6 Best Small Nursery Chairs for Your Tiny Nursery

Searching for a small nursery chair to squeeze into your tiny nursery? Don’t worry, you won’t have to sacrifice comfort and style! Let’s take a look at some of my top picks for nursery chairs for small spaces!

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When you’re planning your dream nursery, you might be dreading squeezing everything in the limited space you have. I get it! My daughters’ nursery was small. Calling it “tiny” might be a stretch, but it definitely required a little creative arranging. My glider chair was squeezed into the corner of the room, about a foot away from their crib. 

But guess what? It worked and it looked adorable!

If you’re looking for the best small nursery chairs for a small space, I think you’re going to like this post. I intensively researched this topic while I was pregnant and found quite a few keepers. I think you will too! Let’s go over my top picks, the nursery glider to win in my house, and some considerations you should think about before choosing.

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The 6 Best Nursery Chairs for Small Spaces

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase from one of the links I will make a small commission at no charge to you. Blunders in Babyland does not diagnose, treat, or give out any professional advice for any medical conditions.

When I curated this list, I was a little picky. First of all, these chairs can be found on Amazon. When I first started using Amazon Prime, I was a little nervous about buying big furniture items. Fast-forward two babies and five years, I adore it. If your chair doesn’t work for the space, the returns are super-easy and you have Amazon customer support to back you up on everything. Also, if you’re REALLY pregnant and have no zero desire to assemble a glider yourself, many of these products offer the option to purchase professional assembly as well (depending on your location).

Not to mention that Amazon Prime is your best friend for finding discounted diapers, adorable clothes, and other newborn essentials. If you don’t have a membership to Amazon Prime, you can get that here. 

I would also highly recommend that you add these chairs to your Amazon Baby Registry, because after your baby shower date,  you may receive an additional 15% discount. 

Alright, let’s get to the small nursery chairs, shall we?

Babyletto Kiwi Electronic Power Recliner and Swivel Glider with USB Port – The Bells and Whistles Choice

Don’t get me wrong, I love the nursery glider we purchased, but this one has all the bells and whistles, so I kind of wished we had bought it instead.

Babyletto offers modern nursery essentials, like cribs, dressers, and, of course, small gliders for your nursery. 

The Babyletto Kiwi Recliner is sleek, comfortable, and it’s a fantastic choice if you’re looking to minimize space. I also love that it gives you the option to recline during nursing sessions (honestly, I could not have breastfed for 13 months without propping up my feet for every session. I’m not kidding). 

The materials are Greenguard Gold certified, which means your baby is safe from chemical emissions like formaldehyde. I also love that the yarn is 30% composed of recycled materials. As such, the fabric is very resistant to stains (i.e. spit up and errant breastmilk), and very flame-resistant.

So, that’s why this narrow nursery glider is a responsible choice. Let’s talk about why it’s a fun choice! 

The Babyletto Kiwi Recliner offers fun features like power reclining and  a built-in USB charger. You never notice how low your phone battery is until you start nursing your baby. Trust me…

Let’s talk about the downsides…the back is pretty straight. While this chair does come with a lumbar support pillow, you might consider purchasing something a little sturdier if you notice some pain. Also, some customers have complained about a rust stain on the fabric, made by a bracket. It looks like Babyletto took care of these customers, but it’s still definitely something to keep an eye out for. 

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE

Storkcraft Tuscany Glider and Ottoman: My Choice!

The Storkcraft Tuscany Glider and Ottoman served me for two babies! It neatly fits in my small nursery and has comfortably supported me for many breastfeeding sessions. The back reaches just below my head, giving my neck plenty of support. On the rare occasions my 5’11” husband sat in it, he claims his neck was well-supported as well.

After five years, the cushions on the seat and arm rests have become a little worn, but honestly, it’s not bad at all. I feel like I could easily nurse another baby and still feel comfortable!

If you have enough room in your small nursery, I would definitely recommend using the ottoman. After a while your legs ache from those long breastfeeding sessions.

Another feature that I fully appreciate are the side pockets. I store everything in there. Wipes, my phone, binkies, and, now that the girls are bigger, storybooks. 

The biggest customer concern with this glider is creaking with age. However, I’ve owned this glider for 5 years and haven’t had any issues. The other downside is, well, it’s a pretty narrow nursery glider. It was large enough to fit my pregnant self in, but it might be a tight fit for larger frames. 

If you’re searching for best gliders for a small nursery, you’ve probably run across the Storkcraft Premium Hoop Glider and Ottoman. These models look very similar. I chose the Tuscany because I wanted the upgraded padding (looking closely and you can see that the Premium Hoop is more lumpy) and the included lumbar support. 

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE

Kinffict Small Rocking Chair

If you’re looking for a modern rocking chair for small spaces, check out the KINFFICT small rocking accent chair. It’s adorable and features plenty of color options. The loop teddy material is incredibly soft, and stain-resistant due to its polyester composition.

This rocking chair is probably best for shorter people, as it sits close to the ground (which is excellent if you have a little toddler running around).

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE

DaVinci Piper Upholstered Recliner and Swivel Glider

If you don’t care about power reclining or a usb charger, the DaVinci Piper recliner is one of the best nursery gliders for a small space. It’s Greenguard Gold certified (remember, this means low emissions!), swivels a full 360 degrees, and has excellent lumbar support! Not to mention, it’s as cute as a button. 

Best of all, as a recliner, you can rest your aching feet without having to worry about an ottoman taking up precious room in your nursery.

The downside is, this is the widest chair on our list: 34”. But, it does have nice, wide armrests that are extremely comfortable. 

Customers RAVE about this chair. With over 1100 reviews with a 4.5 star rating, it’s safe to say that lots of moms and dads love this chair!

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE

DaVinci Gabby Pillowback Swivel Glider

Let’s say, you just want a glider. You don’t need a recliner and you couldn’t care less about ottomans. The DaVinci Gabby is a great option for you. Like the Piper, the Gabby is Greenguard Gold certified, made from responsibly-farmed materials, and offers a smooth glide and 360 swivel motion. A large difference is the backing on the chair. The Piper is made from a traditional foam cushion, whereas the Gabby is equipped with a polyurethane foam. 

This glider is also significantly smaller than the Piper. So, if you’re looking for a glider for a small nursery (like, very small), this could be the right one for you.

The downside is, the armrests aren’t as comfortable as the Piper and there isn’t as much back support.

DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE

Is a Glider or Rocker Better for a Small Nursery?

Whew, so we just went over a good amount of rocking and glider chairs. How in the world are you going to choose one?

First, let’s go over the difference between a rocker and a glider. It’s all in the base. A glider base is stationary. It’s usually built on a square, metal frame that does not move. The motion is all in the track below the chair. When you hear the term “nursery chair”, you’re probably talking about a glider.  

A rocker is equipped with arced legs. Think those cute wooden rocking chairs that in sit in front of Cracker Barrel, only cushy-er.

Rockers seem to offer small widths and they are a little quieter (no squeaky mechanisms). However, because the motion of the chair relies on the legs, rockers do tend to move across the floor, which can be a little annoying. And, if you have a toddler in the house, you need to constantly remind them to keep their little fingers away from the legs.

So, with all that said, is a rocker or glider better for a small nursery? It honestly depends on your preference. They take up about the same amount of room, but there tends to be more design options for gliders. 

How Much Space Do You Need for a Nursery Chair?

I would probably give yourself about 40” deep and 36” in width. That gives you plenty of space to rock/glide without having to worry about hitting the wall, and enough width to allow for grabbing supplies out of the side pockets.

Important Features to Consider When Buying a Nursery Chair for Small Spaces

Size

Measure the space you have to work with. Depth and width is going to be your biggest limitation for a small nursery. When purchasing a small nursery chair, take into account the depth of the chair when it’s reclining/rocking backward and allow a little room for the forward gliding motion.

Materials

Assuming you choose fabric over leather, go for one that is easy to wash off and stain-resistant. Microfiber is soft, but it does tend to show stains more. Anything made of polypropylene is usually fairly fade-resistant and stain-resistant.

Emissions

Many of the gliders on this list are Greenguard Gold certified. If you or your baby has sensitivities to VOCs, this can be a huge relief.

The Motion

Rocking and gliding feels very different. When purchasing a small nursery chair, you should consider both. If you’re not sure which motion you prefer, try going to a furniture store and experiment. Note that baby retailers like Target and Buy Buy Baby often display these chairs and you can test them in-store. 

Cushioning and Comfort

This is a big one. You are going to be sitting in this chair for long, long hours. You need to be comfortable. For this post, I only selected gliders that were voted as comfortable by parents. However, everyone is different. Do you need more back support? You might need a more supportive back cushion like the Babyletto or DaVinci Piper. Keep in mind that you can also purchase lumbar support pillows (which I would also recommend for any chair that you sit on long term). 

Additional Features

Think about the non-essential features that will make your life easier. Side pockets, USB connections, power reclining, safety stops…these features can hike up the pricetag but can be so, so worth it!

Which Small Nursery Chair is the Best?

First, decide on what is “best” for you.  If you want a decked-out glider for a small nursery, the obvious choice is the Babyletto. If you’re more concerned with finding a budget-friendly glider, I would go with the Storkcraft. Every glider and rocker on this list is a good option, you just need to choose which features are your top priority.

Okay, happy shopping!

If you found this article helpful, let me know below. I’d also love to know which rocker or glider you ended up choosing and how it’s working out for you. Your response will be so helpful to other parents!