The 12 Best Baby Bassinets

A quick look at the best baby bassinets

• Best multifunctional bassinet: Simmons Kids City Sleeper Bassinet
• Best travel bassinet: Fisher-Price On-the-Go Baby Dome
• Best co-sleeper bassinet: Mika Micky Bedside Sleeper
• Best rocking bassinet: Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet
• Best gliding bassinet: Graco Dream Suite Bassinet
• Best for small spaces: HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper 3.0
• Best budget bassinet: Dream On Me Karley Bassinet
• Best design: BabyBjörn Cradle
• Best splurge bassinet: Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet
• Best basic bassinet: Chicco LullaGo Anywhere Bassinet
• Best value bassinet: Graco Pack ’n Play Travel Dome LX Playard
• Best portable rocking bassinet: Guava Lotus Bassinet Kit & Travel Crib

Baby bassinets are a must-have item for parents, especially when your little bundle of joy is a newborn. A good bassinet can give you a safe place to put your baby down so you can manage housework, grab a bite to eat, or even take a nap.

But what do you look for in a bassinet, and what are the best options today?

What is a baby bassinet?

A baby bassinet is a sleep surface intended for use from birth to about 4 to 6 months. Bassinets are smaller than cribs and typically include a rocking, gliding, or vibrating feature to help coax baby to sleep.

Do you need a baby bassinet?

While you don’t need one, a baby bassinet is easier for you to maneuver a baby in and out of than a crib. This is important to keep in mind when you’re still healing from childbirth and managing everything from sore muscles to uncomfortable stitches.

However, bassinets have weight limits and are outgrown once baby can roll over on their own, so most will transition to a crib within a handful of months — in this respect, some people might feel that a bassinet isn’t a good investment.

But based on the families we’ve polled — including informal conversations with our Healthline family — we have found that more parents advocate for bassinets than not!

When do you use a bassinet?

You can use a bassinet as soon as you bring your babe home from the hospital. While they might not be ready to sleep by themselves in a crib, a bassinet is usually a portable solution that you can move between rooms in your home.

This can be very important in the early days when your child is waking frequently — especially overnight. A bassinet can keep your child close at hand in your bedroom, while still providing a safe space for them that isn’t your bed.

Again, you should stop using a baby bassinet when your little one can roll over on their own or once they’ve passed the product’s weight limit (whichever comes first).

Types of bassinets

You’ll find a variety of bassinets out there, each with its own set of bells and whistles (or lack thereof). Here are a few types you’ll find on our list:

• Co-sleeping bassinets: These are designed to give baby their own sleep space as close to your bed as possible. They can make late-night feeds a breeze.
• Gliding bassinets: These bassinets provide a gliding motion, which keeps baby in motion without rocking side to side.
• Rocking bassinets: These provide the rocking sensation babies love. Some require manual rocking, others are tech-operated.
• Portable bassinets: For movement around your home or on the go, these bassinets are designed to fold up, roll, or detach from a base.
• High tech bassinets: Some bassinets even have tech that will respond to baby’s cry and provide soothing motion.

How we chose the best baby bassinets

Bassinets are such an essential tool for baby’s first few months, and we put a lot of thought into making our recommendations. First and foremost, safety matters. If you’re buying a new bassinet from a reputable vendor, you can rest assured that your purchase meets current safety standards.

But if you’re inheriting an older or preowned bassinet, it’s always a good idea to check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure that your preowned pick isn’t on a recall list and still meets current safety recommendations.

It’s also not wise to use a bassinet that’s been hanging out in a family member’s attic or basement for years.

Safety aside, we also focused on the following features:

• portability
• multitasking
• adjustability
• storage
• additional features such as music and vibrations
• positive ratings and reviews

Pricing guide

• $ = under $100
• $$ = $101–$200
• $$$ = over $200

Healthline’s picks of the best baby bassinets

Best multifunctional bassinet

Simmons Kids City Sleeper Bassinet

• Price: $$
• Weight limit: up to 15 pounds (lbs.)

In the early days, a fussy baby can make even the most optimistic new parent throw up the white flag. The Simmons Kids City Sleeper Bedside Bassinet has plenty of tricks to help parents put their little ones down (and keep them there).

You can employ vibrations, a night light, and even a rotating mobile to keep your babe distracted and comfortable. It features a storage compartment for easy access to essentials and, while this bassinet lacks wheels, it’s lightweight enough to lift and move from room to room.

Keep in mind that this bassinet requires four AA batteries which are not included.

Best travel bassinet

Fisher-Price On-the-Go Baby Dome

• Price: $
• Weight limit: up to 20 lbs.

If you’re planning on hitting the road with your newest family member ASAP, this option from Fisher-Price is ideal. The small size is fully collapsible, making it perfect for air travel or road trips. It also doubles as a safe (supervised) play area for newborns up to 5 months.

Parents rave about this dome and like the included toys and sun canopy that make it great for outdoor use. But you may find that the lack of wheels doesn’t make this suitable for use around the house. Some people also had a tough time getting the dome to fold up and stay that way.

Best co-sleeper bassinet

Mika Micky Bedside Sleeper

• Price: $$$
• Weight limit: up to 33 lbs.

When talking about co-sleeping, it’s important to note the difference between room sharing and bed sharing. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that infants sleep in the same room as parents for the first few months, bed sharing is commonly advised against for baby’s safety.

A co-sleeper bassinet can act as a bridge between the two, bringing baby to bed level while keeping them in their own sleep environment — like with the drop-down design of this bedside sleeper from Mika Micky.

You can adjust this bassinet to seven heights and each side features breathable mesh. The rolling casters make it easy to move this bassinet between rooms in your home and the gray exterior is neutral, making it ideal for a range of home decor styles.

Best rocking bassinet

Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet

• Price: $$
• Weight limit: up to 20 lbs.

Unless you want to spend all day rocking your baby, a bassinet that offers motions or vibrations is a lifesaver. The Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet comes with a mobile and can be set for 30 minutes of vibrations, music, or sounds.

Parents love that there’s also a night mode with a night light that projects twinkling stars overhead (you can also turn them off if it’s distracting). The built-in storage tray in the bottom of the bassinet keeps essentials like diapers, binkies, and lovies close at hand.

However, some parents noted that the mesh exterior was rough and caused skin irritation for their newborn babies. Others complain that they had a hard time finding replacement sheets online.

Best gliding bassinet

Graco Dream Suite Bassinet

• Price: $$
• Weight limit: up to 30 lbs.

Being able to move a bassinet from one room to another is good — but a bassinet that can also double as a changing table is clutch. This means fewer trips to the nursery for those frequent diaper changes in the early days.

The Graco Dream Suite Bassinet features sturdy locking casters and a storage basket, as well as an easy-to-operate handle that lets you switch from bassinet to changing table mode with one hand. As if that’s not enough, this model includes a collapsible canopy, two vibrating modes, and two adorable soft and puffy stars as a mobile toy.

Worth noting: A common complaint with this bassinet was that assembly could be difficult since the instructions aren’t always easy to follow.

Best for small spaces

HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper 3.0

• Price: $$$
• Weight limit: up to 20 lbs.

This updated model of HALO’s popular swivel sleeper gets space-saving points for its minimalistic frame and bassinet that swivels 360 degrees. The base is slender enough to slide underneath a bed frame, allowing you to bring baby close without attaching the bassinet to the bed.

Other highlights of this bassinet are the breathable mesh walls and a side panel that lowers for easy access to baby. The updated model also features a detachable bed, so you can use it to take your little one with you from room to room without moving the base. It does, however, lose the previous model’s side storage pocket.

It is on the pricier side, but the reviews are mostly great. A couple people note, though, that the sides don’t lock. So you’ll want to be cautious of other little ones in the home and discontinue use when your child is more mobile.

Best budget bassinet

Dream On Me Karley Bassinet

• Price: $
• Weight limit: up to 25 lbs.

Budget-conscious parents don’t necessarily need to sacrifice functionality or design — the Dream on Me Karley Bassinet is modestly priced but features a quick-folding design, double canopy, and sturdy storage basket in the base. It also comes in several different colors.

While it lacks wheels, this bassinet is lightweight enough to be somewhat portable and the addition of the canopy means it can be used inside or outside. Reviewers say it’s sturdy and easy enough to assemble. A few complain that there isn’t enough visibility inside this bassinet and that it could do with more mesh.

Best design

BabyBjörn Cradle

• Price: $$$
• Weight limit: up to 18 lbs.

If you prefer minimalist designs, then the BabyBjörn Cradle might be the pick for you. Although it’s on the pricier side, this sleek and streamlined bassinet seamlessly works for any home.

The classic cradle-style bassinet relies on manual movement to gently sway your baby to sleep. Its lightweight design also makes this bassinet relatively portable, however, it’s not a travel-friendly option. Also, this model doesn’t ship with the matching mesh canopy which must be purchased separately.

Best splurge bassinet

Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet

• Price: $$$
• Weight limit: up to 25 lbs.

When money is no object, and you just have to channel that retro mid-century vibe in your home, why not go big with the Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet?

This bassinet claims to improve your baby’s sleep times by as much as 1 or 2 hours thanks to the constant motion it creates. It also includes an intuitive technology that automatically increases or decreases the motion or white noise based on your baby’s cries.

This is the only bassinet in our guide with an app that allows you to control vibrations and white noise volume from your phone.

However, every baby’s sleep habits are different and for some parents, the promise of longer sleep times didn’t happen. It’s also a hefty price tag for a short period of use.

Best basic bassinet

Chicco LullaGo Anywhere Bassinet

• Price: $
• Weight limit: up to 20 lbs.

For a no-frills option, this bassinet from Chicco does the job. It’s a lightweight, foldable, bassinet that has three mesh sides for full visibility. The fourth side contains a side pocket for binkies, wipes, or whatever you may need.

There aren’t any bells or whistles on this bassinet, but it does come with a travel bag, a firm mattress, and a fitted sheet. Plus, the materials are Greenguard Gold certified, which means they’ve been third-party tested for chemical emissions.

In general, this bassinet gets great reviews, but a few people complain that the travel bag doesn’t close at the top. A few others say the mattress is uncomfortable for their baby.

Best value bassinet

Graco Pack ’n Play Travel Dome LX Playard

• Price: $$
• Weight limit: up to 15 lbs. for bassinet, 25 lbs. for playard

One of the main reasons to skip a bassinet is that it will only be useful for a short time. A product like the Graco Pack ‘n Play Travel Dome can help you get the best bang for your buck by transitioning with your little one as they grow.

This bassinet can act as a stationary bed, or you can remove the bed from the base to move from room to room. There’s also an attached changing station, which might help save space. Then, when baby reaches 15 pounds (or you’ve moved on from the bassinet feature), you can use it as a playard until they reach 35 inches tall.

Best portable rocking bassinet

Guava Lotus Bassinet Kit & Travel Crib

• Price: $$$
• Weight limit: up to 18 lbs.

For another convertible option, this kit from Guava Family comes with attachments that let you turn this travel crib into a rocking bassinet (or vice versa). The kit comes with a handy backpack for travel and has mesh sides in either form for total visibility of your little one.

Most reviewers say this kit is easy enough to assemble, but a few say they wish it was sturdier. Also, reviewers warn that you cannot fit both the crib and bassinet attachment in the carrying case at the same time.

Comparing bassinets

What to look for in a baby bassinet

Shopping for a baby bassinet is a very personal decision and the features that matter to one set of parents may be different for another. Here are some of the core features you need to keep in mind whether you’re buying the bassinet or putting it on your baby registry.

Safety

As we mentioned earlier, safety is a top priority. If you’re buying (or receiving) a new bassinet, you won’t have to worry about your choice being on a recall list. But if you’re inheriting or buying a preowned bassinet, always check the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure that your bassinet isn’t listed for recall.

Also, remember that little ones outgrow their bassinets when they hit the product’s weight limit or can roll over or push up on their own (whichever occurs first).

Portability

Look for bassinets that are easy to move between rooms, as opposed to one that’s clunky or difficult to maneuver. For the best portability, opt for bassinets that are on wheels — just make sure that you can lock the wheels to prevent the bassinet from moving once in place.

And if you’re looking for a bassinet that can travel, focus on models that fold flat. These will work for road trips or even just shifting your bassinet from indoors to outdoors.

Multitasking

As you saw in our recommendations, many of the bassinets in our guide do more than simply hold your baby securely in one place. Key features like vibrations, music, and mobiles can help to keep your baby soothed and give you a break while you try to catch a nap or get a bite to eat.

And in some cases, you can also find bassinets that double as changing tables, or safely support co-sleeping. It just depends on which activities are priorities for you.

Adjustability

This is especially important if you plan on sharing a bedroom with baby. Not all beds are the same height. So, a good co-sleeping bassinet should feature height adjustment so that when positioned over your bed, the bassinet is flush with your mattress.

Storage

While this isn’t a “must have” it’s certainly a nice feature to consider. Especially if you’re picking a bassinet with wheels, look for additional storage. Having diapers, bibs, or even your baby’s favorite lovie close at hand can make life a lot easier in the early days.

Budget

Of course, budget matters. Whether you’re buying this item or adding it to your baby registry, the price is important. As you saw in our guide, it’s possible to find bassinets in various price points from extremely affordable to extravagant splurges.

Remember, it’s not necessary to buy a bassinet with all the bells and whistles on it. However, if you prefer a model with helpful features like vibrations, night lights, or music, you should expect to spend within the mid-range price points. (Although, our best budget pick above did offer those nice additional features at a modest price.)

Frequently asked questions about bassinets

How long can a baby sleep in a bassinet?

Babies can sleep in a bassinet until they can roll over on their stomach or pull up, or as soon as they’ve reached the manufacturer’s weight limit.

When should you move a baby from a bassinet to a crib?

Babies can start in a crib as early as you’d like but cannot stay in a bassinet beyond the listed weight limit or as soon as they can flip over on their stomach. People often start with a bassinet to keep baby close, as they’re smaller and more portable than cribs, then move to a crib.

How do you get a baby to sleep in a bassinet?

Check external factors like the temperature and brightness of the room. You might try a sound machine or baby massage to get them comfortable. A bassinet with a rocking, gliding, or vibration feature may help to help coax your baby to sleep.

The takeaway

Don’t let people tell you otherwise, a bassinet can be a lifesaver as you try to adjust to life with a newborn — even if this isn’t your first time at the parenting rodeo.

As long as you ensure your preferred bassinet is safe and not on any recall lists, it’s a great way to keep your little one content and give you a much-needed break in those first months.