Looking for an alternative to the beloved Rock N Play bassinet? Here are 10 safe sleep alternatives to Fisher Price’s recalled Rock N Play that you can use for your baby.
The Rock N Play from Fisher Price used to be at the top of every expecting parent’s baby registry wish list. Many parents used it for naps or night sleep before transitioning their baby to the crib.
A portable sleeper that cradled your infant and helped rock it to sleep, without you having to do much? It was too good to be true.
And it turns out it was.
The Rock N Play was recalled in April of 2019 after multiple infant deaths were reported and linked to the Rock N Play. The problem was that babies were rolling over in their sleep from their back to their side while in the Rock N Play and unable to breathe once they were on their stomach cradled in the incline position.
Want a realistic newborn sleep schedule? Download my free newborn sleep schedule to see what a day with your newborn might look like. Click here to grab it, it’ll be super helpful.
Are Rock N Plays Really Dangerous?
I know so many parents who loved their Rock N Play. For some friends, it seemed to be their saving grace for helping get their colic baby to sleep, or getting a reflux baby to sleep.
But with the increase in infant deaths and the official recall of the Rock N Play, the risk is simply not worth it. Following the abcs of safe sleep is one of the most important things you can do with your baby to help reduce the risk of SIDS.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has deemed that a firm, flat surface is the safest sleeping position for baby. This means inclined sleepers or items like the DockATot are not safe for sleep.
What Can I Use Instead of the Rock N Play?
If you’re looking for an alternative to the Rock N Play, there are plenty of other infant bassinets out there that take up minimal space and fold down easily. Many of them even have rocking features included to help get your baby to sleep.
I loved being able to bring my Rock N Play to various rooms with me and keep my baby close by while I was cooking dinner or taking a shower.
The portability and light weight of the Rock N Play were essential features for me and one of the reasons we chose to get one when considering a bassinet vs crib.
These Rock N Play alternatives are safe-sleep bassinets that you can use for your baby. Many of them are lightweight and portable, and most have a rocking or motion feature.
The one thing these sleepers don’t have is an incline position.
A firm and flat surface is the safest sleeping position for your baby. Your baby should always be put down to sleep on their back and on a flat surface. If you’re using an inclined rocker or bouncer, make sure you only use it when your baby is awake and is being supervised.
Your baby can use most of these bassinets for about 4 to 6 months before baby is too big for the bassinet or reaches developmental milestones.
Once it’s time to transition out is when you can think about moving baby to their own room if you feel ready.
Here are 10 Safe Sleep Alternatives to the Rock N Play
1. Fisher Price Rock with Me
Argulably the most similar product to the original Rock N Play this bassinet, also made by Fisher Price, is a portable bassinet that can be rocked manually using your foot.
It folds flat, so it’s easy to carry from room-to-room so you can keep an eye on baby or use it as a baby travel essential. It’s also easy to set up and is a reasonable price point.
The bassinet is a flat surface, so it’s a safe sleep space for baby. The downfall of it is that it does require manual rocking.
2. The Snoo
The SNOO Smart Sleeper comes with all the bells and whistles and can be a God-send for tired parents whose newborns are struggling with sleep. This bassinet does it all and comes with the price tag to prove it!
It’s equipped with a white noise sound machine, swaddle, and automatic motion. The thing that makes The SNOO different from other bassinet rockers on this list is that it detects your baby’s cries and automatically starts to move to try and soothe your baby.
The built-in swaddle also prevents baby from rolling. The app also allows you to view and track your baby’s sleep patterns.
The price is steep, but you can also rent a SNOO to make sure it’s a good fit and use it temporarily until you’re ready to transition from SNOO to crib.
3. Graco Sense2Snooze Bassinet
This one is similar to The SNOO, but at a much lower price point. Graco’s bassinet uses Cry Detection Technology, so if your baby starts crying, the bassinet automatically adjusts the motion and white noise of the machine in hopes of getting your infant back to sleep!
It rocks and vibrates on its own, so if your baby is having an especially hard time settling to sleep, this could save you countless hours of rocking your baby manually in the middle of the night.
It’s not as portable as some of the other bassinets, but definitely comes with a lot of bells and whistles!
4. Baby Joy Rocking Bassinet
This portable crib is lightweight and folds up for easy storage. The portability of the Rock N Play was a huge benefit, so it’s nice to see other lightweight and portable options that are also safe for infant sleep.
The Baby Joy is also wider than many bassinets, so your baby can sleep it in longer than some other models. Wondering how long baby can sleep in a bassinet?
Reviewers say it is soft, easy to clean, and ultra-portable. The one downfall for this one is that it requires manual rocking with your foot. No motor to automatically rock baby on its own.
5. Halo BassiNest Swivel Sleeper
Halo is a beloved baby brand and has been dedicated to safe sleep practices with their “back is best” campaign that you can still find on most of their sleepsacks.
The Halo BassiNest makes soothing sounds and gentle vibrations to help soothe your baby. It also adjusts to multiple heights so it can line up to different bed heights so your baby is near.
The breathable see-through walls make it so you can check on baby, even from the comfort of your own bed. This bassinet can hold babies up to 5 months old or 20 pounds, making it a great SNOO alternative as well!
See my comparison of the SNOO vs Halo here.
6. Mi Classic Stationary and Rock
I hadn’t heard of the Mi Classic Stationary and Rock before, but it looks very similar to the original Rock N Play, without the incline position. It also folds up easily with its one-second open or fold system and has a rocking or stationary mode that you can use for your baby.
I love how easily you can carry this one from room-to-room. Perfect to bring to the dinner table or in the bathroom with you so you can keep an eye on baby while you get ready for the day! This is one of the better Rock N Play alternative I found!
7. BABYBJORN Cradle
This unique cradle turns your baby’s movements into gentle rocking. So as your newborn moves, the cradle gently rocks with baby’s movements. You can also move it gently with your feet or hand.
Just a tiny bit of movement can get the cradle moving. It is rated highly for safety across multiple sites and is a JPMA Certified Product.
The BABYBJORN Cradle is well made and lightweight so you can move it around the house with you to keep an eye on your baby while they sleep!
8. Fisher Price Soothing Motions
Another Rock N Play alternative from Fisher Price. This bassinet has soothing lights, music, and vibrations and can be controlled via an app on your smartphone.
I recommend using blackout curtains and keeping a dark room over using the light projector on this, but if your baby is fussy, the gentle vibrations may be worth the investment. This Rock N Play bassinet is a lower price point than many of the others as well!
The app technology makes it so you can control the settings from your phone, meaning you don’t have to manually rock or bounce your baby each time.
9. 4moms mamaRoo Sleep Bassinet
The 4moms brand tends to have a cult following with their baby products.
This bassinet follows the safe sleep guidelines, including a firm, flat surface and baby being in his own space, while providing additional soothing features for baby.
The bassinet connects to an app on your phone via Bluetooth so you can control things like the white noise, rocking motions, and speeds from the comfort of your own bed. It also has a timer feature so you can set it and let the rocking turn off once baby has fallen asleep.
It has five different motions described as car ride, kangaroo, tree swing, rock-a-bye, and wave so you can find the motion that your baby likes the best!
10. Safety 1st Nap and Go Rocking Bassinet
Safety 1st provides a variety of baby products at affordable prices and this Nap and Go bassinet is no different! It provides baby with a flat surface for sleep, while being lightweight and protable to take with you around the house.
It also has a canopy with a bug net so you can bring baby outside to enjoy a little sunshine during the day. Reviewers love using the mesh canopy to deter pets from messing with baby as well.
These are the best Rock N Play alternatives I could find that came as close to the original as possible while still providing your baby with a flat surface to sleep on.
You technically don’t need a baby bassinet, but the portability to move it around the house or easily bring it with you for baby’s sleep for travel does make it one of my baby nursery must haves!
Let’s keep our babies safe and use these Rock N Play alternatives for safe sleep!
My goal is to help tired parents get sleep, so the whole family can thrive!
- 10 Reasons Your Baby Hates the Crib (And How to Help Them) - September 26, 2023
- 55 Cute and Creative Ways to Tell Your Husband You’re Pregnant - September 22, 2023
- 4 Tips to Help Your Baby Through the 12-Month Sleep Regression - September 11, 2023