If you love the idea of co-sleeping with your baby but know that it’s safer for your baby to have their own sleep space, a bedside crib, or co-sleeper, is ideal.
A bedside crib is a great place for a newborn to sleep when you come home with your brand new baby and they make a great alternative to a Moses basket or traditional crib.
They have been designed so that you can have it pulled right up next to you while you’re in bed at night and you have instant access to your little one when they need a feed or a cuddle – yet they still allow your baby to have their own sleep space.
They can be used with the side raised as a stand-alone crib and many can double as mini travel cots too. Bedside cribs can be pricey but their features and benefits often make up for it – plus, they can be used for your next baby or passed on to a friend.
What to look for in a bedside crib
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Can you assemble it easily?
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Will it fit your bed? Check it against your mattress height
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Does it have a firm, flat breathable mattress?
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Is the drop-down side easy to use?
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Can you easily reach your baby from your bed?
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Does it have washable and wipeable surfaces, to keep it clean?
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Is it light enough to move around, yet sturdy enough to be durable?
Extras that might be useful; a rocking function, the ability to detach the top section to become a stand-along crib, fitted sheets, wheels.
What to know
The Lullaby Trust advises that your baby has their own sleep space, rather than sharing your bed. This reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or cot death. A co-sleeper or bedside cot gives you the best of both worlds.
Stop using a crib or bedside cot as soon as your baby can pull themselves up, kneel or sit.
Be aware that there is a new safety standard for bedside cribs, called BS EN 1130:2019, which was implemented in November 2020. This means that all bedside cribs must now have a 12cm wall or barrier that prevents your baby from rolling out when the side is lowered. Make sure you look for a bedside crib that conforms to this new standard.
Here are some of the best choices – shop now
SnüzPod 4
Best feature: the top removes to become a crib
Snüz has been winning awards for the SnüzPod since it first arrived in 2013 and it’s no wonder it’s a best-seller; it’s as functional as it is beautiful. There are lots of colour options to choose from too, including grey, white and natural (my favourite this year is navy), meaning you can choose one that suits the décor of your bedroom.
There are essentially two elements to this crib; a rocking stand that helps you soothe your baby to sleep, plus a crib that can be placed on the stand or used on its own. That makes it easier to move the crib around your home, to keep your baby close at all times, and it makes traveling simple too. The base is made from sustainably-sourced beech solid wood and plywood and has a gently curved shape, so you can rock it easily to soothe your little one. It has a reflex leg, a little kick-out stand on one side of the base that raises the head end of the crib, so that babies with colic and reflux will feel more comfortable while still laying completely flat, which is recommended for babies’ breathing and spine development. SnüzPod 4 also has lots of different height adjustments, so that you can place the crib beside your bed (straps fix it in place) and have your baby at exactly the right height to be able to lift them out of the crib for a night time feed. There’s a shelf across the base, for nappies and other baby changing essentials.
The crib itself has a soft, yet supportive, breathable mattress on top of a ventilated base and the sides are made from breathable mesh, which makes it easier for your baby to regulate their temperature when sleeping. One side of the crib can be lowered by using simple zips on each side, so that you can interact with your baby and the liner can be zipped out and machine washed.
Add some handy accessories; the SnüzPouch sleeping bag (from £29), waterproof mattress cover £15.95), mobile (£49), fitted sheets (£15) and a matching bedding set (£34.95).
Buy now £199.99, John Lewis
Joie Roomie Glide DLX Bedside Sleeper Crib
Best feature: side can be opened easily, one-handed
A small, compact little bedside sleeper that has a genius glide feature, to gently rock your baby to sleep. The rocking, or rather side-to-side-glide mechanism, is smooth and gentle and when your baby is (finally!) asleep, you can lock it safely in place at the touch of a button.
The sleep space itself is pretty generous, with a firm and comfortable mattress (we’d recommend buying the organic cotton fitted sheets £18.50) and the side opening can be managed with just one hand: ideal if you have a snoozing baby in the other. Simply lift the central clip and lower, allowing the whole side to open to give you access to your little one – the best lowering side I’ve seen. The crib comes with straps to attach it safely to your bed and one end of the crib can be lowered to provide an inclined sleep space for colicky babies.
The crib can also adjust through an impressive 11 heights – one of the most comprehensive around – and it’s easy to change the height using the side clips. Underneath the crib, there are smooth wheels that allow you to position the Roomie perfectly, which lock in place; the front legs hinge outwards too, so that if you have a divan bed, you can still bring the crib right up snug against your bed. All fabrics are wipeable and the mesh panels on the sides mean you and your baby can see each other clearly. You can fold it for travel, it comes with its own tote bag and is in three grey shades.
Buy now £169.00, John Lewis
Silver Cross Voyager
Best feature: Great for travel
From the Royals’ favourite pram makers comes this premium co-sleeper, one of the best models if you will be doing quite a bit of traveling with your baby and don’t want anything as bulky as a travel cot. It’s also a pretty good price, considering that the fabrics are premium. The Voyager can be used either as a co-sleeper or as a crib on its own, so you can have it in any room of the house during the day and then next to your bed at night. It has seven height adjustments (one side can be lower than the other if needed) and uses a strap to attach to your bed – even divans – for safe co-sleeping.
The crib has all-mesh sides, for easy visibility and for great airflow too and one side of the crib can be lowered for you to be able to reach your baby at night. To drop the side, you unzip the two side zips and then release a clip and the side is neatly held in place when open with a Velcro strap, keeping it out of the way.
There’s a soft, fabric shelf underneath where you can keep your baby’s essentials and it has four smoothly gliding wheels that lock when you need them to with a simple clip engaged with your toe. It has been purposely designed to be easy to fold and comes with its own carry bag, so it’s a great one for well-travelled babies.
Buy now £199.00, Silver Cross
Shnuggle Air bedside crib
Best feature: converts into a cot
Another crib with a sturdy, durable wooden base, the Shnuggle Air comes from the company that first updated the Moses basket with its Dreami, made from non-toxic HDPE, a thermoplastic polymer.
The Air is height adjustable, of course, so it is almost certain to fit your bed and it has a removable crib section too, so it can be used around your home and for travel. Excitingly, it can be transformed into a cot, with a conversion kit (£199), so it will last longer in your home and grow with your baby. Shnuggle Air has breathable mesh sides plus the all-important drop side that makes it easy to access your baby, though you should always put this back up between feeds (it does just flap down when open, which does look a little untidy); when the side is up, it can be used as a stand-alone crib.
Included is an extra breathable mattress, so it is a safe and well-ventilated place for your baby to sleep. The base is solid and made from MDF painted with non-toxic paint and metal fixings, it has a gentle tilt function for babies with colic and it has a really handy storage shelf underneath for those essentials.
It comes in two grey shades and you can add sheets (£16) and a cot mattress when you convert it (£50). It feels much sturdier and safer than a flimsy Moses basket and can be used for six months.
Buy now £209.95, John Lewis
Mamas and Papas Lua bedside crib
Best feature: Adjustable base means it can be inclined to avoid reflux
The Lua is another bedside crib that can also be used as a stand-alone, removable crib, so it can be used anywhere in your home or even when you’re away.
Access to your baby is via an innovative system – instead of the side coming down like a blind, it sort of crunches in on itself, so you just unlock the central button, then push down with your arms to reach your baby – also great for putting a sleeping baby back down. It has a safety lock to keep it in place when it’s not next to your bed, or you can set it to automatically return to the top and lock. To remove the crib from its base, there are simple push buttons each side. Adjusting the height must be done from one side at a time, as you have to push two little buttons, one on each leg, before lengthening or shortening the leg, which is a little more faff than some cribs but it’s easy to get it level with the number indicators.
Under the stand is what can only be described as a shelving unit! The fabric shelves form an upper, flat surface for toys and accessories and then a segmented section beneath keeps bedding and nappies tidy – it also has a matching changing mat hidden inside.
The Lua’s fabric is removable and machine washable and it can all be packed away into a bag for travel, though there are a few steps to go through to do this. Like anything though, once you’ve done it a couple of times, it will become second nature.
Buy now £229.00, Mamas and Papas
Purflo PurAir Breathable bassinet
Best feature: light weight and portable
This grey and white crib has a very different style of frame that looks insubstantial yet is secure and durable. The crib is very light and airy, with almost all of the fabrics used being mesh or breathable, so it’s ideal for parents who are anxious about overheating and safe baby sleep.
The mattress is flat and firm and the crib’s shape means that your little one looks cocooned and cosy. PurFlo’s description is “like a Moses backer but breathable, like a crib but moveable,” which just about sums up the design concept. It’s fairly small overall, so it’s ideal if you don’t have much space in your bedroom and the crib section can be detached from the frame (it has two well-positioned handles on the cot), so that you can have your baby with you in any room – also great for travel. It has a cute toy bar with three coloured toys on a wood-effect bar to keep your baby entertained and there’s a clever ‘soothing centre’ with the obligatory nightlight, vibrations, sounds and music, though I’m not sure that having the light inside the crib is great – you’re likely to wake your baby if you’re not careful.
There are also nature sounds, which will probably help you nod off, too. You can add a breathable sheet (£12), plus Purflo makes some great swaddle sleeping bags, the Swaddle To Sleep (£27), which can be used from birth.
Buy now £127.00, Jojo Maman Bebe
Stokke Sleepi Mini
Best feature: sustainable and long-lasting
A different concept in bedside cribs, this is in effect a mini crib that stands alone and call be pulled up beside your bed on its lockable castors – great for moving from a bedroom to nursery, for example or for storing in a corner when your baby is not using it. Sleepi Mini can be converted into a cot, then a toddler bed, then a junior bed with some additional parts and this means it will look stunning in your home from birth to around 10 years.
The Sleepi Mini has an oval shape that is designed to keep your baby feeling secure and as it is so small, it will fit easily into your bedroom, while not compromising on style. The mattress base can be raised for newborns, making it easier to lift your baby in and out, or lowered as they start to be able to roll; bear in mind it can’t be fixed to your bed as many co-sleepers can and it has no drop side. Its solid beech wood dowelled sides and ventilated mattress base make it light and airy and it comes with a hypoallergenic mattress that is pressure-resistant, making it firm yet comfortable for your baby.
It’s at the higher end, price-wise, of nursery cribs but its environmentally friendly materials and longer life may appeal (factor in the cost of extensions – the kit to convert it into a cot costs £262, the junior bed kit £70). It comes in three wood finishes – natural, white and hazy grey, fitted sheets (£17) come in pink, blue and white and the canopy (£59) comes in white.
Buy now £379.00, John Lewis
Chicco Next2Me Magic
Best feature: four recline options
The first thing to mention about the Next2Me Magic, an update of Chicco’s popular bedside crib, is that the side can be lowered with one hand using the central button, which makes putting your sleeping child to bed easy when you’re in bed too. The side also drops down into the base in an action that’s not unlike a roller blind, keeping it tidy and out of the way, which is very neat. It will suit many styles of beds, as it has an impressive 11 different heights that are adjusted from an easy-to-reach button on top of the frame and the straps help you fix it safely against your bed.
The clever design allows you can pull it next to your bed for cuddles and night feeds and the feet retract so that you can use it next to a divan-style bed frame. Both of the crib’s sides are made from breathable mesh so that your baby can be reassured by seeing you whenever they wake and the mattress is also covered with 3D mesh for a comfortable and breathable night’s sleep. When you’re using it as a stand-alone crib, there’s a rocking mode that you activate by unlocking a clip. The four wheels mean you can roll the crib into another room (ideal if you live in a flat, though you’d struggle to take it up and down stairs) and the crib can be tilted through four positions to help little ones with reflux, which is one of the most adjustable I’ve seen.
The mesh inner can be zipped out and hand washed, as can the mattress cover – machine washable would be an improvement, but you won’t need to do it often. This crib is quite square – that may not worry you and it does make for a capacious sleep area. It comes in beige, two shades of grey and white.
Buy now £249.00, Boots
Halo BassiNest Swivel Sleeper
Best feature: swings over to you for each access
This kidney-shaped bedside crib is very popular in America and is now becoming better known in Europe.
The Halo looks rather different from most co-sleepers and you’ll notice at first glance that it has just one leg. Its most important feature is that the crib section can swing or swivel through 3600, so that you can get into bed and then pull the crib towards you to reach your baby and the base an slips under your bed (though this might be tricky with divans). This means two things; one, you can bring your baby as close as you need to reach them at night and two, you can rock the crib from side to side to soothe your little one to sleep.
The crib has a light, airy design, with mesh all around so that you and your baby can interact – plus it’s great for ventilation. The Halo can be raised or lowered to suit the height of your bed and you can have it next to you at night or use it around your home during the day. Getting your baby in and out is easy thanks to a side that can be pushed down with your arms –as you lower your baby into the crib, the side lowers with your forearms and prevents your baby from waking; it can be locked in place too. The mattress is firm yet soft, with a waterproof cover and it comes in light grey and white tones.
While it has a lot of plus points, the four feet might be a trip hazard if you’re getting up for the loo in a dark bedroom and the crib can only be used for five months. The electronic controls offer two levels of vibration, a nightlight, music and soothing sounds and there are handy storage pockets on the side.
Buy now £190.00, Jojo Maman Bebe
Maxi-Cosi Iora Bedside sleeper
Best feature: good storage section underneath
A neat and ultra-portable little bedside crib, the Iora comes in shades of grey with wooden trim (it also comes in a smart dark blue and a pale grey), making it look smart and contemporary. The crib is compact and lightweight and has five height positions, so you can adjust it to match the height of your own bed’s mattress for the perfect solution to co-sleeping. Do check the height of your bed, as this isn’t as many positions as some bedside cribs. You can have one end set slightly higher, ideal if you have a baby that suffers from colic or reflux. The height adjustment is one of the simplest I’ve seen; no need for screwdrivers or Allan keys – just a plastic clip on each side. There’s an indicator both sides to check it’s level.
Lowering the crib’s side to reach your baby takes a couple of steps and if at first that seems a little fiddly, it does make sense in terms of safety; you have poppers and a catch to release before you can lower the side zips and they should always be clipped back in place when you are using it as a crib. The crib sits flush against your bed and is attached to your bed with straps; handy pockets tuck extra strap length neatly away to avoid dangerous trip hazards. Iora can be used as a stand-alone crib anywhere in the house and the mesh sides make it easy for you to keep an eye on your baby.
For a bedside crib, it’s quite spacious, with a generous sleeping space and the mattress is firm and comfortable. If you’re going away, the Iora can be disassembled and popped into its own travel case, so it does the job of both a bedside crib and a travel cot. Underneath is a shallow but spacious tray that’s great for placing nappies, sleepsuits, spare bedding and toys for your little one. Bear in mind that you won’t be able to access it once you are in bed with the crib next to you, so you need to have room on the far side to be able to get to your bits and pieces.
Buy now £189.99, John Lewis
Three great extras to add to your beside crib
Ewan the Dream Sheep
One of my favourite baby soothers, Ewan has become a favourite among mums as it helps settle your baby to sleep. With his soft red melatonin-inducing glow, sounds, heartbeat and womb recordings, Ewan is sure to help newborns drift off and become a favourite friend.
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
Love To Dream swaddle up transition bag
The ideal transition between a swaddle and a sleeping bag, this raises your baby’s arms in a natural position to avoid the startle reflex; just remove the arms as your baby grows. Nappy changes are easy thanks to the two-way zip and it’s machine washable.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
Pabobo Musical Stars Projector
As your baby starts to be able to focus his eyes, give him something dreamy to watch while learning how to settle himself to sleep. This clever unit displays stars and the moon on the ceiling while playing music. It turns off automatically to save energy.
Buy now £27.00, Jojo Maman Bebe
Verdict
For a beautiful and sustainable choice for your baby, the SnüzPod 4 is a gorgeous crib that comes in a wide palate of colours to suit your home and it’s super functional too. Use it at home or take it with you on holiday, as a bedside sleeper or a stand-alone crib. The Joie Roomie Glide is also a great little product that has a lovely rocking motion and lots of versatility.