BabyBjorn Cradle Review

Björn and Lillemor Jakobson started BabyBjörn in 1961. The company is headquartered in Stockholm and still family-owned. BabyBjörn's goal is to create functional, safe products that help families in their everyday life. BabyBjorn is continually striving for quality solutions and improvements. The company offers simple, modern takes on classic designs without unnecessary details. BabyBjorn believes gear should appeal to mothers, fathers, and babies. They provide products suitable for children from newborn age up to three years old.

Ease of Use

The BabyBjorn's score for overall ease of use is just average.

This metric incorporates daily features and functionality.

Accessibility

This bassinet is small enough to keep beside your bed, light enough to move away from your bed if it were in the way, and low enough to see baby while lying in bed. Unfortunately, the lower height may make it challenging to reach baby while sitting up in bed, and you will probably have to get out of bed to manage it.

Portability/Mobility

While this product doesn't have wheels or an easy way of moving it from room to room, it is relatively light at just over 12 pounds. This lighter weight combined with 26-inch height, 31.5-inch length, and 18-inch width means you can move it if you need to without much trouble. It is not suitable for travel, however, with no carry case and an easy way of folding it.

Ease of Setup

It took about 7 minutes and 2 seconds to set up this bassinet. The setup is simple and requires a screwdriver to connect the legs.

Cleaning

The fabric is machine washable but needs to hang dry. Even the mattress can be machine washed, something the majority of the competition couldn't boast.

Breathability

The BabyBjorn earned an exceptional score for breathability.

The Cradle is one of the most breathable options out there, with a surround made of polyester mesh. The only non-mesh fabric is about 4.5 inches wide on each end with the required warning labels. It seems unlikely that a baby would be able to maneuver itself into such a position that it would be unable to breathe through the sides of this bassinet.

Sleep Surface

The BabyBjorn earned an average score for the sleeping surface.

The mattress on the Cradle is about one inch thick and is relatively compressible. This translates to reduced support for the baby and the potential for little ones to be resting on the bottom of the bassinet with less of a cushy feeling.

The mattress fits nice and snug inside the bassinet floor and doesn't shift, even when a finger is forced in near the sides. But, the design could create a low spot should your baby scoot down into one of the ends.

Quality

The BabyBjorn earned an impressive score for quality. With a simple, stylish design, it looks good compared to the competition. It lacks the typical “babyish” vibe and can fit in with almost any decor.

This product is made with high-quality materials and has a sturdy design. The legs press down to create a rocking motion, and it rocks back and forth without feeling unstable. There is a keen attention to detail with no loose threads and fabric or poor connections that wiggle when they shouldn't.

Eco-Health

The Cradle earned an above-average score in eco-health. BabyBjorn takes the eco-health of their products seriously and offers more information than most brands on the materials they use.

This product doesn't use chemical flame retardants, is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100-certified, and can be purchased with an organic cotton sheet, but the mattress is polyurethane foam like much of the competition. The Cradle also uses an MDF board beneath the mattress, which can emit formaldehyde. BabyBjorn assured me that the Cradle is free from VOCs, BPA/BPS, flame retardants, PVC, lead, phthalates, heavy metals, PFAS, and harsh dyes or chemicals. While this eases some concerns with formaldehyde emissions from the MDF board, we wish BabyBjorn would replace it with a more eco-healthy option. We also wish they offered a mattress made with natural materials. This bassinet is also JPMA-certified.

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