When it comes to keeping your baby safe and close by while sleeping, a bassinet can be a game-changer. Not only can it reduce the risk of SIDS, but it can also make nighttime feedings and diaper changes a breeze.
Bassinets are compact sleeping areas designed specifically for infants under five months old (1). They have a fixed base supported by freestanding legs and can be placed right next to your bed, giving your baby their own sleeping space while keeping them within arm’s reach.
With the popularity of bassinets soaring among new parents, manufacturers have started to add additional features such as vibration and rocking to help soothe your baby to sleep. However, these added features often come at a higher price point.
Regardless of whether you opt for a basic model or one with added bells and whistles, we have it all here so you can choose the best one for your needs.
Our Top Picks
- Best Bassinet Bedside Sleeper: HALO Baby Bassinet Bedside Sleeper
- Best Bassinet For Small Spaces: Chicco LullaGo Anywhere
- Best Luxury Bassinet: 4moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet
- Best Budget Bassinet: Dream On Me Karley Bassinet
- Best Portable Bassinet: Dream On Me Traveler Portable
- Best Bassinet For Travel: Chicco LullaGo Nest
- Best Bassinet For Tall Beds: Simmons Kids By The Bed
- Best Bassinet With Wheels: Arm’s Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper
- Best Rocking Bassinet: Graco Sense2Snooze Bassinet
- Best Bassinet For Twins: Simmons Kids By The Bed City Sleeper Bassinet for Twins
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Bassinets Picks
HALO Baby Bassinet Bedside Sleeper – Best Bassinet Bedside Sleeper
- The lowering of the sides is very nice as well
- The mesh sides make it easy to see the babies
- The swivel feature is great
- The drop-down side is perfect for tapping bellies while you lay down
- The music would only play for a few hours before the battery dies
The unique swivel design fits right over your bed, allowing you to keep a watchful eye on your little one without the need for co-sleeping. With its easy-to-lower wall, you can easily tend to your baby’s needs without having to get out of bed or strain your back. The bassinet is surrounded by mesh walls that provide optimal airflow and visibility, ensuring that your baby is always comfortable and secure.
What’s more, the Swivel Sleeper Bassinet is a versatile 2-in-1 design that can be easily converted from a bedside sleeper to a portable bassinet for daytime naps or lounging. It is compatible with beds that are 24 to 30 inches high, and the legs can be tucked partially or completely under the bed frame.
Chicco LullaGo Anywhere – Best Bassinet For Small Spaces
- Easy to assemble
- Mesh siding
- The included cushion/mattress fits standard bassinet sheets
- Lightweight
- This bassinet is not made for active maneuvering
The lightweight design and compact size make this easy to move from room to room, and the included carry bag makes it convenient to take on the go. Your little one will rest easy on the firm, level sleeping surface and appreciate the calming visibility and ventilation provided by the mesh side panels.
The bassinet’s textiles are also removable for quick and easy machine washing, while the waterproof mattress comes with a fitted sheet for added convenience. Small items can be stored close by in the mesh storage pocket, and strong metal legs make assembly a breeze. When not in use, the LullaGo Anywhere can be folded flat and tucked away in the included carry bag for hassle-free storage.
4moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet – Best Luxury Bassinet
- The sound machine moves with different settings
- Easy to assemble
- Comfy enough for baby
- The ability to operate it with your phone is great
- There are only two different heights
With five different motions, five speeds, and four white noise settings, you can find the perfect combination to soothe and calm your little one for every nap and bedtime.
The “Find Your Roo” feature in the 4moms app helps you match the bassinet’s motions and speeds to your own calming movements for a smooth and easy transition for your baby. The app also allows you to set a timer or make adjustments without disturbing your sleeping baby.
The MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet is designed with your baby’s safety in mind, adhering to the AAP Secure Sleep Guidelines for a secure sleep environment (2). It has adjustable legs and mesh sides for optimal ventilation and visibility, and a firm, flat resting surface for a comfortable and safe sleep.
Dream On Me Karley Bassinet – Best Budget Bassinet
- Ability to close up overtop of the bassinet
- The frame is sturdy and seems well made
- Excellent maneuverability
- Breathable
- Canopy not removable
This bassinet weighs only 12.4 lbs, and the aluminum frame makes it easy to move from room to room without any tools needed. It’s also simple to fold and take it outside, providing you and your baby with endless possibilities.
The Karley Bassinet is spacious and comfortable, with an adjustable double canopy that keeps your little one protected from the sun and pesky bugs. The connected storage bag allows you to keep all of your baby’s essentials within reach.
This bassinet is available in nine beautiful finishes to match any nursery décor, and its easy-to-clean polyester foam fabric ensures that it remains fresh and hygienic for your baby. It comes with a dual-sided, 1-inch thick mattress pad, meeting the safety standards of ASTM/CPSC.
Dream On Me Traveler Portable – Best Portable Bassinet
- The sturdiness is great
- Easy to assemble
- The storage bag makes it easy to transport and store away
- Lightweight
- You will need to add a pad for the bottom
This portable bassinet is not only stylish but also practical. With snap-on legs and a one-piece top construction, it can be assembled in a matter of seconds. The lightweight aluminum frame makes it easy to carry around, and it can be folded up tightly with its quick-fold mechanism.
The full mesh sides provide excellent ventilation and visibility, and the zipper cover is easily removable and washable. The bassinet is made of soft and secure polyester foam fabric. It comes with a comfortable, cushioned mattress that is easy to fold and store in small spaces. Plus, the entire bassinet is washable, so no need to worry about accidental spills or messes.
Chicco LullaGo Nest – Best Bassinet For Travel
- Easy to travel with
- Very easy to assemble/disassemble
- Mesh sides
- Safe to use
- The mechanism that folds the bassinet portion in half is a little tricky at first, but once you learn it, it’s quick
With this bassinet’s modern and spacious design, your baby is guaranteed to feel at home. The breathable mesh side panels provide ventilation, while the cushioned mattress and zip-and-wash cover ensures comfort and cleanliness.
The adjustable canopy with hanging toys creates a cozy environment to soothe your baby to sleep. Plus, the storage pocket is perfect for keeping all of your baby’s essentials close at hand. The LullaGo Nest Bassinet is also easy to take on the go, as it comes with a matching carry bag and can be folded and dismantled in under a minute.
Simmons Kids By The Bed – Best Bassinet For Tall Beds
- Stylish – it doesn’t look tacky
- Lightweight, so you can easily move it
- Adjustable height
- Has a pouch on the side for bibs, pacifiers, spit rags
- The pouch on the side is shallow
The modern Z-shaped frame of this bassinet is equipped with wheels, allowing you to easily roll it under your bed to keep your baby nearby while providing a secure sleeping space. The strong and adjustable base fits snugly next to most beds and is especially helpful for new mothers recovering from a C-section or those who are breastfeeding.
With the bassinet at eye level, you can easily comfort and care for your baby during those early months. Mesh sides provide ample ventilation and visibility, ensuring a safe and comfortable sleep for your little one.
Arm’s Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper – Best Bassinet With Wheels
- Wheels make it easy to push the baby around the apartment postpartum
- Great storage underneath
- The mattress is easy to clean
- Narrow enough to fit/move around
- The ties that hold up the sides of the storage compartment seem short
The Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper is a bassinet that provides the maximum visibility possible, allowing you to always see your child. This means you and your baby can sleep side-by-side in peace from the moment they’re born, just like with all the other Co-Sleeper bedside bassinets.
This bedside bassinet allows you to easily reach over and cuddle your baby for feeding, soothing, and bonding. It’s also very practical, with four castor wheels for easy movement around the house and built-in leg extensions to fit different bed heights. Additionally, this bassinet features a large connected storage basket.
Graco Sense2Snooze Bassinet – Best Rocking Bassinet
- It rocks very smoothly at 3 different speeds
- Cry detection does work
- The mattress pad is a lot thicker and more comfortable than most bassinets out there
- Easy to assemble
- Has only one type of motion
This bassinet has a unique feature that uses a built-in microphone to detect your baby’s cries and adjust the settings accordingly, providing the perfect soothing environment.
With head-to-toe soothing motion, three different speeds, two-speed vibration, white noise, 10 sleeping melodies, and 10 soothing noises, this bassinet has everything you need to keep your baby calm and happy. Plus, you can even store your baby’s preferred soothing combinations for easy access.
The reversible canopy keeps your baby protected from light, and the mesh sides provide ventilation and visibility. The mattress cover is removable and washable, making it easy to keep the bassinet clean. Moreover, the integrated storage organizer keeps all your baby’s essentials within reach, and the bassinet’s wheels make it easy to move around the house.
Simmons Kids By The Bed City Sleeper Bassinet for Twins – Best Bassinet For Twins
- The pockets are deep and convenient for placing small items
- The bassinet shakes and sways with the babies
- The fabric is removable
- Height is adjustable
- It doesn’t collapse or fold down more compactly
The Simmons Kids by the Bed Twin City Sleeper Bassinet is the perfect bassinet for twins who want to keep their newborns close by. Its modern z-shaped design and wheels allow you to easily place it under your bed, providing a safe and private sleeping area for your babies that’s still within reach.
The strong and adjustable base has five different height levels, making it suitable for all women, especially those who are breastfeeding or recovering from a C-section. With your babies at eye level, you can easily comfort and care for them throughout their first few months.
Mesh sides provide ventilation and visibility, and the bassinet includes convenient storage pockets for burp cloths, toys, and pacifiers.
Related: Best Bassinet Strollers
How To Choose The Best Bassinets?
- Size: A bassinet is smaller than a crib; however, some are more awkward than others in terms of size. How large is your room, exactly? Be honest with yourself about what will fit in your room, taking into account details like the distance between your bed and the wall, for instance.
- Purpose: The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages bed sharing for all infants; however, certain bassinets are ideal for travel while others incorporate rocking elements or are meant to resemble co-sleeping.
- Weight Limit: How long your infant may safely stay in the bassinet depends in large part on the bassinet’s weight limit. The longer you can put off moving them to a bigger crib and potentially out of your room, the greater the weight restriction.
- Soothing: It may be difficult to predict whether your baby would enjoy a gentle vibration, music, or a tiny rocking motion. However, I would always prefer to have these alternatives available when attempting to calm a fussy infant.
- Extra Features: Some extra features include a play area, music, a canopy, and stroller attachments. You should decide if you can live without these extra features or if you truly need them since while they aren’t compulsory, they come in handy whether you’re traveling or attempting to get your kid to sleep at home.
- Others: It is also important to make sure that the bassinet meets or exceeds federal safety standards. As well as 3rd party certifications like the JPMA. Or whether the bassinet has been recalled.
Types Of Bassinets
- Traditional Bassinets: These are crib-like sleeping arrangements that resemble those you may see in an old baby book or pram. Some feature straightforward, crib-like free-standing legs, while others have bottoms with wheels. There are numerous that have cloth sides and lightweight, foldable frames in addition to the fact that many feature a canopy and are built of wicker or wood.
- Bedside Sleepers: To make it simpler to reach the infant in the middle of the night, bedside sleepers are bassinets that are designed to snuggle right up to your bed (but do not attach to it).
- Swivel Bassinet: With a swivel bassinet, you can effortlessly move the revolving cradle closer to or farther away from your bed without having to adjust the stable base. In most cases, they feature strong steel bases with mesh sides for better airflow.
- Travel Bassinets: Soft-sided, portable cribs on wheels are known as travel cribs or play yards. However, if a crib has a designated bassinet mode, that should only be used until your infant achieves the age, weight, and milestone standards outlined in your product’s instruction manual. Generally, they may be used until toddlerhood.
- Smart Bassinets: Bassinets with extra functions, such as automated rocking, built-in sound generators, vibrations, and more, are relatively new on the market but parents like the increased functionality.
What’s The Difference Between Bassinets, Mini Cribs, And Playards?
- Bassinet: Think of a baby bassinet as an improvement on the standard infant cradle. Bassinets are often tiny and light, making them best suited for extremely young infants. Some are simple to store away when not in use because they have folding bases.
- Mini Cribs: They are perfect for small nurseries or for keeping in the master bedroom. Mini cribs are a common choice to keep at Grandma’s place because some of them fold flat. After three months, mini cribs may be a preferable option for room sharing because their weight capacities are frequently larger than those of bassinets.
- Playards: These are enclosed areas with mesh sides that are ideal for naps, nighttime sleep, or simply playing like a hotel room that isn’t baby-proofed. Playards often fold into a little tower, making them quite simple to transport, particularly if you’re driving.
What Is A Bassinet?
Smaller than a crib and intended for infants and younger babies, a bassinet is a sleeping area. Many bassinets are movable so your baby may snooze close to you during the day. Bassinets are often positioned next to your bed to provide you with easy access to your baby during the night. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that you and your little one share a room for at least the first six months and up to a year if possible (3).
Is It Worth Buying A Bassinet?
For the initial months, a bassinet could be a wise purchase. Because of its mobility, a bassinet may be something you consider even if you have a large home. So that you can keep your baby close to you when they nap and sleep at night, you may want to move the bassinet about the home. The cost is another aspect to consider though you should be able to find something that fits your budget most of the time.
Additionally, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Safety Standard, infant sleep products must have a sleep surface angle no greater than 10 degrees from horizontal to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and other sleep-related incidents (4). All the bassinets on our list adhere to this.
How Long Should Babies Sleep In Bassinets?
Until your baby weighs 15 pounds or begins pushing up on his or her hands and knees, whichever comes first, you may use the majority of standard bassinets. Around four or five months, many infants reach these milestones. However, a baby’s weight is only one of several variables that affect how long he or she can sleep in a bassinet. The other aspect of the picture is the development of physical ability. These are abilities that provide a baby with a greater chance of climbing out of or falling out of a bassinet.
How Do You Know When Baby Has Outgrown Bassinet?
It is no longer safe for a baby to sleep in a bassinet once they can roll over or sit up since they may easily tip it over or fall out. Another sign is when they stop eating in the middle of the night, your baby may be ready to leave the bassinet and use a crib instead.
How Much Should I Spend On A Bassinet?
The majority of models cost between $100 and $250, with entry-level alternatives starting at approximately $50. However, the cost of high-end choices with all the bells and whistles can reach $500 or higher.
