Review: The Luca Glider by Monte Designs

As I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my firstborn, I (as almost all first time moms) scoured the internet searching for the right pieces to go into our babies nursery.  This task seemed so big and all for such a little baby that really doesn't know or care what is in his or her room.  EXCEPT, give them something to glide or rock them in.  A glider or rocker is a must in any nursery and for what the options are out there, it really takes some searching to find a good looking glider.  I was lucky and was able to spurge on the glider or rocker we decided on because my parents were awesome enough to have kept the baby furniture from when I was a baby and gave it to me.  I couldn't have been more thrilled about that.  Not that it's the furniture I would pick if choosing brand new but the sentiment was there and I LOVED it!  I digress. 

I couldn't bear to bring myself to buying a wood, traditional glider that seems to be very popular.  Don't get me wrong, there's nothing 'wrong' with them, just completely NOT my style and I would actually be a little sad if I had to have one in my house.  ;)  I found the LUCA Glider and fell in love.  A few reasons why:  First, it has a high back, which was important to me, I wanted to be able to rest my head behind me.  Many of the more modern looking gliders available are low back, which is fine, but I knew I'd be crying along with my babe if I couldn't keep my head up at 3am.   Second, it comes in several different microfiber colors, you can chose a different color piping for accent and it comes with a cute back pillow that you can chose even another color for.  Third, it's fully upholstered and looks great.  Forth, we'll be able to actually place it elsewhere in our home after we're done in the nursery.  Fifth, there's a matching ottoman, which is a must. 

I did actually have a complaint recently, there was a strange dull noise coming from the bottom of the base while gliding.  I called the manufacturer and they had us take a picture to show them the issue - the screws going into the block of the base leg was coming out on both legs.  They offered to send us a new base so that was great.  My Husband is very handy and had actually repaired it in the meantime, and it was an easy fix.

I must say, if you have something you want to splurge on in the nursery, I would highly recommend getting yourself a good glider.  The amount of hours you'll log in that one chair is staggering and to sit in comfort and a good looking chair makes not seem like forever. 

Another great option is the Modernica Rocker Arm Chair.  This is a fantastic chair that would be perfect for a smaller space and definitely a chair that could be placed anywhere in your home.   I'm planning on getting this rocker for my oldest son's room, his toddler room once his little bro' gets here.  I'm a big fan of being able to rock or glide the babes!  I've been told by 'S' (this is the rocker she has) the chair pad is a must.  I think it will be a great place for reading with a toddler and small enough for them to get in and out of without worry.  This chair also comes in a great variety of color options.

Now that I've owned the Luca Glider for a year and half it still has a most smooth glide and it looks great.  I couldn't be more happy with it!  I chose the brown microfiber with ecru piping - it's too die for!

Here's to gliding into baby bliss - STS

Comments

[Susana]

THanks for this review...How is the cushiness, compared with one of the ugly but so comfortable wooden gliders?

[Sara Spence]

Susana the cushiness is fantastic!  I've spent endless hours in the chair and have never been uncomfortable.  I do have the ottoman, which is key for me, but my husband doesn't use it much.  I think it's super comfortable to have my feet up while rocking.  My sister has a wooden glider and I actually think mine is more comfortable. 

Hope that helps.  It definitely stands up to any wooden glider.

sts

[Glider rockers]

Love the "luca glider" and the manufacturer looks very honest. But that modernica is seriously retro un-cool IMHO.

[Cindy]

Thanks for the review!
We went out and purchased the luca glider, and we absolutely love it.
Great blog!

[Caroline]

I have had the Luca glider for almost 2 years and am actually not very happy with it. It looks great and glides smooth...but if you have ever had to spend an entire night in it rocking a sick baby you will curse yourself for buying it. It is not very comfy for your neck, arms, or behind. It is also very narrow- and I am on the small side. Especially Uncomfortable when nursing. I'm not sure what to recommend because I also did not want the typical wooden rocker in my son's room. Oh. And this is our second chair because the gliding bottom broke after 3 months.

[Jen]

We had our luca for almost 3 years now, and it is by far the most comfy chair we own. We are having another baby in 4 months, and plan on buying another one for our second childs room. Best glider on the market!

[Chad]

We have a Luca Glider as well and have had it since last April. We love how it glides and have been happy with it up until recently it started cracking and squeaking while we rock our daughter to sleep. John, from Monte Design, has been helpful in trying to diagnose the problem, but no offer of help thus far. I'd love to know how Caroline had her chair fixed ... I assume it was under a 1 year warranty. Anyone else have the squeaking issue or cracking once in a while?

[sylvia]

I suppose this is a late reply to Chad but yes, we also have been battling the squealing issue with our Monte. It is under 1.5 years old and we are expecting baby #2 in a month. I've written Monte, hoping for a suggestion. We've tried WD40 with no avail. It started happening a month ago, loud enough to keep our 14M old awake while rocking. I love the comfort and look of the chair. However, I'm not sure the quality is there. I'll keep you posted on our success with Monte. Hope they send us a new base or at least diagnose the problem. I think something is broken with the base mechanism. We paid a little more to buy a "quality" chair that would grow with our growing, modern family. Hope we made the right choice....

[sylvia]

Well... my last post definitely deserves a follow up. Our chair is fixed. Monte was amazing to deal with. Jason (guy from Monte) asked me to take pics of issue, then came to my house promptly with a new base. Within 10 mins, it was installed and chair glides beautifully. now that is what I call customer service and caring about your customers and your reputation for quality. He was also pleasant to deal with. I will definitely purchase from them again and I highly recommend their products... for people who like modern design with functionality.
My rocker is ready for baby #2. Here we go again :-)

[Shana]

Sylvia -- So appreciate your original comment AND your follow up. I had actually added "call and figure out what is wrong with Monte" to my to-do list after your last comment...so glad that they made it right!!

[sylvia]

Good Grief... my preggo brain is at it again. The guy from Monte was not Jason (Jason is our dog trainer who happened to be here the day I posted this, lol). The guy's name from Monte is "John". oops.
I'm glad they fixed it as well... just in time for next baby. phweew. Thinking of investing in the ottoman this time as well :-)

[sara]

Sylvia - Thanks so much for the comments. I wrote the original article and after I wrote it we had the same problem with our glider. We did talk to Monte and they were just about to send out a new base to us, but my husband is the do-it-yourself type and already had it fixed by the time I was getting around to calling them back to get it ordered. I believe I spoke with John too, but it was awhile ago so now I don't remember. The problem with ours was the wooden screws had pulled away from the base and it would make a clunking sound when rocking. My husband reinforced it with bigger/longer screws and nuts and it's been back to it's wonderful self ever since.
In regards to the ottoman - I couldn't live without mine. Especially with #2, I needed my feet up more than ever. Still LOVE my LUCA.
Although, I am head-over-heels for the Grano Glider Recliner. To have the feet up option and not take up floor space with the ottoman would be nice in my living room.
My Babes LOVE the Cubino chair too. It's perfect and just the right size.

Can you tell I’m a Monte Fan? ;)

Happy gliding!
xo,
ss