The Best Bassinet for Baby Sleep
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Bassinets may be a part of your little one’s life for a mere six months, but the right bassinet can have a lasting impact on not only your baby’s sleep, but yours...now and for years to come! The key, of course, is knowing what makes a bassinet the best one for your baby’s sleep. Here’s what you need to know…
Bassinets vs. Cribs: Why choose a bassinet?
It’s not really an either-or question. Both cribs and bassinets are safe sleep spaces for babies. However, because bassinets are specially designed for infants, they’re markedly smaller than cribs and much easier to tuck next to your own sleep space. And that’s important. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing with your infant for at least the first six months of their life because it can decrease their risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Plus, snoozing next to your bub makes it infinitely easier to feed, comfort, and keep a watchful eye on when your precious newborn is snoozing.
Best Bassinet Basics
No matter your personal style or budget, there are certain deal breakers when it comes to buying the safest bassinet for your baby. Here they are:
Best Bassinet Must-Have: Firm, Flat Sleep Surface
While you might crave a squishy, soft bed, that’s the absolute opposite of what your baby needs for safe sleep! In fact, the safest sleep surface for babies is a firm, flat mattress, offering zero give when you place your baby down for naps and night-night, according to the AAP. (Soft sleep surfaces can increase the risk of sleep-related death in infants.) The stability of the mattress and how well it fits inside the bassinet frame are also key safety features.
When a team of reviewers from pediatrician-led BabyGearLab examined the sleep surfaces of the 14 top bassinets of 2021, they concluded that SNOO Smart Sleeper was the overall best, noting it’s firmness, stability, and fit as top-notch. SNOO’s firm sleep surface is also flat, which is imperative for safe sleep. Even though the AAP clearly states that a flat sleep surface is a must for babies, right now there are numerous decidedly not flat bassinet-like inclined sleepers (a la the now-recalled Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play) available that put babies at risk for asphyxiation and rolling out if not secured properly. (While these types of products are now regulated, people are still using them for sleep.) Bottom line: Firm and flat are required for safe sleep!
Best Bassinet Must-Have: Breathability
Classic, modern, rounded, squared...no matter what a crib looks like, they all feature a slotted surround, allowing for max air flow and safety. That’s not quite the same with bassinets. Many bassinets are actually made of fabric that mimics unsafe crib bumpers that the AAP strongly advises parents against using due to potential SIDS risk. To see if a bassinet is truly breathable, the experts behind BabyGearLab asked questions like: “Can a baby breathe through the material?,” “Could any components impair the baby’s breathing?,” and “Is there a design feature that might allow a baby to scoot into a position that inhibits their ability to breathe?” Once again, when the folks at BabyGearLab compared more than a dozen popular bassinets, SNOO Smart Sleeper came out on top, scoring a 10 out of 10 thanks to its ultra-breathable mesh surround and innovative design.
Best Bassinet Must-Have: Certified
Thankfully, all products intended for infant sleep now must meet federal safety standards—a requirement that did not exist until 2022. (Unbelievable, right?) Up until then, products like soft-sided travel bassinets, compact bassinets, inclined sleepers, Moses baskets, and more were not held to the same safety standards. Because of this, Consumer Reports recommends only buying bassinets that are certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. To become certified, each bassinet is tested at an independent lab to verify that it meets the highest standards for quality, safety, performance, and functionality. (You can see which ones qualify on JPMA’s website.) Not only is SNOO Smart Sleeper approved by JPMA...the respected organization actually gave SNOO the 2017 JPMA Innovation Award!
Best Bassinet Must-Have: New!
While it’s so very tempting to save money and pick up a second-hand bassinet, know that this is not the safest move. Consumer Reports advises against purchasing important baby items, like car seats, strollers, and cribs/bassinets, used. You don’t want to risk bringing home a bassinet that’s possibly damaged, altered, or incorrectly assembled. While you might think you can easily spot these types of issues, the truth is, sometimes flaws, cracks, and breaks aren’t obvious. And then there’s the possibility that the bassinet has been recalled. If purchasing SNOO feels cost prohibitive, know that you can still offer your baby the safe sleep they deserve with SNOO’s rental program that winds up costing just dollars a day.
How to Choose the Best Bassinet for Your Baby
With so many bassinets on the market—each promising a peaceful night’s sleep—it can be hard to know where to start. Whether you’re building your baby registry or just starting your search, here are a few key factors to keep in mind as you choose the right sleep space for your little one:
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Safety First: Always look for a bassinet that meets the latest safety standards. The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certifies products that meet rigorous testing requirements. That JPMA seal? It's worth seeking out. And if safety and peace of mind are a top priority, look for additional safety features. For example SNOO is the first infant sleep system to be FDA De Novo Authorized for keeping babies on their backs. back-sleeping is the top sleep safety recommendation from all public health authorities! (See more important safety info at happiestbaby.com/fda)
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Size and Portability: Bassinets are designed for those early months, so you’ll want one that fits comfortably in your space—especially if you plan to keep it in your bedroom. Some bassinets are lightweight and easy to move from room to room, which is a big bonus!
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Ease of Cleaning: Between spit-up and diaper blowouts, features like an easy-to-wipe surface or machine-washable/water resistant mattress cover can be hugely helpful.
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Smart Soothing Features: If you're eyeing a smart sleeper, consider which features matter most—motion, white noise, cry detection, or all of the above! (Learn more about what makes a ‘smart sleeper’ so smart!)
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Budget: Prices can vary! Consider your priorities and take advantage of discounts or rental options, where you can!
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Bedside Compatibility: Planning to keep your baby close? Look for a bassinet that fits neatly next to your bed or can be lowered for easier nighttime care.
Still not sure what’s right for you? We’ve rounded up the best bassinets for different needs below—and if you're dreaming up the perfect nursery, don’t miss our nursery design inspiration to help you complete the look.
Best Bassinet Bonus Features
Many of today’s bassinets offer extras that parents just 10 years ago could never have dreamed of! The style, the innovation, and the sheer variety is staggering. But not all bells and whistles are created equal. Here, one’s that truly matter:
Best Bassinet Extra: Additional Safety Features
Safety is a top concern for all new parents, so knowing that your bassinet has extra safety features is crucial. SNOO Smart Sleeper is the only bassinet that boasts a secure swaddling system, which secures babies on their backs as they sleep. Back-sleeping is the number one safe-sleep advice from all public health authorities, including the AAP and CDC. It ’s this innovation that earned SNOO FDA De Novo Authorized. (For important safety information visit happiestbaby.com/fda.)
Best Bassinet Extra: Proven to Add Sleep
Since the dawn of time, parents have calmed their newborns to sleep by rocking them, shushing them, and snuggling them close. Because these actions mimic a womb-like experience, they help trigger a baby’s calming reflex, which is a primal neurological response that developed while in utero. (Basically, this is nature’s “off switch” for fussing.) And while there are some bassinets that rock and there are some that offer soft sounds, there’s only one bassinet that uses all three of these calming-reflex musts to effectively (and safely) soothe babies to sleep...and that’s the award-winning SNOO. Moreover, SNOO’s constant calming womb-like motion, white noise, and snug built-in swaddle has been shown to add 1 to 2 hours of sleep each night and most SNOO babies sleep 9 hours or more by the time they are 2 to 3 months old. The cherry on top: SNOO helps your baby learn to self-soothe faster and become a better sleeper in the long run.
Best Bassinet Extra: Responsive
What makes a smart sleeper truly genius is its ability to respond to your baby’s cries or fussing with calming comfort. For instance, the innovative technology behind SNOO Smart Sleeper senses your baby’s cries and then increases its gentle motion and calming white noise to help your little one get back to sleep quickly. And because there are several specially designed levels of sounds and motion, SNOO adapts to exactly what your baby needs to fall asleep, to stay asleep, and to get back to sleep when needed.
And, no, a smart sleeper cannot replace loving parents! Whether your baby is in a smart sleeper or not, you can rest easy knowing that they will, in fact, always let you know if they need to be fed or changed. For example, if your sweet one continues to cry once SNOO is on the highest comforting level, the bassinet will automatically shut off and alert you that your baby needs you.
In the end, only you can decide which bassinet is best for you and your baby. But if you are looking for a bassinet that supports the safest sleep possible…and is proven to add sleep, SNOO could be the perfect addition to your growing family!
Does SNOO really work? Here’s why parents say it’s the best bassinet…
Parents love to share how happy they are with their SNOO, often touting it as the “best bassinet”:
“This item is definitely an investment that is worth it! My husband and I bought this item, and our son slept in it since the night he was born! Being postpartum and healing are not the ideal circumstances to be rocking your baby for hours on end to go to sleep…our baby loved his SNOO and we felt at peace knowing he was safe.” - Maranyely, Maryland
“This is hands down the best bassinet we have ever purchased. I do not care about how much it cost. Our child knows how to soothe herself just like the Snoo does and she's almost a year old and sleeps through the night (has slept since three months old). Thank you so much for this technology. It has been an incredible investment.” - Monica, Arizona
“We absolutely loved our SNOO! It helped us get more sleep and feel that our baby was in the safest place he could be. It worked perfectly for 6 months and transitioning to his crib went very smoothly. I was worried about that part the whole time, but we did it at the same time as we did sleep training and it was pretty painless. We think because he was used to sleeping on his own in the SNOO for the majority of the time. Highly recommend!” - Nicole, Minnesota
What Pediatricians and Sleep Experts Say About the Best Bassinet
SNOO was created by pediatrician, childhood development expert, and safe sleep advocate Dr. Harvey Karp. That means every detail was thoughtfully designed to support both baby’s safety and parents’ peace of mind. In fact, SNOO is the only baby bed to receive FDA De Novo Authorization for its ability to keep babies securely on their backs—helping families follow the #1 safe sleep recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other health experts: back-sleeping.
That’s why it’s no surprise that other child sleep pros have voiced their support for SNOO, too!
Dr. Colleen Kraft, Past President of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a mother to three grown children, called SNOO a “breakthrough,” saying: “We can now use tech to help to address some of the most unsolvable things we faced as parents and pediatricians: how to make a baby sleep and improve sleep.”
Likewise, SNOO user and Internal Medicine Chief Resident, Lauren Pioppo, said, “I was extremely anxious about sleep safety. I'm probably more paranoid than most because of my job. So that was the other thing that I really liked about SNOO,” she says. "SNOO really helps me relax."
Sleep Consultant Sandra Menoni expressed a similar sentiment: “When I learned that SNOO was created by Dr. Harvey Karp and his team of engineers, that alone gave me a lot of confidence in the bassinet.”
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