Are Moses Basket Bassinets Safe? (According to Experts)

When your new baby arrives, they’ll spend most of the day sleeping. So, it’s essential to properly set up a room and a bed to ensure your baby sleeps well and safely. Studies have shown that babies sleeping in the same parent’s room and close to their parent’s bed can reduce the risk of SIDS by up to 50%.

So, where should you let your baby sleep first? There are several options to consider, including bassinets, Moses baskets, co-sleepers, and cribs.

In this article, we will discuss whether Moses baskets are safe for sleeping, the advantage of Moses baskets over regular bassinets and whether they are worth buying. We’ve also put other tips here to give you pointers on choosing the best nest for your infant.

What Is A Moses Basket?

It is a portable woven basket, just large enough for babies up to four months. They usually have a weight limit of 15 – 20 lbs.

People use palm, maize, corn husk, or wicker to weave them. They look like laundry baskets or goods containers. Moses baskets usually come with a mattress, sheet, and canopy and have two handles on the sides.

Parents often use Moses baskets to keep their babies close throughout the day. You can also use them with a stand or put them on any flat surface.

It’s useful for transferring your infant from one room to another. However, ensure your infant isn’t inside the basket when hoisting it.

Can You Use A Moses Basket As A Bassinet?

Yes, you can use a Moses basket as a bassinet for your baby to sleep or nap. But, you need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and the safety recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Here are some safety tips for using a Moses basket bassinet for your baby.

• Only use mattresses from the manufacturer.
• Place the basket on a solid, level surface at all times.
• Never put it on a lifted table or chair.
• Never put anything near the stairwell.
• Avoid placing it near a heat source, water, or window.
• Never attach toys to the basket.
• You shouldn’t allow pets and other children to get into the basket with the baby.
• Make sure the sides are solid and tall enough.
• Ensure the handles are secure and connected to the rest of the basket.
• When your infant learns to roll and sit up on his own, you should transition him to another sleeping option.

The AAP declares specific rules for safe sleeping arrangements for newborns.

• Remove all blankets, pillows, bumpers, and toys from the baby bed to prevent SIDS.
• Place the infant on a firm mattress with no gaps between the mattress and the wall of the bassinet.
• Place the baby on their back to sleep.

Moses Basket Vs Regular Bassinet

Both Moses baskets and bassinets are suitable for babies until they reach the age of four months. The critical difference between a Moses basket and a bassinet is their portability.

A Moses basket is smaller and lighter than a regular bassinet. You can easily move the basket from your bedroom to the other rooms or elsewhere in your house without attached castor wheels.

Although less portable, a regular bassinet provides babies with a secure and pleasant sleeping environment. Some modern models also have the function of lulling and tracking the baby’s activities.

Which one should you choose for your baby? Let’s dig into the following comparison.

1. Design

Because Moses baskets are lightweight and have handles, they are more portable. You may easily take them from one room to another. On the other hand, bassinets are attached to a platform, making them less portable than baskets. However, with compact bassinet models like the Maxi-Cosi Iora, you can fold it up in just a few taps and take it anywhere.

Compared to the regular bassinet, one disadvantage of the Moses basket is that you will often have to purchase a stand for it separately. This stand usually can’t raise and lower the height like conventional bassinet models. If you don’t buy the stand, you must find a safe place to put the Moses basket for your baby to sleep. There have been tragic cases of babies not having a safe place to sleep, mostly in babies between one and five months of age.

Some bassinet models have a design that can lower one side down for the convenience of breastfeeding and comforting. It can be said that the bassinet co-sleeper is more about room-sharing than bed-sharing in the Moses basket.

2. Material

Materials contribute to how long a bassinet last, whether it’s a Moses basket or a regular bassinet.

Moses baskets are constructed of palm, wicker, and other ecologically friendly materials, giving them a classic beauty. Meanwhile, baby bassinets are made of a more extensive choice of materials, from plastic to metal. They are suitable for people who like modern designs.

3. Size and Weight Limit

Moses baskets are 30 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 10 inches high on average (not including a stand). They are usually suitable for babies up to four months. Thanks to its lightweight and small size, you can travel a Moses basket almost anywhere, which is helpful when working in a tight place.

Once your baby reaches a weight limit of roughly 15 pounds, you should transition them to a regular bassinet or a crib since they have a higher weight limit.

In the traditional oval or rectangular form, bassinets are 30 to 37 inches long, 19 to 47 inches wide, and 28 to 46 inches high (including a stand or legs). They can typically hold newborns weighing 20 to 25 pounds. Despite their larger size, you can still travel with compact bassinet models like the Maxi-Cosi Iora mentioned above.

Below, you can see the sizes of some popular Moses basket and bassinet models.

4. Safety

Moses basket and bassinet must meet all applicable safety requirements declared by the CPSC. In addition to the federal bassinet/cradle standard, Moses baskets must meet the hand-held infant carrier standard to be marketed. These requirements are to minimize injury and death to babies.

For example, Sleeping Partners recalled about 5,500 Moses baskets, and 800 stands on September 02, 2015, for not meeting the above standards.

5. Mattress and Sheets

Moses baskets and bassinets available on the market usually come with matching mattresses and sheets. In addition, it will not be difficult to find replacement mattresses and sheets if yours and its dimension are popular.

If you intend to make your own bassinet from the basket available at home, then you should follow the AAP safe sleep recommendations, such as the mattress must be flat and firm, the sheet must fit, and there must be no gap between the mattress and the wall of the basket. Besides, the bassinet should be empty when you put your baby to sleep.

6. Easy To Clean

Moses baskets maintenance and cleaning are much easier than regular bassinets.

To clean a Moses basket, follow the steps below:

1. Combine 1/4 cup dish soap, 2 cups warm water, and 1 cup white vinegar in a cleaning solution.
2. Scrub the mold out of the wicker weave with a toothbrush.

Cleaning a regular bassinet in six steps below:

1. Gather some primary cleaning products from around the house.
2. Remove the linens and bedding.
3. Remove hood and linings.
4. Clean the linens.
5. Clean up the frame.
6. Put the bassinet back together.

As you can see, it takes less time to clean a Moses basket than doing that for a bassinet.

7. Price

The price of the Moses basket, including the stand, will be around $200 – 250, equal to the price of the mid-range bassinet. The low-cost bassinets will be from $60 to $150, while the high-end models with smart features will cost about 300 to thousands of dollars.

Which Is Better: Baby Bassinet Or Moses Basket?

A Moses basket is a better alternative than a bassinet if you like to use sustainable and natural materials. Its design is very suitable for homes with a vintage or beach style. Besides, one advantage of the Moses baskets is that they are easy to transport while you are on the go. However, without a stand, there are not many options for placing it to put your baby to sleep.

Meanwhile, you can use the regular bassinet with a modern design for babies up to 6 months old or weighing 25 lbs. They also vary in size and equipment. They can raise and lower the height to match the bed height, suitable for room-sharing. Some bassinets come with removable stands, allowing you to carry them about like a Moses basket. Furthermore, expensive models have tracking and lulling modes.

Choosing between the two is a challenging task. It would help if you considered the expense and feasibility of each option before deciding what is best for you.

If you’re thinking about money, you’re better off not purchasing either and instead investing in a convertible crib. It will cost more upfront but last you for many years.

FAQ

Where to Put a Moses basket in The Bedroom?

The safest location to put a Moses basket for your baby to sleep is alongside your bed in your room. In addition, it should be at a position or height that you can easily observe and reach your baby to facilitate breastfeeding or coaxing. It would help if you kept these things in mind when buying a stand for your Moses basket.

Can a Baby Sleep in a Moses Basket on The Floor?

Yes, it’s safe for the baby if you take the appropriate measures and the Moses basket meets the AAP’s safe sleep recommendations. Yet, you should not let your baby sleep in it at night alone because many potential risks cannot be controlled. For example, when you are fast asleep in bed, your child rolls over and suffocates without your knowing.

What Were Moses Baskets Recalled?

There have not been many cases of Moses baskets recalled by CPSC as regular bassinets. As far as we know, there is only one case mentioned above. Those are the Tadpoles Moses baskets and stands from Sleeping Partners.

The Moses basket and the stand fail to meet federal safety standards. It may slip off an inclined surface and flip over, putting babies at risk of falling.

Are Moses Baskets Worth It?

Moses baskets are safe as long as they meet the recommendations from the AAP and the CPSC standards. Your baby can safely sleep in a Moses basket throughout the first four months of their life. Plus, they have a vintage classic appearance and are made of natural materials that would look great in any nursery. So, it’s worth buying a Moses basket when you’re ok with these.

On the contrary, if you don’t like spending extra money on a separate stand, like the additional features, and want a bed for your infant that can sleep for six months, you should buy a regular bassinet instead of a Moses basket. However, a bassinet is not a secure location for your baby once he begins to pull himself upright. That’s when you should consider a crib.