The 5 Best Bedside Sleepers

According to leading sleep and safety experts, sleeping with your baby in the same room as you for the first two years significantly lowers the risk of SIDS. Not only that, but it makes it easier on you during those first months of endless nighttime waking. There's a catch though: it's not considered safe to sleep in the same bed as your babe, just the same room. To make sure that you're reaping all the rewards while still being safe, a bedside sleeper is a wonderful option. Typically made to slide in next to your own bed, a bedside sleeper keeps your baby at a safe distance yet still in your room. These featured bedside sleepers are the top 5 bedside sleepers out there.

Mika Micky Bedside Sleeper

The Ultimate Bedside Sleeper

This Mika Micky Bedside Sleeper has all the safety--and comfort--features you could want in an accessible bedside sleeper.

Best Overall

Find on Amazon

When it comes to bedside sleepers, this Mika Micky Bedside Sleeper consistently gets all the top reviews: it’s sturdy, stylish, and safe. Designed with the idea of co-sleeping in mind, but safety at the forefront, this beside sleeper allows for you to keep your little one tucked in their own space against your bed. The side wall of this sleeper lowers, yet the entire unit straps securely fit to your bed. This allows for easy access to Baby, yet keeps any unsafe gaps at bay. What’s more, the bedside sleeper easily converts into a stand-alone bassinet, and it’s lightweight enough to move around your house with you as needed. The grey and cream color fabrics are neutral, and also easily washable.

Pros:

Two side pockets for storing essentials.
Adjustable to 7 different heights.
On lockable wheels, making it easy to transport around your house.

Cons:

Only safe for babies up to 33 pounds, or until they begin to roll over or sit by themselves.

SwaddleMe By Your Side Sleeper

A Safe Bed Sharing Option

For parents that love to bed share, this is the best option.

Best for Bed Sharing

Find on Amazon

Taking it one step further from a bedside sleeper to a side sleeper, this cozy yet entirely safe SwaddleMe Sleeper offers a safe answer to bed-sharing. With mesh sides that allow for complete circulation (keeps baby from overheating), this side sleeper allows for Baby to be safely tucked in bed with you. The base is made of a solid metal frame, which ensures that you won’t roll too closely to your little one while you sleep. It’s an ideal travel solution, as well: it completely folds and is lightweight and easy to carry…an issue with more traditional style packable cribs.

Pros:

There’s a clip-on night light, 2 speed vibration and soothing sounds that also help to gently lull your baby into relaxation.
The included pad is completely removable and washable.

Cons:

Only recommended for babies up to 3 months old (or until baby begins to push up or roll over).

Halo BassiNest Swivel Sleeper

A Gentle Rocking Sleeper

The BassiNest is really just that---more than a bassinet, this is as cozy as a nest.

Best Swivel Sleeper

Find on Amazon

This baby bedside sleeper does it all: made with a rotating and 360-degree swivel action, you can both allow your baby their sleep space while also keeping them at arm’s reach for those middle-of-the-night feedings. The design of this sweet little cot is ideal for newly recovering postpartum bodies…it’s incredibly easy to keep an eye on your sleeping baby, and it’s also easy to extract them from the bassinet when needed, as it has a lockable wall that lowers when needed. For postpartum pain and recovery, this is a serious blessing.

Pros:

Sturdy 4-point base that’s also adjustable.
Built-in nightlight, 2 levels of vibration, 4 different soothing sounds, and 3 lullabies with volume control (and all with a 30-minute automatic shut-off).
There is also a built-in Back to Bed Reminder, an alert system that keeps you from dozing off with baby in your arms.

Cons:

Requires batteries which are not included.

Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer Bassinet & Bedside Sleeper

A Delightfully Dreamy Bedside Sleeper

The Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer is a bassinet and bedside sleeper in one...and comes with all the necessary safety features, as well.

Best for Mobility

Find on Amazon

For use as a stand-alone bassinet or an adjustable, accessible bedside sleeper, this Baby Delight Beside Me Dreamer is a cozy option for your new little one. The breathable mesh walls allow for maximum breathability and circulation, keeping Baby safe while they sleep. Because of the zip side panel, you can bring the entire cradle directly up to the side of your bed. This allows for less disturbance of both yourself and your baby during all of those night feedings and checks, yet keeps Baby safely tucked in their own sleeping area. There are straps that attach the crib securely to your bed, which keeps it completely in place. As a bonus, there’s an option to gently glide your baby back and forth from the comfort of your own bed…clutch for soothing a crying infant when you’re just too tired yourself.

Pros:

6-position height.
Comes with a waterproof fitted sheet and fiber-fill mattress.

Cons:

Not for babies larger than 20 pounds, or 5 months old.

BabyBjorn Cradle

Streamlined Simplicity

If you're looking for a straightforward, yet stylish, design with all of the bells and whistles, this BabyBjorn bedside sleeper is it.

Most Stylish

Find on Amazon

This simple, streamlined BabyBjorn Cradle is a beautiful take on a bedside sleeper. It doesn’t just look good, however…it also hits all the high marks for a quality, comfort, safety, and convenience. First, the cradle itself is JPMA Certified, and is designed in such a way that Baby’s safety is always first. The mesh fabric allows for breathability, and the basket has no bars or crevices in which baby could become trapped or risk suffocation. It is specifically designed for newborns up to six months old.

One of the best parts of this cradle? It rocks. As any over-tired parent or caregiver knows, nights with a newborn often consist of endless rocking and soothing an equally over-tired little bundle. BabyBjorn thought of that. This cradle has a built in spring suspension system that allows for the cradle to smoothly and gently rock in all directions, which lulls an over-stimulated, too-tired infant into a deep state of relaxation. Although the price tag on this bedside sleeper is a bit higher than most, that alone makes it worth it.

Pros:

Completely washable materials and waterproof mattress.
Mesh fabric allows for visibility and breathability

Cons:

This cradle is on the smaller side. Many parents found their little one growing out of it sooner than 6 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are bedside sleepers safe?

If bedside sleepers have passed all safety tests and are sturdy, breathable, and supportive for your Babe, you can feel confident in the safety of bedside sleepers. In fact, it is recommended that you share a room with your baby for the first two years (or at least the first year). It is not recommended to share the same bed, however. Doing so reduces the risks of SIDS by a significant amount. Although bedside sleepers typically only cover your baby for the first five or six months, they’re a fantastic option for keeping Baby close to you while you sleep.

What should you look for in a safe bedside sleeper?

First, you’ll want to make sure that it has passed all safety tests. Other than that, you’ll want to make sure that the base is sturdy. If it attaches to the bed, check to ensure that the straps are thick and secure well. For the cradle, you’ll want a breathable fabric that allows for airflow so that your baby doesn’t overheat. Additionally, there should be no gaps or crevices, and the mattress surface should be firm.