Is It Worth the Money to Buy a Bassinette?

Updated on May 28, 2009
G.M. asks from Peoria, AZ
27 answers

Hi Moms!
My husband and I are having our second child, due in August. With our first, we just had a crib, and a bassinette would have come in handy then. Now, for this one, we are thinking of buying a bassinette. But, the price of them is pretty high. However, we did find a reasonable one that is a bassinette/play-yard in one. It ranges about 89 dollars.

Have you found that it is worth buying a bassinette, even though it's only going to be used for the first few months, if that? I would like your opinions please. Thanks so much!

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D.P.

answers from Tucson on

Hi G.,

I found the bassinette a life saver for my second child. He did not like co-sleeping and wanted his own bed and needed to be close by for feedings and all the first 6 months. I had one that could be a rocker or steady on the feet and I had the mobile for it with music. It all depends on the baby though. My first son co-slept with us as he did not want to be alone or away from us and being as I have to work it was easier for me with the night feedings and all. It is really nice to have a bassinette and have the baby really close by instead of in another room and all. I have seen it done all sorts of different ways. Some are easier then others, it all depends on what you want to do.

D. P.

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D.D.

answers from Phoenix on

I had my daughter in her cradle for 7 months. I would have kept her in it longer but she out grew it. :( I definitely think it is worth the money!!! But do you?

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M.M.

answers from Phoenix on

I say Craigs list too. The only problem with the Pack 'n play is that it wont move easily from room to room. you have to disassemble them to get them through most door frames. not pleasant!
I received my first one as a gift and sold it pretty cheap on craigs list. When I had my second child i bought one for the same price i sold the first.
good luck!

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A.M.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi G.,

For me personally I think it was totally worth it! I used the same one for both of my kids for the first 3-5mths. I never had a problem with either them or us (my husband and I sleeping) until they got older like closer to the 6 month mark. Then for sure we transferred them to their crib and their room and it was a wonderful thing!

But prior to that it was really nice having the baby right next to me to in their bassinet so I didn't have to get up as much and I could nurse and change them. Plus the whole Sids thing too. I don't know about you but you just want to be able to hear them breathing and have them next to you as infants at least I did.

I was blessed to have a family member purchase mine. But they purchased the one that I had picked. I also wanted one that was more like a "Mosed Bed" with handles. It was absolutley beautiful (all in White Eyelet)! The part I loved the most about it was that it had a stand that I secured it on when at home and then when I traveled or just went somewhere for the day (like Grandparents) I would take it with us and it was great for napping etc.... It was a easy transportable bed so to speak!

Especially if you buy one used I think it would be totally worth having one or something at least comparable. Since this is not your first you need to be thinking convenience and any form of help you and hubby may need. It was definitely a help for us! Plus once we had to use the portable play yards (when they got older and bigger) they were so hard to put up and so heavy to always transport! Make life easier if you can since they are more needy in the beginning anyway.

Hope this helps. Blessings on your New Baby and Delivery!
A.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.W.

answers from Phoenix on

We used a pack & play which had a top part as a bassinet that also had music and a vibrating machine which was handy for the first 3 months for both of our kids. And then we use it the whole thing without the bassinet when we travel now to visit family. We have our travel crib without the bassinet, music, vibrator. It has proven to be a very useful thing to have, but I would not have bought just a bassinet as they are expensive for something to only use for a few months, if that. Hope that helps, and there are TONS of different types of pack-n-plays which although might be a little more money you get much more use out of them. Good luck and congrats!
J.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.C.

answers from Phoenix on

I bought the bassinet with my 1st child and used it through my 2nd child and then we got rid of it because we thought we were done having children. Then came our 3rd and final child and, I too, didn't want to spend the money for something we use for a few months, so I bought the Graco Pack N' Play/Bassinet Combo, LOVED IT! It was her bassinet/changing table for her 1st few months and its on wheels so I moved it around the house with me when I needed to do chores, and now she's 18 months old and I still use it for her when I do chores because it's the only thing tall enough she can't escape from. Mine came with an attachment that clips to the side that has a light just bright enough to check on baby during sleep but not wake him/her, and it plays soft music and nature sounds. We're planning 2 vacations this summer and Im taking it with me on both for sleeping at night and for those moments in the hotel when I've had enough of chasing her around getting her out of things she shouldn't be in. Needless to say it was probably the best purchase I made for her. Id pay double what I bought it for.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.B.

answers from Phoenix on

We bought 2 pack n plays...one for downstairs and one for our room/traveling. It worked wonderfully having it in our room, and with the bassinet part set up, worked just as well as a bassinet would have, but we can still use it for traveling. We bought one with a changing table part also, which was great for late night changings.

1 mom found this helpful
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W.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I'd say no, if you are tight on $ However, I think a pack n play is a GREAT thing to have! We however did not use our bassinet much with our son, perhaps because it was only a 3/4, not a full bassinet. So, go for the full bassinet and pack n play combo (we also did not use the changing table attachment more than a couple times on ours, waste of money). That (full bassinet w/pack n play) will most likely be worth it. You can also check around for good used ones. Ours is still in very good condition (my son's abt to turn 7) but we're keeping ours for visiting babies. :)

Oh and one more thing. get one with straight sides all around. Mine had curved ends, which were a real PITA when I needed to tuck in sheets/blankets around the bottom pad (maybe if you have long arms, it wont matter to you.)

1 mom found this helpful
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L.R.

answers from Flagstaff on

Hi G.,

Prior to the birth of third baby, my husband and I had the same discussion, because we didn't use bassinets with our other two. We happened to found on at a yard sale and it was in very good condition because the prior owner didn't use it for very long. We purchased it for around $40. My baby is now 7 months and she is still using it! This bassinet comes with a mobile that vibrates and plays lullabies. I think it's a great buy. Maybe you should check out your local consignment store if you don't want to spend a lot on the bassinet. A lot of time, they have good selection. Good luck with that and congratulation on your new baby!

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C.C.

answers from Phoenix on

For sure! Go to a garage sale to get one if you want to save a couple bucks. I got a beautiful one for super cheap.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.R.

answers from Phoenix on

You might want to search Craig's List or baby resale shops like Baby Bloomers. You can always leave a request at the resale shops too. That will save money.

My favorite was a pack and play system which did double duty when traveling ( a lot) and the benefit was the baby was in their own space again. I remember my mom putting the babies (7 of us) in a lined dresser drawer. Baby #7 received a bassinet and we were all awed by it's beauty. So we would stand over her and admire both baby and surroundings.

Good luck!

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M.P.

answers from Phoenix on

We are excpeting out third ( there is 15 years between my last and this one) So I did have a old fashion bassinette with my other 2 but not longer have it. We plan to buy one of the smaller pack and plays that we can have upstairs. I will have a c section so the use of the bassinette will totally come in handy. The good thing is you can always re sell it once you are done and might get at least half of what you paid back!!!

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A.M.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi G.,
I loved using my bassinet, and I still have it. I am not sure where you live, and the one I have is just your typical white bassinet, but if you live anywhere near me (buckeye, az) i would sell you mine for 20.00$. I have no use for it and you are more than welcome to it. All you would need for it is a matt pad for the baby to lay on, mine was ruined. So let me know, and yes I think they are worth it.

A. M.
You can email me at ____@____.com or call me at ###-###-#### if you are close and interested.

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N.N.

answers from Albuquerque on

We bought a Graco pack-n-play with the bassinette and changing table ($100) but our son only lasted in our room for about 3 days and then we moved him to his crib in the nursery. Every time we moved, he woke up, or vice versa, so none of us slept well. He sleeps much better in his crib. However, I don't regret getting it because it's a safe place I can put him to play while I take a shower or do some housework. We have used it while traveling. He doesn't sleep as well as in his crib (as someone else said, it's not a very nice mattress) but it's nice to have.

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A.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I do not think it is worth it myself. We had one with our first and second child. They used the same one but with our 3rd I decided to not waste the money but our budget was tight so I guess that would depend whether you can get it or not.

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N.S.

answers from Tucson on

It depends on the baby. Our second baby LOVED it and slept in there...and only there..for 4 months. But our thrid baby doesn't seem to like it at all. If you can find a used one, that may be the better choice. Then if baby doesn't like it, it's not a lot of money. You can buy ours if you want. It's a good Eddie Bauer one and we also have a bassinet matress for it with 2 sheets. Respond to me if you want it and we can figure out a way to get it to you.

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M.W.

answers from Phoenix on

thats a good deal i used one for all 4 of my kids and love them. have you tried looking on craigs list you may find a good deal i got a brand new car seat still in the box for $25 on there

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S.M.

answers from Phoenix on

We used the pack in play. We got the one that has the changing table and bassinet and then converts to the big pin I guess you can say. It worked well for us except the mat wasnt as comfy as our sons crib so we always had to add a some blankets underneath the sheet to make it cozy. We liked it and felt we got our moneys worth out of it.

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R.L.

answers from Albuquerque on

I did not have one for my first one, Which I am glad that I did not buy one becasue every noise would wake him up so it was better that he was in his room,, I did use a Pack in Play though to try it out,, He would want to eat every 40 mins, so For my second child Someone offered me one, I was glad that I had one for her.. I only used it for one month... So buying a new one would be a waste of money, Ask around to see if anyone has one that you can borrow or find a Used Baby Store and usially there you can find a cheaper one but like new beacuse it was only used for a short amount of time........ Hope it goes well..

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D.S.

answers from Tucson on

Hi G.,

The same as Jennifer W, we used our Pack-n-play (the bassinet part). He did just fine in that for 2 1/2 months and then we transitioned to the crib. We can still use the pack-n-play for when we travel and there is no additional cost.

If you don't want to try the pack-n-play you could also try a moses basket. I believe they are around $60 and might be good for a newborn.

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K.J.

answers from Phoenix on

If you are wanting the convenience of having baby #2 close by, then YES it is worth it. However, there is not need to spend a ton of money. They used so little that used one's look new. I got mine for $45 at a consignment center. It came fully loaded with hanging mobile, light, vibration, rocking ability and music! I don't know what area you are in but here are a few to look up....Once Upon A Child, Kid to Kid and Mother Hubbards. Good Luck :)

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M.J.

answers from Tucson on

I say if you are planning to spend the money buy a pack and play 3 in 1. They are the best if especially if you travel or go visit anyone for a long day.

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J.K.

answers from Phoenix on

I had a bassinet with my both kids(the same one) and I actually bought it at other mothers. I would have been lost with out one. You could always get a pack and play that has a bassinet attachment. You could check second hand stores and craigslist for a used one, a lot of times you can find a like new one for pretty cheap.

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D.W.

answers from Phoenix on

I would say YES : ) Though I did not like the retail prices either, knowing that it would be only used for a few months. I found one locally through Craig's list and spent $20 and some clean-up time on it. It was exactly what I wanted and worked perfectly. I think for the peace of mind and convenience it was well worth it!

D.

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A.T.

answers from Phoenix on

You might check on Craig's List, that would save some money.

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A.L.

answers from Phoenix on

Some mom s may say why buy when they are only in it for 4 months or so, but to me it was worth it to have her crib in another room and a bassinette in mine. The beauty of it was she was close to me when need be like in the middle of the night but she could also go in her room like if your playing with your 4yr old and she is then in her crib. I bought a great second hand bassinette because my daughter came unexpectly.. We adopted and she came earlier then expected. Buy one at a second hand store or off craigslist. save money and you have peace of mind of her being so close.

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R.O.

answers from Tucson on

I actually got a bassinett used at Twice As Nice on Broadway around Pantano. Knowing it would only be used for a few months (turned out to be 9 weeks with our daughter) I figured it wasn't worth paying the high price for a new one. I just replaced the mattress and sheet. I think we paid $27 for the bassinett itself. Worth checking at Twice As Nice- when I went they had 5 or 6 to choose from.

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