SWING | 2020-2021

Designers: Thomas Birkert, Mark Tebbe and Simon Kang, Munchkin PD Team, Munchkin, Inc., Van Nuys, California, USA
Manufacturer: Munchkin, Inc., Van Nuys, California, USA

The Munchkin Swing is a soothing baby rest that mimics the natural motion of a parent’s body. Unlike rockers or conventional baby swings, the Swing has a gentle lateral movement that simulates being in a parent’s arms.

The Swing also has a Bluetooth-enabled speaker built in, so users can stream their favorite songs from a mobile phone or laptop computer.

Even without a device, users can play an assortment of pre-loaded sounds, including four classical music songs by Bach and Mozart.

Finally, the Swing manages to pack its functionality into a sleek, attractive appearance that’s both minimalist and futuristic—desirable qualities for design-conscious consumers who want to experience a product as much as own it.

All this in an easy-to-setup product that can be taken apart in one step for convenient storage or travel.

Design Innovation
The Swing offers a unique combination of innovative features that work together.

The first innovation is the Swing’s movement system.

Most baby swings or rockers either hang from a rigid arm or rest on curved legs, then they move back and forth or side to side in a semi-circular arc like a playground swing or a rocking chair.
This motion causes the baby’s head to bob repeatedly. The angle of the baby’s face relative to the floor changes as well.

The ideal baby rest should simulate the motion that a baby experiences in a parent’s arms. When parents rock babies, they tend to hold them securely against their chest. Then parents sway their entire upper bodies from side to side in a lateral motion.

The Swing reproduces this gentle movement, gliding the baby from side to side. At all times, the angle of the baby’s face relative to the floor remains steady.

There is no disorienting head bobbing. And this motion is achieved in a way that is mechanically safe and secure.

In addition, the Swing comes with a high-quality Bluetooth-enabled speaker that allows users to stream their favorite music from a device or even play the speaker’s pre-loaded sounds, including eight soothing ambient sounds and four classical music songs.

Finally, the Swing is as easy to setup and take apart as it is beautiful. With the pull of one button, the seat and base separate into two pieces that can lie flat on the floor—even under a bed.