Stop me if you’ve heard this one…
You’re all done setting up your new baby swing.
You’re excited and desperate, hoping it will finally help baby get to sleep.
(So you, in turn, can get some sleep. Or get some chores done in peace for once.)
You turn it on.
And it starts making an awful sound.
What do you do?
Don’t worry!
If your baby swing is making noise, I’ve got a few tips for you on what might be causing the noise and how to quiet a baby swing.
The main kinds of noise we’re going to talk about below:
- Clicking noises
- Grinding noises
- Squeaking or creaking noises
Usually, you can at least soften the noise with a few adjustments to the base or legs of the swing, or by weighing the swing down (sometimes the swings are louder when swinging empty). If the noise persists, you might have to get a replacement part or a new swing altogether.
Let’s take a closer look.
(And scroll to the bottom for my pick for the best quiet baby swing to buy.)
Problem: Baby swing making a clicking noise
This one is extremely common with a lot of baby swings.
When you turn it on, you may hear a rhythmic clicking, usually at the top of the swing’s arc.
This one is probably more annoying than anything else. If you’re hearing this noise, it probably means the swing is moving and functioning properly, but the noise is just a bit of a bother!
What’s probably causing it:
There are two main things to look for here. One is normal and fixable, the other is normal and unfortunately not fixable.
Normal clicking noise from changing gears
When the swing reaches the top of its arc, it’ll often switch gears or have some other internal adjustment so that it can freely swing back the other directions.
In lots and lots of models of baby swings, this mechanism makes a small clicking noise.
Unfortunately, if the noise is normal and being caused by healthy operation of the swing, you may not be able to fix it.
You can call the customer service line of the manufacturer and complain, and they may be able to send you a new unit. But you’ll likely have the same problem.
Misalignment or swing off balance
The clicking could also be from a simple balance issue with the way your swing’s base or legs have been set up.
Kind of like how your washing machine can spin wildly out of control from even the slightest misalignment, baby swings can make some funky noises when they’re off balance.
Fortunately, this one is a lot easier to fix.
What might fix it:
Try these quick fixes to get rid of a clicking noise from your baby swing.
Adjust the leg position
Search online discussion forums and you’ll find quite literally thousands of parents who have had problems with this clicking issue before.
A large majority of them say simply pulling or spreading the legs of the swing apart a little further was able to quiet the noise.
You could also try moving the swing from a carpeted area to hardwood or tile, or vice versa, and see if a simple change in landscape helps.
Just get used to it
This might not be the answer you WANT to hear, but the truth is that a rhythmic clicking noise is probably not going to bother your baby.
It might bother YOU. But that’s another story.
If you’ve tried adjusting the swing’s base and it hasn’t helped, the noise could just be part of normal operation. In that case, if it’s not disrupting baby I would just learn to live with it in most cases.
Problem: Baby swing making a grinding noise
A clicking noise is probably not a big deal.
But a grinding noise? That’s not something you want to hear out of your baby swing!
Let’s look into what might be going on.
What’s probably causing it:
Simply put, there is something wrong with the swing in all likelihood.
That means performance issues with the motor. Something inside (maybe the gears) is misaligned and malfunctioning.
In other words, a grinding noise from your baby swing is not normal!
However, it’s possible that without any weight in the actual seat of the swing, there’s not enough tension on the gear and motor mechanisms, and that could cause some trouble starting and/or grinding noises in certain swing models.
What might fix it:
You have a few different options here.
Try weighing the swing down
With your baby in the swing weighting down the lever arm(s), the noise could improve.
However, you’re forgiven if you’re not super comfortable putting your child in the swing while it’s malfunctioning.
In that case, you can try really anything that weighs about the same as your baby and will fit in the swing.
Some people online placed medicine balls (around 5-8 pounds) in the swing as a weight to test if that would quiet the noise down and straighten the gears out.
This might work for you, or there could be a more serious problem inside the motor.
Get a replacement swing or parts
If the grinding noise persists, there’s definitely something wrong with the swing or its motor.
A small amount of noise is acceptable from any motor (very few will be 100% silent), but it shouldn’t be an awful kind of noise that might interfere with baby’s sleep.
Contact the manufacturer’s customer service department and make a complaint. In all likelihood they’ll:
- Have you send the swing in for servicing
- Process a return and send you a new swing
- At least be able to help you diagnose the issue
The customer service numbers for a few popular baby swing manufacturers are:
- Fisher-Price: 1-800-432-5437
- Graco: 1-800-345-4109
- Ingenuity: 1-800-230-8190
- 4moms: 1-888-614-6667
Problem: Baby swing making squeaking or creaking noise
So we know that clicking is usually not a big deal.
Grinding is usually indicative of some kind of motor problem.
How about squeaking or creaking noises?
There are three possible causes of this kind of noise from everything I’ve seen in my research.
What’s probably causing it:
If your swing is squeaky or making a creaking noise, it could be from:
Baby is too heavy for the swing
30 pounds is usually about the top end weight limit for most baby swings.
Though many models really cap out around 15-20 pounds.
If your baby is pushing these limits, they could simply be putting too much strain on the swing and its motor mechanisms.
Hence, the creaking sound!
Swing is getting old
If you’re using a used or hand-me-down swing, it probably has some wear and tear from years of use.
Joints, gears, and other parts of the swing could be rubbing against one another, or even slightly rusted.
Age and wear are pretty common causes of squeaking and creaking in baby swings, as these noises are way less common in brand-new swings.
Poor assembly
If you were in a hurry while assembling the swing, or maybe had trouble getting certain screws, bolts, and fasteners tight, there could be too much wobble and movement in the swing base.
This is a pretty common cause of noise when the swing is brand new and not worn down yet.
What might fix it:
The fix here will really depend on the cause.
If baby is too heavy, get a new swing!
You have to move on at some point.
I know, I know. You don’t want to admit he’s growing up.
But your options at this point are to:
- Keeping using an unsafe swing
- Buy a swing with a higher weight limit
- Stop using swings
If the swing is old, try a little WD40 on key joints
There could be some rusting or just regular wear and tear happening on the swing.
See if you can isolate which joints or parts are making the majority of the squeaking noise and spray them down with a little WD40.
Important: Clearly, you need to keep the WD40 spray away from the actual seat of the swing or any parts that come into contact with baby. Wipe down any excess thoroughly and be smart about this! The lubricant should help with the creaking, though.
You can grab a can of WD40 really quick from Amazon right here.
If all the screws, bolts and fasteners aren’t tight, go back and tighten them up!
This one’s easy.
Check the swing for loose or wobbly parts and tighten them up as much as possible.
You can also check while you’re at it to make sure the alignment of the swing is good, the legs are properly separated, and it’s well-balanced.
You can move it to a different flooring or make adjustments as needed, which should help with some of the noise.
If you’re fed up or starting from scratch, here’s one of the best quiet baby swings you can buy:
The large majority of reviewers online and on Amazon call it almost silent, and it’s one of the few swings that won’t make that clicking noise at the top of this motion.
(Some people say it does… however, they seem to be in the minority and may have gotten a faulty model.)
Beware of changing speeds on the swing while baby is sleeping, because some parents write that changing speeds does make a short clicking noise.
But the operation of this swing is meant to be near-silent.
If you haven’t bought a swing yet and are looking for a good, quiet option, or you’re just fed up with yours and none of the fixes above worked, you might want to look into the Cozy Kingdom.
Check out all the reviews on Amazon and read for yourself.
Wrapping Up
Unfortunately, a little bit of noise from your baby swing can be normal.
Especially a clicking noise at the top of the swing’s arc. Most swings will have that and it’s nothing to worry about as long as it doesn’t wake baby.
Grinding, squeaking, and creaking noises, however, could be a sign that something’s wrong.
And the issues can quite often be fixed with just some simple adjustments.
To recap, always make sure:
- Baby fits the swing’s weight limit
- All screws, bolts, and fasteners are tightened
- Swing legs and base are properly assembled and spread apart
Hope that helps, parents!
Related Questions
My Graco swing is making a clicking noise! How do I fix it?
Try the tips above in this article!
Adjust the leg position and make sure the swing is properly balanced and not wobbling around.
If that doesn’t work, it could be normal clicking from the swing changing gears.
I’d call Graco customer service at 1-800-345-4109 for help.
My Fisher Price swing is making a grinding noise, a motor noise, or a clicking noise. How do I fix it?
Scroll back up and try the tips in this article, they’ll work on Fisher-Price swings!
Namely, you’ll want to make sure the swing:
- Is on balance
- Is assembled properly
- Isn’t bearing too heavy a load
Outside of that, I’d call Fisher-Price customer service at 1-800-432-5437
My Mamaroo is making a clicking or grinding noise! How do I fix it?
Mamaroo’s are great swings, but they can be prone to all the same problems as the swings above.
Double check that:
- Your Mamaroo is on balance
- Your Mamaroo is assembled properly (tighten loose screws!)
- Your Mamaroo isn’t bearing too heavy a load
Otherwise, I’d be very careful about disassembling it on your own unless you’re quite handy.
Call Mamaroo customer service at 1-888-614-6667.