Amby Baby Hammock

My 2 month old loves this hammock. He wouldn't sleep anywhere but my chest or in an unsafe rock and play. Thankfully, he sleeps 3-4 hour stretches happily in this hammock. I wish I would have gotten this for my first baby. And I wish they had an adult version for me! It sways when he cries which sometimes sends him back to sleep without any work on my end.

We have four kids and all spent 15-24 months in the hammock. Our eldest got too tall for it but it helped him with his ventouse cone head. The other 3 also slept perfectly in it for as long as we could keep them in there. We bought it as we read it stopped them rolling over, and sure enough we never had that issue. The added benefit was that it packed down easily into the size of a long bag and meant they had their bed wherever we were, which was awesome for getting them to sleep in strange places. We still loan it out now to those who will break with convention and give it a go. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Researched and bought hammock, because our baby girl has reflux and is very unsettled. Many long nights.

Although I could bounce and swing her, she wouldn't settle enough to sleep. I'd end up always taking her out and she spent the nights In the cot instead. I tried different heights and played around with elevation, but she didn't enjoy being cramp and squashed up, with not much freedom to stretch out her legs. So by 6 weeks she was becoming more comfortable in her cot anyway because she could stretch out and turn her head more comfortably, which seemed to sit her.

Look, I loved the idea of the hammock. I bought one when my son was 3 months old and too big for the moses basket. He was a more wakeful baby, and I hoped it would help after reading all the glowing reviews. Well, within a month he was sleeping 6-8 hours at a time and we thought, amazing! It totally works. Well, spoke too soon on that one. At 5 months almost to the day, he began waking every hour despite the hammock, which persisted. He had no reflux, no medical issues, just a wakeful baby. After three weeks of getting up a stupid number of times a night taking him out of the hammock, resettling and putting back in (the bouncing of the hammock NEVER worked for settling him) I gave up and put a side-car cot on our bed so I didn't have to get up. We've been bedsharing ever since and thatrestored my sanity. Slowly, our son then went to waking every 2 hours to eventually (at about 15 months) beginning to sleep 6 hour blocks again. That took a long time, and I could not have used the hammock while dealing with that. So I used the hammock overall for perhaps 2.5 months. The only time I've used it since was when he was sick and the elevated head position helped a little.

So, I think like with all baby things, be cautious about putting your hopes in this. People who've had great success with it I think are very vocal about loving it, but I see a few reviews from people who haven't had those successes. For some people who's kids sleep lovely in them, I think they might have slept lovely in whatever bed. In our case, it did not prevent a wakeful baby. Caveat again that our baby was not colicky, just wakeful and perhaps higher needs. I see someone else here saying that it doesn't help a baby who isn't in it from birth ... well, our son seemed to sleep wonderfully in it, then stopped sleeping wonderfully. That pattern of sleeping is really common in other friends' children who never slept in a hammock at all, so I suspect in our case (so in at least some other cases too) the hammock really didn't affect how our child slept. He probably would have done the same thing regardless of the bed.

So, in summary:

LIKE: It looks lovely. Good quality construction and materials - I'd give it 5-stars for that. You get what you pay for. It's also portable, and when our son was little it was heaps better for travel than any portacot. I loved how it disassembled - the design is marvellous.
DON'T LIKE: Not the miracle sleep device for us that many people claimed. Relatively expensive, especially when it's not as flexible as a cot. The "package" including the Jump-Jump is not worth it. My son also grew out of it (length-wise) long before 12 months old.

Wish I had used a hammock (if only I'd known about them!) My DD is so content in it! She's only 6 weeks old and by 2 weeks she was already sleeping 6 hours over night. its amazing. I had 2 colicky babies and had to sleep them on an angle and try to get them comfy in a bassinet but my new Bub the difference is amazing!!! Can't recommend enough. Best baby shower gift ever! Nothing beats mum having a good night sleep!

We loved our Amby hammock. I (and many people I know) was a little sceptical at first because it's so different from the traditional bassinet, but knew we'd made the right decision when a midwife visited our house a few days post-birth, and she commented that she recommended the Amby hammock to anyone having difficulty with colic or reflux (we were lucky enough to not experience either) - she knew many parents who had benefited from it. A CHN also told me she thinks hammocks are a great way for babies to sleep.

My little girl slept soundly in it, and the swinging / bouncing motion was a godsend in the middle of the night to prolong sleep, or on those days when she needed a bit of extra help getting off to sleep. I'll admit though, that we've got an excellent sleeper, so can't attest to it being a 'miracle' answer to sleep problems.

The frame is very sturdy, but also easy to assemble / dismantle (even without instructions) and transport in the carry bag. I traveled overseas with it and managed to bring extra items back in the bag (goes into oversized luggage so didn't add to my bag weight) - a bit cheeky but very handy!

The mesh at the sides creates plenty of airflow and also makes it easy to peek in at bub to check what's happening in there, as we often had a sheet / swaddle draped over the frame to limit distraction.

The only downside for us was the thin foam mattress and lack of waterproof / resistant covering. If bub spewed / wet through in bed it just went straight through the fitted sheet to the mattress. We ended up wrapping a towel around the mattress under the fitted sheet which worked fine.

Overall very, very happy with this product and highly recommend. An added bonus is how lovely it looks in any nursery or bedroom :)

I thought I'd write this review for parents such as myself who are struggling with a challenging baby that doesn't sleep well and looking for something that will help. We were pretty desperate when we decided to purchase the Amby air baby hammock - at 3 months of age bub was still waking every 1 or 2 hours through the night and never sleeping more than 40 minutes (but often much less) during the day. Silent reflux had been diagnosed at 11 weeks, which explained her excessive crying, and the medication stopped the crying, but the sleeplessness remained the same.

After reading all the glowing reviews, we forked out for a second-hand Amby Air package, which included the jump-jump for $280. The spring was so incredibly stiff that it took all my strength to bounce it up and down, so the hammock didn't function properly at first - I contacted Amby who advised I had to buy a second, looser spring, which bounces easily, for $35 including postage. So it was an expensive purchase, even second-hand, which we could ill afford, but as I said, we were desperate for some kind of miracle cure for bub's sleeplessness.

Bub took to the hammock without protestation and didn't sleep any worse than she had in her bassinet - but didn't sleep any better either. Over a month later, at 4.5 months of age she is still waking every 2 hours through the night. We have just gotten a referral to Tresillian.

It sounds to me as though this product is excellent for babies if used from birth, but if trying to aid a baby who is already in a bad sleeping pattern, as ours is, it's completely ineffective. We have seen karitane nurses, midwives at the baby clinic, paediatricians multiple times - we have tried rocking, patting, wrapping, a darkened room, white noise, lullabies, no noise, bassinet on an angle... and an amby baby hammock. But no success yet. I know the desperation of trying to find a solution for a terrible sleeper - and had hoped this would be our miracle cure... but it wasn't.

Just wanted to write this to help other parents in the same position and potentially save them the $300+ we could really have used elsewhere.

n.b. The hammock is nicely made, sturdy, seems comfortable etc. I have no complaints with the product. It just doesn't miraculously send my baby to sleep as I had hoped it would. (According to the star guide, 3 stars=ok. Anything less is bad or terrible. Hence I've rated it 3 stars).

I loved the idea of a hammock, but was a little unsure at first. My babyboy looked so tiny in it! - and all the fear mongering around me didn't help. However, as my son settled in happily, my confidence grew. A few months later and we are both absolutely loving the Amby Baby Hammock experience. He bounces himself to sleep and settles in easily - or at least must easier than he has on the few occasions when I put him into his cot. At almost six months it's getting a little snug, but I'm definitely keen to continue using the hammock for as long as possible.
The only downside so far have been the fitted sheets that came with the hammock. the rubber bands on them did completely disintegrate after only a couple of washes. Very frustrating - and a huge health and safety hazard, as the sheet sits no longer tight and the rubber-less strap presents a choking hazard. I am a little surprised, given that the quality of the other items is great.

We've used the hammock for all three kids and I've loved it. It looks beautiful and they settle so easily in it. It's great to be able to bounce them back to sleep so easily when you're half asleep yourself. Only draw backs where it's hard on your back being so low to the floor. When I had the third baby I'd injured my back since I'd last used it and I found it difficult on my back. Also I had big fat babies and by close on 6 months they were getting to squashed in it so I had to stop using it even though weight wise they could have stayed in it.
looks, perfect for newborns , babies like it.
hard if you have a bad back, outgrew it too fast , expensive.

DS1 was a difficult day-sleeper, so when I was pregnant with DS2, we decided to buy an Amby hammock. We love, love, love this hammock. He slept in it for day sleeps from birth - 12/13 months (when he no longer wanted to be confined by the hammock). He learnt to self-settle by wiggling a little, which bounces the hammock. It is very easily to set-up/dismantle too - so we have taken it to playgroup, parties, on holidays, etc to ensure DS2 could have a good sleep. We have just started using it for DD1. She will sleep less than an hour in the cot, but up to 3 hours in the hammock!

One word about safety - the only time my son ever tried to roll over in the hammock was when he was crying - so he was quite safe whilever he was happily sleeping. But, to put my own mind at rest, I only used it for day sleeps (with a video monitor), so that I could supervise him. At night, he slept in the cot. Still think it has been worth every cent!!
Babies are snug & comfortable; teaches them to self-settle
As babies get older, need to supervise to ensure they don't roll over in the hammock.

The Amby is the most worthwhile investment we made for our daughter. She slept in it from birth to 9 months. She is a big baby weighing almost 12kgs by the time we transitioned her to her cot. She never once tried to roll in it, and I believe that she was such a settled baby primarily because of this fantastic product. The Amby is just so beautifully snug around them. I have often commented on how great it would be in an adult size.
I have now passed it on to my best friend who's previous babies have been difficult to settle (as were my previous two).
I recommend it to all my friends and always get the photo out on my iPhone to show people.
It is amazingly portable. In the first 3 months it had crossed Australia twice and had been on several road trips. Super easy to assemble and dismantle.
My little one learnt to rock herself to sleep by lifting her bum up and pushing. Very handy.
Also, it was right next to my bed which made it easy for me to get bub out and feed her during the night, or put her dummy in. My feet literally did not have to touch the ground.
Value for money - I got a lot more use out of this than any of my friends did with a Moses basket.
It is a little low to the ground, especially if bubs is heavy. The 25kg spring could be sold with it initially instead of th lighter one. Very small negative in comparison to all of the positives it offers.

This is one fantastic bit of kit! Our little one has been sleeping in it since he came home from hospital at 4 days, and he is now 3 months old. He sleeps in it day and night, and seems to love it. In fact, even when he wakes up after a nap, he will sit in it for a while without crying - I think the bouncing motion when he kicks keeps him happy. I have the hammock set up next to my bed, and so can rock/ bounce bubs to sleep after his night feed whilst lying down myself. Result: both bubs and I get more sleep every night! The only worry I have is how to transition him out of it when he outgrows the hammock, but to be honest it's the least of my worries... bubs sleeping well, and the fact that I got to sleep in the first crazy few weeks after birth is so worth it. Hubby loved it too - it meant he was completely tired in the morning for work!
Baby loves it - sleeps well, day and night!
Bubs will outgrow it someday!

I read alot about this from different sites. Bubs sleeps reasonably well in it- also great to help rock her back to sleep. I got the white one and its very pretty- would definately recommend getting a spare mattress just in case- very easy to clean and light weight although the stand is quite large.
Bubs sleeps well and is easy to rock her to sleep
Stand quite large but definately secure! Quite low so can be a bit tricky putting baby into hammock

We originally bought a Miyo Baby Hammock for when our daughter was first born (as it looked much nicer than the Amby one) but she grew out of this by 4 months and so we bought the Amby hammock instead.
Now 13 months old, our daughter still sleeps in her hammock and loves it. When she was smaller we used to swaddle her before putting her into it but even now she still has never tried rolling onto her tummy in it (and she is a very active baby in general). When she wakes up we go into her room to find her using her tummy muscles to bounce herself up and down in it with a big grin on her face - it is a complete delight!
The hammock seems to be a much more natural, comforting place to sleep rather than on a hard mattress in a cot. Our daughter is always SO happy to go to bed and the movement of the hammock swinging helps her go to sleep really quickly - I have never had to walk around the block in the pram just to get her to sleep. The hammock is easy to move from one room to another and if you get the travel bag it is great to take on holidays and so quick to set up. It has been really easy having it next to our bed at night as you can just reach out and bounce her back to sleep again without having to get out of bed!
The instructions are a little bit vague when setting it up initially.
The Australian website for this product is very clunky - the USA & British ones are much better.
The mattress stuffing is polyester (I think?) - it would be great if they had an all cotton option.

Overall I think it was a very worthwhile purchase for us. We also have the old style wooden rocking cradle, but feel that the hammock is safer as bub starts to move and roll more. Again wished I got more use out of it with my 2 older kids.
Has been great for my 3rd bub. Wished I had bought it for my 1st child.
It's so easy to get baby to sleep in and also a great space saver if you don't have room for a cot next to your bed. I just swing bub in it at night sometimes when she wakes up to get her back to sleep. It's also so portable, something you could take on holidays or even to grandparents place.
If bub gets a bit big from 6mths on, it can be a bit hard to put baby in or take out. It says you can have bub in up to 12mths I think, but I can't see that happening at home. I have seen kids quite big sleeping in the hammock at my boys daycare and they seem ok with it. So it just depends on the child I guess and how much your back can take lifting the child in and out. You can also buy extra springs to take heavier kids.

- Cheaper than a cot @ $298.00 inc. mattress.
- Easy to clean - throw it in the washing machine.
- Mattress fits in "King" size pillow case.
- Comes with a carry bag.
- Frame fits through door frames so can be moved easily from one room to another.
- Child is able to self settle due to the motion.
- Cool and airy in Summer (We have an average temp of 42C and she sleeps in it day and night).

At the hospital I used the crib they provide and my baby screamed and screamed. At 4 days old, she started sleeping in her hammock and would only wake for 1 feed between 9pm and 6am. From 5 weeks old, she started sleeping through the 2am feed and has been doing so ever since - currently at 4 months old she is sleeping 9pm - 7am in her hammock.
Cheap, easy to assemble, lightweight, sturdy, portable
It can be awkward to get the baby in as the opening is narrow, but you soon figure out how to get the child in.

This is honestly the best baby thing we brought (I think I've raved about it so much that everyone in my Mother's Group is buying one for their next baby!). Our daughter slept in hers from day one until she was about 10 months old (in a sleeping bag) and swapped to her cot really easily.
Excellent concept. It's fantastic when bub is very young and learning to sleep as you can settle them in their own bed rather than picking them up to rock them. And it's small enough to have next to your bed. You can take it everywhere with you - it's really simple to set up and means that you have a constant, familiar sleeping environment with you all the time.
We replaced the mattress after about 5 months as it became very flattened - we got a piece of high density foam cut to the same size. We also made extra sheets - the ones that came with it weren't very nice quality.

I loved the hammock when my baby was a newborn and up to about 4 months. He slept really well and quickly slept long stretches through the night. When he did wake up, it was easy to 'bounce' him back to sleep without breaking your back. The manufacturer claims that the hammock can be used until the baby is 2, which I find hard to believe. Several of my friends also used this hammock, and none of us got more than 6 months' use out of it as babies just get frustrated in it once they are a little more mobile. I would use it again, but move my baby more quickly as we had several weeks' worth of sleepless nights when a previously contented sleeper didn't want to sleep anymore - until we realised he wanted a bit more freedom and moved him to a cot.
Excellent for young babies to go to sleep in and be soothed.
Attractive design.
Reasonably portable.
Easy to handle and rock / bounce baby back to sleep.
Expensive.
Doesn't last very long as most babies will get frustrated in it once they can (and want!) to roll.
Not accredited in Australia as a 'safe' cot - though it is in the UK, which presumably means it is OK.

We loved it was the best baby purchase we made by far, both babies have slept in it from birth till they were around 1 and then transferred easily to the cot. it was great as they were able to resettle themselves a lot of the time with the rocking and bouncing once they woke up, and if we had to go in and settle them we rarely had to take them out of it just bounce them back to sleep, Our first baby slept through at least 10 hours a night in the hammock from 6 weeks old even with bad colic, our second baby had more severe colic but only woke once a night until 4 months when he slept 12hours a night. Fantastic for travelling. Both my bubs were colicky so it helped with that as they were slightly elevated.
excellent loved it both was great for settling and good for travelling as it was their familiar bed too. easy to set up
has been recalled in the US but not here in AUS

My son loves his hammock and so do we. He has slept very well in it since birth and we've had lots of lovely unbroken sleep as a result. We recommend it to everyone.
Easy to dismantle and take anywhere, so our son always feels 'at home' even when he's in a tent. He puts himself back to sleep with the motion, can't roll onto his stomach and hasn't suffered from a flat head, because the hammock curves around him.
The hammock hangs quite low down with the weight of a baby, so not good if you're suffering from a bad back.