Bassinet Buying Guide

Bassinets and cradles are similar to cribs, but with a few key differences. Bassinets have a smaller footprint, making them easier to fit next to your bed. The base may be stationary, or it may rock like a rocking chair, or the sleep space might swing back and forth atop the base. (Technically, bassinets are stable and cradles rock, but brands nowadays tend to use the terms interchangeably.) When the bassinet is not rocking, the sleep surface should be flat or at an incline of less than 10 degrees. 

Most bassinets are smaller and more lightweight than a full-sized crib, and are usually easier to move. (There are some notable exceptions, however—smart bassinets like the Cradlewise and the Snoo are heavier and not designed for portability or travel.) Some bassinets come with wheels to make them even easier to move from room to room, which may be useful if you intend to keep watch over your sleeping baby in more than one room in the house. Bassinets sometimes feature very shallow inclines, but keep in mind that no infant sleep products can have inclines that exceed 10 degrees (and inclined sleeping surfaces aren’t helpful at reducing infant reflux, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP). 

You can also find bassinets with built-in canopies or hoods. It’s important not to hang or drape a blanket or other material over a bassinet, because it can fall on the baby and strangle or smother them. “Do not add an accessory to a sleep environment that is not specifically made and/or tested for safety with the item you intend to attach it to,” says Antoinette Burns, DO, associate medical director of the Sleep Lab at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Colorado Springs and associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

A typical bassinet is often oval-shaped or rectangular, and is small enough to be placed at your bedside so you can easily reach your baby during the night. It should have mesh or slatted sides that are lower than a crib and that may bend down or unzip, making it easier to reach in and pick up your baby, especially if you’ve had a cesarean section. The sides should still be tall enough to guard against the baby rolling out of it—or prevent pets from jumping in.

These electronic bassinets vibrate, rock, and make noise intended to soothe your baby. Some smart bassinets detect a baby’s fussing and automatically respond with soothing motions and sounds, while others have soothing motions and sounds that must be turned on by a caregiver. A few smart bassinets even have lights intended to calm or delight the baby. These bassinets may be controlled via an app, buttons on the side of the device, or a smart home device like Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

If you’re planning to regularly move the bassinet between rooms or houses (to visit grandparents, for example), a portable or travel bassinet may be a good choice. The best bassinets we tested fold or disassemble easily without extra tools, and their lightweight nature makes them easy to transport or stow. Just note that some bassinets in the portable category may be slightly smaller than their traditional counterparts, which could limit their longer-term use. It’s also important to remember to never put a baby in a portable bassinet on a raised or soft surface, like a countertop or bed. “Babies have been injured in falls—and the soft surface may allow the bassinet to tip, putting the baby in an unsafe position,” says Nancy Cowles, child product safety expert and former executive director of the child product safety nonprofit Kids in Danger. 

Bedside bassinets, sometimes called “co-sleepers,” are designed to nestle right beside your mattress for optimal reachability. They typically attach to the bed itself, and sometimes the side closest to the adult bed can be lowered for even easier access. 

However, what’s known as an “in-bed co-sleeper” is different; this is similar to an infant lounger that is placed on the adult’s bed. Consumer Reports has found that in-bed sleepers have been linked to infant deaths, and they’re now illegal per the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Infant Safe Sleep Rule, which took effect in 2022. The AAP does not recommend sharing your bed with your baby, because doing so is associated with SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). “Not only do infant loungers or in-bed sleepers not make bed sharing safe, they add additional potential hazards to the sleep surface,” Cowles says.

Some experts believe bedside sleepers that attach to the side of the bed can be great options for some parents. “There is no large-scale convincing data in regard to [bedside bassinets], but intuitively they seem safe, providing proximity and at the same time a separate surface,” says Eliot Katz, MD, medical director and division chief of the Sleep Center at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla. “I think that it makes nighttime breastfeeding easier, and I personally have been recommending co-sleepers for years.”

Stroller bassinets are designed for the first few months of a baby’s life, before they can safely sit upright in a traditional stroller seat. Once the baby is a bit older, you can swap them out for a regular seat on the stroller; they can also be removed and placed on a stationary frame for nighttime sleep.

“Strollers that come with bassinets must meet the safety standards for both strollers and bassinets,” Burns says. “A newer requirement for products with removable bassinets includes stability testing specifically for the bassinet once the bassinet is removed from the stroller.” If yours doesn’t meet safe sleep standards—for example, if it’s an old product, or you don’t know when it was made—the baby should be moved out of it as soon as possible if they fall asleep.

Cardboard bassinets are just that: bassinets made out of cardboard. They’re also sometimes called “baby boxes,” and their popularity began in Finland, where, since 1938, new parents have received a free box of goodies that, once emptied, served as a place for baby to sleep. Some people have linked Finland’s low SIDS rate to the use of these boxes, though other experts say neighboring countries have similarly low rates of SIDS without the free baby boxes. 

“Currently, there is not enough research and/or data to advise for or against any infant sleep product that is not already included in the published safety standards,” Burns says. “This includes any alternative sleep product, such as cardboard boxes, despite the popularity of alternative sleep products in some countries and cultures.”

Additionally, Red Nose Australia, an Australian infant and child safe sleep organization, recommends against cardboard bassinets because high humidity can affect the structural integrity of the product.

Moses baskets are small baskets, typically made of wicker, that rest on a stand. “The American Academy of Pediatrics does not have an official statement about Moses baskets, but Moses baskets offer a firm sleep surface for infants that would meet the AAP recommendations about safe sleep environments for infants,” says Mary Beth Howard, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. 

What you won’t want to do with a Moses basket? Carry it with your baby inside, or place the Moses basket with your baby on top of a counter or table—it should always be used with the included stand. (Moses baskets sold without a stand violate the bassinet safety standard.)

All infant sleep products sold in the U.S. from established retailers must meet federal safety standards. But there are still a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when it comes to bassinet safety.

Safe Sleep Guidelines

First of all, the absolute basics, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics: 

• Baby should sleep flat on their back, in their own sleep space, with a firm, flat mattress.
• Babies should sleep in the same room (but not the same bed) as their parents for the first six months of life.
• Only a fitted sheet should be used: no blankets, bumpers, nursing pillows, or toys. (Bumpers, in fact, are banned under the Safe Sleep for Babies Act.)
• A crib or bassinet mattress should be firm enough that it doesn’t sink beneath your baby’s weight, and there should be no incline. Inclines of 10 degrees or greater can restrict your baby’s airflow.
• The mattress should also fit snugly into the crib or bassinet, because your baby can get trapped in any gaps between the mattress and the side of the bassinet. 
• If your baby falls asleep in a child car seat, a stroller, a swing, or an infant carrier, you should move them to a firm sleep surface on their back as soon as possible.
• If you decide to use the white noise or sound features available on some of the bassinets we reviewed, use the lowest possible setting for a brief time, and if possible, position your baby’s head on the opposite side of the bassinet from where the speaker is placed.