We considered over 21 possible test products for our bassinet review, and after much research, 14 options made the final cut. The bassinets in this review underwent months of testing side-by-side to determine which options were top performers in metrics such as ease of use, breathability, sleeping surface, quality, and eco-health. The information we discovered can help you make the best decision about which bassinet to purchase and if you need a bassinet at all.
Why Purchase a Bassinet?
While bassinets are not a must-have item for babyhood, we think they have their place and often make the first months of babyhood easier on parents and babies. They can increase the opportunity for bonding and sleep while potentially decreasing the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by keeping the baby in the same room with you at night. There are various bassinet choices, but the benefits of including one in your baby gear list can provide peace of mind by keeping the baby close at night so you can see them and tend to their needs with as little disruption to your sleep as possible. Studies indicate that sleeping in the same room with your baby can potentially decrease SIDs, while theories abound on why we feel the why is less important than the belief that it does.
Here are some common reasons you may want to consider adding a bassinet to your gear list:
- You are interested in having the baby sleep in your room or next to your bed
- You are interested in co-sleeping with your baby
- You desire a portable bed that you can move from room to room to keep your baby nearby during their early days
- Your baby's birth did or may include a C-Section keeping your baby nearby will help aid in healing
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its safe sleep guidelines. Since safety is a priority, this source is your best reference for safe sleep information.
Types of Bassinets
Products of this kind come in three basic flavors with some crossover that several could fall into, making them a little more versatile.
Co-Sleeper
The co-sleeper developed as a response to parents' desire to sleep with their baby and feared the possibility of injury or death reported with bed-sharing. Co-sleepers usually attach to the master bed or sit close enough that their design allows them to swing or sit directly next to the side of the bed. This bassinet style is theoretically designed to allow parents to reach and attend to the baby without getting out of bed. This means you can potentially soothe and feed your baby in the middle of the night without getting up. We like that you can touch your baby and even pick them up for nursing without getting up and walking around your house. It's a great way to sleep with baby without putting them in your bed where injury could occur.
Freestanding
This style is usually larger or designed to stand away from the crib on its own. While you can place some of them next to your bed, their design often prohibits reaching your baby or truly taking care of them without getting up. You can usually see them so you can ensure they are sleeping and not in distress, but you'll need to get out of bed to offer anything more. Often this type can be moved from room to room, and some even have 2 or 4 wheels for easier transport.
Travel Crib with Bassinet
Sometimes travel cribs come with a bassinet attachment, or you can purchase a bassinet as an accessory. This transforms the crib or play yard into a safe place for your baby to sleep in their early months. These accessories usually have a weight limit or limit based on when the baby reaches certain developmental milestones. The benefit of this style is it extends the life of your travel crib and makes it more versatile because it can go on travel with you, and the baby is already used to sleeping in it. Depending on your goals or needs, this can be a good solution, especially for parents who travel frequently or rely on others for baby care.
Important Details to Consider
The designs and features of these products are about as varied as the lifestyles they cater to. Regardless of your lifestyle, however, there are a few important considerations for every family to consider, no matter which option they decide to purchase.
Breathability and Sleep Surface
We think two important metrics and design features make a big difference in this kind of product's overall safety: breathability and the sleep surface included with the product, particularly not only how well it fits the frame but also how well it can support the baby and prevent any kind of accidental entrapment.
Side Walls
The safest products are designed with wood slats (like a crib) and mesh walls that provide proper airflow for safe breathing for your little one, especially if they manage to get their face into a position where it is pressed up against a sidewall. Several of the products we tested did NOT have all-around breathable sides, which left us concerned that they could impair a baby's breathing should they snuggle up to the sidewall. In fact, a few are very similar to a crib bumper that experts agree should not be in a baby's sleeping area due to a potential SIDs risk.
With padded walls covered in canvas, we feel the UPPAbaby Bassinet is not suitable for unmonitored overnight sleeping because the sidewalls are built to protect the baby from the wind while strolling and, therefore, not air permeable or breathable.
Supportive Mattress
We found a common complaint about bassinets to be that the mattresses are too thin or firm. However, there is a reason for this. ASTM standards state that a bassinet mattress "must be less than an inch thick and the mattress should be firm." The guidelines are proven to reduce the risk of SIDS and have been chosen for this reason. We strongly recommend you never alter, tamper, or change the mattress that comes with the bassinet. The mattresses should fit the sleeping area without significant gaps or movement around the pad. The pad shouldn't compress too much or result in a low spot when a baby is sleeping on it. The mattress should be firm to support the baby and should be designed to prevent their mouth and nose from becoming obstructed.
Many crib and cradle mattresses rest on MDF boards(a manufactured wood similar to plywood), which are controversial since MDF does emit formaldehyde. If this concerns you, look for a product that meets the CARB Phase 2 criteria (many do not), which ensures that it emits an extremely low level of formaldehyde, similar to the amount that is emitted by trees, and therefore, not considered a threat to babies. If you still have concerns, we recommend avoiding the BabyBjorn Cradle as it uses a CARB Phase 2 MDF board under the mattress, which hurt its eco-health score in our tests.
Portability/Mobility
Depending on how you plan to use your bassinet, you need to think about whether it is mobile enough to move around your house and/or whether or not you can easily pack it up and take it on the road. If you are looking for a stationary co-sleeper that you'll leave attached to the bed, then it won't matter as much. But if you travel a lot or plan to have your childcare giver use the bed away from your home, then it will matter more.
Even if a bassinet has four wheels and you won't be moving it very far, you should never move a bassinet with your baby inside. Accidents and mishaps can occur while moving that could potentially result in injury or death. It is safest to move the baby from the bed to a safe location and move the empty bed with both hands.
Size and Weight
Size and weight are pretty important, depending on your intended use. If you plan to move it from room to room as an extra space for the baby, then weight matters, and believe us, having a product that is really huge and clunky will be a major inconvenience.
The footprint or size also matters because it can limit where you use it, especially if your home is small. A few other things to consider: will you need to move it over the stairs? How wide are your doorways and halls? Are there awkward turns you'll need to negotiate? The weights in this review ranged from around 9 lbs to over 33 lbs. The high-ranking BabyBjorn Cradle is 12.1 lbs, while the HALO Bassinest Essentia is a whopping 33 lbs thanks to a metal stand and frame.
How do you decide which bassinet is right for your family?
With so many potential options, it can be difficult to know what kind to get or how you plan to use it. Friends and family may step in and suggest you get a particular kind or specific model, but depending on your parenting goals, their suggestions may be nice but potentially useless. Here are some simple steps to break down the decision-making process into one or two potential options that could be a good fit for your family.
Step 1: How will you use it?
This is a crucial question because it will cut your options virtually in half. If you plan to co-sleep with your baby, then you have a few options that will work well and keep your baby close by and within reach. While some co-sleepers can be used as freestanding options, most freestanding bassinets make poor co-sleepers. If moving the baby's bed from room to room or from house to house is more important to you, then the size and portability will play more of a factor in your decision-making process.
The babybay Bedside Sleeper is an excellent co-sleeper that attaches to your bed and is height adjustable for a good fit for most beds. However, purchased alone, it cannot be used as a stand-alone bassinet. You need to buy a conversion kit to turn it into a freestanding product. The HALO Bassinest Essentia doesn't attach to the bed, but it can swing over your bed with a side that dips for easy access to the baby. This makes it a unique co-sleeper that works well as a freestanding option.
If you are interested in co-sleeping with your newborn, it is imperative that you do so safely. Bed-sharing is never a safe option. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics says simply, "Bed-sharing is not recommended for any babies." Luckily, companies are designing innovative solutions for sleeping closely and safely next to your little one. This is where a co-sleeper comes into play. Traditional co-sleepers are designed to attach to the side of your bed as a sort of "extended" sleep area, a space just for a baby away from possible hazards like sheets, thick blankets, and human bodies.
Step 2: Do you want to move it?
If you plan to move your bed from room to room, you'll need a lightweight option or potentially has wheels. Large and heavy products will make regular movement difficult and a hassle unless they have wheels. Smaller and lighter is easier, but wheels can make a huge difference in ease of movement. If you plan to set it and forget, then the weight is less of an issue. If you need to use it in a home other than your own, then you'll want to choose a product that can pack up and be transported easily.
The babybay Bedside Sleeper is heavy, larger, and doesn't have wheels. It also has a lower sidewall, so it cannot be safely used as a standalone without an additional accessory. The HALO Bassinest Essentia is also hard to move because it lacks wheels and is heavy (33 lbs). You can move it, but you won't want to. The best travel options are, not surprisingly, the travel crib cross-over products, the Graco Pack 'n Play On the Go Bassinet and the Lotus Bassinet.
Step 3: What is your budget?
The prices of bassinets vary widely between $50-435. This means there is something for everyone in this review, no matter your budget or needs. Once you've narrowed down whether you'd like a co-sleeper or a freestanding option and whether or not you plan to move it frequently, you may be down to only a handful of options. Your budget can be the deciding factor that often decides for you, but if your one true love is out of your price range, you can always put it on your registry or seek help from family to make your dream bassinet a reality.
Conclusion
Choosing the right bassinet for your family's personal needs can be more difficult than you originally thought once you see all the possibilities. Through our rigorous testing process, we found that many have specific features that make them better suited for certain scenarios, such as co-sleeping and portability. We think that the variations tested in our complete review cover almost any plan or goal, so you can find the perfect choice for your baby.
