When my son was a baby (4 years ago) we didn't use a bassinet - he slept right away in his
crib - and on the other level of our home we used a
Pack 'n Play. Well, four years later I'm in a new home, bring home a newborn and my mother insisted that we purchase her a bassinet so she could sleep in our room with us (apparently she did not believe that the pack 'n play was a suitable option... ahh grandmothers!). So, off to the store she went with my husband and they came home with this
Kolcraft Easy Reach Ultra Light Vibes Rocking Bassinet - which they purchased for $89 at a local Babies 'R Us store.
Features of the Kolcraft Easy Reach Ultra Light Vibes Rocking Bassinet
What sets this bassinet apart from the more traditional bassinet is what the manufacturer, Kolcraft, refers to as "easy reach styling". Instead of the hood of the bassinet being at the "head" of the bed, instead the hood is mounted "the long way" going from the head of the bassinet to the foot of the bassinet. So, essentially when the hood is up (it can be folded down flat to one side) an entire side of the bassinet has open access making it very easy to load and unload your baby. This makes the bassinet really ideal to place up against a wall or put next to your bed so you have very quick access to your infant - crucial for night time, that's for sure. At the same time, this styling makes for an interesting looking bassinet. Its grown on me and I actually think its quite pretty but I know that some people think the design of this particular model resembles a casket - not a pleasant thought.
I'm pretty sure that my husband went into this bassinet purchase with mother looking for the frilliest, prettiest, girliest bassinet that they could find without breaking the bank and this is what they got. Our
Kolcraft Easy Reach Ultra Light Vibes Rocking Bassinet is the all white version with eyelet details though there is also an off-white "ecru" option for the skirt and canopy available from Kolcraft. The only differences between the versions are the color and detailing on the canopy (white or ecru, and whether there are eyelets in the pattern or not)and also the "toys" that hang off the canopy. Ours has 2 little teddy bears and the other option is a moon and a star/celestial theme. The eyelet/lace canopy is more feminine than the ecru tonal canopy but either are suitable for either a boy or a girl.
Once assembled the bassinet is essentially 2 pieces - the stand which can either be in a locked position or rocking (plus it has wheels on it so it can be easily moved from room to room), and the bassinet basket which sets into the frame. If need be, you can lift out the basket and just carry that part to a different room or level of your home which is nice if the baby is sleeping and you want them right by you.
The bassinet also needs 4 AA batteries in order for the special functions to operate. The special functions are controled by a plastic console that is mounted on the front of the bassinet and with large easy to press buttons on it. The functions include: a nightlight, vibrations (and the ability to make them stronger or lighter), classical music (with volume control), and a voice record/playback option.
Our Experience
My husband assembled our
Kolcraft Easy Reach Ultra Light Vibes Rocking Bassinet in probably about 15 minutes or so. It comes in a flat box that is not all that large with the dreaded words "some assembly required". Put together the dimensions are 34.5"L x 27"W x 44.5"H - so while not all that huge it will take up a biggish space in your room, especially if you intend to use it as a rocker (and will need to allow for room around it).
One feature that Kolcraft included on this bassinet is that there are mesh panels in the sides of the bassinet basket which allow for airflow/circulation. I'm all for airflow and circulation but this feature has also added entertainment value for our cat, which I'm not thrilled with at all. The mesh panels are not see-thru but they allow my cat to see/sense movement from within the bassinet and I've caught him swatting at it more than once. Thankfully he hasn't scratched or harmed the baby but it makes me very nervous and I almost wish the bassinet had solid sides instead of the mesh.
The mattress this bassinet comes standard with is a very thin foam mattress. At first I thought it doesn't look all that comfortable but my daughter does sleep on it just fine. It comes with a single fitted terry cloth bassinet sheet - you'll probably want to pick up a few extra bassinet fitted sheets and keep them underneath your bassinet in the storage area for when your child spits up or does another lovely body function on the sheets (at 3AM, most likely).
The storage area under the bassinet is roomy and convenient for holding a few extra diapers, wipes, spare sheets, a spare outfit, etc. Its just perfect for keeping things close that you will need (especially in the middle of the night). Because the bassinet rocks and the storage area is simply made of cloth you can't put anything heavy in it.
I appreciate the convenience of being able to roll the bassinet from room to room - or if need be to lift the top basket off of it so I can keep the baby in the same room as I am. You could say, why don't you just leave the child be in that room and use a baby monitor - but living in a home with a rambunctious 4 year old and pets I prefer to keep my newborn in the same room with me as much as possible. Moving the entire bassinet from room to room is a bit of a chore as it just barely makes it through a standard doorframe - but it can be done (you might wake your sleeping baby up though!). And it is very easy to change this from rolling mode to rocking mode - though more often than not ours is just kept stationary.
While I don't think the extra functions are entirely necessary I must say that I have come to love the nightlite, vibrations and music functions. The recorded voice function is probably not something that I will use. However in the 3 weeks that we have used the bassinet so far I have gotten a lot of use out of the vibrations option and the music option. The musical selections are 5 classical musical pieces (like Fur Elise, Pachelbel's Canon, etc) and the quality is pretty good, its actually very soothing and not annoying at all. If my daughter fusses it is really easy to reach over and push a button on the bassinet and start up either the vibrations or the music - or to hit them both and try to soothe her back to sleep. Its sort of like hitting the snooze button. If you have the bassinet positioned just so you can reach out with your arm, tap the buttons to turn it on then and cross your fingers that the baby goes back to sleep - its a ritual that exhausted parents of newborns know oh too well. The vibrations and music will turn off on their own after 10 minutes or so - I've never timed it - or if you hit the button a second time to turn it off. The nightlight is not very bright and doesn't wake my daughter up if I turn it on to check on her in the night. At the same time, its bright enough to be able to change a diaper by without being so bright that it is abrasive (like turning on the room light). If I'm quick enough I can get the diaper changed and my daughter dressed and reswaddled before the light goes out automatically - I treat it like a race and try not to have to hit the light button a second time (hey, my daughter can't be the only one having fun at 3am now can she?).
All in all, I'm really thankful and glad that my mother purchased me this bassinet so that I can keep my little one close by in the night. She loves her little pretty place to sleep and is quite cozy in there. My only hesitation about this product is that its useful life is very short. The manufacturer recommends you stop using it when your child reaches 15 pounds or 3 months - whichever is first. So realistically, any large infants would outgrow this very quickly especially if they are long at birth. My daughter was a 7 pounder and fits it perfectly for now, but the reality is she will probably outgrow this well before 3 months. Is this bassinet a baby "must-have"? absolutely no way. But I will say that its definitely really nice having it to keep my daughter close by. Because our home is a split level, and her crib is on a different floor having her in the bassinet in our room with us makes things a lot easier on me (especially as I'm recovering from a c-section birth). If you are looking for a pretty bassinet with lots of bells and whistles for under $100 this one is a good choice!
www.kolcraft.com
