If you are a parent to an infant, you’re probably familiar with floor seats. You may even use one for your child. If not, they’re equipment designed to put infants in a seated position. You may use one while trying to complete a task. There are several brands on the market but some are better for your child in terms of spine development.

In the past, I was of the mindset that if a baby can’t get into a position on their own, they shouldn’t be put in that position. However, as I’ve continued my education, I have learned this is not always accurate. Infants often have the strength to support themselves in a seated position before they have the strength and coordination to push into that position from their belly or back. If your child has good head control and they aren’t rounded through the low back when seated, it’s perfectly fine to practice sitting with them. This also means they’re ready to use a floor seat for short periods of time. We see signs of readiness after baby rolls from belly to back and back to belly. Just remember that all children develop at a different rate.

Which Floor Seats Are Best?

Here are my suggestions on the best floor seats as well as what you should modify or avoid.

Bumbo

I would stay away from their original floor seat. The design puts baby’s pelvis into a posterior tilt causing flexion of the lumbar spine. This causes baby to lean back, but their head control makes them lean forward leading to forward head carriage and rounded shoulders. (Spoiler alert – we see this in adults who have neck pain, upper back pain and tension headaches from being in this position too long!). Their multi-seat design is a much better alternative.  If you already have the original, you can place a small towel in the seat – no need to go out and buy something new.

Upseat

This is my number one recommendation. The design of the seat is better for your child’s pelvis. It has sides that wrap around their torso to keep them more upright. It also has a tra for them to to play on. Although it is a higher price point, it turns into a booster seat so the longevity justifies the cost in my opinion. 

Sit Me Up

This is a great option at a lower price point, but it requires some modifications for younger children. The bar tends to be too high on the chest, limiting the child’s ability to play. Try folding a towel under their butt to raise them up a bit. This way they can use their hands and play in the midline.

Ideally, children will be given plenty of floor space to lay on their back, belly or sides to facilitate strength and development of all the muscles necessary for their next milestone. Floor seats were created to put babies in an upright position, allowing them to play with their hands, take in their surroundings, and interact with those around them. Just make sure to support them with towels or blankets if you find them leaning significantly in one direction.

I recommend limiting use of floor seats to 10-15 minutes per day and following up with double floor time. I realize this isn’t always possible, so if you need to use it more, just balance it out with floor time or less use the next time.

If you have questions about any of this information or need a demonstration of it, reach out to me at [email protected].