Every baby needs a crib before graduating to a bed! But until that point, you’ll tuck your little one to sleep with a baby bassinet, which you can place right next to your own bed.
Before you purchase a baby bassinet for your beloved infant, you’ll want to consider what it brings to the table and what it includes:
- Is the bedside bassinet fitted with breathable mesh sides for extra airflow? Or is it made with some other material?
- Does the bassinet allow you to follow safe sleep guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics?
- Does the bassinet come with a fitted sheet or a cushion? If so, make sure that it’s appropriate for safe sleep.
- The best bassinets may sometimes double as travel cribs. Alongside allowing ample airflow, they allow your baby to sleep while you are on the go.
- Does the bassinet’s sleep surface make it easy for you to swaddle your baby, which will help your baby sleep in the long run?
- Does the bassinet have a storage space for baby gear? Many baby cribs do, so you might want a bassinet that can do the same thing.
- Can the bassinet produce a rocking motion and make a calming sleep environment? Or does it generate white noise or music?
- What’s the weight limit of the bassinet? If it’s around 20 pounds, your baby will outgrow it fairly quickly.
- Does it adhere to safety standards from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other organizations?
These are all crucial elements for parents and caregivers to consider. After all, if you want the happiest baby possible, you’ll want to make sure that your bassinet is high-quality, helps your infant sleep soundly, facilitates night feedings, and allows you to carry out diaper changes without too much difficulty!
Let’s take a look at the 10 best baby bassinets you should consider buying for your baby as a new parent.
Best for Multipurpose Use: KoolaBaby 3 in 1 Baby Bassinet, Bedside Sleeper, & Playpen, Easy Folding Portable Crib
Key specs: 33 long, 20 inches wide, 33 inches high
When it comes to multipurpose bassinets for the ultimate sleeping space, you can’t do better than the KoolaBaby 3 in 1.
Pros
You can use this baby bassinet as a bedside sleeper, a portable crib, and even a playpen. You can fold it up and move it around, and it features adjustable height controls. The collapsing side wall also makes it easy for you to reach in and grab your little one in the middle of the night for breastfeeding or soothing.
Cons
On the downside, it’s really only a good choice for the first six months or so, with a maximum weight of 20 pounds. Note that this bassinet isn’t machine washable, either.
Best for Easy Access: HALO Baby Flex BassiNest, Adjustable Travel Bassinet, Easy Folding
Key specs: 40” x 29” 42”
If you’re looking for an easy-access baby bassinet, the Halo Baby Flex BassiNest is a perfect choice.
Pros
This is a flexible, highly easy-to-use bassinet. It tilts from side to side, and you can even rock it gently to soothe your baby to sleep at night. The easy lowering wall allows you to scoop up your baby to feed them or cuddle in bed. Consider this as a stellar baby gift to fellow parents or loved ones!
Cons
While the bassinet comes with a mattress pad, it’s not the most comfortable or plush pad on the market. It’s also only hand washable, so keep this in mind. You may wish to combine it with other blankets or pillows. Plus, it only has a maximum weight capacity of 20 pounds, so it may not last very long for your baby.
Best for Sleep and Storage: Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper Bassinet
Key specs: 34 inches long, 20 inches wide, 35 inches high
The Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper Bassinet is a top choice through and through, offering both comfortable sleeping and storage options.
Pros
This baby bassinet has two different modes: a bedside co-sleeper bassinet or a freestanding baby bassinet, depending on your preferences. More importantly, there’s a large storage compartment at the bottom where you can store diapers, bottles, and so much more.
Cons
This is a great choice for parents who want everything in one place, but it’s also a pricey bassinet compared to other options.
Best for Traveling: Chicco LullaGo Anywhere Portable Bassinet
Key specs: 30 inches long, 18 inches wide, 28 inches high
Chicco LullaGo’s Anywhere Portable Bassinet is perhaps the best choice overall for traveling since it can collapse or be folded up and then put in a luggage bag or car trunk without too much trouble.
Pros
This polyester baby bassinet can hold up to 20 pounds and only weighs 11 pounds by itself. It’s easy to assemble, with snap-on legs, and you can take it apart to travel anywhere you need to go. There’s a convenient storage pocket located on the bassinet so you can keep essentials close at hand.
Cons
Some might find that it’s too large for true portability. On the plus side, it is available in several different colors and styles depending on your preferences!
Best for Rocking: 4moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet
Key specs: 34 inches long, 24 inches wide, 39 high
The 4moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet is an expensive, though ultimately worthwhile, baby bassinet for a variety of reasons.
Pros
For starters, this bassinet is 100% comfortable cotton, and it has a birch furniture finish. More importantly, this bassinet features five motion settings, five speeds, and four white noise options for you to choose from. Bluetooth functionality and a proprietary app make this an advanced, smart bassinet for little ones who are a bit fussy or who have difficulty falling asleep.
Cons
The price is the biggest downside here, as you’ll spend several hundred dollars. In addition, it’s not the most travel-friendly baby bassinet, though it could be a great choice if you only need one for your bedside and are content with having other bassinets for trips.
Best for Portability: Graco Pack ‘n-Play Dome LX-Playard
Key specs: 12.5 inches long, 22.6 inches wide, 31.22 inches high
The Graco Pack ‘n-Play Dome LX Playard is a popular baby bassinet thanks to its portability.
Pros
Technically, the bassinet itself can’t be moved very easily. Instead, it comes with a carrying bassinet and travel dome, which can fold up and comes with its own carrying bag. The travel dome can be combined with the primary bassinet, so you’ll always have a place for your baby to sleep.
With both the bassinet and the dome, it can be configured into a play yard, raised bassinet, or diaper changing station to keep your baby close and comfortable in a variety of situations. The removable quilted diaper changer is also a nice touch.
Cons
It’s a bulky bassinet, however, and it’s a little more expensive compared to other options on the market. Still, if you want a bassinet that gives you safe places for your baby to sleep everywhere, you can’t beat this option.
Best for Music and Sounds: Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet
Key specs: Beech finish; no assembly required
Fisher Price’s Soothing Motions Bassinet is one of the best baby bassinets overall, and it’s not too expensive.
Pros
Along with a nightlight, this bassinet plays up to 30 minutes of calming sounds, music, and vibrations and produces a calming sway motion. It’s a perfect choice if your baby doesn’t fall asleep very easily every night. Alternatively, if your baby doesn’t like rocking, you can lock the bassinet in place to minimize any swaying motion and ensure your baby feels safe and sound all night long.
Cons
You can’t adjust the height, and some of the materials are dry-clean only. However, this bassinet does have a maximum weight capacity of 40 pounds — for that reason alone, many parents might want to give this bassinet a try!
Best for Easy Cleaning: Dream On Me Traveler Portable Bassinet
Key specs: Made of aluminum and polyester; no assembly required
The Dream On Me Traveler Portable Bassinet could be exactly what you’re looking for if you’re tired of bassinets that are difficult to clean when your baby makes messes.
Pros
This bassinet is made of aluminum and polyester and has a soft polyester foam fabric. The padded mattress can be removed and folded for storage or cleaning. Mesh walls ensure plenty of ventilation for your baby and visibility for you. With five different finishes available, you can make the bassinet blend in with any decor or interior decoration style. It’s also a lightweight bassinet, only weighing seven pounds.
Cons
However, the bassinet doesn’t have a lot in the way of extra features or bells and whistles. Still, given the fact that it’s quite affordable, you may wish to consider this if you are on a tight budget.
Best for Convenience: KoolerThings Baby Bassinet
Key specs: 33 inches long, 20 inches wide, 33 inches high
The KoolerThings Baby Bassinet is one of the best baby bassinets in terms of pure convenience, as it offers several big benefits right out of the box.
Pros
This lightweight and durable aluminum bassinet is a four-in-one option, working as a cradle, bedside sleeper, play area, and take-anywhere crib. It’s great for babies up to eight months old, and there are five different height options to fit most beds and sofas. Folding the bassinet is quick and simple, and you’ll find that the storage basket at the bottom is perfect for keeping diapers, towels, and anything else you may need close at hand.
Cons
However, keep in mind that the fabric used for the bassinet is pretty warm. While it’s not irritating, it may not be the best choice for your baby, depending on your climate and how hot you keep the home in most cases. If you want bassinet sheets, as well, those will cost you extra instead of coming with the purchase.
Best for Early Days: Fisher-Price Stow ‘n Go Bassinet
Key specs: Made of polyester; assembly required
The Fisher Price Stow n’ Go Bassinet is perhaps the best baby bassinet overall for the earliest days of your little one’s life.
Pros
This affordable bassinet has a weight capacity of 25 pounds, and it’s made with affordable, comfortable polyester. It’s also incredibly easy to set up, even if you don’t have a lot of experience. It comes with a convenient travel bag and can produce calming vibrations to help soothe your baby. Perhaps best of all, the sleep pad is machine-washable!
Cons
This is a versatile and effective baby bassinet, but it doesn’t excel in any particular place. Choose this if you know that you’ll move your baby to a crib sooner rather than later.
The Bottom Line
Since there are so many baby bassinets to choose from, you might not know which is perfect for your little one. Consider each option’s offerings and advantages. For example, Fisher Price’s Soothing Motions Bassinet is perfect if your baby responds well to soothing sounds, while the MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet is the best of the best if price is no object. Whatever you choose, you’ll be sure to give your baby the safety and security they need to sleep soundly with any of these bassinets!
Sources:
- Room sharing with your baby may help prevent SIDS, but it means everyone gets less sleep | Harvard Health
- Why Rocking to Sleep Is a Matchless Sedative—and Elixir | Scientific American
- Tips on Dressing Your Baby for Every Season | Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
- What Is White Noise? | Sleep Foundation
