The Best Bassinets To Better Soothe Baby, After Testing 10 Top Models

The best bassinets allow parents to keep their newborn close—within arm’s reach and earshot—for all that new baby soothing, feeding and care that is so necessary in the first few months. After extensively testing 10 popular bassinets with my fifth baby, I named the Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet as the best bassinet overall given that it offers the most efficient soothing and the most intuitive features. With pre-owned and rental options available for this FDA-approved bassinet, the steeper price might be less of an obstacle than it was in the past. Five additional bassinets performed well in testing and are worth parents’ consideration, including the Arm’s Reach Mini Ezee 2-In-1 Co-Sleeper Bassinet and the Halo BassiNest Soothing Swivel Sleeper 3.0.

Not everyone opts to use a bassinet, of course; some parents head straight to the full-size crib, but I’ve found, after five children and years of testing, that a bassinet does ease some of the strain of those first few months, especially smart bassinets like the Snoo. It can make breastfeeding a bit less laborious, and when they cry, fuss and poop at 3 a.m.—and then start over again in a couple of hours—those bassinets that swivel and sway are an absolute lifeline. A bassinet’s smaller size also makes it easier to comply with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation to room share with new babies, not bed share. Below is a list of all the best bassinets from my testing process.

• Best Bassinet Overall: Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet
• Best Value Smart Bassinet: 4Moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet
• Best Bedside Bassinet: Arm’s Reach Mini Ezee 2-In-1 Co-Sleeper Bassinet
• Best Value Non-Smart Bassinet: Halo BassiNest Soothing Swivel Sleeper 3.0
• Best Bassinet For Long-Term Use: Cradlewise All-In-One Smart Crib
• Best Portable Bassinet: Chicco LullaGo Anywhere LE Portable Bassinet

If we could all afford an overnight nanny, we parents—and moms in particular—would have a much easier postpartum period adjusting to life with a new baby. But in the absence of that nanny, I found that the Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet made an excellent stand-in. It was developed by Harvey Karp, pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, which details his soothing method for newborns. He developed the Snoo based on research that showed babies benefit from horizontal rather than vertical rocking patterns. Parents strap the baby into a sleep sack that’s clipped into both sides of the bassinet, securing them into a safe position on their back, which led to the product recently being granted FDA De Novo authorization when used with the Snoo’s specific swaddle. Basically, if you are worried your baby is going to roll into an unsafe position, this product prevents it.

“If cost isn’t important, many parents love the Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet with built-in swaddle that senses movement and adds white noise and gentle motion to help soothe your infant,” says Dr. Jenelle Ferry, neonatologist and director of feeding, nutrition and infant development at Pediatrix Medical Group in Tampa, Florida. “If you choose this option, make sure to use the wean function as your infant gets older and can learn to self-soothe/sleep train, so that great sleep can continue once they outgrow the bassinet.”

Many have criticized the Snoo’s steep price, but it is also available to rent for $159 per month, or to purchase certified pre-owned directly from the brand for less than the full purchase price (it’s currently $1,195 for pre-owned Snoo). The rental option especially is attractive, as babies typically need the Snoo only for the first 6 months of life—or even less.

Automatic Soothing That Responds To Your Baby

I started using the Snoo with my brand-new infant, and after a few days of getting used to it, it was obvious she was cozy and content, settling just moments after being swaddled into it. She was gassy and would have woken and needed to be picked up and rocked many more times throughout the night than she did with the motion and sounds soothing her back to sleep.

Here’s how it works: You lay your baby down and turn on the Snoo, and it starts moving side to side, soothing the baby, who is strapped into the brand’s sleep sack. It uses white noise, and the noise increases if the baby gets fussier. In addition, the motion speeds up. You can also set it to not move or make noise unless they are fussing, depending on your preferences. In addition, you can adjust all sound levels to ensure they are safe for your young baby. You can also adjust the sensitivity, so that you are still in charge of how long to leave the baby before the Snoo intervenes, and how quickly it responds to fussing. As your baby calms, the sounds and motion decrease, too. Crisis (and another parent wake-up) avoided. The app lets you know as the bassinet moves through increasing levels of sound and motion, attempting to soothe the baby, too, and it does tap out, alerting you that your child needs attention.

A Few Considerations

The Snoo’s height is slightly shorter than some other options, but that means it aligns pretty well with most beds, which is great if you want to try to reach into the bassinet to retrieve your baby without getting up. Another potential downside is you have to purchase swaddles specific to the Snoo. Though three lighter-weight Snoo Sleep Sacks come with a purchase, the best swaddle is the super-cozy Snoo Sleep Comforter Sack, which is sold separately and frequently out of stock.

If you have the perfect sleeper, you don’t really need a Snoo—unless you are worried about your baby rolling over and getting stuck in that position, or if you have particular concerns over SIDS prevention. “So one thing to consider is waiting to see if your baby needs, or if you need, this level of sleep help before investing in one,” says Emily McMason, a parent coach and sleep consultant at Evolving Parents.

For me and my postpartum mental health, a brilliant robot bassinet soothing my baby through shorter wake-ups that didn’t warrant feeding or changing meant significantly fewer wake-ups, more rest and a better parent in the daytime.

Read my full, in-depth review of the Snoo for additional details on this bassinet.

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Smart bassinets give parents the luxury of soothing their babies from bed, or from another room as they start to wake up, or if they need a little help falling asleep. The 4Moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet does just that, but without quite the same level of success as higher-priced sleepers like the Snoo or the Cradlewise detailed below.

A More Doable Price

The biggest criticism I’ve seen of smart bassinets is that while they seem proficient at soothing babies to sleep, they come with prohibitive price tags for many, often in the thousands of dollars. This alternative smart bassinet is much more affordable, at under $500, and it offers some similar features. You also don’t have to purchase a specific swaddle to use with it, and its dimensions work well even in small spaces. However, if you have a true need for assistance soothing your baby to sleep, such as a colicky baby or one who just has difficulty staying asleep, the 4Moms MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet might not be as effective as higher-priced options.

My baby seemed to find this 4Moms bassinet a bit less comfortable, from the pad to the motion. For example, the pad itself isn’t quite as plush as some others. But it performed well in doing what it was supposed to: giving parents choices through the app to soothe their baby to sleep without having to get out of bed quite so frequently.

A Variety Of Customizable Calming Motions

Like other 4Moms products, its bassinet offers numerous motion and speed options, making it customizable to your baby’s preferences. The five motions come with relatable names like “car ride” and “rock-a-bye,” designed to mimic natural walking patterns and motions of parents and daily life. Caregivers can increase the speed on each one as needed, either from the app or on the bassinet itself. “The science-backed figure-eight motion mimics mom’s hip movements as she walks—because when a mom walks and a baby is in the womb, a mom is not walking in a linear fashion and just bumping up and down,” says Dr. Whitney Casares, pediatrician and CEO/founder of Modern Mommy Doc. “That motion is more evidence-based.”

There’s also a built-in timer and white noise. The 4Moms simply wasn’t fast enough to really soothe my baby completely, though it did buy some time for when she was drifting off but startled awake, to try to give her a chance to settle in again. If your regular bassinet isn’t cutting it, and you prefer an app-based smart bassinet without the high price tag, this one is worth a try.

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Convenience And Affordability In One Bassinet

Since my first child, I was always confused at this conundrum—your baby only wants to sleep with you, in your big cozy bed, but it’s not safe with the soft mattress and blankets and the tired parents who might roll over and more. The Arm’s Reach Mini Ezee 2-in-1 Co-Sleeper Bassinet solves that problem by extending your bed into a separate—but attached—space for the baby. The wall drops down to make a place for your child to safely sleep right next to you, where you can hold their hand, rub their head or retrieve that chronically missing pacifier. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about co-sleeping risks, as long as you make sure your own covers aren’t near the bassinet, and that the edge of the bassinet is flush against your bed (you can also attach it to the bed if you prefer or keep the wall raised for a more traditional bassinet).

“Make sure there is absolutely no gap, and make sure the co-sleeper is sturdy enough,” Dr. Casares says, referencing other types that hang off the bed versus standing on their own frame, like this one. “You can grab them, nurse and put them back without having to move much.”

Plenty Of Storage, Too

Arm’s Reach makes a number of affordable bassinets that are sturdy, streamlined, portable—and often loaded with storage, which is a perk many appreciate and which is lacking in other bassinets. This particular bassinet has better storage than the other bassinets in this story, with large top and bottom pockets on the sides. You could easily use this as a diaper-changing station as well, eliminating the need for a separate one, thanks to these pockets.

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The Halo has had a popular following for years. It was one of the first bassinets to help parents realize that maybe they actually didn’t have to get out of bed to soothe or feed their babies at night by making use of the bassinet’s swivel function that brings the baby to you. The side of the Halo pushes down, so you can see or pick up the baby right from your bed. All this has made postpartum recovery a bit easier for some.