Baby Magnet or 3D Puzzle?
The Ingenuity Inlighten 2-in-1 Cradling Swing is a swing and automatic bouncer all in one! With a light show, mirror, music and mp3 connectivity this high tech swing will keep your baby entertained for hours. However it’s been known to take hours to assemble and sometimes the pieces never match up right! Much like the 3D puzzle I got for Christmas.
Reviews
The Ingenuity Inlighten 2-in-1 Cradling Swing really doesn’t have a ton of reviews since it is a fairly new product. Overall the reviews it has are pretty decent but lower than some other leading swings.
- 3 stars, 9 Reviews – Walmart
- 4.2 stars, 25 Reviews – Target
- 3.7 stars, 3 Reviews – Toys R Us
- 4 stars, 136 Reviews – Diapers.com
Key Features
See our complete list of the best baby swings here.
Rocks and Swings: The best part about the Ingenuity Inlighten 2-in-1 Cradling Swing is that it is 2 in 1 just like the name says! The rocker easily attaches and detaches to the swing so you can use it all together or separately. You can take the rocker into a different room and it has an automatic rocking feature that can last on the rechargeable battery for a little while.
You’ll still have to dock it to charge or change the batteries though. This is perfect for any parent as you can have your baby fall asleep in the swing with you in your bedroom then you can pick them up in the rocker and safely transport them to wherever you need to be without waking them up. The rocker will then gently rock them to keep them asleep.
180 Degree Movement: Another unique aspect of this infant cradle is that you can rotate the swing 180 degrees and swing them three different ways. You can have them swing side to side in a calming swaying motion or you can have them swing forward and back. The forward to back option is perfect for newborn infants as it will keep their little necks from jostling. It also makes it easier for you to have your newborn facing you which can help calm them as they fall asleep.
2 Recline Positions: There are two basic position options laying down flat and at a slight incline. It’s important to note that your newborn needs to be in the flat position until they can hold their head up. While the insertable headrest does offer some support it won’t be enough in the inclined position to be safe. The reclined position though is perfect if your baby has acid reflux and needs to be propped up after eating.
6 Speeds and Timer: The Ingenuity Inlighten 2-in-1 Cradling Swing offers six different speed settings and an optional timer that can go for 30, 45 or 60 minutes. You can also choose not to use the timer and it will go for 90 minutes. Having 6 speeds is really nice because it allows the speed to change with your baby’s age and mood. This is invaluable because babies, like the rest of, have preferences that are ever evolving.
Lights, Music and Mirror: This 2 in 1 swing puts on quite the show for your baby complete with lights, music and a mirror! Babies love looking at themselves especially as they gain control over their movements. This combination of effects is very alluring to babies and is a great distraction for a fussy baby who doesn’t want to be put down.
MP3 Smartphone Connectivity: Your smartphone can easily connect to this 2 in 1 cradle and play music over it’s speaker. You can choose any song in your library or off of any other streaming service. There is also a nifty place to put your phone so that your baby can watch a video or look at pictures while they are swinging or rocking. There are also several built in melodies and nature sounds that you can use to help keep your infant calm.
Plugs In: The Ingenuity Inlighten 2-in-1 Cradling Swing can plug directly into the wall to power the swing and to charge a battery pack. However batteries are still required. The plug in does however lengthen the lifespan of those batteries. Sometimes the batteries have a hard time powering all of the swings features so it’s a good idea to leave it plugged in.
Assembly
Cautions
Poor Speaker Quality: On the lowest setting the audio on the Ingenuity Inlighten 2-in-1 Cradling Swing works quite well. It is soft and pleasant. However as you turn it up the quality starts to diminish significantly. Also sometimes when you connect your smart phone and try to play music it has a ton of static and buzz that can make it really unpleasant for your baby.
The music also turns off after a while of playing unlike the lights. It isn’t on a timer so if you want the music on you have to go start it up again. As an expecting mom I know I won’t want to be dragged out of bed to restart the music over and over again. Especially after paying well over a hundred dollars on a swing.
Leans and Breaks: Sometimes after ordering and putting this 2 in 1 cradle swing together it tends to lean towards the left. This can cause your baby to lean or roll over which can be very dangerous as it poses a suffocation risk. The swing function also won’t swing properly while it’s tilted.
It has also been known to break at the base of the rocker. This is also quite unsafe as your baby could end up falling backwards. As a parent I want to always know that my child is completely safe and secure, especially when they are in a swing. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving my baby in a swing that could break and cause them to tilt or fall backwards.
Difficult or Impossible To Assemble: This baby swing can be very difficult to assemble. Especially when the pieces just don’t fit together and you have to return it. The directions are also in the form of pictures which would be fine if they were labeled effectively. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. It’s also hard to get the pieces to stay together correctly. Since the fit on the baby swing often isn’t perfect it can take a long time to assemble and then it may not be the best fit.
The cover is very difficult to fit onto the swing which makes it hard to take off to wash. The biggest downside of it being difficult to assemble is that if you get it all together and discover that it leans, doesn’t swing, doesn’t fit together or is broken you have to spend just as much time disassembling it, trying to cram it back into the packaging and shipping it off for a refund or replacement.
Shuts Off at 90 Minutes: You would think that since this infant swing plugs straight into the wall that it would just swing till you turn it off. But that just isn’t the case. This swing will not go for more than 90 minutes. So if your baby has to be rocking to stay asleep they will always wake up after an hour and a half. Which simply isn’t all that long.
Bulky: Weighing in at just over 28 pounds this ingenuity swing is quite the large item. In addition to being heavy it is also very large. Because it can swing 180 degrees the base takes up a considerable amount of space. It needs to be placed enough away from other objects so that it doesn’t hit anything while it swings. Though the legs technically fold up it is still very bulky when it is in its most condensed form. It isn’t ideal for travel or even a short trip to grandmas. However since the rocker does pop out the bouncer portion is a lot more transportable.
Pros
- Rocks and Swings
- Connects to Smartphone
- 180 Degree Movement
- Lights, Music and Mirror
Cons
- Difficult or Impossible to Assemble
- Leans and Breaks
- Bulky
- Poor Speakers
My Overall Recommendation
The Ingenuity InLighten Baby Swing is a fantastic idea. It combines everything your baby will love into one cohesive product that could help keep your baby happy and give you a few free minutes to enjoy. So when this product works as it should, I think it would truly be a lifesaver.
However in order to get to the point where it works you may have to fight to assemble it, return it if it is defective or put up with its quirks. There’s also a risk of it breaking and hurting your baby. Overall I think that the feature list is nice but it will be up to each parent to decide it if it is worth the hefty price tag and possible safety issues.
