Lightweight and compact enough to position at your bedside, bassinets make excellent first beds for babies. Having your baby right next to you at night will help you both rest easier — and make it easy to breastfeed right away or console your newborn when they wake up. The trouble is finding the perfect bassinet for you and your newborn.
A good bassinet is, above all else, safe for babies. It should give you easy access to your baby at night so nocturnal disturbances aren't so stressful. Once you know what you're looking for, it's less challenging to find the right bassinet.
Halo Bassinest Luxe Swivel Sleeper
This deluxe bassinet is not only safe and comfortable for babies but highly convenient for parents. The swivel design brings your baby even closer to you when you need it to, which is perfect when you have to feed or soothe your child in the night but don't want to get out of bed. The lowering bedside wall also allows you easier access while keeping your little one safe. What's more, the bed portion is easy to remove from the base for naps in other parts of your home.
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You don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent bassinet, as proved by this affordable model. The mesh sides are breathable and allow you to see in and check on your baby without getting up from bed. Thanks to the quick-fold mechanism, it's easy to pack and move for travel or naps outside or in other parts of your home. The hammock-style shelf below the sleeping area is perfect for holding changing or feeding essentials that you need on hand.
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Ingenuity Dream and Grow Bedside Bassinet
A common complaint about bassinets is how quickly babies grow out of them. Most bassinets are no longer safe to use once your baby can sit up. This model has an adjustable depth, so you can use it until your child reaches 12 months. What's more, it has a convenient storage caddy to hold diapers, wipes, muslins and other essentials.
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Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer Bassinet and Bedside Sleeper
You can either use this as a standard bassinet or as a co-sleeper bassinet with the side down and the base properly anchored to your mattress. The latter is great for parents who like the idea of co-sleeping but are concerned about the potential risks as it gives babies their own space where there's no chance you could roll onto them. It's easy to adjust the height so it's at the right level for your bed.
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With four ways to use this bassinet, it's perfect for parents who want something that will grow with their child. You can use it as a raised bassinet so your baby's at eye level when you're in bed, as a standard crib-level bassinet, as a portable bassinet separate from the base and as a crib or play yard for older babies and toddlers. It folds down and comes with a convenient carry case for travel use.
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Delta Children Wave Vibrating Bassinet
Thanks to its built-in wave vibration, this bassinet can help soothe fussy infants, either to get them off to sleep at bedtime or to settle them down if they wake in the night. It has a toy bar suspended above the sleeping area, giving babies something to look at. Below is a shelf that you can use for storage of all those items you need to care for your baby.
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DaVinci Archie Portable Bassinet
If you like the classic crib look, this is the bassinet for you. It's made from wood with slats down the sides for breathability; this also allows you to easily look in and see your baby from bed or another low angle. It's available in a brown wood finish or painted white or gray. It's on wheels so you can easily move it from one spot to another, as needed. The large shelf at the base gives you plenty of space to hold what you need for changing, feeding and so on.
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Skip Hop Cozy-Up 2-in-1 Bedside Sleeper and Bassinet
This height-adjustable bassinet can be used either in a regular freestanding fashion or as a bedside co-sleeper, anchored to your mattress for safety. Whichever option you choose, it's safe to use and performs well. The mesh sides are breathable and offer great visibility. Some buyers found it hard to find sheets to fit, so it's worth checking that before you buy.
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Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet
A perfect choice for fussy babies or difficult sleepers, this bassinet has a range of options to help soothe infants to sleep. It has a gentle swaying motion, gentle vibrations and soothing sounds, all of which combine to help babies and parents get more rest. Of course, these are optional, so you don't have to use them if your child isn't a fan. It also has a mobile with stars and a lion, providing visual stimulation. The storage shelf below the sleeping area is also nice to have.
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Ingenuity FoldAway Rocking Wood Bassinet
Thanks to its rocking abilities, you can more easily soothe your baby off to sleep with the help of this bassinet. You can also lock it into stationary mode to keep it safe and stable when you need. It has an attractive dark wood frame and a gray and white sleeping area with breathable mesh sides that are removable and machine washable. It also folds extremely quickly and easily, so it's great for travel or simply taking to different rooms in your house so your baby can nap near you.
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
