There are dozens of questions surrounding the best practices for bassinets. This is because parents care so much for their babies and wouldn’t want to jeopardize the safety of their kids.
When is the right time to move a baby from a bassinet? Should I choose a mesh or non-mesh bassinet? Are bassinet weight limits just a warning? These are a few of the questions about bassinets.
In this article, we shall be focusing on the weight limits of bassinets and how strict these warnings are.
Without wasting too much time, let’s talk about the essence of tagging a weight limit on a bassinet.
Table of Contents
Why Do Bassinets Have Weight Limits?
The major reason for placing a weight limit on bassinets is for the safety of your baby. As parents, you don’t want to use a bassinet that is too weak to hold your child.
Manufacturers of bassinets have run a series of tests to determine the highest weight limit on a bassinet. Placing a limit on a bassinet means the brand is making sure it sticks to all the strict safety measures of CPSC to avoid any mishap.
Therefore, whenever you buy a bassinet, you should always check the label to see the information about the weight and size limit.
Are There Any Negative Consequences For Exceeding The Weight Limits Of Bassinets?
In many cases with my kids, I went above the weight limits by about 1 to 2 pounds. This was because my babies grew too quickly during their early years and I didn’t want to move them to a separate room yet.
So, is it okay to strictly stick to the weight limits or it’s just casual instruction? While it is always good to follow instructions as given by the manufacturers, I don’t think exceeding by about 2 pounds would mean so much difference.
However, if you feel disturbed about exceeding the limit, please go with your mind and provide another safe and comfortable nursery for your baby.
Once you notice your baby is growing too long and is beginning to roll over and kick, you should start planning for the transition process.
At this point, you should start looking for a good crib to buy if you haven’t done that already. But, what if your room is too small to accommodate a crib? Let’s talk about this in a new subheading.
You may want to read this: Do bassinets come with mattresses?
Baby is still About 3 months, Have Exceeded The Bassinet Weight Limit of 15 Pounds, And No Enough Space In The Room For A Crib
Most parents find themselves in this dilemma and it can be really tough to make a decision. If your baby is growing too quickly and has exceeded the weight limit of the bassinet, there may be a few options to consider.
First Case Scenario: Baby Sleeping In A Room Alone
Some parents would want to consider leaving their babies to sleep in a separate room. But the truth is, as a mom, do you think you can be brave enough to allow a 3 – 4-month-old baby to sleep alone?
According to the standard recommendation, a baby should be considered to sleep alone anywhere from 6 months and above. Ideally, it should be 12 months.
Allowing a 3-month-old baby to sleep alone is not a safe thing to do and should be discouraged if possible.
Second Case Scenario: Co-sleeping With Your Baby
Although co-sleeping may be considered the lesser of two evils (when compared to a baby sleeping alone), there are still a lot of safety issues with this option.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), parents should firmly shun co-sleeping until their babies are up to 12 months.
There are several reports of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) among parents who practice co-sleeping, hence, the need to discourage the act.
The essence of looking for the best place for your baby is because of safety and comfort. We don’t need to complicate issues by opting for risky options.
Third Case Scenario: Getting an Arm’s Reach Mini Co-sleeper
This is beginning to get interesting as this option trumps the other two listed above. The good thing about this option is that it can either be used as a standalone bassinet or an Arm’s reach mini co-sleeper.
If your bassinet has a weight limit of 15 to 20 pounds, this mini co-sleeper would work perfectly because it mostly has a weight limit of 25 to 30 pounds.
If you are on a tight budget and you think getting a new mini co-sleeper would mean a lot to you, you might want to check websites like craigslist for a fairly used one.
However, you must make sure what you are buying is still in a good condition and meet the safety standards.
Fourth Scenario: Getting A Mini Playpen
This is the last option to explore and it seems not so bad an option. If you are not financially buoyant, you may want to consider getting a used one instead.
However, getting a clean mini playpen should be your number goal when trying to buy a used one. You may want to soak it in a bathtub to get rid of unpleasant sticky mesh problems.
The only downside to this option is you must be ready to bend down all the time to pick up your baby at the floor level. This can be really disturbing to most people.
Read this beginner’s guide on baby cribs and height adjustment.
Getting A Bassinet With A Weight Limit Of Up To 30 Pounds
If your bassinet has a weight limit of between 15 and 20 pounds and you are not done making babies, you may want to invest in a bassinet with a weight limit of up to 25 and 30 pounds.
Doing this would save the stress of figuring out what to do when your baby reaches around 15 pounds.
At 30 pounds, a baby should be around 6 months old and should be able to sleep alone.
If you are interested in getting a bassinet with a high weight limit, the table below shows you some good products to go for.
| Product Name | Product Image | Maximum Weight Limit | Price ($) |
| Dream On Me Poppy Traveler Portable Bassinet |  | 25 Pounds | $76 View Product |
| Baby Bedside Sleeper Bassinet |  | 30 Pounds | $149 View Product |
| SNOO Smart Sleeper Baby Bassinet |  | 25 Pounds | $1,595 View Product |
| Ingenuity Dream & Grow Bedside Baby Bassinet | | 25 Pounds | $130 View Product |
| Delta Children Deluxe Bedside Bassinet |  | 30 Pounds | $65 View Product |
Final Thoughts
The weight limits attached to bassinets are to help you know when to switch to a safer and more comfortable place for your baby’s sleep.
While there may not be any consequence if you exceed the limit by 1 or 2 pounds, you always want to remain safe when it comes to dealing with your baby.
To save yourself from the dilemma of bassinets, you should go for one with a higher maximum weight limit of 25 to 30 pounds. This would serve you long before your baby starts sleeping alone.
