At the hospital, you mastered the swaddle—or think you did. You handled getting your brand-new baby home, white-knuckled car ride and all, and now it’s time to figure out life with a newborn. For starters, where do they sleep? That beautiful nursery you prepared for them seems way too far from your room, and it is.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends keeping your baby in the same room where you sleep for at least the first six months. This is also known as room sharing, which is not to be confused with bed-sharing. A baby needs their own safe place to sleep, such as in a bassinet, crib, or portable crib, which can be placed next to or near their parents’ bed for easy pickups, putdowns, and late-night feedings.

For parents who want their baby at their bedside, co-sleeper bassinets (a.k.a. bedside sleepers) keep the baby in their own safe sleep space at bed level. Some clip to the side of the bed, while others are freestanding and can be pushed up next to a bed. Certain co-sleeper bassinets have a side that drops down for easier access to the baby while in bed. It’s like having two mattresses pushed together—one for you and one for the baby—except the baby’s is a much smaller, oval or rectangular, crib-like space with breathable walls and a sturdy frame.

By definition, this is what a bassinet is. Designed for newborns from birth until around four months old, or whenever they start becoming mobile (rolling side to side, onto their tummies, or pushing up onto their hands and knees), bassinets are ideal starter sleep spaces for a baby. When they’re fresh out of the womb, they need swaddling and a feeling of closeness to help them sleep, and a bassinet’s size and shape can help comfort them.

While bassinets are lighter, significantly smaller, and more portable than a standard crib, some can be fairly robust, weighing 30lbs or more. Others are better designed for travel and even fold flat for easy packing and storage. Some have vibration or rocking features to soothe the baby, but a bassinet’s primary purpose is to help a baby transition from sleeping in the womb to sleeping on their own in this great big world. A bassinet just makes it feel a bit cozier.

For parents and caregivers, a bassinet’s design—with a raised sleeping area that’s waist-level height for most adults—makes tending to newborns much easier than bending over high crib railings. Most standalone bassinets are supported by a tall base and have mesh or cloth sides for ventilation and easy viewing of the baby when you’re not next to them.

While a standard bassinet is usually small enough to store under a bed, a travel bassinet may fold nearly flat to save space while packing. Compared to a travel crib that may weigh 15-20lbs, travel bassinets are closer to 7-8lbs. Most bassinets can be used until a baby is about 20lbs or can roll over independently, whichever comes first. As always, follow manufacturer guidelines regarding weight limits for any baby products.

Best Bassinets

Now that you have a better idea of what a bassinet is and why it’s an essential item for infants in their first few months of life, let’s get into which ones are the “best.” We spent lots of time researching bassinets and reading reviews from reputable sources, such as the Bump, Babygearlab, WhatToExpect, Healthline, Verywell Family, and more, and spoke with parents who have firsthand experience with the latest-and-greatest bassinets.

All of the featured bassinets are safe sleep spaces for newborns until they start to move around on their own. Some are freestanding, while others are inserts within a travel crib. The following bassinets were chosen based on their design, adjustability, baby-friendly materials, ventilated sidewalls, mattress support, and portability.

Best Overall: HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper 3.0

HALO keeps upping the bar on their bassinets, and the 3.0 version, which is 30% lighter than previous models, is a tough one to beat. The Swivel Sleeper 3.0 is part of HALO’s BassiNest series, which are the only bassinets that swivel 360 degrees. The completely customizable positioning is a game changer for anyone with limited mobility–-including moms recovering from C-sections—as they can tend to their baby while in bed. The standalone bassinet has an adjustable height, which works with beds up to 30 inches high, and makes it easy for parents and caregivers to pick up a baby without bending over.

This bedside bassinet has one wall that can be lowered, all mesh sides, and a detachable bed for on-the-go naps or traveling. Fully assembled, it weighs 22.6lbs with the base, but without it, the portable bed weighs just 9.5lbs. It comes with a fitted sheet and waterproof pad. The best part of this bassinet is the price. While some luxury bassinets cost upwards of $1,000 (read on to learn about the SNOO), this one comes in at just over $200.

For about $150 more, HALO’s Luxe BassiNest includes a “Soothing Center,” complete with a nightlight, floor light, vibration modes, and four soothing sounds (heartbeat, white noise, babbling brook, and rainforest). While the bells and whistles are nice, it also makes the Luxe BassiNest a bit heavier (30lbs). The main drawback of this bassinet series is its relatively large footprint when assembled with the base, which makes it less suitable for small spaces.

Best Splurge: ​​Happiest Baby SNOO Smart Sleeper

If you want it all for your baby and aren’t constrained by a budget, the SNOO is the ultimate “smart” bassinet. It pairs with a smart device, like a phone or tablet, to control it remotely, view sleep reports, and more. The bassinet itself is equipped with five levels of “womb-like” sounds and sleep motions designed by pediatrician and baby sleep expert Dr. Harvey Karp. These sounds and motions can run on a timer, and if the baby wakes up and cries, it responds with increased motion and alerts caregivers when more attention is needed. This can help parents get more shut-eye on a nightly basis. Its motor is extremely quiet, making the SNOO a much-appreciated robotic mother’s helper.

For safety, a built-in “5-second swaddle” in the bed area helps take the guesswork out of swaddling properly and keeps a baby from rolling over onto their stomach. Marketed as “the world’s smartest and safest baby bed,” the SNOO costs nearly $1,700, which is a high price tag for a product that can only be used for a maximum of six months (or when a baby can get on their hands and knees). As an alternative to buying, Happiest Baby offers a rental program for $159 per month with just a one-month minimum.

While one of the SNOO’s greatest features is its constant motion to help babies sleep, that can also be its biggest detriment. Babies need to be weaned off the movement in order to sleep in a stationary crib or bed once they start moving. The SNOO does come with 24/7 access to sleep consultants to help with this, as well as other tips and data on the mobile app. It also comes with three organic-cotton SNOO Sacks (small, medium, and large), a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic-cotton sheet, a mattress, and a water-resistant mattress cover. Altogether, this bassinet weighs 38lbs and isn’t the most portable.

Second-Best Smart Bassinet: 4moms mamaRoo Sleep Bassinet

The mamaRoo Sleep Bassinet is a runner-up in the tech category, but a frontrunner for its price. It retails for closer to $450, yet still offers five motions (car ride, wave, kangaroo, tree swing, and rock-a-bye), five speeds, and four white-noise sounds (ocean, fan, shh, and rain) that can be controlled by any Bluetooth-compatible device. The motions and sounds run on a timer for up to four hours to help establish a bedtime routine.

While the SNOO sports a modern yet simple look, the mamaRoo looks like something from the future. It weighs 30lbs and comes with a bassinet sheet, but does not automatically respond to a baby’s cries like the SNOO.

Best Budget & Space Saver: Chicco LullaGo Anywhere Portable Bassinet

For those who are looking for a no-frills bassinet that won’t break the bank or clutter your home, there’s the LullaGo Anywhere Portable Bassinet. It is a rectangular-shaped travel bassinet that assembles and breaks down easily, similar to a Pack ‘N Play but much smaller.

It costs less than $100, weighs just 12lbs, folds flat for storage, and fits into a convenient carry bag. When fully assembled, this bassinet’s height is fixed at 28 inches, but its relatively small footprint makes it ideal for small spaces. Its frame fabric is removable and machine washable, and it comes with a fitted sheet and waterproof mattress.

Best Design: BabyBjörn Cradle

If you’re seeking something simple and sleek, the BabyBjörn Cradle is a minimalist’s dream and built to last for passing down to friends or family members. This 13-pound, compact bassinet has mesh sides, beechwood legs, and anti-slip feet that make it light, airy, and slightly bouncy for gentle manual rocking. With no motor, it’s incredibly quiet, high quality, and can be easily picked up and moved around a home. The cradle also folds for easy storage and transport.

As with all BabyBjörn products that come in contact with a baby’s skin, the cradle’s fabrics are OEKO-TEX certified, meaning they’re free of harmful substances. The mesh fabric, mattress, and mattress cover are all machine washable. A white canopy can be purchased separately.

Best Travel-Crib Combo: Guava Family Lotus Bassinet Kit & Travel Crib

Let’s say you need a bassinet and a travel crib, or want a single product that you can use for years, not months. The Lotus Bassinet & Travel Crib is an all-in-one portable baby bed that converts from a bassinet to a crib in less than five minutes. The freestanding, fixed-height (25.5 inches) bassinet can be bundled with or purchased in addition to the Lotus Travel Crib, and is perfect for traveling with infants up to 18lbs (the crib does not have a weight maximum and is recommended for children up to 3 years old).

The bassinet and travel crib weigh just 13.8lbs, and fold into a backpack carrying case that’s small enough for air travel. Its sides are made of breathable mesh that can be machine washed.

When assembled, the Lotus is a bit wide (32.1 inches) and can be difficult to fit through narrow doorways, but the legs can be folded in. It’s also not a true co-sleeper bassinet, since its height is not adjustable.

Best Portable Bassinet: Primo Cocoon Folding Travel Bassinet

If you’re looking for an even more lightweight, travel-ready bassinet that’s great for outdoor naps, the Primo Cocoon is a 9.9-pound, compact sleep space for newborns weighing up to 20lbs. It’s made for both indoor and outdoor use and sets up in seconds with snap-on legs, then folds flat for packing. The bassinet includes a washable padded mattress, breathable mesh sides, and a detachable mesh canopy for keeping bugs out without obstructing the baby’s visibility.

Best Stroller Bassinet: UPPAbaby Bassinet Stand

If you already have an UPPAbaby stroller and bassinet, you can buy a stand for propping up the bassinet anywhere that’s convenient like at a friend’s, a grandparent’s, or even in the kitchen while the baby naps. The UPPAbaby Bassinet Stand keeps the bassinet and baby off the floor, securely locks the bassinet into place, and can be opened and closed in a single step. It also has a storage tray for holding baby items, like a diaper bag, beneath it. This makes it ideal for parents or caregivers who don’t like to stay put! It’s compatible with all UPPAbaby bassinets made in 2015 or later.

Since stroller bassinets are made with fabrics that stand up to outdoor use, this bassinet setup could be a bit warm for indoor sleeping. It’s better suited for napping and shorter stints when you need to put down an infant weighing 20lbs or less. It’s also not the cheapest option, but that’s consistent with UPPAbaby’s high-end products.

Picking a Bassinet

The baby bassinet market has truly exploded in recent years with models and features that most of us had never dreamed of. Keep in mind that newborns don’t need a lot of stimulation; they need you. And when you’re sleeping, they need a firm mattress and contained, breathable space for them to sleep nearby.

Before buying a bassinet, consider where you’ll put it in your bedroom, make sure it will fit, measure your bed height if you plan to use it as a bedside sleeper, and consider how much you’d like to spend. Some travel bassinet/crib sets can serve as a changing table as well, eliminating the need for another piece of furniture in your home.

Be sure to note what’s included in a bassinet and what’s not. Oftentimes, fitted sheets are sold separately so you’ll want to make sure you buy from the manufacturer or get the right size from somewhere else. Some have storage baskets underneath to help with keeping baby items organized.

If you’d like assistance choosing the perfect bassinet for you and your baby, reach out to a Baby & Toddler Expert, who can help you narrow down the list of options so you feel confident in your purchase!