Alexandra Ramirez
1. Planet
Best Overall Baby Mobile
5/5 Product Rating
The canopy keeps the animals close enough for even young babies to focus on but far enough away to be safe. (Mobiles should never be used when the baby is able to pull themselves up to a standing position)
This baby mobile works beyond early infancy because even when the baby gets older and you remove the mobile and project the images directly onto the ceiling with music accompaniment.
The mobile has 4 plush animals that spin: a teal whale, white polar bear, green alligator and yellow lion. The colors are bright and vivid so they catch the baby’s attention easily as they spin around and move. You csn choose to have up to 20 minutes of music to go along with the rotation of the animals on the mobile.
Music and sounds choices include Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Nature Sounds, Ocean Sounds, or a Heartbeat and white noise womb sounds that mimic what the baby heard before it was born. The Fisher Price Precious Planet Projection Baby Mobile attaches to the crib with a stable mechanism that prevents it from falling onto the baby or off the crib and onto the floor.
It has a remote control so you can start it without disrupting or distracting your baby. It takes four D batteries and three AAA batteries to run mobile and remote. It is perfect for babies newborn to age five months.
– Linda Krantz
2. Sweet Island
Best Overall Baby Mobile – Runner Up
4.7/5 Product Rating
There are three sweet characters hanging from the mobile that move independently to music and sounds.
The soothing tranquil movement and movement of each character will enchant and soothe a cranky or restless baby.
The main mobile arm is green, resembling a tree that has colorful branches and bright island animals hanging from each one.
The music box has a remote control that can be set for continuous sounds that are perfect for when your baby isn’t tired but wants something to do.
In addition to music and sounds, this baby mobile includes a calming night light so the baby isn’t in the dark. Set it for 20 minutes of continuous music which is perfect for putting the baby to bed or when you have other things you have to get done. Put the baby in their crib, turn the mobile on and they are entertained in a safe space while you take care of business.
A giraffe, a bird and a monkey are part of the fun with this sweet, colorful baby mobile. Parents can choose from four different tunes; two classical and two nature sounds. The night light is the adorable monkey that is on the music box.
Once the baby gets too old to safely have a mobile on their crib, remove all the moving parts and leave the monkey and music box on the crib and have a soothing musical night light for your child for years to come.
– Linda Krantz
3. RainForest
Best Budget Baby Mobile
4.5/5 Product Rating
- Music, motion and lights
- Music and Motion
- Music w/ Night Light
The leaves of the Fisher Price Rainforest Musical Mobile wave up and down gently, hiding a dragonfly that is playing peek-a-boo to music.
It comes with a remote so you csn start the mobile or music from the doorway and not have to disturb your child. Once your child is too old for the baby mobile, it can convert to a music box with soft, glowing night light.
This is the perfect baby mobile to calm a cranky or restless baby from newborn to 5 months or so. They can continue to enjoy it for many years once the mobile is taken down. Set the mobile for 10 minutes which is the perfect time limit for naptime or set it for 18 minutes when the baby is active and wanting something to look at and enjoy.
Along with the dragonfly there are other rainforest friends that join in the fun, twirling as the mobile spins which is great for developing visual skills. If the music isn’t what your baby likes, let him or her listen to the soothing sounds of the rainforest instead. This mobile provides parents a way to customize the music, lights and sounds for what your baby likes.
Three D batteries and two AA batteries are needed to run the remote and mobile itself. It is the perfect way to entertain your baby in their crib and makes a fantastic baby shower gift for new parents as well.
– Linda Krantz
Baby Mobile Buying Guide
What is a Baby Mobile?
The answer to this question is easily answered. A baby mobile is a device that is made up of a hanging device that has various baby toys and objects hanging from it that spin and turn when the baby mobile is turned on or wound up. Most baby mobiles have music, nature sounds and lights too making the, excellent additions to your baby’s nursery.
Why use a baby mobile?
In the early stages of life your baby is going to spend much of his time lying on his back. Rather than staring at a boring, flat ceiling, many parents choose to install a baby mobile to give their little baby an interesting and stimulating thing to look at when they are in their cribs.
Types
There are two basic types of baby mobiles available on the market today: ceiling mounted and crib mounted. Crib mounted have become the most popular kind of baby mobile as they are much easier to install and move if you change the room around or move to a different home.
Ceiling mounted – Ceiling mounted baby mobiles used to be the only type available years ago. This type of mobile is attached to the ceiling above the baby’s bed by a hook or screw. They work just fine, but are definitely much more difficult to move around and they require you to put holes in your ceiling.
Crib mounted – This type of baby mobile is very popular nowadays and it is easy to attach to your baby’s crib. It is also very easy to move if necessary. Crib mounted baby mobiles can handle more weight than their ceiling mounted counterparts, so you may notice that the crib mounted varieties have fancier toys and features.
Considerations
Movement
There are two types of movement that a baby mobile can be operated by: wind operated and mechanically operated.
- Wind operated baby mobiles – wind operated baby mobiles rely on the breeze from whatever source, wind, ceiling fan or regular fan, to set the little characters in motion. Wind operated baby mobiles are super lightweight so they only require a light breeze to get moving. The drawback to this type of baby mobile is that most rooms don’t have a constant source of breeze to ensure movement of the mobile. Although fans can make this much easier, in the winter time, fans are not usually used.
- Mechanically operated baby mobiles – This is the most common type of baby mobile on the market. They have a small motor that is battery operated and can be turned on at will. Most mechanical baby mobiles also have remote controls that can control music, lights and movement. The drawback to battery operated mobiles is the cost of the batteries unless you decide to invest in rechargeable ones.
Type of crib that is best for a baby mobile
Not every crib will be a good choice for a crib mobile. Because there are so many different types of crib styles, not all of them will be very conducive to attaching a baby mobile to it. If your baby’s bed is unusual in design you may want to get as much information as you can about the attachment process so you don’t purchase a baby mobile that won’t work on your baby’s bed.
Never use a baby mobile that is not fitting properly on the baby’s crib. It can come loose and fall into the baby’s bed and subsequently on top of the baby. It can also damage the crib to try and force the baby mobile to fit when it doesn’t.
The Theme of Your Nursery
One of the joys of preparing for a new baby includes setting up the nursery. Most parents choose a theme and then get many items that all fit into that theme such as crib bedding, lamps, wall hangings and baby mobiles too.
The good news is that most nursery themes have a baby mobile that will match it either in color or design. It is highly unusual that you would not be able to find a baby mobile that didn’t match what you have chosen for your baby’s room.
Turn on the Music
Many of today’s baby mobiles have the ability to play music. Some mobiles have only one song and others have several song choices and nature sounds too. If you want a variety of song choices be sure to look for a baby mobile that offers many choices for music and sounds.
There are two ways that your baby’s musical mobile will play music:
- Manual wind up – This type of baby mobile involves the physical winding of a knob or handle. When you stop winding it, it will move and play until it completely unwinds and will have to be re-wound before it will start again. There are a couple of drawbacks to wind up baby mobiles. Aside from having to physically wind them up every time you want them to run, they don’t run for very long and they can be over wound if you’re not careful.
- Battery operated – This type of baby mobile runs on batteries and gets going with the push of a button. Depending on the mobile, some offer different choices of music, sounds, lights and speed. Battery operated baby mobiles will play for different lengths of time depending on the particular mobile. Some will last 20-30 minutes at a time and others will last only 10 or 15. You can find this out in the description of the baby mobile. Another thing that battery operated mobiles sometimes have is volume control which is a pretty popular feature among parents. Sometimes the sound can be pretty loud and you don’t want to keep the baby awake or wake them by blasting loud music into their crib regardless of how nice the music is.
Organic Baby Mobiles are Possible
If organic things are important to you, you will be glad to know that you can get organic baby mobiles. They are not easy to find, but if it is important to you, they are possible and will just involve some hard work to locate one.
How does it look to the baby?
Many parents don’t realize that a lot of baby mobile designs are geared to appeal to the parent, who is purchasing them, and not necessarily the baby. Although this may sound funny, from an advertising standpoint it makes perfect sense to the baby mobile company.
For this reason it is important parents try to get an idea of what the mobile looks like from the baby’s point of view. They will be lying on their back and looking up at it from the bottom so you want to pay attention to the way the toys are hanging and facing.
Look for designs that have the little characters “looking” down at the baby. They will get a lot more out of watching it when the little animals are looking at them.
The Location of the Baby Mobile
Although you might think that the crib is the only place to put a baby mobile, there are other places that they can be installed such as the changing table or the play yard. The only things to make sure of is that wherever you put it is sturdy and not in danger of falling over and that the baby can see it.
Additional Features
There are some other features that baby mobiles can have. These additional features will include things like:
- Lights that flash or blink
- Night light
- Removable toys
- Nature sounds or white noise
- Projection capabilities
- Glow in the dark
- Heartbeat sounds
- Remote control
Safety Tips
As with any piece of baby equipment or item that is used around your baby, you want to be sure that you adhere to safety practices to keep your baby safe from harm. We have outlined some handy safety information that you should be aware of regarding baby mobiles.
- How low does it hang? – You want the mobile to be low enough for the baby to be able to focus on the toys, you don’t want it so low that they can grab the toys and pull it down on them or get tangled in the strings or cords that hold the toys in place.
- Pay attention to age development – You need to be very aware of the development of your baby when it comes to the safety of your baby. If they are getting up on their hands and knees you will want to make sure the mobile is not close enough for them to grab or even bump into with their heads. If the mobile is within reach you need to take it out of the crib so it does not pose a strangulation risk.
- Keep the mobile clean – You may not think about cleaning the baby mobile but since it is directly over your baby’s bed and it also spins and moves, you don’t want it spreading and moving dust around right over your little one’s head. Remove it from the crib and give it a good cleaning once a week.
- Is it installed properly? – Once you have the mobile attached, pull on it lightly to make sure it is secure and does not slide, move or fall down completely. You don’t want it to feel loose at all so make sure that it is installed correctly.
Conclusion
Baby mobiles provide your baby with many forms of entertainment that work several different developmental aspects. With music, lights and motion, your baby will enjoy working on their visual and auditory development without even trying.
The top rated baby mobiles that have been featured here are all excellent choices if you are looking for a baby mobile for your baby. They are all colorful, have adorable themes, have many features that make them even more enjoyable to have and they work to keep your baby entertained.
Even though baby mobiles are not required pieces of equipment, parents find they have so much value that they may feel like they are crucial to the nursery being complete. With the information you have gathered from this guide, you are ready to tackle the vast array of choices and choose one that is perfect for your child’s nursery.
