The Best Bassinet for Baby Sleep

Bassinets may be a part of your little one’s life for a mere six months, but the right bassinet can have a lasting impact on not only your baby’s sleep, but yours...now and for years to come! The key, of course, is knowing what makes a bassinet the best one for your baby’s sleep. Here is what you need to know…

Bassinets vs. Cots: Why choose a bassinet?

It is not really an either-or question. Both cots and bassinets are safe sleep spaces for babies. However, because bassinets are specially designed for infants, they are markedly smaller than cots and much easier to tuck next to your own sleep space. And that is important. The National Health Service recommends room-sharing with your infant for at least the first six months of their life. Room-sharing can decrease babies' risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Plus, snoozing next to your baby makes it infinitely easier to feed, comfort, and keep a watchful eye on when your precious newborn is snoozing.

Best Bassinet Basics

No matter your personal style or budget, there are certain deal breakers when it comes to buying the safest bassinet for your baby. Here they are:

Best Bassinet Must-Have: Firm, Flat Sleep Surface

While you might crave a squishy, soft bed, that is the absolute opposite of what your baby needs for safe sleep! In fact, the safest sleep surface for babies is a firm, flat mattress, offering zero give when you place your baby down for naps and night-night. (Soft sleep surfaces can increase the risk of sleep-related death in infants.) The stability of the mattress and how well it fits inside the bassinet frame are also key safety features.When a team of reviewers from peadiatrician-led BabyGearLab examined the sleep surfaces of the 14 top bassinets of 2021, they concluded that SNOO Smart Sleeper was the overall best, noting it is firmness, stability, and fit as top-notch. SNOO’s firm sleep surface is also flat, which is imperative for safe sleep. Even though the UK health organisations clearly state that a flat sleep surface is a must for babies, right now there are numerous decidedly not flat bassinet-like inclined sleepers (a la the now-recalled Fisher-Price Rock ’n Play) on the market that put babies at risk for asphyxiation and rolling out if not secured properly. Bottom line: Firm and flat are required for safe sleep!

Best Bassinet Must-Have: Breathability

Classic, modern, rounded, squared...no matter what a cot looks like, they all feature a slotted surround, allowing for max air flow and safety. That is not quite the same with bassinets. Many bassinets are actually made of fabric that mimics unsafe cot bumpers that the health officials strongly advise parents against using due to potential SIDS risk. To see if a bassinet is truly breathable, the experts behind BabyGearLab asked questions like: 'Can a baby breathe through the material?,' 'Could any components impair the baby’s breathing?,' and 'Is there a design feature that might allow a baby to scoot into a position that inhibits their ability to breathe?' Once again, when the folks at BabyGearLab compared more than a dozen popular bassinets, SNOO Smart Sleeper came out on top, scoring a 10 out of 10 thanks to its ultra-breathable mesh surround and innovative design. (SNOO features a built-in swaddle, which keeps babies on the back for easy breathing.)

Best Bassinet Must-Have: Certified 

Cots, play yards, bedside sleepers, and bassinets must meet mandatory safety standards. To become certified, each bassinet is tested at an independent lab to verify that it meets the highest standards for quality, safety, performance, and functionality. SNOO Smart Sleeper meets or exceeds all required EU Safety, CE, and WEEE compliance, including, but not limited to, CE (EMI/EMC), WEEE, ROHS 2011/65/EU, REACH 1907/2006, EN 1130-1-2, and EN 16890. 

Best Bassinet Must-Have: New! 

While it is so very tempting to save money and pick up a second-hand bassinet, know that this is not the safest move. If however, you decide to go with this option, you will need to make sure that it conforms to current safety standards. You do not want to risk bringing home a bassinet that is possibly damaged, altered, or incorrectly assembled. While you might think you can easily spot these types of issues, the truth is, sometimes flaws, cracks, and breaks are not obvious. And then there is the possibility that the bassinet has been recalled. 

Best Bassinet Bonus Features

Many of today’s bassinets offer extras that parents just 10 years ago could never have dreamed of! The style, the innovation, and the sheer variety is staggering. But not all bells and whistles are created equal. Here, one’s that truly matter:

Best Bassinet Extra: Additional Safety Features

Safety is a top concern for all new parents, so knowing that your bassinet has extra safety features is crucial. SNOO Smart Sleeper is the only bassinet that boasts a safe swaddling system, detects fussing, and it automatically responds with increasing sound and motion. The award-winning SNOO is already in over 100 hospitals all over the world, ensuring that the smallest and most vulnerable patients sleep well...and safely. 

Best Bassinet Extra: Aids Sleep

Since the dawn of time, parents have calmed their newborns to sleep by rocking them, shushing them, and snuggling them close. Because these actions mimic a womb-like experience, they help trigger a baby’s calming reflex, which is a primal neurological response that developed while in utero. (Basically, this is nature’s 'off switch' for fussing.) And while there are some bassinets that rock and there are some that offer soft sounds, there is only one bassinet that uses all three of these calming-reflex musts to effectively (and safely) soothe babies to sleep...and that is the award-winning SNOO. Moreover, SNOO’s constant calming womb-like motion, white noise, and snug built-in swaddle has been shown to aid sleep each night. The cherry on top: SNOO helps your baby learn to self-soothe faster and become a better sleeper in the long run.

Best Bassinet Extra: Responsive 

What makes a smart sleeper truly genius is its ability to respond to your baby’s cries or fussing with calming comfort. For instance, the innovative technology behind SNOO Smart Sleeper senses your baby’s fussing and then increases its gentle motion and calming white noise to help your little one get back to sleep quickly. And because there are several specially designed levels of sounds and motion, SNOO adapts to exactly what your baby needs to fall asleep, to stay asleep, and to get back to sleep when needed.And, no, a smart sleeper cannot replace loving parents! Whether your baby is in a smart sleeper or not, you can rest easy knowing that they will, in fact, always let you know if they need to be fed or changed. For example, if your sweet one continues to fuss once SNOO is on the highest comforting level, the bassinet will automatically shut off and alert you that your baby needs you.In the end, only you can decide which bassinet is best for you and your baby. But if you are looking for a bassinet that supports the safest sleep possible…and aids sleep, SNOO could be the perfect addition to your growing family!

Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.