Best bedside cribs for soothing and safe sleeping, tried and tested by a parent

The Lua is easy to put together and just as easy to take apart; the latter point is worth noting as it also doubles-up as a handy travel cot and is delivered with a road-ready storage bag.

The crib has a range of selling points, with its handy drop-down side arguably top of the list. Cutting out the need for fiddly zippable sides or climbing out of bed (no, thanks), it’s meant to make lifting your baby out in the night easier, with Mamas & Papas even claiming that you can utilise the feature if you’ve had a C-section. Speaking from experience just a few weeks after my own surgery, I found the button-and-slider mechanism simple to use – it took a couple of attempts to initially get the knack, but once you’ve got it, it couldn’t be easier.

The crib offers five height positions, so it can be adjusted to sit neatly alongside most beds. Its mesh sides, though a standard feature among bedside cribs in 2025, are taller than average thanks to the deeper bassinet. This makes it easier to keep your baby within sight from different angles, while still ensuring good airflow. The bassinet itself is lightweight and detaches easily from the stand, making it simple to move around the house.

Should disaster strike, the fabric sections can be easily unzipped and machine-washed. A welcome extra is the built-in storage shelf, which is ideal for stashing nappies, wipes and feeding essentials within arm’s reach during those 3am wake-up calls.

The only drawback? It’s more expensive compared to other models on our list but its practical design and usability makes it worth it.

If you’re looking for a bedside crib that won’t break the bank and radiates reliability, Red Kite’s snooze crib is a great choice. Available to purchase from a range of retailers, including Amazon, Argos and Boots (hello, Advantage Card points), it feels sturdy and trustworthy, and offers fantastic value for money.

Building the crib is easy, with the assembly guide featuring written instructions. In fact, it’s so simple that it took us just over three minutes to complete from start to finish. Once done, it feels solid and well put together.

The large mesh panels are handy for easily viewing your baby; I found that if the baby’s head is positioned in the middle of the crib, it can be harder to see them due to the triangular grey panels that sit down the middle of each side.

Much like Mamas and Papas’ Lua model, the crib features a shelf area underneath the bassinet. I found that Red Kite’s version is more flimsy; while it’s not as spacious as the Lua, I found it could still comfortably fit a folded-up changing mat, plus nappies and wipes.

If you’re after a bedside crib that works just as well around the house as it does next to your bed, the SnuzPod5 is a strong contender.

It’s a more involved build than some of the other options on our list; it comes with a large booklet that features a lot of capital letters, a 50-minute suggested time to build and 12 pages of detailed how-to diagrams.

As a bedside crib, it’s straightforward to secure to your bed. Snuz even claims it "fits more beds than any other traditional bedside crib" – and in my experience, it felt reassuringly stable once strapped in place. The rounded legs allow for a soothing rocking motion; the strength of the rock might vary on your flooring: a plush carpet will offer a different sensation to floorboards.

I found the bassinet easy to lift off its base for use as a standalone Moses basket, while the optional addition of wheels made moving the crib frame between rooms hassle-free. Those same wheels can also tilt the crib at a slight incline, which can prove incredibly helpful if your baby suffers from congestion, colic or reflux.

Style-wise, Snuz has gone the extra mile. The crib is available in a range of colourways created in collaboration with paint and wallpaper brand Lick – ours was the gorgeous Mocha, with Sage and Terracotta also catching my eye. The options made a refreshing change from the sea of greys, whites and natural wood tones that seem to be so ubiquitous with cribs.

As for value, Snuz cleverly breaks it down on its website: based on average use, the SnuzPod5 works out at about 89p per use per night. When you consider the peace of mind, flexibility and style it brings, that feels like a pretty sound investment.

At almost 150 years old, the venerable Silver Cross is renowned for its high-quality baby products, which span everything from pushchairs and parasols to carrycots and changing bags.

A fantastic choice for families that love to travel, the brand’s Slumber 3-in-1 Travel Cot offers a trio of purposes: as well as making an easy-use travel cot, it also works as a bedside crib and a playpen. It’s delivered with a sturdy bag that makes packing it up for your next adventure easy.

As a bedside crib, I found that the newborn insert and breathable mesh panels make keeping your baby within your eyeline simple; the insert can be removed if you want to use it as a play pen later on. The playpen part can be used for storage while your baby is still small, with the zip-up door making it easy to grab items. The crib’s mattress felt bouncy and comfortable, and my daughter peacefully drifted to sleep when trying it out.

While the website references the cot’s "super quick pop-up design", the instruction manual features no less than 30+ diagrams. But don’t be daunted, I found that it actually is "super quick" to put together – it took about two minutes, if that.

A "quick and easy assembly" was cited as a selling point of Ickle Bubba’s drift gliding crib, and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, I was so confident assembling it that I only consulted the instructions after I’d put it together, which probably took about three minutes in total.

While it slots together easily, the crib still feels reassuringly sturdy, with a comfortable mattress included. The bassinet can be unclipped with minimal fuss, meaning I could easily move it around the house. On that note, it’s delivered with a storage bag that makes it a solid choice for families who love to travel.

The rocking function is great and the fact that the bassinet moves on a side-to-side motion (rather than relying on legs like the Snuz model) means it couldn’t be simpler to soothe a grumbling newborn in the middle of the night.

The crib’s range of motion is in contrast to the Lua, which can only be rocked from one of the shorter ends. A locking mechanism is located at both ends of the cot; I found that locking one end resulted in a slower rock, while locking both completely stabilises it. It’s worth noting that it only moves when you rock it – the ‘glide’ function doesn’t continue without manual input.

The cot does however have a wide base, meaning it takes up a larger amount of floorspace – yet despite this, it doesn’t have an in-built storage shelf.

Clair De Lune’s organic folding crib looks great, is highly practical and has a raft of eco credentials to shout about. Made in the UK – Manchester, to be precise – the crib is made of soft, breathable GOTs-certified organic cotton and is delivered with a bamboo mattress.

One slight letdown against the sea of eco wow-worthiness is the packaging. Perhaps it was just the one I received, but there was a lot of sellotape to hack my way through.

The crib’s six-step instruction manual walks you through the build process in painstaking detail – prior to building, the sheer volume of words, warnings and arrows involved might feel overwhelming but once you start, it’s actually incredibly helpful and easy to follow.

Another stand-out selling point of this crib? It can be easily folded up when not in use, making it a great choice for smaller bedrooms or for use while travelling. There’s no need to deconstruct it either, it simply concertinas in (think deckchair-style) and can be propped against a wall or in a cupboard until it’s needed again.

Another thing I love about this crib? It looks great. Light and cool, it looks high-quality as well as beautiful, with the fabric of the bassinet (which is available in three colours) popping beautifully against the pine stand. Even better? Those creamy fabrics can be machine-washed if needed, meaning the product can retail its pristine Scandi-esque vibe for longer.

As huge fans of Maxi-Cosi’s original iora, we were excited to give the new iora air a spin. But with such a long-standing reputation for being an outstanding crib, could this model compete with the brand’s signature design? Well, we’re pleased to say it holds its own in every way. As well as being super straightforward to set up (one of the easiest in testing, in fact), this enhanced version of the brand’s iconic co-sleeper boasts several new upgrades, including an optional rocking motion, an extra-thick mattress, and new and improved fabrics made from recycled materials that maximise air circulation.

Much like the original, every element feels well-made, and when pieced together, the crib feels strong and durable. The bassinet is deep and spacious, and the mesh that lines it all the way round feels light and soft to touch – plus, parents will be pleased to know it can be zipped off for machine washing. The mattress is the perfect thickness, in our opinion, and feels both firm yet soft underneath baby.

Like the original, the iora air has five height adjustments which can be moved up and down at the click of a button. The straps offer a secure fit and can be neatly stowed away, while the hidden built-in wheels make it easy to move the crib from one room to another.