Best Bassinets of 2025
The MamaRoo, the Snoo, and other bassinets stood out in our tests for ease of assembly, convenience, and smart features
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While a crib is the best choice for your baby in the long run, a bassinet makes for a safer sleep environment during the early months.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends sharing a room with your newborn for at least the first 6 months to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and bassinets can help you do that. Being in the same room as your newborn also makes nighttime feedings and diaper changes a bit easier.
Best Bassinets
The best bassinets in our tests have smart features, including sounds or movements intended to soothe a baby.
Best Portable Bassinets
In our tests, we found that these portable bassinets folded or disassembled easily, making them good for frequent travelers. Families who don’t travel as often may value them just as well. Caregivers who want to move the bassinet from one room to another will appreciate a bassinet’s lightweight nature and ability to fold into a more manageable shape for carrying.
How CR Tests Bassinets
Our testers looked at a few different factors when assessing bassinets:
Ease of assembly: How many pieces and steps does it take to assemble the bassinet?
Convenience: Is it easy to access your baby? Is the height adjustable? We also looked at how well each bassinet can be folded or disassembled and placed in a bag for travel.
Features: Does it have motion, sound, or automated soothing features? A shelf for diaper storage? With the bassinets that play noise, we looked at how loud the music or sounds get, because loud noise can be harmful to a baby’s ears. We didn’t test how well any of the features worked with any actual babies.
Safety: We made sure that each bassinet met federal safety guidelines. We used an inclinometer to ensure that they never reached an incline of 10 percent or greater, which can be dangerous to a baby’s airflow.
FAQs About Bassinets
What Features Should You Keep in Mind When Buying a Bassinet?
According to CR’s Muratore, you’ll want to consider the stability of a bassinet before you purchase one. If it’s set up at a store, she says, push down on the sides, as if you were a toddler attempting to reach into it, and see if it begins to tip. This is obviously a particular concern if you have other children or rowdy pets in the home.
You’ll also want to think about where you’ll be parking your bassinet, and whether there are any design features that may conflict with your desired placement. “With the Halo, the base is enormous, and if I’m a sleep-deprived parent and I have to get out of bed, I might well trip because the legs are splayed out,” Muratore says. “To me, it would be a tripping hazard.”
Consider the adjustability of the bassinet height, especially if you intend to keep the bassinet right beside your bed. Some platform beds, for example, are quite low, so you’ll want to compare how high your mattress is against the base height of the bassinet.
Are Bassinets Safe?
The AAP recommends using a bassinet, crib, or portable play yard to provide a safe sleeping environment for your baby. Make sure to also follow the following guidelines:
- Babies should sleep on a flat—not inclined—surface. Inclines of 10 degrees or greater can restrict your baby’s airflow.
- Babies should sleep alone in their sleep space. This means they shouldn’t be taking naps with your new puppy or other kids in their bassinet.
- Keep toys, blankets, bumpers, and other items out of the bassinet. These items can potentially suffocate your baby. (Bumpers, in fact, are now banned under the Safe Sleep for Babies Act).
- 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.
Are In-Bed Sleepers Safe for Babies?
In-bed sleepers are like an infant lounger or a Moses basket that you place on an adult bed. Consumer Reports has found that they have been linked to infant deaths. The AAP also doesn’t recommend sharing your bed with your baby because doing so is associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
At What Age Do Babies Outgrow a Bassinet?
Babies should be moved out of their bassinet and into a crib by the time they’ve reached the product’s weight or height limit or they’re pushing up on their hands and knees.