The Best Infant Bedside Bassinets

The engineers, scientist, and journalists at the Good Housekeeping Institute work hand-in-hand to test products such as baby bassinets, especially in service to our annual Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards. We also have consumer families test in their homes and provide feedback.

We have evaluated more than 25 baby bassinets that meet or exceed federal standards, looking for ones that have additional third party certifications such as JPMA certification.

When testing, we look at:

✔️ Ease of assembly: Few bassinets are ready to go out of the box. We build them ourselves to make sure they aren't too tricky and that they're sturdy when constructed.

✔️ Portability: If a bassinet is touted as being for travel, we fold it down and make sure it's easy to move around. Even for the heavier bassinets that will mostly stay in one place, we move each across hard floor and carpet and give it a rating from 1 to 5 for ease of movement.

✔️ Electronics: We plug in or add batteries to every bassinet that has motion or sound features. We test these in the Lab but also lean heavily on home tests and the opinion of parents, especially for reports of how the electronics work over time.

✔️ Dimensions: Size and height of a bedside bassinet are so important to parents in small spaces, so we double-check length, width, and height.

A bassinet can reduce the risk of SIDS by keeping your baby close to you but in their own sleep space. It can also make breastfeeding and/or C-section recovery easier. The following tend to trip up new parents looking for a bassinet, so here's our advice.

✔️ Do not use a vintage bassinet or cradle. Antique cradles are not safe. They usually don't have mesh sides and often feature flouncy bedding that is a suffocation hazard. As with so much baby gear, the newer the better. Safety regulations have come a long way.

✔️ Trust the bedding the bassinet comes with and don't add to it. An exception is buying a fitted sheet or a mattress sold specifically for your bassinet. When thinking about comfort features, remember where your newborn slept at the hospital: a flat, firm plastic bassinet. Newborns are different than adults and don't need soft cushions. In fact, a cushiony space is dangerous for them.

✔️ Bassinets are made to be bedside sleepers. They don't need to literally attach to your bed to be convenient, but sometimes bassinets do pull right up to the adult bed. That said, you don't have to keep the bassinet next to you. You can place it in your room but near the glider where you do feedings, for instance.

✔️ Motions and sounds can help an infant sleep. Every baby is different, but we've long known that some babies instantly fall asleep in a baby swing or a moving car, so it makes sense that there are now sleepers that mimic those motions. Unfortunately, you will not know if your newborn loves vibrations until you try. We are also fans of bassinets that don't move, because some babies who sleep with motion might then have trouble with our next point...

✔️ Eventually you'll need to transition your baby to the crib. Talk with your pediatrician, but most suggest for this happen at 4 to 6 months. You definitely need to move your baby out of the bassinet when they can get themselves up on their knees. You might start by lying your baby down for naps in a crib. Another idea is to transition the bassinet into the nursery before making the change, or move the crib into your room during the transition (if it fits!).

We have no magic formula, but do suggest using tools such as a sound machine as well as a baby monitor so you can determine whether your baby is fussing to sleep or if they really need you.

Yes, and bassinets are recommended by pediatricians. The Children's Hospital of Philadelipia (CHOP) offers these additional tips for choosing baby furniture. Look for:

✔️ A sturdy bottom and a wide base for stability

✔️ Smooth surfaces (no protruding staples or other hardware that could injure the baby)

✔️ Legs with strong, effective locks to prevent folding while in use

✔️ A firm mattress that fits snugly

Baby mattresses, including those in a bassinet, are supposed to feel hard. If it feels too hard to you, it's probably actually correct and safe for your baby.

According to the AAP, a firm mattress is critical in reducing the risk of SIDS. It should be firm enough that it does not conform to the shape of your child’s head. Newborns and young infants lack the motor control needed to turn over, and a too-soft mattress might result in suffocation. Firm support also protects a newborn's soft spot.

Not necessarily. You do need a safe sleep space for your baby, along with a car seat—those and diapers are the three "musts" for bringing a newborn home. Everything else is just to make your life easier.

We understand that using a bassinet for four to six months and then switching to a crib can seem like an annoyance, money-wise, but a Good Housekeeping Institute Lab director, Stefani Sassos, explains why she loves using a bassinet: "Both the AAP and our pediatrician recommended having our newborn sleep in the same room as us for the first few months, which is based on some compelling research showing that this can decrease the risk of SIDS and more." Sassos says, "We had both of our kids sleep in our room in a bedside bassinet for the first few months. Not only does it make those middle-of-the-night diaper changes and feeds a bit easier, but it helped me better respond and learn their cues."

So the full answer is no, you don't need a bassinet as long as your baby has a crib or a playard or other safe sleep spac—but having a bedside bassinet near you at night can make that first half-year with a baby a whole lot easier.