In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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Easy access to baby in a quality wood co-sleeper that looks great
The ease of a great co-sleeper / bassinet can really make the early months of parenthood much easier and more convenient, like this easy to reach babybay Bedside Sleeper.
The babybay Bedside Sleeper is a quality wood product that resembles a crib but attaches to the side of your bed. This design keeps baby close and provides easy access for nighttime feeding, soothing, and bonding. We love the design or this bassinet and feel the overall fit and finish is above compare with a sleek design that compliments any master bedroom and the use of eco-healthy materials with natural options available. This bassinet is cumbersome and lacks wheels making it a poor choice if you want an option you can move from room to room regularly. The higher price tag also makes it a poor choice for families on a tight budget. However, if your budget allows and your goal is an easy access co-sleeper, you can't go wrong with the impressive babybay, which is why it won an Editor's Choice award.
REASONS TO BUY
Natural materials available
Adjustable height
Easy to reach baby
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Hard to move
Update — February 2020
babybay has updated the available mattresses for their Bedside Sleeper. They now sell a few variations of a Wave Mattress Pad. These include the Classic Wave, the Relief Wave, and the Tranquility Wave. When purchasing the babybay, you can build your bundle so you can select only the mattress that you prefer without worrying about any extra purchases.
Functional wood bassinet you can use from your bed
Good choice for co-sleeping that is easy to move from room to room
Good for co-sleeping and a free-standing bassinet for most families
Safer alternative to co-sleeping and perfect for moms with c-sections
Eco-friendly fabrics cover this high-quality, breathable, freestanding bassinet
Rating Categories
babybay Bedside Sle...
Arm's Reach Clear-V...
Baby Delight Beside...
HALO BassiNest Esse...
BabyBjorn Cradle
Ease of Use(35%)
6.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
5.0
Breathability(25%)
10.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
9.0
Sleep Surface(20%)
7.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
Quality(15%)
10.0
8.0
7.0
9.0
8.0
Eco-Health(5%)
6.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
Specs
babybay Bedside Sle...
Arm's Reach Clear-V...
Baby Delight Beside...
HALO BassiNest Esse...
BabyBjorn Cradle
Assembled Weight
28.6 lbs
22.1 lbs
17.5 lbs
33 lbs
12.1 lbs
Open Dimensions
37.1"H x 36"L x 20.7"W
34.8"H x 34.5"L x 20.3"W
26"-30.5"H x 39"L x 27"W
36.9"H x 45.3"L (base) 33.8" (bassinet) x 21.8"W (bassinet)
26"H x 31.5"L x 18"W
Age/Height/Weight Limit
5 Months Discontinue Use When Infant:
Pushes Up On Hands And Knees
Discontinue As An Attachable Baby Bed When Infant:
Rolls Over Or Pulls Up To A Kneeling, Sitting Or Standing Position
5 Months or 18 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant:
Pushes Up On Hands And Knees
5 Months or 20 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant:
Pushes Up On Hands And Knees
5 Months or 20 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant:
Pushes Up On Hands And Knees, Pulls Up, Rolls Over, Sit Unassisted, Can Move Out Of The Security Of The Walled Sleep Area
6 Months or 18 lbs Discontinue Use When Infant:
Pushes Up On Hands And Knees
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
The babybaby Bedside Sleeper is a cool co-sleeper that attaches to the parent bed but has design features in common with a traditional crib.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
In 2003, Christian Pihale's wife Ruth gave birth to two children back to back. Knowing she would have to get up throughout the night repeatedly, Ruth asked for help. Because traditional co-sleeping can be dangerous, Christian designed a solution for Ruth to keep the babies close so she could stay in bed and still meet their needs. Christian's vision became the babybay bedside sleeper answering the need for parents to keep their children close, safe, healthy, and happy. babybay® is an internationally best-selling product.
Need a Crib?
All babies will need a crib at some point, and we've tested the best baby cribs to help you find the right one for you. Don't wait until your little one outgrows their bassinet to ensure a safe follow-on sleep space is ready.
Performance Comparison
The babybay isn't as easy to use as some of the competition thanks in part to its size and weight.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The babybay earned an ease-of-use score that is a bit above average for the group.
Ease of use includes the features and functions you will use daily.
The flat plate on the babybay attaches to the opposite side of the parent bed for a secure attachment.
The attachment strap is adjustable in size and helps secure the babybay to the parent bed with the help of the flat plate.
Accessibility
This bassinet is very accessible even while you stay in bed. The product will work with beds of various heights, and the lower sidewall means getting baby in and out, or comforting baby while you rest, should be no problem. The product has a system that allows it to safely attach to your bed. A long strap connects to the legs of the bassinet and runs underneath the parent mattress. The belt is kept taut by using a flat wooden addition on the opposite side of the parent bed. This structure holds the babybay snug against the parent bed and eliminates the risk of tipping
The babybay is not designed for regular movement and is not a good choice if you plan to move your bassinet from room to room. babybay does offer optional casters that would make it significantly easier to move.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Portability/Mobility
This bassinet is one of the most substantial options we tested with a weight of 28 lbs and dimensions of 37.1"H x 36"L x 20.7"W. this unit is designed to be connected to your bed so it isn't portable and moving it from room to room would not be recommended. The heft and lack of folding also make it a poor option for travel. There are caster wheels available as an accessory, which would make moving the babybay significantly easier. However, the wheels would arguably be safer if you paired them with the conversion kit that turns the co-sleeper into a free-standing crib.
The babybay has a height adjustment feature that is easy to move up or down with a screwdriver so it can be tailored to the height of the parent bed.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Additional Features
The mattress platform is height adjustable, so you can choose a height that works best with your bed.
Ease of Setup
It took almost 40 minutes to assemble this bassinet. It isn't difficult so much as the directions aren't useful. Upon investigation, the company offers a video tutorial, and we can see why. We didn't realize there are written instructions at the back of the manual because the first part is all pictures with no indication that it exists.
Cleaning
This product wipes clean with a damp cloth. Nothing on this bassinet is machine washable, but the mattress pad can be hand washed.
Given the wood slat design of the babybay, it has excellent breathability.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Breathability
The babybay earned a phenomenal score for breathability.
This unit is similar in design to a traditional crib, and unlike much of the competition that offers mesh sidewalls, this bassinet has wood slats with space between them. There is no fabric or issues that we can see to impair your baby's ability to breathe.
The babybaby performed well in tests for sleep surface and it is the only bassinet with different mattress options.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Sleep Surface
The babybay earned a relatively high score for the sleeping surface.
This sleeping surface is very stable with no low points, but it is easy to compress and may offer less support than some of the competition.
The babybay has the thickest mattress in the group but it compresses more easily than some. We suspect some of the other optional mattresses they offer may be firmer.
The sleeping area floor has open spaces for increase air circulation around the mattress pad. While this does not translate to increased breathability, it will prevent moisture buildup under the pad.
The babybay has the thickest mattress in the group with a slated bassinet bottom. We can push our finger between the mattress and the wood slats, but the pad doesn't shift or move indicating a good fit. We tested the Classic mattress in this review. Babybay does offer five versions for different needs, and each is each slightly different in composition.
The babybay is made with nice materials and a thoughtful design.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Quality
The babybay earned one of the top scores for quality.
It is easy to see the quality materials and designs when comparing this product against the competition. The wood is smooth and has meticulous connection points without rough edges. The wood creates a sturdy, stable, and durable product you can use for multiple children or sell when baby outgrows it. We love the overall fit and finish and feel like this bassinet is a real piece of furniture akin to a crib, unlike some of the competition that feels like limited use products that you won't keep around for the long haul. It is a simple, chic option that will compliment any decor.
Parents can sleep with peace of mind knowing that babybay has taken eco-health into consideration in their material and construction choices.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Eco-Health
The babybay earned one of the highest scores for eco-health in a metric where none of the bassinets impressed.
babybay offers open transparency regarding the materials they use and their production process. We like that they provide an unfinished product with no MDF board to avoid most VOC emissions, and they have organic mattress choices that use natural latex and coconut fiber instead of the more popular polyurethane. The other finishes use water-based products, avoidance of toxic fillers, and the mattresses use Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 1 materials. We purchased the Classic mattress for testing, as it is the base model and the least expensive making it a popular choice for parents and a way to keep costs down with this already higher-priced option. This mattress is a polyurethane option that hurt its overall eco-health score as this kind of foam can off-gas. The babybay would have scored higher for this metric if the natural mattresses were standard or less expensive. However, this is still arguably the best choice for parents concerned with toxic materials and potential off-gassing.
