Best Bassinets 2024

At night, when the crib seems so far away, and your new baby wants to stay close, a bedside bassinet becomes a must—at least it was for my family. I experienced this same reality with each of my five babies and tested dozens of bassinets along the way. More recently, when my fifth baby arrived, I tested 10 of the most popular bassinets on the market, from the most basic options to smart bassinets with artificial intelligence that respond to a baby’s sleep needs at all hours. I selected the Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet as the best bassinet overall, because of its features that help soothe little ones back to sleep with automatic ease. I also loved the Arm’s Reach Mini Ezee 2-in-1 Co-Sleeper Bassinet, which extends your bed for easier middle-of-the-night feedings and soothing. Four additional bassinets performed well in testing and are worth parents’ consideration.

Below is a list of all the best bassinets from my recent testing process with my newborn baby. You might also want to see our articles on the best pack and plays and best crib mattresses as you ready the nursery for your new baby.

• Best Bassinet Overall: Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet
• Best Value Smart Bassinet: 4Moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet
• Best Bedside Bassinet: Arm’s Reach Mini Ezee 2-In-1 Co-Sleeper Bassinet
• Best Value Non-Smart Bassinet: Halo BassiNest Soothing Swivel Sleeper 3.0
• Best Bassinet For Long-Term Use: Cradlewise All-In-One Smart Crib
• Best Portable Bassinet: Chicco LullaGo Anywhere LE Portable Bassinet

Over the years, bassinets have gotten smarter, fancier and generally more helpful to parents, with new features such as soothing options, especially in those first 6 months when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room sharing for new babies, not bed sharing. A smaller bassinet is often easier to fit into your room than a full-size crib as well, helping parents to meet the room-sharing recommendation. It can make breastfeeding a bit less laborious to keep newborns close, too. When they cry, fuss, poop and eat at 3 a.m.—and then start over again in a couple of hours—those bassinets that swivel and shush, sway and bounce are an absolute lifeline. After all, at the hospital, a bedside bassinet is always available.

If we could all afford an overnight nanny, we parents—and moms in particular—would have a much easier postpartum period adjusting to life with a new baby. Instead, we now have the Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet, which I found to be an excellent stand-in for a nanny. It was developed by Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, which details his soothing method for newborns. He developed the Snoo based on research that showed babies benefit from horizontal rather than vertical rocking patterns. Parents strap the baby into a sleep sack that’s clipped into both sides of the bassinet, securing them into a safe position on their back, which led to the product recently being granted FDA De Novo authorization when used with the Snoo’s specific swaddle. Basically, if you are worried your baby is going to roll, this product prevents it.

“If cost isn’t important, many parents love the Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet with built-in swaddle that senses movement and adds white noise and gentle motion to help soothe your infant,” says Dr. Jenelle Ferry, neonatologist and director of feeding, nutrition and infant development at Pediatrix Medical Group in Tampa, Florida. “If you choose this option, make sure to use the wean function as your infant gets older and can learn to self-soothe/sleep train, so that great sleep can continue once they outgrow the bassinet.”

Many have criticized the Snoo’s steep price, but it is also available to rent for $159 per month, or to purchase certified pre-owned directly from the brand for less than the full purchase price (it’s currently $1,195 for pre-owned Snoo). The rental option especially is attractive, as babies typically need the Snoo only for the first 6 months of life—or even less.

Built-In Soothing That Responds To Your Baby

I started using the Snoo with my brand-new infant, and after a few days of getting used to it, it was obvious she was cozy and content, settling just moments after being swaddled into it. She was gassy and would have woken and needed to be picked up and rocked many more times throughout the night than she did with the motion and sounds soothing her back to sleep.

Here’s how it works: You lay your baby down and turn on the Snoo, and it starts moving side to side, soothing the baby, who is strapped into the brand’s sleep sack. It uses white noise, and the noise increases if the baby gets fussier. In addition, the motion speeds up. You can also set it to not move or make noise unless they are fussing, depending on your preferences. In addition, you can adjust all sound levels to ensure they are safe for your young baby. You can also adjust the sensitivity, so that you are still in charge of how long to leave the baby before the Snoo intervenes, and how quickly it responds to fussing. As your baby calms, the sounds and motion decrease, too. Crisis (and another parent wake-up) avoided.

The Snoo’s height is slightly shorter than some other options, which for a tall parent can make it a bit inconvenient to reach into for your child postpartum. However, the height means it aligns pretty well with most beds, which is great if you want to try to reach into the bassinet to retrieve your baby without getting up. Another potential downside is you have to purchase swaddles specific to the Snoo. Though three lighter-weight Snoo Sleep Sacks come with a purchase, the best swaddle is the super-cozy Snoo Sleep Comforter Sack, which is sold separately.

But Does Your Baby Need It?

If you have the perfect sleeper, you don’t really need a Snoo—unless you are worried about your baby rolling over and getting stuck in that position, or if you have particular concerns over SIDS prevention. “So one thing to consider is waiting to see if your baby needs, or if you need, this level of sleep help before investing in one,” says Emily McMason, a parent coach and sleep consultant at Evolving Parents.

For me and my postpartum mental health, a brilliant and pretty cute robot bassinet soothing my baby through shorter wake-ups that didn’t warrant feeding, changing or rocking meant significantly fewer wake-ups, more rest and a better parent in the daytime. In addition, the corresponding app lets you know as the bassinet moves through increasing levels of sound and motion, attempting to soothe the baby. Eventually it taps out, alerting you: “Snoo has stopped. Baby needs your care.” McMason notes that the soothing features on the bassinet aren’t meant to replace a parent, nor can they.

Read my full, in-depth review of the Snoo for additional details on this bassinet.

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Smart bassinets give parents the luxury of soothing their babies from bed, or from another room as they start to wake up, or if they need a little help falling asleep. The 4Moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet does just that, but without quite the same level of success as higher-priced sleepers like the Snoo or the Cradlewise detailed below.

A More Doable Price

The biggest criticism I’ve seen of smart bassinets is that while they seem proficient at soothing babies to sleep, they come with prohibitive price tags for many, often in the thousands of dollars. This alternative smart bassinet is much more affordable, at under $500, and it offers some similar features. You also don’t have to purchase a specific swaddle to use with it, and its dimensions work well even in small spaces. However, if you have a true need for assistance soothing your baby to sleep, such as a colicky baby or one who just has difficulty staying asleep, the 4Moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet might not be as effective as higher-priced options.

My baby seemed to find this 4Moms bassinet a bit less comfortable, from the pad to the motion. For example, the pad itself isn’t quite as plush as some others. But it performed well in doing what it was supposed to: giving parents choices through the app to soothe their baby to sleep without having to get out of bed quite so frequently.

A Variety Of Customizable Calming Motions

Like other 4Moms products, its bassinet offers numerous motion and speed options, making it customizable to your baby’s preferences. The five motions come with relatable names like “car ride” and “rock-a-bye,” designed to mimic natural walking patterns and motions of parents and daily life. Caregivers can increase the speed on each one as needed, either from the app or on the bassinet itself. “The science-backed figure-eight motion mimics mom’s hip movements as she walks—because when a mom walks and a baby is in the womb, a mom is not walking in a linear fashion and just bumping up and down,” says Dr. Whitney Casares, pediatrician and CEO/founder of Modern Mommy Doc. “That motion is more evidence-based.”

There’s also a built-in timer and white noise. But don’t expect the same level of soothing motion as you’ll find with the Snoo. The 4Moms simply wasn’t fast enough to really soothe my baby completely, though it did buy some time for when she was drifting off but startled awake, to try to give her a chance to settle in again. If your regular bassinet isn’t cutting it, and you prefer an app-based smart bassinet without the high price tag, this one is worth a try.

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Convenience And Affordability In One Bassinet

Since my first child, I was always confused at this conundrum—your baby only wants to sleep with you, in your big cozy bed, but it’s not safe with the soft mattress and blankets and the tired parents who might roll over and more. The Arm’s Reach Mini Ezee 2-in-1 Co-Sleeper Bassinet solves that problem by extending your bed into a separate—but attached—space for the baby. The wall drops down to make a place for your child to safely sleep right next to you, where you can hold their hand, rub their head or retrieve that chronically missing pacifier. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about co-sleeping risks, as long as you make sure your own covers aren’t near the bassinet, and that the edge of the bassinet is flush against your bed (you can also attach it to the bed if you prefer).

“Make sure there is absolutely no gap, and make sure the co-sleeper is sturdy enough,” Dr. Casares says, referencing other types that hang off the bed versus standing on their own frame, like this one. “You can grab them, nurse and put them back without having to move much.”

Plenty Of Storage, Too

Arm’s Reach makes a number of affordable bassinets that are sturdy, streamlined, portable—and often loaded with storage, which is a perk many appreciate and which is lacking in other bassinets. This particular bassinet has better storage than the other bassinets in this story, with large top and bottom pockets on the sides. You could easily use this as a diaper-changing station as well, eliminating the need for a separate one, thanks to these pockets.

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The Halo has had a popular following for years. It was one of the first bassinets to help parents realize that maybe they actually didn’t have to get out of bed to soothe or feed their babies at night by making use of the bassinet’s swivel function that brings the baby to you. The side of the Halo pushes down, so you can see or pick up the baby right from your bed. All this has made postpartum recovery a bit easier for some.

Limited Soothing But An Affordable Price

Halo bassinets—the brand makes several versions of its BassiNest—aren’t “smart” products, because the bassinet doesn’t integrate with an app or respond to a baby’s cues with soothing sounds and motion. However, the Halo BassiNest Soothing Swivel Sleeper 3.0 does offer multiple soothing vibrations, sounds and levels, plus lighting that parents can activate to help babies fall asleep faster and more easily.

One of the best features of the Halo BassiNest is the raisable pole that you can move without tools to adjust the height of the bassinet. Unfortunately, the lowest setting didn’t align well with my somewhat lower bed. On the other hand, it can move high enough that postpartum parents don’t have to bend over much in a standing position to place the baby inside. You can also remove the basket, a feature Dr. Ferry likes, to use elsewhere in the house, eliminating the need for additional baby products in other rooms.

I personally struggled with getting the baby safely out when pushing down the side of the bassinet from a lying-down position. I wish the side could push down and stay down while you do this, rather than snapping back up. However, if you are looking for a more budget-friendly bassinet with some soothing functions built into it, plus portability and adjustability, the Halo BassiNest line might work for your family, particularly this new model.

Read my full, in-depth review of the Halo BassiNest Soothing Swivel Sleeper 3.0 for additional details on this bassinet.

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Many seasoned parents understand that many, many babies need motion to get them to sleep, especially in those first few weeks and months, which is where these smart bassinets, including Cradlewise, can help.

“All of those smart bassinets are trying to mimic what’s happening in the womb in that fourth trimester, so it isn’t quite so startling and such an abrupt transition for little ones,” says Dr. Casares.

Responsive Motion And An Easy-To-Use App

The Cradlewise All-in-One Smart Crib was a winner in this regard, offering a seriously bouncy motion up and down, mimicking parents’ rocking. I loved how you get it going—you bounce the side of it yourself three times, which is brilliant and means you don’t have to dig for your app. Once it’s going, white noise with a wide variety of sounds and levels soothes your baby when they stir, and the app alerts you to their actions: “Baby fell asleep” or “Crib started bouncing” and so on.

My baby did seem to prefer side-to-side motion (like the Snoo) over the up-and-down motion. I wondered if she felt like she was falling with the up-and-down motion, though it did seem to properly mimic a parent bouncing a baby in their arms.

It’s Crib-Sized And Comes With A Built-In Baby Monitor

A unique perk of the Cradlewise is that it’s also large enough to be used as a full-size crib, meaning you can use this until your child is age 2 or otherwise ready for a toddler bed, eliminating the need to purchase both a smart bassinet with soothing features and a crib separately.

But it’s not just a two-in-one nursery item—it also comes with a baby monitor already built in to the bar extending above the bed. As someone who has fought to angle my fair share of monitors to see the baby properly (I tested 10 of them for Forbes Vetted), what a relief it was when plopping her down in any part of the bed delivered a full view of my baby. You can even flip the image on the app if you place the baby down “backward.”

As with all monitors, safety can be a concern, but I was thrilled to learn that Cradlewise has accounted for this. “To ensure privacy, we never store any audio data. Instead, we capture spectrograms, which are frequency graphs of the audio feed. These spectrograms are used by AI to learn and recognize cry signatures,” a Cradlewise representative explained. For the non-techies among us, this means that instead of storing my baby’s actual sounds, they store pictures of them and use that to recognize crying. Also, data is encrypted, and there are no external views of the rest of the bedroom, just the crib (so you can change clothes near the bassinet without worrying).

Because of these added features and the potential for long-term use, I believe this otherwise pricey bassinet is worth the investment. Also, the Cradlewise is super cute and would look great in any adult bedroom or nursery, with white mesh breathable sides and a wood frame.

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Simple, light and movable: The Chicco LullaGo Anywhere LE Portable Bassinet is perfect for your office, living room or playroom, or even as a secondary bassinet, because you can literally pick it up with one hand and take it to another room. The sunshade means you can park it under a window during a nap if need be (but keep an eye on the temperature).

No Soothing Center But Perfect In A Pinch

It has no extras, such as sound, swaddles or movement, which is perfect for some babies to learn how to nap or sleep without these additions or for those seeking a secondary nap spot or portable bassinet for the house or travel. It can also provide a safe place for awake tummy time, especially if you have a dog or other toddlers making you concerned with safety on the floor. If you plan to actually travel with this, the legs come off easily. “Portability and being able to fold or collapse can be very convenient if you plan on traveling,” says Alison Macklin, a Toronto-based certified child sleep consultant at Good Night Sleep Site.

I’d like to see Chicco make the mattress pad slightly more comfortable, as it’s a bit thin. However, parents can rest assured that it’s a safe and convenient space.

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The Other Bassinets I Tested

I tested four additional bassinets with my newborn that ultimately didn’t make the cut.

Béaba by Shnuggle Convertible Air Bedside Sleeper Bassinet: This bassinet was harder to assemble than competitors, with too many steps, and didn’t offer many helpful additional features aside from easy bedside access to the baby.

Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet: This cheerful and budget-friendly bassinet includes a mobile and offers a few soothing features, but its sounds, lights and motions aren’t robust enough to soothe the baby more than a basic bassinet.

Maxi-Cosi Iora Bedside Bassinet: Though it is one of the most attractive and trendy options and offered a substantial storage area underneath, this bassinet is quite bulky and large compared to competitors. Its size might be a perk for some, but it’s unlikely the baby needs this much space before having to move to a crib due to crawling and climbing. However, Dr. Ferry likes the fabric on this one: “I especially like the mesh sides, which not only allow you to see your infant, but also allow for breathability,” she says.

TruBliss Evi Smart Bassinet: The motion wasn’t as smooth and seamless as expected in this smart bassinet, nor was it particularly portable. If you are looking for an option that connects to Alexa or Google Home, the TruBliss Evi Smart might be worth exploring, but it didn’t measure up to competitors in testing.

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How I Tested The Best Bassinets

Babies are unpredictable. But my testing methodology accounted for this, ensuring other parents would have excellent experiences with these top picks.

Assembly

First, I timed how long it took to build each bassinet, noting if there were too many steps or complicated directions. Then, I examined the product for storage, safety, softness or firmness, and tried it in multiple locations such as by the bed and in other rooms.

Sleep Test

I had my baby nap and also sleep overnight in each bassinet. Of course, naptimes varied because, well, babies, but I tried to control for factors such as time of day, mood and placing the baby to sleep while she was awake but ready for rest after a feeding.

Features And User-Friendly Aspects

I tried various functions the bassinet offered with the baby, including sound types and volumes, motion types and levels, along with any other features. I examined the smart products’ apps for user-friendliness, accessibility to the functions you need quickly and the ability to personalize and customize settings.

Longevity And The Baby Experts

Then, I talked to five experts in this space, including neonatologists (aka expert baby doctors!), sleep consultants and others. Macklin recommended keeping an eye on longevity, which I did, saying, “Bassinets should really only be used for the first 3 to 4 months of an infant’s life. As they get closer to being able to roll over, the bassinet then becomes an unsafe option, even if the infant has not exceeded the weight limits yet. As soon as an infant is showing signs of rolling, it is advised to move them to sleep in a crib or pack and play.” This meant looking at features that allowed a product to last longer by converting to something else, such as the Cradlewise, or products that could be rented and returned, like the Snoo. On the contrary, the Maxi-Cosi Iora, which I loved in some ways, was oversized but still wouldn’t be usable past those first 4 months or so, making the extra space unnecessary.

Portability

Finally, I determined how easy or difficult the product was to move from room to room or to disassemble for travel.

Comfort

And though babies can’t tell you how they feel, I tried to perceive how comfortable my baby seemed on the mattresses and in the bassinets in general by observing her cues and sleep quality.

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How To Choose The Best Bassinet For Your Child

Here’s what to consider when shopping for the best bassinets. You’ll likely find that it’s quite an individual decision, but I can guide you through what to consider and evaluate.

Size

Many families don’t have a ton of extra space alongside the primary bed, so you’ll want to choose a bassinet that fits that slot and that you can safely maneuver around. A co-sleeper can help with this, as well as bassinets with legs that extend slightly under the bed, such as the Halo.

Strong Sounds And Movements

If you are choosing a bassinet that moves, you want it to move enough. Babies don’t respond too well to tiny motions or low sounds. So check that the sound can be loud enough to help them fall asleep—but remain within safety guidelines—and that the motion is as vigorous as you bouncing or rocking them yourself (or close to it). For example, though I loved aspects of the Fisher-Price bassinet, the motions and sounds weren’t robust enough to impact the baby positively.

Longevity

Choose a bassinet that serves a specific purpose for its value, so portability or smart features, for example, and that can then be stored away until your next child, resold or otherwise passed down—or choose one that can be used for longer, such as the Cradlewise—or go straight to a full-size crib if it fits in your room or you don’t need the smart features. Picking an expensive product for just a few months can be less cost-effective for families. However, if you have a fussy sleeper, a smart bassinet might be the best investment you’ve made for your mental health.

“Also make sure to follow the weight and height limits on your chosen bassinet (if you’re choosing to use a bassinet for a longer period of time, consider going for a larger one that can accommodate a growing baby). Infants should move out of a bassinet by 4 to 6 months,” Dr. Ferry says. This, of course, is dependent on your child, their size and how soon they start trying to roll over and sit up.

User-Friendliness

As with any baby product, the last thing you want to do is fight with your bassinet’s functions in the middle of the night, or have to scramble to fix your app. So look for intuitive options that are easy to use and make sense to you. The 4Moms bassinet, for example, can be operated from the app or from the side of the bassinet, which is helpful if your phone isn’t nearby.

How Do I Choose A Safe Bassinet?

I also kept an eye out for these red flags from Macklin:

• Too loud: “Some of the lower-end smart bassinets are loud when they move, so the motor or parts controlling the movement are more audible than the higher-end bassinets.”
• Poorly made: “Meaning they feel flimsy or made of materials that don’t feel as sturdy or durable.”
• Not reacting well to the newborn’s needs: “This refers to when the newborn fusses, the bassinet either doesn’t react quickly enough, or it doesn’t have variations on the soothing motion. For example, some don’t begin soothing the baby until the baby is crying very loudly, instead of picking up on lower-volume fussing. Some only have one type of motion, and not all babies are soothed just by one motion.”

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My Expertise

I’ve been rocking babies to sleep for almost a decade—and laying them super carefully into a wide variety of bassinets and cribs before sneaking out on actual tiptoe, like all parents. Throughout my five babies’ lives, I’ve been fascinated by finding and testing the best baby products, which I then communicate to parents through my job as a product journalist. For this story, I tested 10 bassinets and interviewed five experts, to ensure I explored the data fully, and ultimately found the best products for a variety of parents and babies, not just my own picky kids, who prefer to be fully wrapped and shushed and rocked to sleep in their bassinets.

As a journalist, I’ve worked with multiple national parenting publications, interviewed top parenting and early-childhood experts and doctors and spent a significant amount of time researching new studies and findings related to baby products and wellness. I most recently tested high chairs and pregnancy pillows for Forbes Vetted.

The experts I interviewed for this story included:

• Alison Macklin, certified child sleep consultant and mom, based in Toronto
• Emily McMason, Olympia, Washington–based personal and parent coach at Evolving Parents
• Dr. Jenelle Ferry, Tampa, Florida–based neonatologist and director of feeding, nutrition and infant development at Pediatrix Medical Group
• Dr. Whitney Casares, Portland, Oregon–based pediatrician, writer and speaker at Modern Mommy Doc
• Dr. Jean Siri Moorjani, pediatrician at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children

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What Is The Top-Rated Bassinet?

After testing, I found the Snoo to be best bassinet, and it features prominetaly on competitor lists and reviews as well. Halo’s BassiNests also rate well, in general, and do the various Arm’s Reach co-sleeper models.

However, the top-rated bassinet for your own family will be what suits your individual needs and your baby best. For example, if you are at the beginning of a journey to have multiple kids, it might be worth investing in a bassinet with all the extra features and abilities to go the distance for years. If you just need an additional product to help your baby nap while you cook dinner for the next month, you might consider a totally different option and certainly something less expensive.

Is It Better To Put A Newborn In A Crib Or Bassinet?

The AAP recommends room sharing, but not bed sharing, for the first 6 months of a baby’s life. So, for some, this might mean a crib can’t fit in your bedroom comfortably, necessitating a smaller item like a bassinet. Dr. Casares says the most important thing is having the baby in their own separate space, whether that’s a bassinet or crib.

Another expert I spoke to had a more conservative view: Dr. Moorjani prefers that babies over 10 pounds sleep in a crib, which might eliminate the need for a bassinet all together, especially if you have a larger newborn. Personally, I enjoyed the convenience of bedside bassinets while they were still small.

At What Age Do Babies Outgrow A Bassinet?

Most babies outgrow a bassinet between 4 to 6 months of age, according to Dr. Ferry, but some outgrow them sooner depending on their size and mobility. If your baby is starting to try to pull up or sit up in the bassinet, it’s definitely time to transition them to a larger and deeper crib. You’ll also want to pay close attention to the manufacturer’s height and weight maximums to ensure your child doesn’t exceed those.

Is It Okay For A Baby To Sleep In A Bassinet Overnight?

As long as your baby can’t roll, climb out or otherwise exit the bassinet, it’s safe for newborns to sleep in a bassinet—and in fact, it’s safer than having them sleep in a swing or in your bed, neither of which are recommended by pediatricians.

Babies should be placed on their backs in the bassinet just like a crib, without any extra blankets, stuffed animals or pillows per safe sleep guidelines, which all of the experts interviewed emphasized. When they are a few months old and can do some of these milestones, it’s time to switch to a crib.

Dr. Ferry warns not to have a baby in constant motion—the smart bassinets have options to turn off motion while the baby isn’t fussing and the less expensive ones also typically only run for a set amount of time. “You want to avoid utilizing motion during the entirety of your infant’s sleeping,” she adds.

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Giving Back Note: Seven bassinets were donated to families in need via the Christian Family Center in Hamilton, Ohio after testing was completed.