Best Co-Sleepers and Bedside Bassinets

Bedside Bassinets

Why get up several times during the night when you can lay your baby right next to you in a co-sleepers?

Mothers who want to breastfeed their child as comfortably as possible at night benefit most from an extra bed for the baby. But also the little ones themselves. They feel more secure when they can hear and smell mom and dad next to them, and they are also well protected in the bedside bassinet.

The extra bed is therefore a good compromise between a family bed and a separate baby bed. But which extra bed is the best for the test? Which one suits your family best? We have put 5 bedside bassinets beds under the microscope in comparison.

How to find the right bedside bassinet for you and your baby

The most important thing about an extra bed is that it fits perfectly with the parent’s bed. For this, on the one hand, the height must be right and on the other hand, it must be equipped with the right attachment system. In our comparison, we have subjected the most popular height-adjustable side beds for hanging as well as models with straps for box spring beds to a detailed fact check. We have compared various beds in terms of height, size, stability, features, and design and thus determined the best extra beds for you and your baby. You can find out what else is worth looking out for in our guide, following the product comparison.

What is a co-sleeper?

A bedside bassinet is a small baby bed that is open on one side so that it can dock seamlessly to the parent’s bed. For this purpose, all co-sleepers are adjustable and can be hooked to the bed frame with appropriate metal brackets or attached to the bed or mattress with straps. This way, the newborn sleeps next to mom and dad and still has its own crib.

A co-sleeper has many advantages for your baby and you. Babies sleep more peacefully when they can hear and smell mom and dad next to them. Breastfeeding mothers don’t have to get up at night, but can simply move their baby closer to them in the bedside bassinet for breastfeeding. They also notice more quickly when the baby wakes up and often only have to reach out a hand to soothe it. So the baby lies close to its parents and yet has a safe sleep in the protected space of the bedside bassinet, comfortably wrapped in the baby sleeping bag.

Advantages and disadvantages of bedside bassinet in comparison

Advantages:

• Parents do not have to get up at night when the baby cries.
• Baby feels safer next to mom and dad and may sleep better.
• Nursing mothers can nurse babies next to them, almost asleep.
• Proximity to the child promotes parent-child bonding.

Disadvantages:

• A bedside bassinet quickly becomes too small for the baby.
• Parents have less togetherness in the parents’ bed.

How long can baby sleep in a bedside bassinet?

Most cribs are only designed for the first 6 to 9 months of your baby’s life, or can only support a weight of about 20lb. The reason for this is that babies become mobile at this age anyway, and it becomes too dangerous for them to sleep in a side bed that is open on one side. For example, if your child wakes up and starts crawling right away, there is a risk of it falling off the parents’ bed in a side bed. Nevertheless, some co-sleepers are equipped with extra-large lying surfaces for toddlers. Thus, the co-sleeper can still be used beyond the baby’s age. Many models such as the classic baby room can also be used beyond their original purpose, for example as a bench for the little ones, for storing dolls and cuddly toys, or simply as a separate crib.

The classic bedside crib is a small wooden crib that is open on one side. However, there are now many variations on top of that: maneuverable side beds on wheels that can be used as bassinets, lightweight side beds made of a foldable fabric designed as travel beds, or large cribs with an extra bed function that can be all together. Whether with cradle function, bed canopy, nest, or completely without equipment – you decide how you want to use the bedside bassinet for your baby and choose the model that best suits you. The following criteria also always play a role in choosing the best bedside bassinet:

• What height? It is important that the extra bed, in which the baby will sleep next to mom or dad, can be adjusted exactly to the mattress height of the parents’ bed. If the height is not infinitely adjustable, you should make sure that one of the available height levels also fits your bed, however high or low it may be.
• Hanging or tethering? A side bed to hang in does not fit every parent’s bed. For example, box spring beds don’t have a frame to hang the hooks in. Modern side beds are also designed for box spring beds and are attached to the mattress with safety straps.
• Size of the lying surface: newborn babies need a noticeable boundary that gives them security. Therefore, the classic baby section has a rather small lying surface.
• Load capacity: The load capacity of a bedside bassinet is independent of its size. Most of the cribs in our test can only support loads of up to 20 lb. An exception is the larger children’s beds with extra bed function with 77lb load capacity.
• Material: classic wooden bed or modern fabric pod on the metal frame? Fabric side beds have the advantage of being lightweight and mobile and can also be used as travel beds. Wooden side beds, on the other hand, are more stable.
• Features: There are bedside bassinets, those with a swing function, tiltable lying surface, canopy, and mobile pole. You decide what is important to you in a bedside bassinet. More important than the additional features is the question of the mattress: Is it included, or must it be purchased separately?

Co-Sleepers and Bedside Bassinets Review

Best Bedside Infant Crib

Milliard Bedside Bassinet

The Milliard Bedside Bassinet is designed to accommodate infants up to 20lbs and can be used as a standalone bassinet or as a side-sleeper next to the parents’ bed. Easy assembly with clear instructions and no tools needed. Can be used as a standalone bassinet, and as a side-sleeper bassinet, attached to an adult bed (with included bed straps).

Best Adjustable Bedside Bassinet

Ingenuity Dream & Grow Bedside Bassinet

Made to cradle your little one safely within reach, right at your bedside with a smart design that is versatile enough for your baby’s use for up to a year. Keeps your baby cozy and close. Adjustable cradle for bedside use
Soothing sounds lull baby to sleep. Storage pockets keep necessities nearby.

Best Co-Sleeper Bassinet for Small Spaces

Arm’s Reach Mini 2-in-1 Co-Sleeper Bassinet

It is an ideal and safe sleep solution. This bassinet has two modes: Co-Sleeper bassinet and a stand-alone bassinet. The Mini Ezee 2 in 1 comes with more ventilation for even better breathability. It is easy to assemble and portable. It features side pockets and a bottom compartment for storage and has a small footprint, making it great for small spaces.

Best Lightweight Bedside Crib

California Dreaming Bedside Crib

Sleep close to your baby with this co-sleeping, bedside sleeper/crib, knowing they are safe and in easy reach when ready to nurse, breastfeed or feed. Straps keep the bassinet secure to your bed. 7 height adjustments to align with most bed heights. Can also be used as a stand-alone Bassinet. To set up simply attach the crib to your bed with the straps by following simple instructions.

There are four features you should look for when choosing your co-sleeper:

• Infinitely height adjustable
• Secure fixation to the bed
• Lying surface
• Air circulation guaranteed

Infinitely height-adjustable:

This criterion is one of the two most important: it is essential that a bassinet can be attached to your own bed at the right height. Only then can you really breastfeed comfortably at night. And a larger step between the mattresses is also an insecurity factor. It is best if the crib can be adjusted continuously in height.

Secure fixation:

According to the survey, this point is very important to most parents: the extra bed and the parent bed must be firmly and securely anchored so that no dangerous gap can form between you and your little one.

Wide lying surface:

When choosing “your” side bed, you should also pay attention to the size of the lying surface. Maxi-sized side beds (from 20″ wide) are the best choice: after all, most moms breastfeed at least until the sixth month. And how annoying is it when you have to dismantle the side bed after just three/four months just because the lying surface has become too small?.

Air circulation guaranteed:

It is ideal for good ventilation and thus for safe baby sleep if the extra bed has a lying surface that has large air slits or is even equipped with a slatted frame. This is often not the case, especially with inexpensive models, these often have only a plywood board with small air holes – if any. By the way, a well-ventilated lying surface (in combination with an air-permeable mattress) is not only beneficial for the baby’s breathing, but also prevents mold growth. Unfortunately, this often happens with cribs that only have a plywood top. With our four recommendations, you play it safe when it comes to ventilation.