Charlie Crane Kumi
Crate & Kids Rattan Bassinet
BabyBjorn Cradle
BabyBjorn Adaptable Crib
Crate & Kids Ever Simple Bassinet
RH Baby Caden Bassinet
Bermbach Emil Rattan Crib
Bermach Lola Rattan Crib
Snoo
In general, cribs are for nurseries and bassinets are for room sharing. If you choose to share your room with your newborn during the early months (which is the AAP recommendation, btw), you'll likely need a sleeping situation for your little one that's more compact than a crib. Most parents choose either a bassinet, a Moses basket, a bedside sleeper, a mini crib, or (against the AAP recommendations) an infant lounger.
The Best (and Most Beautiful) Bassinets
- Charlie Crane Kumi Cradle ($449)
- Crate & Kids Rattan Bassinet ($299)
- BabyBjorn Cradle ($350)
- BabyBjorn Adaptable Crib ($448)
- Crate & Kids Ever Simple White Bassinet ($299)
- RHBaby Caden Bassinet ($649)
- Bermbach Handcrafted Emil Rattan Crib ($862)
- Bermbach Handcrafted Lola Rattan Crib ($868)
- Snoo Bassinet ($1295)*
Budget(ish) Bassinets
- Dream On Me Mackenzie Bassinet ($60)
- UPPAbaby Bassinet + Stand ($150 if you already own the UPPAbaby Vista)
- Or even better, buy something used. (Chances are it'll be in excellent condition, since bassinets are only used for a few months for each baby!)
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Looking for other newborn sleep solutions? Check out the following articles:
*A few unsolicited thoughts on the Snoo…
I strongly believe that the Snoo is a great baby sleep hack (and looks nice too), but like all great hacks, it has its limitations and its possible downwind consequences. I personally do not recommend it, but I also know plenty of busy moms for whom it was a total sanity saver. Instead of choosing for you, I prefer to arm you with information so you can make your own informed decision.
The Snoo has three big downsides:
- The Snoo encourages babies to spend too much time on their backs since parents tend to put babies down in the Snoo for every sleep (which amounts to ~70% of a newborn’s day). This puts babies at greater risk for flat head syndrome. Wearing babies in a carrier, wrap or sling for some portion of daytime naps during the 4th trimester can help address this.
- The Snoo does the work of calming a fussy baby, which can limit caregivers’ tool kits and dampen their intuition when it comes to soothing their baby in the early days. This statement probably comes off as alarmist and judgmental, but I promise it's neither. Just think about it by the numbers: When babies spend up to 70% of their day away from their caregivers, it makes sense that bonding could be more challenging. For this same reason, the Snoo is a tough—but certainly not insurmountable—habit to break.
- The Snoo doesn't work magic for every baby. (And it's an absurdly expensive sleep surface if it doesn't do the trick.)
I'm also not personally sold on the “Happiest Baby” 5 S's on which the Snoo is based. Call me a hippie, but I honestly believe that soothing your baby is about discovering who s/he is (and possibly discovering new depths in yourself too), not just following a few tried and true tricks to a T. That said…
If the sleep the Snoo will (possibly) afford you is the difference between you maintaining your sanity and you losing it entirely, then definitely give the Snoo a try. Just rent it first if you can to see if it works for your baby.