Doorway Jumpers
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Jumper won't fit door jamb
Jan 2000
I would like to use one of those hanging bouncy seats that hangs from the door jamb, but I have very deep molding around the door and the bouncy seat clamp won't fit around it. Has anyone found a solution to this problem? Or is there a bouncy seat with a larger clamp? mj
I've heard that the old model Fisher Price doorway bouncers have the widest opening and fit the wide moldings on old houses. anon
This may not be the advice you are looking for, but here goes: our pediatrician warned us against using the boucer seats. She said they are dangerous. Carolyn
We nailed extra strips of molding onto either side of the existing molding over the door, at the right height for the bouncy seat supports. It supported our 25-pounder until he outgrew the seat, and it was easy to fill the nail holes when we took it down. The only disadvantages were that 1) it wasn't so attractive; and 2) that we only felt like modifying one doorway, so we couldn't move the seat around the house. But he loved that seat--it was totally worth it. Katy
We affixed a jig consisting of 3 pieces of wood - like half a rectangle - directly onto the ceiling in the middle of our living room. We fastened it to a beam with screws, not nails. It was very sturdy and safe, my husband was able to dangle from it. It measured about 3 inches by 6 inches. The best part was that the swing was right in the middle of everything, not just off in a doorway. If you're handy you could probably invent a jig of your own that would work just as well. We avoided a T-shaped jig because we felt the swing could slide off too easily. Mary
We painted small pieces of wood the same color as the molding, and nailed them to it. They seemed to support the bouncy seat (and our daughter) without any problem. Melissa T
I found a great jumper at Walmart that cames with a base instead of the cables that attach to the door jamb. The whole unit is about that same size as an exersaucer and it works the same way as the regular jumper but to me seemed so much safer. With the regular model I had concerns about the jumper cables popping off the door jamb mid-jump but this one works great. Rhea
Does your child use a jumper?
Jan 2000
I was thinking about getting one of the jumpers that you clamp into a doorway in your home. Does the jumper just go up and down, or does it sway easily from side to side. I was concerned about the width of the doorway and whether or not a child could get injured. Also how long did your child enjoy the jumper? Is it worth the investment? Does anyone have one that they would like to part with?? Thanks! Rachel
My three and a half month old just started using the jolly jumper (ours is a Cosco brand and I believe we bought it at WalMart). She loves it! It does swing from side to side but she has never pinched a finger or bumped anything in our standard size bedroom doorway. I was worried about that when I bought it a few years ago for her older sister, but there haven't been any problems. My older girl didn't really care for the toy. We bought it for her at five months, so maybe she was too old when we introduced it. But the joy our younger one gets from it makes me glad we kept it. John
I purchased a similar item for my son from Wal-mart that performs the same but is attached to a base with bungee type cords instead of the door frame. It's about the same size as an Excersaucer and height adjustable. I felt much more comfortable with this because I was afraid that the Jolly Jumper could pop off the door frame and injure my child. I think its called a Bungee Bouncer and its made by Cosco. It cost around $30 or so. My son is now 11 months and he still has a great time in it.
a word of advice on the doorway jumper - it's great and babies love it, I think, but if you have an older home you may not be able to find a doorway to use it with! That's because if your walls are too thick the clamping device at the top doesn't open wide enough to grasp the doorframe properly. I bought a jumper at Rockridge Kids and they never warned me about this (in spite of the fact that nearly all the houses in the neighborhood are circa 1910) and they wouldn't give me a refund, either (just a credit, which is OK but I was still out of pocket). So, measure before you buy! Fran