Chicco Duo Play Gym

1. Posted: Jun 2 2008

   I previously owned the Fisher Price Kick and Drive Gym which my first child used. She loved it and played with it for quite some time. I loved that the kick pad actually made the toy come on. It was also very easy to move from the lying position to the sitting position. The wheel does make a noise that could scare some children if they are not used to it but it was no problem for us. The Chico gym is a joke. The foot panels do nothing more than squeak like a dog toy. It is not electronically connected to the rest of the toy. Also, you have to disassemble the gym in order to simply move it down to the sitting position. I wish I had never sold the Fisher Price one. I can say that it is attractive and does do the job as far as a toy goes, but don't count on getting any time for yourself out of it.

2. ( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Sep 27 2006

   Like many overhead gym type toys, this one turns out to be for short or legless babies. When my daughter kicks the kickplates, she kicks the toy right away from her (and this is on carpet), and when we brace the toy against something, she kicks herself right out from under the toy. We have found the same to be true for a number of similarly designed toys. Now that we have looked at the box more closely, the baby in the picture has his/her legs bent really hard in order for the baby to fit under the toy. Our daughter is 3 1/2 months old and is already too big for this. On a positive note, this is a very well made toy in all other respects. Looks durable, as are all Chicco toys, and the music and lights are pleasant. Another negative: you apparently have to push the two hanging toys to get them to activate sound and lights, and most babies want to pull them. Might be good for a tummy toy, but we're not waiting for that--we'll try the Chicco 3 in 1 gym instead, as it appears to be a much better bang for the buck and does not have a kick plate.

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