The 6 Best Bassinets and Bedside Sleepers of 2024

Few things are more important to new parents than their baby’s sleep.

For newborns to 6-month-olds, the best place for that sleep is in a safety-certified bassinet, crib, or play yard in their parents’ room, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Of those options, a bassinet or a co-sleeper (a bassinet with a drop-down side, for positioning next to an adult bed) is often the most appealing choice, due to the compact, portable size and shallow sleep area (which makes it easy to lift out a just-awakened baby).

Each bassinet was evaluated for its adherence to the AAP’s safe sleep recommendations for infants (such as a firm, flat surface).

We assessed how easy it is to adjust and move the bassinets, as well as what it’s like to assemble and disassemble them for travel.

We looked for bassinets that are unlikely to topple when bumped and bases that aren’t middle-of-the-night tripping hazards.

We appreciated nice extras like sound and motion features (when they work well) and storage, as well as stylish aesthetics.

After researching 25 bassinets and putting 10 to the test during those bleary-eyed first four months of parenting an infant, one thing became clear: There’s no single “right” bassinet for every family. Lifestyle, budget, and individual preferences will ultimately determine the features that are most important to you. So we’ve zeroed in on six standout models that can meet a variety of needs (and levels of desperation to get some dang rest).