Bedside sleepers: These bassinets are meant to nestle right up to your bed (but do not attach to it), making it easier to reach for baby in the middle of the night. Dimensions: 21 x 31 x 34 inches | Weight limit: 18 pounds | Height adjust: No | Vibration or motion: No | Music/Sounds: No | Removable bassinet: No | Side that lowers: Yes | Storage: Plentiful Best-selling HALO® BassiNest® is a game changer when it comes to safe sleep. It’s only bassinet that swivels over your bed, so you can sleep inches away from your baby. The lowering wall makes it easy to scoop them up for cuddles or feeds in bed. Converts to a portable nest for around the house so you can stay close to them during the daytime too.

Another plus? Parents say it’s super simple to put together. The mesh sides are removable and machine washable, and the legs snap on and off for transport or storage in the included carrying case. This bassinet can accommodate babies up to 25 pounds and is JPMA certified. Having baby by your bedside can help facilitate late-night feedings, bedtime bonding and nighttime comforting. And if you're recovering from a C-section, you may also find that the lower height of a bassinet makes it easier to lift baby in and out — with a standard crib, there are higher sides to lean over.The newer one was dramatically better: safer, more comfortable, more versatile, lighter weight, and overall had a smaller footprint. And much more likely to soothe your baby, with its relatively modern features. It's on our list! Fortunately, bassinets have come a long way since the '80s. Some are still quite bad, most are "OK" and only a small number are really excellent. We've been reviewing bassinets for over 10 years, and appreciate how difficult it is to find the perfect model for your family. If we made our own bassinet, here is what it would look like: A bassinet is smaller than a crib, but some are more unwieldily than others. How much space do you have in your room? Be truthful with yourself about what will fit in your space, including the amount of space between your bed and the wall, for example. Is there a way to keep the bassinet out of reach from other children or pets? Is there room for you to walk around to access the bathroom? Read those dimensions carefully and maybe map out the bassinet footprint on your floor. Watch out for legs that extend too far to avoid a tripping hazard. Weight Limit

Needless to say, I kindly declined to use the dated bassinet for overnight sleep. Instead, we put it in the dining room so we'd only use it while we were within reach and could keep a close eye on our baby. Mom was a little offended that I didn't want to use it ("it was good enough for him! he turned out OK!"), but then caved and gifted us a new one for overnight use. While bassinets are super useful, they definitely are not essential and there are some great bassinet alternatives out there for parents looking to save money and reduce the number of transitions for their baby. For example, there are some excellent mini cribs that transition to a full-size crib and toddler bed - a good example can be seen in our Nestig Cloud crib review!

Halo recently released this new version of its popular BassiNest—and it has all of the best features of previous models rolled into one: soothing features and a removable, portable bassinet, as well as all the attributes we loved about the brand’s bassinets before, including the side wall that lowers with ease and the 360-degree swivel that allows you to easily position it closely to the bed and move it out of the way. Think of this as a bassinet with both critical must-have features and bonus nice-to-have features. Spot clean only. Do not submerge in water. Do not machine wash. Do not bleach. Lay flat to dry. Do not iron. Do not dry clean.

Forbes has extensive experience covering, reviewing and testing baby and kids gear, including the best crib sheets, diaper bags, infant car seats and strollers, diaper pails and carriers. As parents ourselves, we also thoroughly analyze all of the baby gear we recommend as we never want to suggest something that will frustrate an already busy parent. Instead, we’re looking for products that make parenthood less stressful and that solve problems for parents, rather than create them. Many of these items are put to use in our own nurseries. Remove mesh from BassiNest. Machine wash cold with like colors, gentle cycle. Do not bleach. Hang to dry. Do not iron. Do not dry clean.

Though your parents and their parents didn’t have many choices in terms of bassinets —they were pretty standard standalone items until recently —today, there are a wide range of options to choose from: