If researching the best portable bassinets for baby isn't a beacon of hope, I'm not sure what is.
Imagining your new baby sleeping soundly in a little bassinet is just such a sweet picture, especially when you're told that your baby won't sleep like ever.
But really, your babe will sleep and will need a place to sleep, and in a mission to work toward minimalism, I've scoured the internet for portable everything for babies.
Even if you don't travel, keeping your gear portable saves space and is easier to move around the house or take on outings.
Check out the rest of my portable baby travel gear recommendations:
Benefit from my foray into the world of portable baby bassinets, and learn everything you need to know about the very best portable bassinets on the market this year.
Top 10 Best Portable Bassinets of 2021
#1: Evenflo Loft Portable Bassinet
#2: Chicco Lullago Portable Bassinet
#3: Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Portable Bassinet
#4: Dream on Me Karley Bassinet
#5: Fisher-Price Stow ‘n Go Bassinet
#6: Ingenuity Folding Rocking Bassinet
#7: MiClassic Bedside Crib and Travel Bassinet
#8: Badger Basket Portable Bassinet ‘N Cradle
#9: Dream On Me Lacy Portable 2-in-1 Bassinet
#10: Big Oshi Indoor/Outdoor Travel Bassinet
But first, before we get into it…
What to Look For in a Portable Bassinet
If I had to guess, I’d say that the most frustrating thing about shopping for things like portable freaking bassinets as a parent, is that there are just, So. Many. Options.
And they all seem too similar and too different at the same time, and it takes forever to finally figure out what’ll work for you. With portable bassinets, there are some pretty important particulars to pay attention to:
Portability
Look at how much it weighs and how big it is when it’s folded up (does it even fold up, bro?). Ask yourself if you can comfortably carry it while also carrying a diaper bag. Is it small enough to be considered carry on?
Style
Can’t stand the thought of your best friend seeing your baby in that bassinet? Then it loses huge style-points (#9 made us cringe). So we don’t think this category is superficial. Because no one should cringe at the thought of using their baby gear in public. So it’s definitely on our list of things to consider. We looked at design, colour options, and overall flare. And we didn’t just give our opinion. This rating is also based on reviews from other moms and dads from across the continent.
Function and Features
Ok bassinet, so a baby can sleep on you. But what else can you do? Can you rock a baby to sleep, adjust to an inclined position, fold up nicely, or provide a canopy or two? What is the weight limit? These are the kinds of things you need to pay attention to because…all bassinets are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Easy Assembly
‘Cause ain’t nobody got time for screwdrivers. Make sure assembly doesn’t require an engineering degree. We scoured the Amazon reviews section for first hand reports on how easily they come together and tear down.
Price
Price point is critical. Don’t overpay for something that doesn’t hack it. But on the same token, we’re ok* not* buying the cheapest option if it’s leaps and bounds better than the other products. So don’t worry, we got you covered. We compared prices so you’ll know if the product is worth the price tag.
I’ve vetted a lot of these babies, and now I’m saving you the headache.
So here they are—the best portable bassinets on the interwebs.
The Top 10 Best Portable Bassinets of 2021
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Okay, so yea, this one doesn’t rock, but you guys, it has bluetooth for your music (and a built in night light and air temperature gauge). If you’re going insane with nightly Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on repeat, here’s your chance to stick it to the man and put baby to sleep with some Devotchka instead. This one is *super *easy to stow and put together, and isn’t going to break the bank either. This portable bassinet gets our top marks because it does everything you want, in style (the only one we think is more sleek, is #2).
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Silly anecdote: When I first started researching when we needed a bassinet, my eyes read “Chicco Luggable Portable Bassinet” which I guess fits the bill (but it’s not).
Though a little on the spendy side for a travel bassinet, the Lullago is legendary in mommy circles for its stability, safety, and easy of cleaning/assembly. Easy snap on legs make this one come together in a couple of minutes, and the entire thing is light enough to carry comfortably in the shoulder bag (that’s included!).
If you frequently slump through airports and hotel corridors with a baby on your hip and pile of luggage strapped to you, the Lullago is what you need. And it looks clean and crisp. This travel bassinet was the only one to get full marks for style. I mean, just look at it.
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After the success of the fabled-among-moms Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, Fisher Price has brought a longer lasting piece of salvation to parents of kids that can never sleep without theirs. The real selling point on this one though? Baby can sleep at an incline in it—reflux babies rejoice.
It’s also the lightest portable bassinet on our list (at only 7.5 lbs) and sets up in seconds. But beware, it ends up being a little tall even when folded up (and so lost a point in portability). We also weren’t impressed with it’s overall appearance (we think it looks kinda cheap).
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We were really drawn to this bassinet in particular because despite it having a double canopy, it’s really lightweight, and compact when folded up (and if you like to camp, the double canopy can act like a bug net for your sleeping babe). Though this one doesn’t rock, it snaps up in no time flat, and works with babies up to 15 pounds (the conservative limit of the two reported on amazon).
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Now here’s a seriously portable bassinet. The Stow ‘n Go Bassinet from Fisher-Price comes with a handy carrying bag and only weighs in at 11.5 pounds, even with a battery powered vibration feature on deck (although we’re not sure how well it works). Though the height and angle of this one isn’t adjustable, it has a nice flat mattress, mesh sides, and is suitable for babies up to 20 lbs., so it’ll last you awhile. This bassinet is perfect for those wanting minimalist but with good functionality.
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Okay, this thing is pretty cool. The Ingenuity bassinet is easy to put together, easy to take down and move, and even has this cool feature that allows you to flip the legs around for stationary or rocking mode.
Though it’s a bit heavy to lug around with you, it does fold down nice and compactly—just note that it doesn’t come with a carrying bag. Disappointingly, it’s also only rated to 15 lbs, which mean your little one might outgrow it quickly.
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Okay, so in my opinion, this thing isn’t portable. You can shove it from your living room to your bedroom, but forget lugging it at the airport. I almost feel like they put the word portable in there to lure moms like me into checking out the listing.
ALL THE SAME, this thing is pretty sweet. Co-sleeping moms can actually use this one bedside as a safe co-sleeping space, or zip up the panel to make it a stand alone bassinet. It’s completely height adjustable (and incline-able), and suits babies up to 33 lbs.
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Another one that isn’t destined for a trip through the airport, the Badger Basket is wheeled, making it great for pushing between rooms, but not so great for travel. That being said, it is a hopelessly adorable bassinet (if you’re into this sort of thing), and the wheels even flip up to transform it into a cradle. With its wooden base and included toy basket, this one definitely has a sense of vintage charm, if nothing else.
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This bassinet is fairytale-esque, with all kinds of ruffles and a canopy. It also has a big basket in the bottom for toy storage. Adorable as it is, it’s pretty misleading. This bassinet is only rated for babies up to 10 lbs. That means your nugget might be too big for it at birth. And for that reason it loses big functionality points. Plus it doesn’t collapse down at all—so it’s only portable in the sense that you can roll it from one room to another.
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Similar in style to the Dream on Me Karley Bassinet, the Big Oshi is another double canopied portable bassinet that the internet is swooning for. But because it’s essentially a knock off of the Dream on Me Karley, we’ve plopped it down here. If you like this one, go back up and check out #4 (it’s the same and cheaper).
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So there you have it. All the research you need buy the perfect portable travel bassinet…
But that doesn't mean your baby will sleep soundly 😉
Good Luck!