Best Bassinets for Newborns
Best bassinets for newborns in 30 seconds.
Don't want to read the full guide?
- Think of a bassinet as your baby’s first sleep spot in your room for the first few months. It's not a forever bed.
- Most babies outgrow bassinets around 3–6 months, so you’re paying for convenience and peace of mind more than longevity.
Why You Need a Bassinet (Probably)
A bassinet makes it much easier to follow safe-sleep guidelines: baby on their back, on a firm, flat surface in your room, in their own sleep space. Compared to a full-size crib, a bassinet takes up less room, keeps your baby within arm’s reach for feeds and soothing, and can often move around the house with you during the day.
Buying Tips
Buy Used?
- Bassinets can be bought used as long as they meet current safety standards: no broken parts, modern flat sleep surface, and a snug, firm mattress. When in doubt, skip anything that looks flimsy or very old.
- If you buy used, make sure the model still meets safe-sleep guidelines, and consider buying a new, manufacturer-approved mattress for a fresh start.
Spend or Save?
- This is a short-use category (3–6 months for most babies), so you don’t need the most expensive model. Spend more only if the convenience features actually match your lifestyle, like a detachable top or a truly easy-to-use bedside setup.
How to Buy Smart
- Measure your bedroom first. Can the base slide under your bed, and will you still be able to walk around it half-asleep at 3am?
- This is a category where you can save a lot of money by buying a used model, or skip it entirely and use the bassinet from a Pack ’n Play.
What Actually Matters
- Safe sleep surface: The mattress should be firm and flat with tightly fitted sheets—no incline, no padding, no extra pillows or bumpers.
- Breathable sides: Mesh or breathable fabric around the sides so you can see the baby and maintain airflow.
- Room-sharing friendly: The footprint and height should work in your real bedroom so baby can sleep in your room for the first several months without turning your bed into an obstacle course.
- Portability: Wheels or a detachable bassinet make it much easier to keep your baby in sight during the day, especially if you have multiple rooms you hang out in.
- Nighttime access: Drop-down or flexible sides can make those 2am reaches way easier, especially if you’re recovering from birth or a C-section.
Best Bassinets & Newborn Sleep Setups
HALO BassiNest Luxe
Best for parents who want the easiest possible bedside access and a bassinet that makes overnight feeds less miserable.
Pros
- Drop-down wall makes nighttime reach-ins much easier
- Detachable bassinet lets you move the sleep surface without lugging the whole base
- Stable swivel base works well in tight bedrooms
- Breathable mesh sides for visibility and airflow
- Height adjustable for different beds
Cons
- Base is heavy and not meant for room-to-room rolling
- Takes up more space than simpler bassinets
- Pricier for a short-use product
Runner-up: EzeBaby Rolling Bassinet
Rolling bassinets are genius if you want baby in your line of sight all day without constantly picking them up.
- You can roll it from bedroom to living room to kitchen instead of doing the nap-transfer Olympics.
- Simple design, breathable sides, and enough functionality without feeling overbuilt for a few months of use.
- Particularly great if your house is mostly on one level and you like to roam during naps.
Caveats: Not quite as optimized for bedside use as the HALO, and if you have lots of door thresholds or rugs, wheels can be more annoying than magical.
Check out our runner up!
We picked the HALO BassiNest Luxe
I wanted something that made safe room-sharing easy and middle-of-the-night care less miserable.
- The drop-down side means I can reach in without fully sitting up, which my future 3am self will deeply appreciate.
- The Luxe model lets you detach the bassinet from the base, so I can move a sleeping baby without dragging the whole stand around.
- The swivel-over-the-bed setup works really well in small bedrooms and for postpartum recovery.
- It follows safe-sleep basics without layering on unnecessary tech or subscriptions.
Caveats: If I cared more about rolling the entire setup through the house instead of detaching the top, I might have picked a wheeled bassinet instead.
