AHEAD: The ultimate guide to choosing a portable bassinet.

Are you preparing to welcome your new baby and looking for the perfect portable bassinet?

Whether you need a bassinet to take on trips, or simply move from room to room, you’ll find the best options below!

The “perfect” portable bassinet is one that:

• Is lightweight
• Has a small footprint
• Easily folds/collapses for portability
• Sets up quickly
• Can be used for more than just a few months
• Is sturdy

Bonus points if it has:

• A sun protective covering
• A bug net
• Height adjustability
• Music, vibration, rocking, etc.
• A protective carrying case

And let’s not forget one crucial element: safety.

Importantly, each of our top picks is not only portable, but safe.

All of the products below have passed rigorous safety testing by independent CPSC-approved labs. As such, they meet federal safety standards for infant sleep.

This should make sifting through the wide selection of travel-friendly baby products a whole lot easier!

There may be affiliate links in this post. Read this disclosure policy to learn more.

First, here’s an overview of our top picks for the best portable bassinets.

Overview: Best portable bassinets

• Best Travel Bassinet: Dream On Me Traveler Portable Bassinet
• Best Portable Bassinet for Day Trips & Camping: Fisher-Price On-The-Go Baby Dome
• Best Height-Adjustable Portable Bassinet: Baby Delight Go With Me Slumber
• Best Portable Bassinet for Big Babies: MiClassic All Mesh 2 in 1
• Best Space-Saving Portable Bassinet: Simmons Kids Ultra-Compact Travel Bassinet
• Best Portable Bassinet with Bells and Whistles: Fisher-Price Soothing View Bassinet

Also in this post:

• Bassinet weight comparison chart – find the lightest bassinet
• Milestone comparison chart – find the bassinet you can use the longest
• Unsafe portable products – what NOT to buy that may be deceptively advertised

Best travel bassinet

The Dream on Me Traveler portable bassinet is as light as a feather—it may even be lighter than your newborn!

Thanks to its extremely low weight, this bassinet can easily be moved from room to room, carried up and down the stairs, or tossed in the trunk to take to grandma’s for the day.

As light as it is, it’s still a full-size bassinet, measuring 34″ long and 17.4″ wide. It can be used until your baby hits the 25 lb weight limit or starts pushing up on hands and knees.

It’s also very reasonably priced—and some colors are ~$20 cheaper than others if you’re looking to save a little extra.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

If you want the lightest possible bassinet, and don’t want to overthink this whole thing, grab the Traveler Bassinet. You won’t regret this purchase.

Get it here.

Best portable bassinet for day trips & camping

I know what you’re thinking: this Baby Dome doesn’t really look like a bassinet…

That’s what makes it so great!

It’s sort of a hybrid between a Pack N Play, lounger, and bassinet.

Unlike other loungers (Dockatot, Snuggle Me, Boppy, and so on), this product is actually safe for play AND sleep, making it one of the few multi-use products on the market.

It’s easy to fold and carry with you to the beach, the pool, the garden, or anywhere you’re headed for the day or night! Many outdoorsy families use it for camping.

It weighs under 14 lbs and measures 29.92″ L x 31.5″ W. It can be used until your baby can roll over or reaches 20 lbs.

The only possible downside of this portable bassinet is that it sits on the ground, so it’s not at eye level to an adult bed and is harder to reach from above. This probably won’t matter to you if this isn’t your baby’s primary sleep space at home.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Parents are literally obsessed with the Baby Dome. You will love it.

Here’s a real customer photo so you can see it in use.

Best height-adjustable portable bassinet

This portable bassinet has a lot of similarities to the Baby Dome we just talked about above. Let’s see how they compare…

First, the canopy: Both products have a canopy and bug netting that completely cover the bassinet. Unlike the Baby Dome which has a UPF of 20, Baby Delight does not seem to have sun-protective fabric.

The Baby Delight can be adjusted to be 13″ to 17″ inches above the ground. The Baby Dome is much lower than this because it sits on the ground. (It’s technically on very short legs).

The Baby Delight is better suited for indoor use—or for outdoor use on a flat surface like a deck. The Baby Dome works well anywhere—even on uneven terrain like the beach.

The Baby Delight weighs 12 lbs. The Baby Dome weighs around 2 lbs more.

Baby Delight measures 33″ long x 18″ wide, so it’s smaller than the circular-shaped Baby Dome (that measures around 31 inches).

Baby Delight has a 20 lb weight limit and shouldn’t be used once a baby can push up on hands and knees. Baby Dome’s weight limit is the same.

Since these are fairly similar products, here’s how I would choose between the two:

Get the Baby Delight if it’s going to be your baby’s primary sleep space.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The Baby Delight is a strong option for families who plan to use it inside and outside. It is height-adjustable for everyday bedside use and will also keep out the bugs when you’re outside.

See it here.

Best portable bassinet for big babies

The reasonably priced MiClassic full-size bassinet is another customer favorite, not just for its portability, but for its high weight limit.

Where most bassinets have a standard weight limit of 15 lbs, this bassinet allows for more than twice that—33 lbs.

Particularly if your baby is in a high weight percentile, this extends how long you’re able to use a bassinet. (Be sure to stop using it when your baby can push up on hands and knees).

Parents love that it has two modes: stationary and rocking. It’s also washable!

This portable bassinet weighs less than 16 lbs and measures 37.4” L x 23.8” W​.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

This is the heaviest bassinet on our list so far, but it compensates for this drawback with its super high weight limit.

Here is an extremely helpful review with lots of pictures.

Best space-saving portable bassinet

As the name indicates, the Simmons portable bassinet is extremely compact.

With its super low weight and small footprint, it can be easily moved from room to room and city to city. When not in use, it can be stored in a closet or under a bed.

It measures 30.31”L x 18.9”W, which is quite a bit smaller than the other bassinets on this list.

It can be used until your baby is 15 lbs or begins to push up on their hands and knees, whichever comes first. (Keep in mind that due to its small size, it will have a shorter window of use.)

Parents love that this bassinet is so sturdy and that it’s easy to assemble and disassemble.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

If you’re looking for a portable bassinet with an extremely small footprint, this is a sure bet.

Here are some customer pictures to get an idea of its size.

Best portable bassinet with bells and whistles

There are very few portable bassinets on the market that come with bells and whistles like vibrations, music, and white noise.

There are also very few options out there that fold as flat as this bassinet does—which is ideal if you’d like to tuck it away when it’s not in use.

For these two reasons, this product is a top contender on our list of the best portable bassinets.

It can be used until your baby reaches 20 lbs or begins to push up on hands and knees, whichever comes first.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

If you’re looking for a portable bassinet with the same functions and features as a non-portable bassinet, this is a perfect choice.

See it here.

Bassinet Weight Comparison Chart

The chart below shows the best portable bassinets listed from lowest to highest weight.

For clarity: This chart lists the weights of the bassinets themselves—not the weight limits of the bassinets.

Here’s another handy chart…

Milestone Comparison Chart

To get the most bang for your buck, it’s helpful to know which products have the longest windows of use.

The chart below shows the weight limits and physical capabilities that determine how long it’s safe to use each bassinet. You always want to go by whichever milestone happens first.

None of the information below should serve as a substitute for reading your own user manual.

Unsafe portable products NOT to buy

Unfortunately, when you type the words “portable bassinet” into the Amazon search bar, there are a number of products that come up that are NOT actually bassinets.

This isn’t semantics…

Bassinets are federally regulated for safe infant sleep. (So are cribs and playards).

The other products you’re seeing in search results DO NOT MEET SAFETY STANDARDS for infant sleep.

Below, you’ll find a sampling of products that are NOT bassinets (but may be falsely advertised as such) and are NOT safe for sleep...

Afterward, we’ll talk about the reasons they aren’t safe for sleep, as well as how to make sure the portable bassinet you’re buying actually meets safety standards.

Not safe for sleep (including naps)

Munchkin Brica Fold N’ Go	Yooca Baby Lounger
Baby Delight Snuggle Nest	Lulyboo
DockATot	Snuggle Me Organic
Mamibaby	Scuddles 3-1
Luckydove

Why aren’t these products safe?

Each of these products deserves its own dedicated article, but here is the nutshell…

• Many of these products are plush or padded, which is a suffocation and re-breathing hazard. This article explains why.
• None of these products have passed safety testing by independent CPSC-accredited labs. Either they’ve been tested and failed, or they haven’t been tested at all.

How to tell whether a bassinet meets safety standards:

First, here are two warnings:

• You can’t always tell just by looking whether a product meets safety standards.
• On sites like Amazon, many companies sneak the word “bassinet” into their sales descriptions. This does NOT mean that they are bassinets!

Here are 3 ways to find out if a product meets safety standards for infant sleep:

Check the user manual, which is a legal document. If the product is specifically called a “bassinet” (or a “crib” or a “play yard”) in the manual, then you know it should meet federal standards.

Find out if the bassinet meets ASTM F2194-13. You can check the company’s website or email the manufacturer.

You can also ask in this evidence-based safe sleep group if you aren’t sure whether you’ve selected a safe product. They’re also a great resource for all of your baby sleep questions.

Choosing the best portable bassinet for your family

The best portable bassinet is the one that fits your family’s lifestyle.

Families that go camping regularly may benefit from one kind of bassinet, and families that travel by plane or stay in hotels may benefit from another.

Take a second to think about WHERE your baby will be sleeping most of the time…

• Your bedroom?
• The kitchen, living room, den?
• Someone else’s house?
• A hotel?
• A campsite?
• The beach?

Next, think about how will the bassinet get from point A to point B…

• Carry it from room to room on the same floor?
• Carry it up and down the stairs?
• Transport it by car?
• Check it for air travel?

This exercise will help you determine the features that matter most to you and will make it easier to narrow down the best portable bassinet.

You can’t go wrong with any of the 6 bassinets on our list—so don’t stress about this too much! Pick whichever one sounds (or looks) most appealing and give it a try!

Articles related to deciding where your baby will sleep:

• How Long Can a Baby Sleep in a Bassinet?
• Bassinet vs Crib: The Ultimate Guide to Help You Decide
• Bassinet vs Pack N Play: The Ultimate Guide to Help you Decide
• Can a Newborn Sleep in a Pack N Play?

PIN THIS FOR LATER…

6 Best Portable Bassinets