At a glance:
This is a great choice if you are suffering from a C-Section, as the swivel feature means you can access your baby with minimal movement. We love the clever little features such as a nightlight, meaning mums can peek in without turning on a lamp. The music and vibration features are also great. Unlike others on the market, the crib is not height adjustable, so measure your bed beforehand to make sure it is not too high.
Related: Best cribs
What they say:
“The HALO Bassinest Swivel Sleeper allows you to sleep close to baby while having them safely in their own separate space, without being strapped to the side of the bed. The four-point, tip-proof base provides height adjustability to fit any bed, while the 360° swivel design makes it easy to get in and out of the bed. The retractable side wall makes lifting baby from an in-bed position easier, and has an auto-safety return. The BassiNest comes with a nursing timer which alerts when it's time to switch sides or return baby to their sleep space - promoting easier night-time nursing.”
Tested by mum Kelly Holt for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Yes, I would recommend this product. The built-in features are great, the sounds have really helped to soothe my baby to sleep and that is an absolute godsend. Although it is quite expensive, I believe people will pay anything if they know it will help them get a good night’s sleep! The mesh sides are breathable, so safe for baby. The mattress cover is washable and there are no parts that could come loose.
How did this product make your life easier?
The product has everything I need to soothe my baby to sleep! The vibration and music features were brilliant and the womb noise really worked with my baby. I liked that there was a built-in light for midnight nappy changing, without having to turn the 'big' light on. The basket could be placed right next to the bed and I liked that the side folded down to easily get my baby out to feed. It was sturdy and I felt safe putting my baby to sleep in it.
Would you choose this product to win?
Yes probably, the product has many great features! The only downfall is that you can't move it from room to room easily because it is permanently attached to the bed.
What changes would you make to this product?
I'm not convinced the breastfeeding timer is of much use and feel that another feature would have been more practical.
Tested by mum Katie Lockey for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Yes, I would definitely recommend this for mums who are breastfeeding overnight as you don't even need to get out of bed to reach baby. It is a really sturdy product and easy to put together. I think it looks stylish and the actual bassinet doesn't take up much space. The only thing is that the legs on the stand can be a trip hazard for mum and dad.
How did this product make your life easier?
It positions nicely next to my bed and has a great spin feature to allow you to bring baby over your bed without even moving position! It feels really sturdy and the design is stylish too. It has a light, music and vibrate feature which were all very interesting and useful features. I did find that the vibration was too loud, but the light and the music worked well.
Would you choose this product to win?
I really enjoyed using this product. If you want something more than a standard Moses basket then I would definitely recommend it. It is beautiful to look at and the structure is strong and supportive. The spin feature is also excellent! It is, however, very expensive for the length of time that it can be used.
What changes would you make to this product?
I would like the height of the bassinet to be adjustable, to fit next to a bed of any size. Also, the drop-down feature on the side of the bassinet pops back up automatically, meaning that you don’t have much time to get baby out, so it would be good if you could put it on a latch.
Tested by mum Ruth Vickers for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
The product is a very safe way to sleep next to your baby and have them as close to you as possible. The mesh sides enable you to see your baby and check on them during the night. The night light also really helps with late feeding. I really thought that the lullabies and the nature sounds were very comforting for my baby and I found it was easier to calm him when going to sleep! The Halo Bassinest comes in a stylish design that would fit comfortably in any style of bedroom. It is easy to set up using clear instructions and the swivelling feature is fantastic.
How did this product make your life easier?
The fact that the whole Halo Bassinest swivels, makes life a lot easier in terms of getting in and out of bed. As a mum who has to get up for frequent night feeds, this would be the main selling point for me. I wished that I had been able to use this during the recovery from my C-section as getting up out of bed was very painful at the time. This crib would have aided my recovery!
Would you choose this product to win?
The Halo Bassinest is one of the more expensive products on the market, particularly given that it will only be in use for around six months. Therefore, I probably would not choose it to win simply because it is not in my budget. However, if the Mother and Baby awards are looking for a top of the range bassinet, this is an all singing, all dancing crib that would be tough to beat!
What changes would you make to this product?
I would make the product more height adjustable, to make sure it fit perfectly beside every bed. The one we received was far too high for us, even though I thought our bed was a normal size.
Tested by mum Anna Whitehurst for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would recommend this product as it allows for very easy access to baby in the middle of the night. The features were so handy and sent my baby off to sleep if he stirred in the night. However, it was a little heavy and the price is quite high for new mums!
How did this product make your life easier?
The Halo Bassinest made my life easier as it combined many of the necessary aspects of my baby's usual bedtime routine, in one product. The vibration really helped sooth my little one to sleep and the ability to pull the Bassinest over onto the bed was really helpful post C-section, as getting up in the night is challenging at the start. The night light means I can check him without searching for my phone or turning on the bedside lamp and waking my husband.
Would you choose this product to win?
I think this product should be a contender for the top spot as the vibration element is innovative and the built-in light and music system is really useful. However, I may not choose it to win as I just feel it is too pricey and it was a little smaller than other products I have seen on the market.
What changes would you make to this product?
I would make the height more adjustable as it was too high for my bed.
Tested by mum Kay Butcher for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would definitely recommend the Halo Bassinest to a fellow mum. It has been thoughtfully designed and feels luxurious. It is very stylish, but also painstakingly practical. The product is sturdy, but also has the flexibility to be able to pull down the sides, to easily manoeuvre baby in and out. I really love the mesh on the sides of the cot as it means my baby can look out. The vibrate and swivel features, along with the sounds, provide a variety of ways to soothe baby while they are in the Halo Bassinest, which is an excellent idea.
How did this product make your life easier?
The Halo Bassinest makes caring for your baby easier, particularly for those recovering from a C-section, and therefore makes it unique on the market. It is so much easier to access baby when lying in bed. Also, the drop-down side automatically pops back up, ensuring the safety of your baby.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would pick the Halo Bassinest above other cribs on the market. I am a big fan of the design of this product, but it is the practical features of this crib that make it a clear winner. Co-sleeping is a great way to bond with your baby, and this crib allows you to do so, with easy access to baby and lots of interesting features to help soothe your baby to sleep.
What changes would you make to this product?
It would be great if you could fold it down really small so that it could be transported easily when going on holiday.
Tested by mum Lucy Goodgame for the Mother & Baby Awards 2017:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I was looking for a sleep solution that's as safe as possible, whilst still giving the closeness that my son needs. The Halo Bassinet meets these requirements perfectly. It is spacious, allowing room for him to grow and also ensures air circulates freely so baby doesn't overheat or immediately end up with his face against the siding if he rolls. It also has breathable mesh sides that help with this too, which I found hugely reassuring. I would definitely recommend this and use it again myself.
How did this product make your life easier?
My youngest is a very clingy baby who needs constant physical contact to settle and soothe. I have loved being able to be close enough to my son that I can put my hand on his stomach as we sleep, but with the peace of mind knowing he's not going to fall out or get squashed. We have both slept better as a result.
Would you choose this product to win?
The crib is sturdy and reassuringly solid, but equally, easy to silently and smoothly manoeuvre into place without waking my son. The swivel function is a stroke of genius, meaning you can quickly and easily stow it out of the way when not in use. I especially like the height of the crib. I'm quite tall and have lower back problems like a lot of new mothers. The crib sits at the perfect height so I'm not stooping over like I remember doing with my older son's Moses basket.
What changes would you make to this product?
I'm not a huge fan of the appearance of the bassinet. I do like that it's gender-neutral, but I particularly feel like the base looks like it's been ripped off of a piece of budget office furniture. The price made me wince a bit too, although it definitely helped my son sleep and I suppose you can't put a price on that!
Tested by mum Jenny Dodgson for the Mother & Baby Awards 2017:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would definitely recommend the Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper. The bassinet has a good design and appears to be a very well made quality product. I particularly like the soothing center and so does my little girl. This comes with a number of functions including a night light, music/sounds with 2 volume settings, a nursing alarm and 2 vibration settings - again a feature my little girl very much seems to enjoy. The product was relatively easy to assemble with clear instructions.
How did this product make your life easier?
The soothing center is great for my little girl she enjoys the vibration setting and a number of the different sounds, this makes my life easier as I can put her down and she seems to settle meaning I can get a few little jobs done. I also like the swivel feature and retractable wall making those night feeds a little less arduous!
Would you choose this product to win?
The soothing centre vibration setting is very much enjoyed by my little girl and I believe this is a feature which is not as common in other similar brands.
What changes would you make to this product?
I was surprised about the weight of this bassinet largely because of the base I suspect making this more of a challenge to assemble and more difficult to move about compared with similar products. The vibration setting is also quite loud which almost drowns out the sound of the music if wishing to use both features at the same time.
Tested by mum Claire Gandey for the Mother & Baby Awards 2017:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
We had problems with our daughter going into a Moses basket so we were delighted to test this product hoping it would solve our problem. The first night we put our daughter in it she slept very well and didn't mind. She really liked the sounds you can play and that you could see through the net. What we loved about this product is the swivel system and the side that you can pull down so baby could feel like she is right next to you and you can easily pull baby out.
How did this product make your life easier?
The Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper makes life easier as you can pick up your baby without getting up from your bed making it quick and easier. We loved the sounds you can play, this really helped soothe our daughter to sleep. liked that you can see through the net so can have a quick look at baby if you needed to without getting up.
What changes would you make to this product?
There are a few things we would change with this product. The main thing would be the base. This design has been made for higher beds so you can place one of the feet under the bed. We have a low bed that sits on the floor so could not place the item right close to the bed. The other thing is the height adjuster, as we have a low bed the lowest height is still higher than our bed. The weight of the base is far too heavy, if these 3 things could be changed then this would be perfect.