Everything related to sleep a newborn is terrifying. Almost all parents feel a sharp pang in their hearts every time they put their children down during the first few weeks. It’s biology.
So who the hell do you trust to create a safe space for them to sleep? Where is it safe to put your little one, curled up in a straitjacket so he can’t roll anywhere and suffocate while you sneak into the living room to look at a scroll about destiny? 529 plans? The Brits have the answer: the SnuzPod4, a simple wooden bedside cell that now occupies a permanent space next to my mattress, has been popular in the UK for years.
Since my first child is only a few months old, I have limited experience with the best bassinets. But I’ve found this one to be simple, engaging, and surprisingly sleep-deprived proof. I have yet to do anything sketchy with it by accident, which I can’t say about other parenting tools I’ve tried (I’m looking at you, strollers and baby carriers).
pod people
With mid-century modern and Ikea vibes (and assembly), the SnuzPod4 and its associated base come together in about half an hour of frenetic prenatal building. There is a lower section that acts as a cradle for the bassinet on top. The bassinet can be placed on top of the base or simply balanced on the floor (ideal for travel).
Once you build the top and bottom sections (basically just laying fabric over some metal rods and screwing things together), you’re basically ready to go to sleep. It comes with a breathable mattress so you can worry less about your kids suffocating during the night (although I’ve found that fear will never completely go away), and it has a gentle reflux tilt position if your baby spits up more than usual. already a large amount that all babies regurgitate. Enjoy!
Is JPMA Certificatewhich means it meets the ASTM safety standard for children’s beds, and I particularly love that it rocks back and forth very easily when my daughter can’t seem to fall asleep perfectly and just needs a little extra calm.
Photography: Parker Hall
Close to home
This is a bedside bassinet, which is increasingly popular with parents who don’t want the potential dangers of co-sleeping but want easy access to their children during sleep (and the benefits of being in the same room ). It adjusts to just under 20 inches, which easily fits next to my bed, and the smooth bottom of the base helps it slide into place on wood or carpet.
You can adjust it to the height of your bed (there are seven positions to choose from). Ours turned out to be right in the middle, go figure. If you sleep very close to the ground, you can forgo the base altogether and use the bassinet directly on the floor, where it also has a flat, sloping bottom that you can rock. We found this particularly helpful right after my daughter’s birth, when a snowstorm (and the associated chaos in Portland, Oregon) caused us to stay at my parents’ house for a few days.