Raising a baby can be a very expensive venture. There are many essentials that you’re required to buy for your baby’s development, and then there are the nice-to-haves, which enhance your baby’s growth. Since baby mobiles are mostly part of the nice-to-haves, is it really worth it?
A baby mobile is a great investment, both for the mother and the baby. It can keep your baby engrossed while you get other things done around the house, and it can also help lull your baby to sleep. In addition to all that, they also make a great aesthetic addition to the home’s design.
If you’re not sure you need a baby mobile for your baby, this article will help you decide. Firstly, you’ll learn the pros and cons of having a baby crib mobile and how to mitigate the risks for maximum comfort and safety for both you and the baby.
What Is a Baby Mobile?
A baby mobile, also known as a crib mobile, refers to a structure that hangs over a baby’s crib with several toys to play with. They’re usually for decoration and entertainment, as babies with baby mobiles usually don’t have the dexterity to handle the toys yet.
However, baby mobiles don’t only exist as aesthetical items, they help babies to focus their eyes and control their heads, improving coordination and balance.
Like most other baby items, there is much debate over the positives of using a baby mobile compared to the downsides. If you’re using the baby mobile as intended by the manufacturers, you should report more positive side effects than negative ones.
Having numerous advantages doesn’t make an item worth buying. This article will dive deeper into the specifics of the advantages and disadvantages of this setup to help you decide if it’s a worthy purchase.
Benefits of a Baby Mobile
If you’re looking for some reasons to get a baby mobile for your baby’s crib, you’re at the right place. Here, I’ll outline some of the advantages of getting one that would want to make you get it immediately.
- They’re beautiful
Sometimes, the gentle and attractive color of a crib mobile and how it synergizes with the rest of your baby’s environment is enough reason to get one. They aren’t only aesthetically pleasing for adults, they’re also fun to look at for babies; just observe a baby playing with one.
There are many different kinds of baby mobiles; plastic ones that make the bulk of the market, hand-sewn ones that are usually more expensive, or a unique one that you made on your own.
To harness the full aesthetic power of a baby mobile, try choosing one that matches the overall color scheme of your baby’s crib. Since there is one in almost every color you can think of, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding your preferred color.
- They decorate a room
While most marketing materials will have you believe that baby mobiles are only meant for a baby, they’re just too good for that. Many people buy baby mobiles that hang from the ceiling, so they don’t have to remove it after the child outgrows the toys.
Likewise, if you like the looks of your baby’s crib mobile, you can let it hang in a room forever. This outcome is even more likely if you took your time to make a custom one that matches the room’s color scheme.
- Lulls babies to sleep
Anyone who has ever lived with a baby can attest to how much they like being held. When you put them down, they protest against it by crying very loudly until you pick them back up. However, babies also have very short attention spans, even by our own standards.
When you put them down to sleep, you can easily them by hanging a baby mobile over their crib. Some mobile toys play gentle lullabies to help put your babies to sleep, although that is not very recommended for healthy sleep.
In essence, a baby mobile distracts a baby from the fact that they’re not being held and plays a gentle lullaby to put them to sleep; what more could a mom wish for?
- Can be educational
Depending on what you buy, some baby mobiles operate on batteries, enabling them to add a plethora of electronic functionalities. Some mobiles can play educational music while hanging, while others can convert into a full educational music player for young children.
If your baby’s crib mobile has some buttons, it may be fully capable of transforming into a piece of educational equipment. Contact the manufacturer to see some cool tricks you can pull off without buying any extra hardware.
- It gives you time
While your baby can benefit tremendously from a baby mobile, you can also do too. While you can’t play with the mobile, you can get some free time while your baby plays with it, which is more than enough benefits.
If you’re looking for a way to get work done without watching your baby cry, a crib mobile can serve you perfectly. It will keep your baby engrossed, giving you time to go about your daily duties.
Disadvantages Of A Baby Mobile
Baby mobiles aren’t flawless. There are still some downsides to using them, which is what you’ll be learning in this section.
- Could keep babies awake
It’s quite ironic that mobiles may be doing the opposite of one of their initial functions; helping babies sleep. While mobiles are still being marketed as a structure that helps your baby sleep, experts link studies that show they’re ineffective at that,
If you’d like to keep baby mobiles at much risk of disturbing their sleep, consider getting one that doesn’t play any soothing song. It sounds counterintuitive, but that’s an expert opinion.
- Could cause a choking hazard
A baby mobile has many moving parts, and if you’re not careful enough, one of the parts may fall on the crib, presenting a choking hazard. To avoid this, it’s crucial to fix a baby mobile securely to the crib to minimize any chances of falling.
You should also prefer mobiles with short strings to prevent any incidents. You should also pull the individual toys gently to ensure they aren’t too loose to fall on the crib.
Factors To Consider When Buying A Baby Mobile
A baby mobile can either be an excellent investment, depending on what you buy. There are specific characteristics of mobiles that ensure safety and maximum comfort.
If you don’t know what to look for when choosing a baby mobile for your baby, this section will help. Here are some of the top factors you need to consider to purchase a safe and convenient baby mobile for your baby, and of course, for you.
- Manufacturing quality
The first thing to consider when choosing a baby mobile for your baby’s crib is the choice of materials used in manufacturing the toys. You should also examine how the parts come together to decide if it’s safe to keep it above your baby’s crib.
You can also check if the baby mobile you’re willing to buy meets all the safety standards for a baby’s toy. While that sounds a bit like going over the top, it’s worth it, at least, for your child’s safety.
- Design
Nobody wants baby mobiles that look boring, not even babies. If you want a mobile that does what it’s made to do, you should get one that looks nice with the rest of the room where your baby’s crib primarily stays.
There is no single best design for a baby mobile, it all depends on your personal preferences. You can find one in almost any color there is, and you can even ask for one to be made specifically for you.
Baby mobiles also feature different toy designs. You can choose toys looking like little animals or characters from cartoon movies if that’s what catches your fancy. You can even experiment with different ones to see what’s more interesting for your baby.
- Music choices
If you think having a hanging toy sing your baby to sleep is a great idea, you can find battery-powered baby mobiles that offer this very functionality. However, it helps to listen to the music before buying the item to avoid wasting money.
Some baby lullabies play music at loud volumes without offering an option to adjust the volume. This can be somewhat disturbing to your baby, impacting their sleep, and even possibly scaring them, defeating the main purpose of the toys.
How Much Does a Baby Mobile Cost?
The prices of baby mobiles vary widely depending on the features and design materials. A battery-operated mobile with speakers that play soft music to the baby while they sleep will be more expensive than a bland one.
Baby mobiles can cost anywhere from $25 to $200, and they’re available on most retailers that sell items for moms. To get a high-quality baby mobile, try getting one that costs over $100 to get all the great features that come with a high-quality baby mobile.
