you keep to the safety guidelines.

The designated age range for Snuggle Me Organic is 0-9 months, but you can most certainly keep using it for a while longer as long as your child fits in it by just lifting his head up to be on the edge of the lounger rather than inside it.

That said, you can keep your baby in any position on this wonderful lounger option, whether it’s lying down on his back and lounging, sitting up and playing, or even for tummy time.

Though, when babies are on their stomachs, make sure to always keep an eye on them just in case they slip down into the cushioning cotton, which puts them at risk of suffocating.

And, to top it all off, this design was made by loving mamas who understand the necessity of baby gear remaining simple and portable, yet affordable and functional.

Only the best for your growing baby, right?

DockATot Deluxe+ Dock – The All In One Baby Lounger

And in the other corner is the Dock A Tot Deluxe, an ambitious and formidable contender.

Its design, equally as innovative as Snuggle Me but for different reasons, is made to keep babies comfy inside while providing them with a comfortable space – one where they won’t get cranky on hot days due to sweat accumulation.

This is due to the OEKO-TEX-certified fabric construction of the baby lounger that helps keep the heat away from your child and keeps him nice and cool at any given point – the so-called, micro-climate management system.

Speaking of the design, when the tube is undone below, the baby lounger resembles a small life raft.

That may have swayed my vote bias toward Dock A Tot versus Snuggle Me due to my son’s fascination with them. 

The material construction is a mix of polyester for the pad and the surrounding tube, while the cover itself is pure cotton.

These covers are machine-friendly as well, much like Snuggle Me Organic’s are.

Not to mention that the product is entirely hypoallergenic, meaning it’ll be safe for your baby to be in without you having to fear any nasty allergic reactions.

As mentioned a bit earlier, you can undo the buckle on the lower end of Dock A Tot baby lounger to give your child more wiggle room.

They’ll appreciate it down the line once their muscles develop a bit more.

While normally intended for kids ages 0-8 months, much like its counterpart, you can adjust the baby’s head slightly above the tube to provide more room.

Though, if you feel like you’ll need something for your baby to use as a transitioning piece toward their first big kid bed or similar (up to about 36 months of age), you can go for the larger Dock A Tot Grand.

Grand gives the baby a lot more wiggle room to work with – something they’ll definitely need in this stage of their development.

Plus, it provides a nice, portable bed for them to sleep in and they’re at a lot less risk from suffocating now that they’ve grown older and more capable.

While advertised as a friendly option for co-sleeping and shared napping with your child, you should realize that there are risks that go with doing such a thing.

The baby should always be supervised for the first 6 months at the very least before even thinking about using a potential suffocation hazard around them.

Luckily, Dock A Tot makes that abundantly clear with their instructions on how to use the padded pillows to accommodate your little one during nap time as long as you or someone else keeps an eye on him while he sleeps.

Of course, what piece of baby gear would be complete if it wasn’t both stylish and functional.

Dock A Tot not only offers different color covers for the infant lounger, but also a variety of different travel bag options as well – taking customization a step further.

The one downside, if you can call it that, is the fact that they’re an EU-based company, originating from Sweden, so you wouldn’t be buying from our local sellers.

That said, it won’t impact your baby’s comfort in any way as Dock A Tot is focused on baby safety.

How Do They Compare?

Well, to be honest, it was kind of hard deciding since they both share rather amazing qualities.

And, many moms and dads alike had nothing but positive things to say about both the baby loungers. They’re also Amazon’s highest rated baby loungers by far!

Both of them cover the issue of letting the baby sleep somewhere that isn’t in your embrace while still letting you keep an eye on him without the need of a baby monitor.

Both also provide a nice, clean, and comfortable surface that you can place nearly anywhere and still have it remaining steady enough for your baby to feel comfortable jostling around in.

This is because both their initial designs are aimed at giving your little one a nice platform for them to become your co-sleeper, lying next to you during shared naptime.

Unfortunately that purpose was slightly diminished with the new rules, but it keeps our kids safe, so there is absolutely no harm in it.

Another shared trait is how easy it is to remove and clean the covers from any messes or accidents that may happen while the baby is in the lounger.

Speaking of which, both products offer a variety of different patterns and styles for that added personal touch and sense of uniqueness.

The two baby loungers can both be utilized on nearly any surface, providing your child with a small artificial island of their own to stay in.

Whether he’s playing on your bed, the couch, the floor, or even somewhere outside, it should be fine. (Just make sure to clean the covers after outside play.)

Both of our contestants can also support kids in a variety of different positions, from lying on their back, sitting up, to on their stomachs as they exercise their still developing muscles.

With so many great qualities that both baby loungers share, you can see why it was quite a struggle to determine the winner in the Snuggle Me vs Dock A Tot showdown!

So What’s The Difference?

While they do share a lot of common traits (which is the inherent reason both of them are so highly rated), they do have a few differences that set them apart from each other.

The first one that always comes to mind for any budget-sensitive parent is the price. 

Snuggle Me Organic baby lounger is cheaper than Dock A Tot, meaning it’s a much better budget option for a product of similar quality.

The price hike might be due to the more “exotic” country of origin for the Dock A Tot, which can also be considered a difference.

Though, it only really matters for bragging rights or if you prefer European products and you find them to be of a higher quality.

While we’re on the topic of product quality, there’s also the fact that Snuggle Me is a more organic option. Although, the OEKO-TEX fabrics used on Dock-A-Tot are rather environmentally friendly as well.

But, Snuggle Me also has a few extra material options if that ever strikes your fancy, like the original, non-organic one and the woolen one, though they’re not something I’d personally recommend.

I prefer mine to have the green seal of approval whenever I can get it.

Another glaring difference can be that Snuggle Me only lasts you about 8 months for the sole purpose of being a baby lounger, give or take a few depending on your little one’s growth.

Another minor detail, but a difference nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Dock A Tot Deluxe is the one people use for babies that are up to 8 months of age until they swap to Dock A Tot Grand to last them until the baby hits his third birthday.

(That’s only if they want that transitioning piece of baby gear to prepare their little ones for toddler cribs.)

Risks Of Using A Baby Lounger

While the initial design of baby loungers – especially Snuggle Me Organic and DockATot Deluxe – is to provide a comfy, co-sleeping environment for both you and baby without having to put him in a bassinet, that is no longer the case.

That’s because both the CPSC and the AAP’s recent findings about the risk of suffocation and SIDS in babies increasing when they’re surrounded by anything too plush or soft, and being unsupervised while they’re asleep, made them rescind that purpose.

This doesn’t mean they’re entirely unsafe, just that you have to make sure your little one is always on his back so there’s no worry of suffocation.

Both Snuggle Me lounger and Doc A Tot have updated their safety guidelines to match those of the CPSC, though they do differ slightly.

Dock A Tot still approves the use of any padded pillow as long as the proper safety protocols are in place and the baby is supervised, while Snuggle Me doesn’t recommend it whatsoever.

The rest of the perks are more than enough to justify a purchase regardless, as it still provides you with that much needed break from time to time.

Also, this goes without saying, but don’t use any form of baby lounger or anything pillow-like in the crib due to the aforementioned higher risk of suffocation and SIDS.

A similarly related mistake that you might be doing unconsciously is letting your baby sleep on his side.

This only increases the risk of him rolling over onto his stomach and potentially suffocating.

Keep him on his back at all times and make sure to not leave him unsupervised lest you want to risk problems happening.

How Will I Know When My Baby Has Outgrown The Baby Lounger?

That one’s a rather easy question, though a lot of new mothers and fathers are likely to get confused the first time.

Don’t worry, it’s no big deal.

What you want to be looking out for is when your baby simply starts slipping out of the baby lounger or starts becoming increasingly fussier since it no longer fits them.

This usually happens when they’re between 4-8 months of age on average – again, depending on the growth of the baby – but the signs should be fairly noticeable if you keep an eye out for them.

Then you know it’s time to pull them up a bit so that they’re reclining a bit better in it, while still having enough room to move their feet in. Or maybe it’s time for an upgrade.

Can I Not Just Get The Dock A Tot Grand In The First Place?

Technically you could, but that’s definitely not recommended.

While babies in the latter half of their first year do appreciate the extra wiggle room, your 0-6 month old babies want to feel the comfort and snugness that the properly-sized infant loungers provide them.

Conclusion

As you can see, we’ve had quite the discussion brewing but ended up never coming to a unified decision in the battle of Snuggle Me vs Dock A Tot, as sad as it sounds.

Bias aside, the Snuggle Me baby lounger is probably better for the more eco-conscious and/or budget friendly parent, while the Dock A Tot Grand is a good one to transition into afterwards. It provides the missing link between the crib and “big boy” bed.

Maybe you can have an easier time figuring out which one suits you better based on what we’ve gathered up here in this article.

Oh, and please do tell me which one you’ve chosen or if there’s any other one you may think is better and why, mamma!

Personal Verdict

As I said, my girlfriends and I couldn’t come to a consensus when it came to the Snuggle Me vs Dock A Tot debate. 

But, I can tell you that, personally, I found the Dock A Tot to be just a smidge better than the Snuggle Me Organic.

Part of it was due to its shape that oddly reminded me and my husband of a boat, a life raft to be more precise and my partner is a big fan of them.

There was also the fact that I was a bit more financially stable when he rolled around as the second child, which allowed me to splurge a bit more of my budget on his stuff to make life easier around the house.

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