SLEEP · UNDERSTAND THE LIMITS
Bassinets: plan the setup and the next transition
A bassinet decision has two parts: whether the exact product is suitable now, and how you will recognize when it is no longer appropriate. There is no single age that answers those questions for every product and baby.
Find the manufacturer's developmental and size limits before use. Do not wait until a baby reaches a birthday or a weight copied from a different bassinet's listing.
Identify what the product actually is
A bedside location, a soft-looking surround, or the word “nap” does not establish that an item is an appropriate sleep product. Read the label and instructions. The CPSC explains the regulated bassinet and cradle category; marketing photographs alone do not establish compliance.
Check the arrangement in the configuration you will use
Some products have multiple modes or removable accessories. Identify the correct support, locking steps, mattress or pad, and permitted configuration in the manual. Do not use an accessory separately unless the instructions expressly allow that use.
Before assembly
Find the model, complete instructions, and recall information. Identify all required parts.
Before placement
Measure the complete footprint and inspect the surroundings, including accessible cords and moving furniture.
Before each new stage
Revisit the exact stop-use criteria rather than assuming the arrangement remains appropriate.
Make a transition note, not a countdown
Write down the manual's stop-use criteria and where the next appropriate sleep arrangement will be. Share that note with everyone who uses the bassinet. This is more useful than a calendar reminder that might fall after a product's limits have already been reached.
For example, a household can keep the instructions in a shared document and place a short reminder in the caregiver handoff notes. The reminder should point to the real criteria; it should not turn them into an invented generic age recommendation.
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See CPSC safe-sleep guidance for the sleep environment. If you are choosing between product categories, our crib documentation guide explains the separate checks a crib requires.