The best next-to-me cribs for comfort and safe co-sleeping – tested and approved by parents

Designed for use from birth to six months, the SnuzPod 4 Bedside Crib allows you to sleep next to your baby within easy reach when the night feeds occur. Our testers like that it has a light bassinet and can be used as a bedside crib, stand-alone crib or a Moses basket/bassinet. The crib has nine different height settings too, ensuring it's the right height for your bed. Although it is suitable from birth to six months, some mums don't think it grows well with a baby. However, the Chicco Next 2 Me Magic 2 is ideal for taller babies.

If you're looking for a crib that fits in with a more minimalist or calming home aesthetic to offset other baby chaos around your home, this one may tick the right boxes for you. Our Mother & Baby's Editor and mum, Maria Martin, tested this crib and describes it as being "up there with some of the most stylish – even if everything out there is bathing in a sea of grey!" She says that although the design may not have made her life any easier in a more practical way, it certainly made her life (and mind) clearer with its sleek look.

We also love that while its slim frame makes it more compact than other bedside crimes, which will be important where space is limited, it also allows baby room to sleep comfortably, and the ComfortAir breathable technology helps regulate your little one’s temperature while they sleep, with an optional reflux incline function to help aid any reflux your baby may suffer from. On the other hand, Maria points out that while the SnuzPod4 is sleek and slim, her 3-month-old stretches her arms out to sleep and is getting too big for this crib. She says she doesn't know how much longer she’ll be in this at night, so not sure it’s worth the money – but all babies grow differently in the first few months.

Maria isn't convinced that this crib is the most functional choice. For example, she didn't find the rocking feature to be useful as it rocks side-to-side in a jolty way, as opposed to a smoother, rocking chair-style movement. She sticks to her daughter’s Graco Baby Delight Swing instead, with its more soothing motion. She also found that being on the shorter side, depending on the height you have the SnuzPod4 adjusted to, putting the baby down gently was a bit of a mission for her. "I have to lean over the end, and it’s hard to hold and place baby down without tapping her feet on the frame. The longer she gets (and she’s only 3 months old at the moment) the tougher this is becoming to do", she says.

We know parents want quick and easy when it comes to assembling and adjusting baby hardware, but unfortunately, this crib isn't the most straightforward. Maria says the instructions, though easy to follow, were long-winded and required various tools to assemble, as well as adjust height and change the bassinet section from a drop-down, next-to-me style crib, back to a bassinet – which is a bit of a faff and you'll need an Allen key! Maria says this makes it difficult to have it next to your bed at night and use it during the day as a bassinet all in one, whereas other bedside cribs are much more convenient with buttons or attachments on the side.

Read our full SnuzPod 4 crib review

The Maxi-Cosi Lora won the Gold award at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket category.

The Iora gives parents peace of mind to rest easy knowing that their baby is sleeping in the utmost luxury, only an arm's reach away. We love how it is sophisticated, adjustable and comes with a mattress. One design feature you'll really appreciate in a crib if you have come home from the hospital after having a c-section is height adjustability, and this one comes with five different height positions to choose from! Our mum tester, Jasmine Abbott, tested the crib for the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards and said that it was the perfect height for her to be able to pick her baby with ease right from bringing him home after having had a c-section. She says a lot of other cribs, bedside cots, cot beds and Moses baskets are lower down, forcing you to bend more, which causes discomfort and disrupts the healing process.

The crib is a good bedside sleeper with a co-sleeping slide function. Jasmin also appreciated the storage compartment underneath, saying it's ideal for spare blankets, nappies, and clothes to grab in the middle of the night if need be, making life so much easier while trying to deal with a crying baby. "The mattress is easy to find sheets for, too, and it’s larger than most Moses baskets, so it will last longer before I need to upgrade him to a bigger crib," she says.

Jasmine describes the size of the crib as "perfect", saying it’s not as big as a full-sized crib, but it's much bigger than standard Moses baskets. She liked that this made it comfortable for her baby and that the mattress is of good quality – "so many feel flimsy or are really thin", she says. Another mum tester, Anita Belgaumkar, agrees it's slightly smaller than some bedside cribs and likes that this means it leaves more space in the bedroom and seems sturdy and easily transportable. Some mums, however, said it was not that easy to move from room to room.

Our parent tester, Gulhan Arapoglu, said that while she didn't find it to be light, she did find it manageable to move from room to room and liked that it's nice and sturdy. However, she says it's quite big when packed away in the travel bag, and her husband would have to carry it if travelling as she'd struggle with it on the stairs, which is something to think about if you have a lot of stairs in your home. If you're looking for a more portable option, the Shnuggle Air beside crib is easy to move.

Read our full Maxi-Cosi Iora Bedside Crib review

Shortlisted in the 2021 Mother&Baby awards in the best cot, crib or Moses basket category.

The Shnuggle Air Bedside Crib is designed to maximise airflow and make it easy to see your baby via the mesh sides. To reduce the risk of overheating, it also comes with a hypo-allergenic fibre mattress that's 50 per cent more breathable than standard foam mattresses. The crib is uniquely designed to grow with baby – converting to a stylish standalone cot and extending the safety and comfort for toddlers up to approximately 2 years of age, which our testers liked – but the conversion kit is sold separately at £109.95. the crib has storage space for nighttime essentials and an incline setting to help soothe the symptoms of reflux, however, it doesn't have a rocking feature. For a crib with a rocking feature, the Chicco Next 2 Me Magic 2 is a great choice.

Our mum tester Natasha Barker didn't feel that as a next-to-me crib, this product made her life any easier. She liked that you could see the baby through the mesh but felt that it wasn't practical when it came to tending to the baby at night. She says, "The fact this is advertised as a co-sleeper crib I think is wrong as it cannot be used with the side down when baby is asleep, unlike other similar products. This means any time baby wants to feed, the side needs to be unzipped, unclipped and then put back together again afterwards, which, if you're cluster feeding, could be quite a few times in the night!" She also points out that if a little one just needs a little pat in the night to soothe back to sleep, you have to sit up and reach over the sides. "I just ended up lifting baby out to feed as it was less hassle!" She says. Our mum tester Alison Barnard adds that it's also quite noisy to zip back up again/clip the bar back in, and says, "on one occasion I did wake him doing this."

Overall our testers said they would recommend this crib. Mum tester Adelle Barnett says, "Yes, I would recommend this product. It is well made and solid and you can really feel the quality from taking it out of the box, building it and then finally when made and baby is in it." Mum tester Jessica Bates says, "I would recommend the Shnuggle Air Bedside Crib to other mums because it is a lovely design in a neutral colour which would fit in with all decors." She also says she really liked the storage hammock underneath as it makes the area look a bit tidier, as before, she always had random items in a heap nearby.

Read our full Shnuggle Air Bedside Crib review

The older version of the CoZee Air, the Tutti Bambini CoZee won Bronze in the 2018 Mother&Baby Awards Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket category.

So quick and easy to open and fold – just the ticket if you're looking for a truly travel-friendly option. Mother & Baby's Features and Reviews Editor and mum Emily Gilbert tested this product for us and said, "We simply removed it from the bag and unfolded the legs, making sure the brackets clicked into the plastic receives on the underside of the crib base. And there it was! Standing before our very eyes in just a matter of seconds." The rest of the assembly was similarly a breeze, she says – but things got a bit trickier when it came to actually attaching the CoZee Air to their bed.

One of the things that sets this crib apart from some others is that it's designed for a divan bed. A mum on the BabyCentre forum says they bought one and yes, the straps just wrap around the whole base of your bed – they're really long! Emily says the instructions are simple and well laid out when it comes to building the actual cost; however, for attaching it to the bed, they personally could have done more details. Emily suggests finding a video online, which is what they did to make the process a lot more straightforward.

If you have a particularly high divan bed like Emily, you'll be relieved to know that the CoZee Air has six different height positions. The lowest (position one) is suitable for a mattress height between 49-52cm, while the highest (position six) is suitable for a mattress height of 64+ cm. It is easy to adjust the height by squeezing the large button on each side and moving the crib either up or down.

A nice little bonus is that you can position one side of the CoZee Air higher than the other to help a baby with reflux. Other benefits include two ventilated sides (many just have one) and a handy storage shelf underneath. It also comes with lockable rocking bars and castors, meaning you can use it as a co-sleeper or a height-adjustable standalone crib that rocks. Emily says it's a shame you have to choose between the rocking feature and being attached to the bed, though.

Size-wise, it's one of the larger bedside crib options, so if you're short on space, this might not be the one for you. We'd suggest the Clair de Lune bedside crib as a great fold-away option. Emily points out that it is compact enough to fit into its travel bag and relatively lightweight at 10kg.

Read our full Tutti Bambini CoZee Air Bedside Crib review

Shortlisted in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket category, the Next2me Magic is a newer version from Chicco, more advanced than ever.

The push of a button is all it takes to remove the side of this bedside crib, although some mums did find this a little tricky! Our testers also really like that the mesh panel on the side is extended, meaning you can see the baby easily from the other side of the room. Our mum tester Charlotte Deakin points out that this could have its own drawbacks, though, if, like her, you have a mirrored wardrobe that could act as a distraction for your little one. Charlotte says that sometimes her baby took longer to settle because of this, so it might be something to consider. The mesh mattress and side panels allow for plenty of air to circulate, and it's easy to adjust the height to suit your bed, although some mums found the side panel a bit tricky to move up and down. If this side access is key for you, look at the Maxi-Cosi lora.

Our mum tester, Amy Williams, used the Chicco Next2Me Magic as a travel cot so her newborn could continue to get used to his new sleeping environment while they were away. It was perfect, being really quick and easy to assemble and dismantle. Plus, it comes with a travel bag which Amy found fits everything into nicely. It has some great features, such as the ability to incline and rock, and also has 11 height levels, which means it fits against pretty much any bed. "One bed we slept in while we were away was really high, but this is not a problem if you have the Magic", she says. We also love that the legs have swivel wheels and brakes for easy manoeuvring.

Read our full Chicco Next2me Magic crib review

Made from GOTs-certified organic cotton, the Clair de Lune Organic Folding Crib is ideal for parents with a smaller bedroom as it can easily be folded away when not in use. However, our mum tester, Carla, loved the appearance, saying, "When I came across the Clair De Lune Organic Folding Cream Crib, it looked perfect for me. I love cream items, especially with a more wooden and rustic feel, so with the wooden legs, this was perfect for me." We really liked that this crib was designed with practicality and design in mind, it's both lightweight and secure when in place. Plus our mum tester said, "the foldable cot also makes the perfect travel cot." Mum, Hannah, agreed that it is practical, commenting, "I find it a lot easier to get to my baby in the night because I can have this right beside the bed, but then can fold it away when it's not in use. The cot is a good side too I feel happy and comfortable that my baby has the room to have a wiggle!" However, reviewers did note that one disadvantage is that you can't adjust the height, so if this is a problem, the BABYLO Cozi Sleeper has five easy-to-adjust height settings.

With its organic materials, breathable design, and premium bamboo mattress, this crib will surely provide your little one with a restful and healthy night's sleep. Mum tester Carla also liked that it was easy to set up, saying, "When following the instructions, this was incredibly easy to put together, just needing a simple screwdriver. It could be easily put together while you’re pregnant, but it’s easiest to do while sat down – so bear that in mind! I did need help for one part, which was putting the screws in which makes it foldable, just as you need to hold."

One reviewer added, "From a cost perspective, I feel this will last my baby a lot longer, and it can easily be moved around the house, so I am getting the most out of my money."

This co-sleeping crib has been shortlisted in the Mother&Baby Awards for several years, won Gold in 2017 in the Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket category, and a year later was shortlisted in the 2018 Mother&Baby Awards. 
It's a consistently popular choice with mums and always impresses the experts. This Chicco Next2me Side Sleeping Crib converts easily from a co-sleeper to a stand-alone crib – ideal if you want to switch between naps and nighttime. It's height-adjustable, quick to assemble, and easy to attach to your bed. It weighs just 9kg and comes with a handy travel bag which our testers liked. The mattress can be inclined, making it suitable for babies with reflux, but it is a little firm, so if you prefer something more comfortable, the Silvercross Voyager has a deep foam mattress.

Tested by mum Hannah Jhutti for the Mother&Baby Awards 2018; she said: "This was much easier to use than a Moses basket. My back was hurting from having to lean over the bed to lift the baby out, but with this crib next to me, I just sat up and scooped the baby out! During the night, if the baby cried, I could reach in and hold his hand or stroke him to comfort him back to sleep. I loved being able to see him lying next to me, knowing he was safe and that I couldn't roll onto him."

Read our full Chicco Next2me Forever Crib review

A great budget-friendly option, this BABYLO Cozi Sleeper² Bedside Co Sleeper Crib features a zip-down side panel and two clip-on straps to hold it safely against your bed. Although some mums did find it a little flimsy, our testers liked that you can use it as a stand-alone crib, too. There's an adjustable incline to help with reflux and a five-height adjustment.

One mum tester said, "We bought this for our 3-month-old as he had outgrown his Moses basket. It was really easy to assemble and comes with a firm mattress and two sheets. It is great for night feeds, and he has slept well in it from the first night with no issues. I would use it again from day one next time."

The Silver Cross Lunar is a great crib for at home or when travelling, and we love that it comes with a travel bag to make travelling with it even more convenient. Our mum tester, Kelly, said, "It comes in a nice case with straps for easy transportation and storage. It is not too heavy, so it could be transported or moved around easily."

Reviewers were impressed with its use as a bedside crib, and mum Kelly said, "The side comes down to the bedside very easily. It simply unzips, and two buttons release the rim to allow the side to drop down. It is compatible with our bed, an ottoman with wooden slats."

It is easy to assemble, and our mum tester commented that there's "not much to it at all & it folds out well. Not many pieces to assemble & uncomplicated, so this was a plus point too." We also really like the quality of the fabrics, which are very soft. Our mum tester added that "the materials all around are lovely. It’s very soft and breathable for a baby. The mattress in particular I was impressed with is high quality & very soft. It is backed by a decent board underneath, unlike many other baby mattresses it is not just a flimsy piece of foam!" However, reviewers did mention that it is not as stable as it could be, noting, "due to the design of the mattress area being suspended, it can be wobbled easily if knocked which could disturb your baby."

Overall, it is well designed, with mum tester Kelly saying, "It looks modern & I like the oatmeal colouring & wood effect legs/rim (this seems to be aluminium with a wood effect finish)." Although she does point out that it won't be easy to clean and thinks this could be its biggest downfall, saying, "It’s advised on the labels to sponge clean only - and this is the only option as it does not come apart, there are no removable covers. Even the mattress has no removable cover for washing, so a mattress protector is definitely needed for this." Nevertheless, our mum tester liked the shelf, commenting, "There is a storage shelf underneath, which I feel is a nice touch. It’s handy to store muslins, nappies & clothing etc & have them so readily to hand in the night."

Read our full review of the SilverCross Lunar bedside crib