Do I Need a Stroller Bassinet? [5 Things That You Should Know]

Choosing the best baby gear is often tricky. Which type of baby stroller is the best? What is a bassinet and is it really worth buying? Which type of stroller is the best for the youngest babies?

Don’t worry! I’m here to share some smart tips on how to use bassinets with maximum benefits for you and your kids.

Why bassinet stroller is worth getting?

If you are wondering what a stroller bassinet is, the answer is absolutely simple. This is a removable baby bed that works well both on wheels and out of the stroller!

Just like its name says, a bassinet stroller is equipped with a crib that you can leave inside or take out. The bassinet itself fits for many purposes such as going for long walks, car traveling, staying for a while or overnight sleeping.

Generally, a bassinet stroller is designed for new babies from 0 to 6 months of age. While the new organism is still too young, it needs the proper development. That’s why a regular stroller seat is not suitable for such young kids.

So, why bassinets are such a good option? If so, are they better than a common car seat or a travel system? Let’s find out more in detail.

#1. Provide safe sleep position and ergonomic space

A bassinet stroller is a great way to provide a snug and cozy sleep environment. What is more, it provides the lie-flat position that is the safest for newborns.

As for the baby’s overall development, using a bassinet is full of benefits. Generally, it is beneficial for your baby’s spinal, limb, brain, heart, and respiratory development.

Since there is enough free space in the bassinet stroller, it is essential for the baby’s growth. The ability to move and stretch the growing arms is crucial for their proper development.

I recommend using stroller bassinets as they provide healthy spinal development for babies. The proper support of a baby’s spine is provided by the lie-flat position that a bassinet stroller is designed for. In this position, your baby can receive all the oxygen saturation.

Finally, bassinet strollers provide the best ergonomic position for babies. Since a newborn’s spine still naturally keeps the curled C shape, it needs proper further development. For the first months of a baby’s life, their spine slowly grow and changes into the S shape. This shape tells about the healthy development of a spine, which is why your baby needs proper spine support during this time.

The Bristol University specialists found out that a lie-flat position helps the child’s body develop naturally. As your newborn baby grows, this is the best position for them to feel free, be securely supported, and move healthily. Their organism is completely saturated with oxygen, which is vital for overall development.

Keep in mind that bassinets also provide self-traveling and can be a great alternative to a common stroller or car seat. While car seats provide a 40-degree inclined position for babies, this can lead to certain health issues if a baby sleeps there for extended periods.

In other words, in a car seat, your baby is restricted to the C-curve position. While heart and respiratory rates are increasing, it leads to decreased oxygen saturation, which is harmful to the baby’s heart and brain development.

Thus, when a baby is placed into a lie-flat position on an even and firm surface, it doesn’t have any negative impacts on their health.

#2. Overnight sleeping spot

Unlike a common baby stroller, bassinet strollers are perfect for letting your baby sleep overnight. If you are short on free space at home or spend a night away from your home, a bassinet becomes a super-useful bonus to the newborn essentials.

From my experience, I can say that not all bassinet strollers are really safe for overnight sleep. Be sure that your bassinet attachment fits perfectly to your baby’s age and has the right weight limit.

To be on the safe side, a good rule of thumb is to avoid any loose blankets, plush toys, or any other extra stuff being along with your baby while overnight sleeping in a bassinet stroller. Since newborns are prone to move actively and pull everything in their mouth, all these create an extra risk of getting suffocated.

#3. Infant car seat variant

A bassinet is a good alternative to a common infant car seat. Unless you have a bassinet attachment that can’t be removed from the stroller frame, you can take a bassinet away and use it freely as a baby bed or an infant car seat.

As you already know, a common car seat is not a good option for long trips. As your baby gets into the inclined position in a car seat, too many health risks are increasing at once. Thus, you can simply skip the infant car seat and use a bassinet instead to keep your baby safe and sound.

#4. Handy mobile option

A good point about bassinets is their versatility. Unless you have a heavy and bulky model of a bassinet, it can be used quite easily in many ways. You can use a lightweight bassinet as a mobile crib for spending a weekend getaway along with your baby, or attach it into the double stroller to travel with a baby and a toddler at once!

Besides, you can get a compact stroller that you can equip with a bassinet when you need it or take it away when you don’t use it and fold the stroller.

What about drawbacks?

The only drawback of a bassinet can be its price. They can be quite expensive, but many brands can offer them at different price points. So, you can find an optimal variant for you.

You might like to check my review: Best Big Kid Stroller Over 50 Pounds

FAQ

Final thoughts

As you can see, bassinet strollers are a much better option than a common car seat travel system or even a typical baby stroller. For a new baby, a bassinet is the best variant to opt for in comparison to many other types of baby gear.