7 Best Bassinets for Baby, Tested by Parents and Their Newborns
In a nutshell:
After evaluating feedback from our team of independent product testers, reviewing survey insight from 640 members of The Bump community and consulting with four pediatric sleep experts, we chose the HALO Sleep BassiNest 4.0 Signature Bassinet as the overall best bassinet. The brand’s swivel feature makes life easier for parents and is backed up by a postpartum-friendly drop-down side, adjustable height for easy bedside access and airy mesh sides.
When I was pregnant with my first baby (wide-eyed and totally clueless), I didn’t even know I would need a bassinet. Luckily for me, my sister-in-law was a seasoned mom who introduced me to the world of bassinets.
I’ll admit it, I was skeptical at first. Baby just needs a flat surface to sleep on, right? I was going to get a crib for him anyway—don’t new parents have to buy enough already? I was quickly humbled when I brought my newborn home and realized how often I was waking to nurse him, how much soothing he needed and how limited my own mobility was while recovering from birth. The bassinet was a much more convenient and comfortable alternative to the crib—it let me keep my son within reach, gently rock him from my bed and easily take him in and out of the bassinet.
The best bassinet is one that not only provides a designated safe space for your infant to sleep, but also keeps baby nearby for those middle-of-the-night feedings and comforting cuddles. “I know, personally, I wanted my babies as close as possible in the first few months of life,” says Rachel Mitchell, a certified pediatric and maternity sleep consultant, former night nanny and mom of seven.
A bassinet’s smaller size is also particularly useful for those early days, since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies and parents sleep in the same room (but never the same bed) for at least the first six months.
Over the past four years, we’ve enlisted families with a range of needs and baby sleep patterns to test and evaluate the highest-rated bassinets—including some newly-launched models—to help you find the right one for you.
The bassinet market has seen a lot of innovation in the past few years, and a field that was once very simple now gives you a few different options:
- Standard bassinets are what probably come to mind when you think “bassinet.” These are small, safe and often portable sleep spaces with a footprint that allows them to sit in your room alongside your bed.
- Bedside bassinets feature a drop-down side and attach to your bed frame. These provide a safe, approved way of sleeping next to your baby without having them in your bed.
- Smart bassinets introduce technology features that may detect cries, soothe baby when they fuss or go deep on analyzing their sleep patterns. These are typically more expensive than a standard bassinet.
- Convertible bassinets offer greater longevity by transforming into full-size cribs and toddler beds. For the purposes of this article we’ve focused on products that only offer a bassinet stage, but you can find convertible models in our roundup of the best baby cribs.
Whether you choose to stick with a more affordable option that offers a reassuringly safe and comforting sleep space for your newborn, or go all-out on bells and whistles will mostly come down to your family’s needs. “Some families love bassinets that rock, glide or include a built-in sound machine to help soothe a fussy baby. These types of bassinets are often more expensive, but those features can be helpful for many families,” explains [Cara Dumaplin]https://www.takingcarababies.com/pages/meet-cara),,) RN, a neonatal nurse, pediatric sleep consultant and the founder of the popular baby and toddler sleep program Taking Cara Babies.
To identify the top-rated bassinets on the market that we’d be testing for this article, The Bump team took the following steps:
- The Bump editors did extensive market research, drilling deep into the needs and pain points of parents who use a bassinet, and which products claimed to address those needs.
- We surveyed 640 members of The Bump community about their experiences of the bassinets they’ve used with their own babies and key features to consider.
- We consulted four pediatric sleep experts to understand what safety considerations and essential features you should keep in mind when shopping for and using a bassinet.
- We followed the latest recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) regarding safe sleep guidelines and researched scientific papers on sleep safety.
- We used this information to select a shortlist of 28 products to test.
To decide which bassinets to highlight as truly best-in-class for specific parental needs, The Bump applied the following methodology:
- We enlisted the help of 31 independent product testers (aka real parents with real sleep exhaustion) to thoroughly test the bassinets.
- We carefully matched the right product to the right family—for instance, if we were testing a feature that’s good for a mom who’s had a C-section, we put that bassinet in the hands of a mom who’d just had a C-section.
- These mothers of infants (with babies ranging in age from 1 to 3 months) used these bassinets in their own homes for numerous naps and nighttime sleep. They then reviewed the products for ease of assembly and use, helpful features, size and portability, style and design, value for money and impact on their baby’s sleep (and their own!).
- Because every family’s experience is different, we scoured forums and message boards and read user reviews to find out how these bassinets performed for parents across the country.
Editorial integrity is at the heart of everything we publish. Read more about how The Bump develops our product reviews.
Overall best bassinet
- 360 swivel feature
- Lowering wall for easier access
- Airy mesh gives good view of baby
- Adjustable height
- Heavy
- Legs can be trip hazard
- Only fits bed heights from 21” to 29”
The Bump takeaway: The HALO Sleep BassiNest 4.0 Signature Bassinet is our Best of the Bump winner for overall best bassinet, thanks to its much-loved swivel feature, C-section friendly push-down wall and adjustable height for easy bedside access.
The BassiNest series from HALO Sleep has been on our radar for a while. And with 2026's 4.0 version, the brand has taken a welcomed back-to-basics approach, focusing less on additional features, and more on improving stability and ease of use—and brought the price down while they're at it.
The result is a high-quality, practical bassinet that meets parents’ most pressing general needs: It provides a safe sleep space, is simple to use, lets you easily see and pick up baby and still allows you to get in and out of bed without hassle.
Swivel feature
First things first: Let’s talk about the main attraction. The BassiNest’s signature feature is the 360 degree swivel, which swings the bassinet toward or away from you and operates silently (no squeaks to wake baby). This allows you to bring baby extra close without getting out of bed, and exit the bed without a bulky bassinet blocking your way.
This innovative feature is a tremendous boon for any postpartum parent, but particularly for those experiencing a physically difficult recovery after giving birth. Our tester, Emily, who used this bassinet while recovering from a C-section, was a fan. "I was amazed at how easily it swiveled!" she says. And Rhiannon, one of our survey respondents, tells us, "The 360 spin is super useful."
Access to baby
Complementing the 360 degree swivel is the bassinet’s push-down side feature. This isn’t the same as the drop-down side you see on some other bassinets—the BassiNest features a flexible wall that gently lowers as you push on it and slowly springs back up when pressure is released. It allows you to easily reach baby during the night without the need to bend down or twist over. As Emily says, "The bassinet is made for easy access."
“For C section moms, access matters a lot,” says Chrissy Lawler, MS, LMFT, a certified pediatric sleep consultant and founder of The Peaceful Sleeper. “In those first few weeks, bending, twisting, sitting up from lying down and lifting can all be really uncomfortable. A traditional crib can be hard because the rail may hit right where the incision is, and leaning over can put pressure on the scar.”
This rang true for Emily, who found that the push-down feature avoided irritating her incision and made getting her baby in and out of the bassinet a gentle process as she recovered from her C-section.
Emily also appreciated the Halo’s airy mesh walls. The transparency of the mesh gave her good visibility of baby, a key factor for 62 percent of our survey respondents who said being able to see their baby easily through the sides of a bassinet was a top consideration. “I love the mesh side walls for easy breathing and to view my baby,” she tells us.
Size and height
A regular complaint of earlier BassiNest models was the intrusive footprint of the legs. The straight legs of the previous BassiNest 3.0 jut outward at an angle from partway up the center column, forming a pyramid shape that doesn’t fit under many bed frames (and occasionally knocked against parents’ feet). HALO fixed this on the 4.0: The legs now slope downward before spreading out flat on the ground, allowing you to move the bassinet closer to the bed. The legs do splay out, though, and can still present a trip hazard.
The height settings are adjustable, although it’s worth noting that your bed must be under 30 inches tall in order to be able to swivel the bassinet over your mattress.
Portability
One change that is worth noting is that the basket of the bassinet is no longer removable as it is on the 3.0. While this makes the design sturdier, the downside is it also makes it heavier and more awkward to move from room to room. Emily found it difficult to push the bassinet on carpet and would have preferred wheels for easier portability.
All things considered, the BassiNest 4.0 shines when it comes to postpartum practicality and bedside access. It keeps baby close, easy to see (thanks to the mesh walls) and within arm’s reach—without requiring mom to twist or bend.
Dimensions: 32.75" (L) x 32.75" (W) x 32.75"-41" (H) | Weight: 21.7 lbs | Weight capacity: 20 lbs.
Our product tester says:
“The swivel feature was helpful to get the exact position I needed the bassinet in without having to move as much. It made it easier to get my baby out of the bassinet and also to get in and out of bed.”
Best budget-friendly bassinet
- Great value for price
- Removable bassinet
- Gliding motion
- Some parents say they trip over the legs
The Bump takeaway: The Chicco LullaGlide 3-in1 bassinet offers three modes of use at the lowest price on our list, earning it a Best of the Bump award for best budget-friendly bassinet for the third year in a row.
Bassinets have a wide range of prices. They're the kind of product where if you want to spend more, you can usually do so, up into the thousands of dollars. But generally speaking, the lowest you can spend on a quality bassinet tends to come in around $200. So if you can find one that gets the job done well for less, you're getting a bargain.
Enter: The Chicco LullaGlide 3-in-1. At $170, it packs a big punch at an almost-too-good-to-be-true price tag, with a solid design and three different modes of use: stationary, gliding or detached from its stand as an easily portable safe sleep space. It earned high marks in our testing, even outperforming models that cost three times as much.
Features and portability
The 3-in-1 design of this bassinet offers impressive versatility, especially for its low price point. Parents can lock it into the stand for a stationary option or detach it from the stand and move it from room to room—a feature that wowed our product tester Nicole, who used this bassinet with her 2-month-old baby. “It was amazing to me how it feels so sturdy and secure, yet can be so light when carrying,” she says. It even folds flat into an included travel bag for easy portability.
Nicole (and her baby) also loved the glide motion. “It’s a manual smooth glide and not an actual rock, which my baby was soothed by,” she explains. ”I loved that it was quiet when using this feature as well.” A soothing feature that doesn’t require smart-bassinet pricing? Yes, please.
The only features Nicole would have liked to see that weren't included were a drop-down side and storage pockets for pacifiers and diapers. Still, “When it comes to the features of this bassinet, there were so many that would help me [in] choosing this product over others,” she says.
Performance
Perhaps most importantly, Nicole reported that her little one fell asleep easier and slept more soundly in this newborn bassinet—and isn’t that what it’s really all about? “When it comes to my baby sleeping, I felt that she settled better in this bassinet compared to our previous one,” Nicole says. “She did not wake up as much when placing her in the bassinet for sleeping.”
Ease of use
Our tester Nicole found this bassinet super easy to use, right from the get-go. “The assembly of this 3-in-1 bassinet was very easy compared to others we have tested,” she says. “I was able to put it together on my own with no tools needed, thanks to the very clear and helpful written instructions.”
The bassinet comes with a waterproof, easy-to-clean mattress and a machine-washable fitted sheet, and the airy mesh walls give a clear view of baby. It’s even GREENGUARD Gold Certified, meaning it’s been independently tested for low chemical emissions.
With the 3-in-1 functionality, included extras and overall easy use, the LullaGlide over-delivers for the price you pay.
Dimensions: 41.75" (L) x 25" (W) x 29.5" (H) | Weight: 16 lbs. | Weight capacity: 20 lbs.
Our product tester says:
“This product to me is very valuable for the money. The quality of this bassinet is great and I would actually think it would cost more for everything it offers. …This bassinet checked a lot of the boxes off for us.”
Best bassinet for automated soothing
- Highly effective automatic soothing features
- Secure swaddle ensures safe sleep
- Intuitive sleep tracking app
- Weaning feature for crib transition
- High price point
- Heavy
Exclusive offer from The Bump: Spend $199 at Happiest Baby and receive a complimentary SNOObear (a $59.95 value) at checkout with the code BUMPBEAR.
The Bump takeaway: The Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper takes soothing to the next level with highly effective cry and fuss detection, responsive rocking, white noise and the SNOO swaddle system, earning it a Best of the Bump award for best bassinet for automated soothing.
If you've spent any time in the parenting groups, you've almost certainly heard of the SNOO Smart Sleeper. The original smart bassinet, designed by renowned pediatrician and infant sleep expert Harvey Karp, created a sensation when it debuted in 2016. And even though a decade later it's no longer the only smart bassinet in town, it remains the gold standard for automated soothing.
When the SNOO senses crying or fussing, automated white noise and gentle rocking kick in to ease baby back to sleep, and our product tester Shawna tells us the cry detection was very effective. “This bassinet was amazing!” she gushes. “When it detected restlessness or crying, it would start to slowly move and shush baby back to sleep. It would soothe him and knew exactly when to do it.”
Performance
Happiest Baby claims that by heading off wakes before they become full-blown meltdowns, the SNOO will help baby get one to two hours of additional sleep a night. And according to Shawna, who tested the SNOO with her 6-week-old baby, it's not just talk. “My baby definitely slept better with this bassinet, sleeping longer than previously,” she says. Our second tester Caitlin, mom of a 1-month old, agreed, telling us, “The gentle rocking motion is very effective in putting our baby back to sleep, which allows us to get more sleep.”
Safety features
The SNOO is the first and only bassinet to be authorized by the FDA as a medical device for its ability to keep babies sleeping safely on their backs, which helps to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUIDs), including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
The SNOO swaddle, which attaches to the bassinet walls, keeps babies securely on their backs for up to six months. “Once I put my baby in the swaddle attached to the bassinet and turned it on with the white noise, swaying and vibration, he looked around a little and slowly fell asleep,” explains Shawna. It also comes in three sizes, so you can keep using it as baby grows.
Sleep analytics
Both testers also appreciated the insight into their baby’s sleep habits, which can be found on the bassinet's app. The report includes the length of time baby was in the bassinet, then breaks down how often they woke, when the SNOO successfully returned them to sleep and their longest stretches of sleep in a given night.
“As a mom, it’s sometimes hard to know when to let your baby cry a couple of seconds and when to jump up and get them immediately.” Caitlin shares. “The tracking features reassured me that he could sleep longer stretches of time.”
The app requires a subscription, but this subscription is free when you purchase the SNOO directly from Happiest Baby. If you buy the SNOO from another retailer (or second-hand) a subscription will cost you $19.99 a month.
Weaning features
While it sounds like a miracle product for new (and let’s face it, sleep-deprived) parents, it’s important to consider what our experts say about smart bassinets: “The potential drawback from a sleep perspective is that if baby comes to need the motion to fall asleep and stay asleep, that becomes a sleep association that can be hard to phase out as they get older. You want to think about what you're setting up for the long term, not just what gets you through tonight”, explains Rachael Shepard-Ohta, an infant sleep specialist and the founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby.
The general consensus among our experts is that sleep aids like motion and sound are developmentally appropriate for newborn babies, but parents may need to consider weaning off that support when baby is around 4 to 5 months old. Luckily, the SNOO app actually includes a feature that helps baby gradually adjust to no motion if needed before transitioning to a crib.
Price
While quality of sleep and peace of mind are both priceless, the SNOO isn't. In fact, it comes with a hefty price tag. However, parents have the option of using HSA or FSA funds towards the SNOO or renting the SNOO at a monthly rate. If your budget allows for either of these options, our product tester Caitlin says it’s well worth the splurge, especially if you plan to use it again with a second child (something nearly half of our survey respondents agreed was important to them).
Dimensions: 35.75" (L) x 19" (W) x 31" (H) | Weight: 38 lbs. | Weight capacity: 25 lbs.
Our product tester says:
“The rocking feature was very smooth and we loved how you can change the intensity of the rocking. We also love how the bassinet detects the baby crying and the rocking automatically starts to soothe the baby back to sleep.”
Our community says:
This SNOO is worth every penny … the technology has helped my baby sleep. The swaddle inserts are amazing designs that are quality and comfortable. It’s got a very easy-to-use app with great tips as well. – Leah, The Bump survey respondent
I like that it has the safety straps to keep baby for rolling over too early. I also like the ease of the SNOO sack and the cry detection feature. – Claire*, The Bump survey respondent
Worth its price. – Julie*, The Bump survey respondent
Best bassinet for personalized soothing
- Customizable motion, speed and sound settings
- Automatic soothing
- Quiet motor
- High price point
The Bump takeaway: The UPPAbaby Soma Smart Bassinet soothes baby with multiple motion styles, speed settings and sounds, allowing parents to experiment with what works best for their baby. That’s why it’s this year’s Best of the Bump winner for best bassinet for personalized soothing.
Every happy baby is alike; every unhappy baby is unhappy in its own way (that’s how the saying goes, right?). After three children, I can tell you it certainly feels like every baby is unique in the way they like to be soothed to sleep. So having a bassinet that can perfectly find that sweet spot for your baby makes sleep easier to achieve for everyone.
The UPPAbaby Soma Smart Bassinet boasts 400 customizable combinations using five unique motions and five adjustable speeds designed to match a parent’s own movements. In practice, our tester Danielle described the motions as “gentle side-to-side rocking, a more rhythmic bounce, and a smoother glide-like motion depending on the selected mode. It also allows different intensity levels across five speed settings.”
This was particularly helpful for soothing Danielle’s 1-month-old baby. “The slower settings feel very calming and natural, while higher speeds create more movement that could be helpful during fussier moments,” she tells us. “The motions overall feel smooth rather than clunky, and they’re designed to mimic natural rocking rather than sharp or mechanical movement.”
App functionality
The motions can be controlled via a Bluetooth-connected app, and Danielle appreciated the app's straightforward layout and quick access to key features. (Something especially nice for nighttime use; it allowed her to stay in bed while controlling the bassinet remotely.)
The app also allows for further personalization, with MotionSync Technology that mirrors your real movements in the app, creating a customized, calming sleep rhythm made just for your baby. "MotionSync feels a bit more intuitive compared to manually picking settings myself," Danielle says. "With manual settings, there was a little trial and error where I’d try different motion levels and see what worked best for my daughter in the moment… MotionSync just adapts more in real time, so I didn’t feel like I had to keep going back in and changing things as much."
Standard features
The UPPAbaby Soma offers plenty of practical features for everyday newborn use. A breathable mesh mattress provides a safe, comfortable and ventilated sleep surface, while the mesh sides provide clear visibility of the baby from the bed or across the room. Plus, the customizable height adjustment allows for the bassinet to be positioned close to most bed levels, simplifying night time care and access.
Price
With smart bassinets, there’s usually a high price to pay for snazzy tech and premium features. Coming in at just under $600, the UPPAbaby is one of the more expensive bassinets on our list (though still more than $1,000 less than the SNOO). However, tester Danielle recognized the quality of the construction and value in the smart features and adjustable settings.
“This bassinet feels like a high-end, premium investment rather than a basic sleep product,” she shares. “I would personally recommend it or consider it again for future use, especially for the early months when sleep support matters most.”
Dimensions: 24.5" (L) x 33.8" (W) x 37" (H) | Weight: 30.6 lbs. | Weight capacity: 25 lbs.
Our product tester says:
“My baby would typically settle fairly quickly once placed inside, especially when using the gentle motion and soothing sounds together. I noticed she tended to relax faster compared to being held or rocked manually, and it helped extend her sleep stretches during the night.”
Best bassinet for nighttime nursing
- Quiet drop-down side
- Can be secured to adult bed
- Easy height adjustment
- Breathable mattress
- Larger footprint
The Bump takeaway: Equipped with a true drop-down zipper side that operates quietly, easy height adjustability and an ultra-breathable mattress, the Newton Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper is this year’s Best of the Bump winner for best bassinet for nighttime nursing.
Drop-down sides can be a great feature on a bassinet. You can lower them to remove baby gently without having to lift them up and over a wall, or keep the side down for bedside mode so baby can sleep as close as possible to you while still staying safe. “For breastfeeding specifically, [a drop-down side] makes it so much easier to respond quickly to hunger cues, which is helpful for milk supply in those early weeks,” says Rachael Shepard-Ohta, an infant sleep specialist and host of the Hey, Sleepy Baby podcast.
But through our research, one thing we saw a lot of parents complain about is that a drop-down side can be noisy and cumbersome to deal with in the middle of the night—a big no-no when it comes to a sleeping baby (to say nothing of a sleeping partner).
That’s not the case with the Newton Bassinet. Our tester, Lizbeth, tells us, "There is no sound at all when needing to unzip and pull down the side—my baby doesn’t even wake up, and he’s a light sleeper." The zipper operates quietly and simply; Lizbeth adds, “it was pretty easy to pull down when it came to night time feedings.”
Bedside sleeper mode
The Newton's drop-down side can be removed entirely for bedside sleeper mode; you take off the side, and use the included safety straps to attach the bassinet securely to your bed. She did face a learning curve when it came to attaching the straps, but overall the bassinet worked well for her bed setup.
With eight adjustable height settings, Lizbeth also appreciated being able to easily change the bassinet's height so she could use it next to her higher bed at night and her lower couch for daytime naps. Be sure to check the height of your bed before purchasing, though—the bedside sleeper mode is designed for use only with adult beds that are between 19.5 and 25 inches from the floor to the top of the mattress.
Size and ease of use
Another feature the Newton Bassinet boasts is its ultra-breathable and fully-washable mattress, which comes in handy for spitups and diaper accidents. With the sleeping surface measuring 35" x 19", it’s also one of the biggest bassinet mattresses we’ve come across. This means it may not be the best choice for smaller bedrooms, but Lizbeth praised the spacious size, saying, “My little wiggle worm is a crazy sleeper and has so much space that he doesn’t wake himself up when he’s moving around.”
Just because it can be attached to your bedside, doesn’t mean it needs to stay there. Not only can the Newton Bassinet be used as a standalone bassinet, it’s also lightweight and easy to carry from room to room. Even while recovering from surgery, Lizbeth found it light enough to move around the house herself.
Dimensions: 41.5" (L) x 22" (W) x 26"-31.75" (H) | Weight: 35 lbs. | Weight capacity: 20 lbs.
Our product tester says:
“There is no sound at all when needing to unzip and pull down the side. My baby doesn’t even wake up, and he’s a light sleeper. It’s definitely a game-changer to have a drop-down feature!”
Best bassinet for longer-term value
- Longer usage period (12 months)
- Soothing sound and light features
- Soothing, but not smart—no motion or cry detection
The Bump takeaway: Three modes of use allow the Evenflo Cora 3-Level Adjustable Bassinet to be used from birth up to 12 months (as opposed to 6 months or earlier for most other models), earning it a Best of The Bump award for best bassinet for longer-term value.
Parents often balk at the idea of purchasing a bassinet. Even when you find an affordable option, they're never exactly cheap, and you can only use them for six months at most—often less, since many babies hit the developmental milestones that tell you it's time to move to a crib before then.
But the Evenflo Cora grows alongside your child through three distinct modes: newborn (up to 3 months or 20 pounds), infant (up to 5 months or 20 pounds) and growing baby (up to 12 months or 30 pounds). As baby starts pushing up or rolling over, you lower the mattress to create a bigger and safer space.
Our tester Lola used this bassinet with her 4-month-old baby—right at the point where some children start outgrowing their bassinet—and shares that adjusting the heights was an easy and straightforward process, and found the feature was “a genuinely useful design rather than something complicated.”
Size and visibility
For parents who might be tight on room, the Evenflo Cora is a space-saving alternative to a traditional crib for that first full year. “It fit comfortably beside the bed without taking up too much space, and I was still able to walk around it easily without feeling restricted”, says Lola, mentioning that this was extra convenient for nighttime feeds.
She also appreciated the mesh side fabric which provided clear visibility of her little one, telling us she “felt comfortable with the ventilation and reassured by the amount of breathability throughout the bassinet.”
Soothing features
The Evenflo Cora isn't a smart bassinet—it doesn't react to baby's fussing with motion and rocking. But it does feature a technology bar that sits over the bassinet like a mobile, and engages and calms baby with lights, music and sounds that you control from an app on your phone—something our tester Lola found very effective. The soundscapes and white noise were her four-month-old baby’s current favorites, but she tells us she likes having multiple options, reporting, “It’s reassuring knowing we can try different sounds and music as her preferences evolve.”
The Cora isn't the cheapest option on the market, but it's far from the most expensive—it's a solid mid-price choice, with the added benefit of lasting twice as long as other options, as well as soothing features that support consistent sleep and comfort. As Lola says, “It feels like a complete sleep solution.”
Dimensions: 35.5" (L) x 23" (W) x 50.5" (H) (to top of technology bar) | Weight: 28.2 lbs. | Weight capacity: 30 lbs.
Our product tester says:
“The ability to adjust as my baby grows makes it feel practical and supportive over time.”
Best bassinet if you want a Pack ’n Play
- Portable and full-size bassinet
- Integrated storage organizer
- Easy close with push-button fold
- Assembly may require two people
- Shallow changing pad
The Bump takeaway: The Graco Pack n’ Play Close2Baby Bassinet Playard is our Best of the Bump winner for best bassinet if you want a Pack ‘n Play—it couples all the benefits of a playard with a highly portable bassinet.
Pack ‘n’ Plays are a great alternative to traditional bassinets for parents who aren’t keen on investing in a piece of furniture that will only be used for a short window of time. In fact, many parents in online forums talk positively about using a Pack ’n Play for their newborn sleep solution, since a Pack ‘n Play comes with added portability and can keep being used as a sleep or play space as baby grows.
So what separates this model by Graco—creators of the OG Pack ‘n Play—from other playards on the market? For parents looking for a bassinet, the answer is the multiple bassinet options, both portable and full-size. The lift-out portable bassinet can be taken from room-to-room, out to the park or over to Grandma's, while the full-size bassinet provides a more spacious base for naps or overnight.
Performance
Our tester RaLicia, mom of a 2-month-old, found that her baby’s sleep actually improved in the portable bassinet. “Her overnight time of sleep increased as well as her napping time by almost a whole hour. My child usually moves around a lot and I believe the closed-in space helped her stay calm,” she explains.
When using the full-size bassinet, RaLicia tells us, “The bassinet is deeper than one I have owned before and has a little bit more room,” reports RaLicia, who also praises the “firm and durable” mattress.
Pack n' Play features
The Graco Pack n’ Play Close2Baby also features an easy-to-clean changing table attachment, a storage organizer for all of baby’s essentials and integrated wheels for easy portability. RaLicia found the wheels particularly useful, telling us, “I love how they have the option for wheeling it around on one end. That helps when moving it around the house.”
And of course as a Pack and Play, it folds up neatly for storage and includes a durable travel bag. “I packed this up easily in three minutes and stored it in the travel bag,” says RaLicia. “I was easily able to store it in a cabinet and it's not too heavy. I could see it being easy to throw in the car or on a plane for travel.”
But perhaps the biggest bonus of all is the fact that, thanks to the bassinet and playard combo, it can be used for months—and even years—beyond the newborn stage, up until your little one reaches 30 pounds.
Dimensions: 27" (L) x 29" (W) x 33" (H) | Weight: 30 lbs. | Weight capacity: 20 lbs. (portable bassinet); 15 lbs. (full-size bassinet)
Our product tester says:
“I would recommend this for anyone to purchase because of the additional features and that it can be used for multiple ages. It can be trusted!”
Our community says:
We used a Graco Pack n' Play as our bassinet, and it was a great choice for our family. After our daughter outgrew it, she still had a portable playspace! – Daniel Carroll, dad of one and associate director of e-commerce content for The Bump
Bassinets Comparison Chart
| Overall best bassinet | Best budget-friendly bassinet | Best bassinet for automated soothing | Best bassinet for personalized soothing | Best bassinet for nighttime nursing | Best bassinet for longer-term value | Best bassinet if you want a Pack ’n Play | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall Best HALO Sleep BassiNest 4.0 Signature Bassinet | Chicco LullaGlide 3-in-1 Bassinet | Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper | UPPAbaby Soma Smart Bassinet | Newton Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper | Evenflo Cora 3-Level Adjustable Bassinet | Graco Pack 'n Play Close2Baby Bassinet Playard | |||
| Price | $$ | $ | $$$$ | $$$ | $$ | $$ | $$ | ||
| Dimensions | 32.75" (L) x 32.75" (W) x 32.75"-41" (H) | 41.75" (L) x 25" (W) x 29.5" (H) | 35.75" (L) x 19" (W) x 31" (H) | 24.5" (L) x 33.8" (W) x 37" (H) | 41.5" (L) x 22" (W) x 26"-31.75" (H) | 35.5" (L) x 23" (W) x 50.5" | 27” (L) × 29” (W) × 33” (H) | ||
| Weight | 21.7 lbs. | 16 lbs. | 38 lbs. | 30.6 lbs. | 35 lbs. | 28.2 lbs. | 30 lbs. | ||
| Bedside | |||||||||
| Smart features | |||||||||
| Adjustable height | |||||||||
| Removable bassinet | |||||||||
| Storage | |||||||||
| Buy NowRead Full Review | Buy NowRead Full Review | Buy NowRead Full Review | Buy NowRead Full Review | Buy NowRead Full Review | Buy NowRead Full Review | Buy NowRead Full Review |
You might be asking yourself, I’m already buying a crib, what do I need a bassinet for? And to be sure, full-sized cribs can be used from day one through toddlerhood. But a bassinet is designed specifically (and exclusively) as a sleep space for newborns and very young babies, typically less than 6 months old.
Bassinets are smaller than cribs and usually oval-shaped, whereas cribs are larger and typically rectangular. The smaller footprint of a bassinet can make it easier for parents to room-share with their infant, which is recommended “for the first six months of a baby’s life…to reduce the risk of SIDS,” explains sleep consultant Mitchell. Keeping baby in the same room is also beneficial for nighttime feedings and responding to any wakings (which can be frequent in those first weeks and months).
Moreover, while cribs are stationary pieces of furniture, some bassinets are portable and designed to be moved throughout the house so your sleeping infant can be close by, wherever you are. Cribs, however, are “much more difficult to move,” Mitchell points out. Most bassinets also come with added features, including rocking or motion, sound and storage—which can not only help baby sleep, but also be an added convenience to parents and caregivers as well.
While I was lucky enough to have a family member take the decision making off my hands by lending me a hand-me-down bassinet, this might not be the case for you. With a plethora of options on the market, selecting a newborn bassinet can be overwhelming. Here are some factors to keep top of mind when shopping for a newborn bassinet.
- Safety. Pay attention to labels and designations to make sure you’re purchasing a product that’s designated for safe sleep. “The most important thing to look for when shopping for any sleeping place for baby is to be sure that it’s labeled as a ‘bassinet’, ‘crib,’ [or] ‘portable crib,’” explains sleep expert Dumaplin. “These labels have specific safety requirements, so you know that they’re appropriate for safe sleep.” On the flip side, avoid any products labeled as “nappers, sleepers, loungers, bouncers, swings, nests or pillows” as they are not safe options for sleep, according to Dumaplin.
- Size. While bassinets typically take up less space than a crib, pay attention to a bassinet’s dimensions—particularly if you’re tight on space. One measurement to specifically keep an eye out for is a bassinet’s mattress height; if you plan to use a bedside model, you need one that lines up properly with your bed.
- Portability. One of the biggest benefits of a portable bassinet is that baby can sleep close to you at all times, no matter what room of the house you’re in. This was especially important to me as I had my second and third babies, since I still needed to take care of my other children and the baby could nap within sight whenever, wherever. If this is important to you, look out for a bassinet with wheels, a lightweight construction or a removable attachment for easy portability.
- Visibility. More than 60 percent of our survey respondents reported being able to easily see baby through the sides of a bassinet as the most important feature. “Having baby close enough that you can see them, hear them breathing and respond quickly can be really comforting, especially in those first few weeks,” echoes sleep consultant Lawler. Mesh walls on all sides can help to increase visibility (and also promote breathability). However, some mesh sides are more opaque than others, and not being able to see their baby through dense mesh was a frustration of some of our testers.
- Technology and extra features. All that’s really required from a bassinet is to provide a safe sleep space—but many offer loads of extras nowadays, from soothing motion and noise to high-tech sleep analytics. And while these extras are not essential by any means, they can be helpful for many families, particularly those with a wakeful baby, Dumaplin explains—I certainly wish I had a bassinet that acted as an “extra set of hands,” as Lawler puts it, when I had my colicky firstborn five years ago.
- Drop-down side. More than 30 percent of the parents we surveyed preferred a bassinet that features a drop-down side, which allows for easier access to baby as they sleep. A drop-down side lets parents “be really close to their baby and tend to them easily throughout the night,” according to Mitchell. It “can also help minimize the arms-to-crib transfer that many babies struggle with,” she adds. Infant sleep specialist Shepard-Ohta also emphasizes the value of a drop-down side for post C-section moms, since “you can pull baby toward you rather than lifting them up and over a side panel.”
- Affordability. The cost of a bassinet varies widely, from as little as $100 to more than one thousand dollars. With price being the most important feature of a bassinet for 36 percent of our survey respondents, one way to make sure you are getting the best bang for your buck is to seek out value. Determine what you want out of a newborn bassinet (Smart features? Storage? Longevity?) and a price-point that you’re comfortable with, and look for a bassinet that marries both.
And as with any baby gear, it’s always a good idea to check the CPSC website for recalls.
Pros of a smart bassinet:
- Automatic soothing features can head off wakings.
- Sleep analytics can help parents understand baby’s habits better.
Cons of a smart bassinet:
- High price, which can especially sting if the smart features don’t help.
- Might need to start sleep training over when baby moves to a crib.
Since the debut of the first smart bassinet in 2016, high-tech features—such as sleep analytics, cry detection and automatic soothing—have become more and more common in baby bassinets. By the time I welcomed my third child in 2025, it was a common question amongst my mom friends: Are you planning on using a smart bassinet? And if not, should you be? The debate still exists today—and while there’s no right or wrong answer, there are advantages and disadvantages to both smart bassinets and their low-tech counterparts.
The primary argument for smart bassinets is that they can help babies—and, as a result, parents—clock more sleep. Shepard-Ohta explains that this is because “the motion and soothing response can be helpful, particularly in those very early newborn weeks when babies are used to constant movement from being in the womb.”
Throughout our product testing of several different smart bassinets, parents consistently reported that their little ones slept for longer stretches in them thanks to the cry detection technology and automatic soothing features, like motion and white noise. And Lawler agrees, telling us, “If baby just needs a little help settling, a smart bassinet may prevent a full wake up, which can be really helpful for exhausted parents."
Some smart bassinets also provide sleep analytics, which our testers found useful to understand their baby’s sleep patterns and learn what works best. In each case, they were reassured that their baby was actually sleeping better than they’d realized.
While more sleep and easier soothing may seem like no brainers, there are some downsides to using a smart bassinet (and we don’t even mean the notably higher price tag). One potential drawback is that using a smart bassinet can ultimately make the transition to a crib more difficult. (“My son couldn’t sleep after he outgrew the bassinet,” one survey respondent lamented.) “If baby comes to need the motion to fall asleep and stay asleep, that becomes a sleep association that can be hard to phase out as they get older,” Shepard-Ohta says.
Another potential downside to smart bassinets is that you might spend a ton of money and discover that baby just isn’t comforted by the soothing features. Some of our survey respondents who used smart bassinets reported that their little ones didn’t like the motion or weren’t calmed down by the white noise. Babies are people after all, and have their own preferences. “There’s also something to be said about touch and proximity,” Shepard-Ohta explains. “Skin to skin, your heartbeat, your scent, the sound of your voice. A bassinet, however sophisticated, cannot replicate any of that.”
All that being said, experts agree that when babies do take to them, smart bassinets can be incredibly helpful for some families in the early newborn stages. “Newborns are neurologically immature. They are not supposed to be fully independent sleepers yet,” reassures Lawler. “You cannot spoil a newborn by helping them sleep.”
What Are Some Tips for Getting Baby to Sleep in a Bassinet?
Found your perfect bassinet, but still struggling to clock quality zzz’s at night? “There’s this belief out there that when babies are tired, they’ll simply sleep easily in a crib or bassinet. Sometimes, this isn’t the case,” Dumaplin says. To help, here are some tips and tricks for getting baby to sleep in a bassinet:
Unsure when to make the transition from bassinet to crib? While there is no exact age limit on bassinets, most babies are ready for the transition to the crib between 4 and 6 months, according to most of the experts we interviewed.
However, there are other factors besides baby’s age that are more helpful in determining when it’s time to ditch the bassinet. Babies should be moved out of the bassinet and into their crib when they reach any of the following developmental milestones:
- Rolling over
- Sitting up
- Pushing up onto their hands and knees
All three of my babies were eager rollers, so I had to cut their time in the bassinet shorter than I was expecting each time.
Another indicator that baby is ready to move out of the bassinet and into the crib? When they “outgrow the manufacturer’s height/weight recommendations on your bassinet,” Dumaplin points out. This can happen quicker than you realize—and sometimes before any of the developmental milestones mentioned above. Be sure to check your bassinet’s height and weight limitations, as well as safety guidelines, before using.
When you and your little one are ready to bid farewell to the bassinet, don’t be nervous about the transition. While my first baby hated his crib with a passion (he was the ultimate contact napper), my other two after him had no trouble moving from bassinet to crib. “The truth is that if the environment is the same—a firm, flat mattress in a cool, dark room with the humming of a sound machine—most babies transition easily between a bassinet and a crib,” Dumaplin says. She suggests starting with one to two naps per day in the crib to help your little one practice sleeping in a crib and help ease your anxiety over the switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use a bassinet?
Generally, having baby sleep in a bassinet right by your bed is the safest and most practical setup during the first several months. The AAP recommends room-sharing, but not bed-sharing, for the first six months of life. A bassinet positioned next to your bed makes nighttime feedings and diaper changes convenient while also allowing you to keep a close eye on your little one.
What are the benefits of a bedside sleeper with a drop-down side?
A bedside sleeper with a drop-down side makes it simpler to check on, soothe or feed baby without fully getting out of bed. This can be especially helpful for nursing moms and anyone recovering from a C-section or difficult birth. Also, having baby close by in those early weeks can help ease any anxiety in new parents.
How do you use a bedside sleeper safely?
To use a bedslide sleeper safely, always follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly. The bassinet's mattress should fit snugly with absolutely no gaps between the mattress and the sides of the bassinet, as gaps pose a suffocation and entrapment risk—the CPSC's safety standards require that there be no gap, but design flaws and recalls do happen. Some bedside sleepers come with safety straps that attach to the bed for a secure setup. The bassinet sleep surface should be flush with, or just slightly below, your bed mattress. Be sure to keep the inside completely clear with just the fitted bassinet sheet it came with—no extra padding, pillows, or loungers.
About the writer:
Diana Sushch is a California-based mom of three kiddos under the age of five, which means she’s spent plenty of late nights soothing, rocking and tending to babies’ needs. As a contributing writer for The Bump, she specializes in hands-on testing of baby and toddler products and brings real-life parenting experience to her work.
Interested in becoming a product tester for The Bump? Head here to apply.
Plus, more from The Bump:
Expert interviews:
Cara Dumaplin, RN, is a mother of four, a neonatal nurse and a pediatric sleep expert. She is the founder of Taking Cara Babies, which provides online sleep courses and resources for newborns and toddlers through age four. Her popular Instagram account, @TakingCaraBabies, boasts 2.5 million followers.
Chrissy Lawler, MS, LMFT is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, mom of four, and founder of The Peaceful Sleeper. She has guided more than 400,000 families worldwide to better rest and stronger mental health through her evidence-based, research-backed approach to infant sleep.
Rachel Mitchell is a certified Pediatric & Maternity Sleep Consultant, former night nanny, and mom of seven. Mitchell is the founder of My Sweet Sleeper sleep consultancy, which has helped thousands of families get better sleep over the past 14 years.
Rachael Shepard-Ohta is an infant sleep specialist, infant-parent mental health specialist, educator, and podcast host. She is the voice behind Hey, Sleepy Baby, a platform reaching over 570K parents.
Literature:
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Safe Sleep Recommendations: Back is Best, June 2022
American Academy of Pediatrics, Safe Sleep, July 2025
Pediatrics, Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment, June 2022
Product testers:
Lola A., mom of an 18-week-old
RaLicia B., mom of a 2-month-old
Shawna C., mom of a 6-week-old
Lizbeth G., mom of a 19-week-old
Caitlin H., mom of a 1-month-old
Emily H., mom of an 8-week-old
Danielle M., mom of a 3-week-old
Nicole W., mom of a 2-month-old
Surveys
The Bump May 2023 and April 2025 Surveys. Editors conducted two surveys of 640 new and expectant parents from among The Bump community, and asked for their insight and experiences of using a bassinet.
Target Baby Registry
Free $100+ Value Welcome KitFree $100+ Value Welcome Kit
15% Completion Discount15% Completion Discount
Free 1-Year ReturnsFree 1-Year Returns
20+ Exclusive 20% Off
Deals For Mom & Baby20+ Exclusive 20% Off Deals For Mom & Baby1:1 Concierge With
Baby Gear Specialists1:1 Concierge With Baby Gear Specialists
*Subject to availability and Retailer's terms.
We earn commissions from these links.
