Bassinets can be a great choice for your early days and weeks home from the hospital with your infant. They are great for keeping your baby close, especially when breastfeeding on demand at all hours of the night; many bassinets will swivel or turn toward where you lay in bed. They can also easily be moved from room to room.
Although it can be challenging to find the right bassinet for your baby, it might help to start with a tried-and-trusted brand such as Fisher-Price. From toys to highchairs, Fisher-Price makes a wide array of baby products that have been popular with parents for generations. Fisher-Price also makes a number of affordable bassinets that are ideal for the first few months of your baby’s life.
Portable and lightweight, Fisher-Price bassinets can help your baby feel safe and secure as they rest during their first few months at home. Fisher-Price bassinets, such as this Fisher-Price Soothing Motion Bassinet, might be the perfect addition to your nursery.
What to know before you buy a Fisher-Price bassinet
Portability
One of the main advantages of a bassinet, as opposed to the crib, is its portability. Unlike a large, cumbersome crib, a bassinet can be easily moved from room to room so you can keep your baby close by, whether you are in the living room, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom. Features such as wheels or carry handles can maximize a bassinet’s portability.
Weight limit
Bassinets are only meant to be used by your baby for a short amount of time – only from when your baby is a newborn up through about five months of age, or until they can roll over or pull up by themselves. Bassinets have a higher center of gravity than cribs, and once your baby can move around on their own, bassinets present a tipping hazard that could result in injury to your baby. Be sure to check the weight limit on your bassinet so you know when to transition your baby out of it.
Space
When it comes to taking up space, not all bassinets are created equal. If you are short on space or want something that can be easily stored while not in use, consider looking for a bassinet that is marked for travel or one that folds up flat. This can maximize the space in your home as well as help keep clutter from baby items to a minimum.
Fisher-Price bassinet features
Storage basket
Some Fisher-Price bassinets come with large storage baskets underneath the sleep space that are ideal for storing your baby’s necessities. Keep swaddle blankets, clean outfits, diapers, wipes, pacifiers and more nearby for late night changes and nursing sessions with a large storage basket designed to keep must-have items close at hand.
Rocking feature
If your baby likes to be gently swayed to sleep – and what baby doesn’t? – a rocking bassinet may be just what you need. A bassinet with a rocking feature means you can rock your baby gently to sleep while not even pushing the bassinet – you can sit next to the bassinet in a chair or even lie down in your bed. A rocking feature is also a great tool for a fussy baby who has a hard time drifting off to sleep at night.
Mobile
Sometimes having something to focus on while they drift off to sleep can be beneficial to your baby. And several Fisher-Price bassinets come with attached mobiles that have cute creatures and shapes that dangle above your baby’s head and help them focus on something. If you think your baby will benefit from visual stimulation, Fisher-Price bassinets may be right for you.
Fisher-Price bassinet cost
Fisher-Price bassinets are fairly middle-of-the-road when it comes to cost. Most Fisher-Price bassinets will cost you between $80-$165.
Fisher-Price bassinet FAQ
Do you have to have a bassinet? Or can a baby sleep in their crib from day one?
A. No, you don’t need to use a bassinet if you don’t want to. Many parents find bassinets beneficial in those early weeks of life after their baby is home from the hospital because a bassinet can be easily kept in your room for late-night feedings. Bassinets can also be moved through your home to give your baby a safe place to slumber. However, if you don’t want one more baby item your infant will quickly outgrow, you can absolutely transition your baby directly to their crib after they get home from the hospital.
How long can a baby sleep in a bassinet?
A. Bassinets have a higher center of gravity than cribs, meaning they can’t be used after your baby can roll over or pull up on their own, or that high center of gravity poses a tipping hazard. Check with your bassinet’s manufacturer to know at what weight and/or age you should transition your baby to a crib.
Which Fisher-Price bassinet should I get?
Best of the best Fisher-Price bassinet
Fisher-Price Soothing Motion Bassinet: available at Amazon and buybuyBaby
Our take: Use this Fisher-Price bassinet to soothe your baby with gentle vibrations or a slight swaying motion and an overhead mobile to help them drift off to sleep with ease.
What we like: This bassinet has an overhead projector to entertain your baby with calming visuals, as well as a removable sheet that is machine washable so you can clean and disinfect your baby’s bassinet easily.
What we dislike: Some users report that the mattress in this bassinet is very stiff and their babies don’t like it.
Best bang for your buck Fisher-Price bassinet
Fisher-Price Rock With Me Bassinet: available at Amazon and buybuyBaby
Our take: Lightweight and portable, this bassinet folds up flat when it is not in use for easy storage in a closet or under a bed.
What we like: This bassinet can be gently rocked back and forth to help calm your baby, and a toy to hang above your baby also comes with this bassinet so your baby has something to look at and interact with.
What we dislike: The mattress on this bassinet does not fit as securely within the bassinet base as it could.
Honorable mention Fisher-Price bassinet
Fisher-Price Soothing View Rainbow Showers Projection Bassinet: available at Amazon and buybuyBaby
Our take: Optional music, sounds and vibration on this bassinet can help lull your baby to sleep.
What we like: This fold-flat bassinet comes with a variety of features to soothe and entertain your baby. The starlight projector gives your baby something to look at and the optional rocking motion can help calm a fussy child.
What we dislike: The starlight projector is somewhat weak and can only be viewed in complete darkness.
Stephanie Jarrett is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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