Baby Product: Simplicity 4 in 1 Convertible Bassinet Porter

When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first baby we registered at Babies R Us and I fell in love with the Simplicity 4 in 1 Convertible Bassinet - Porter. This bassinet can be used in four different ways. I really just bought it for the bassinet feature. You could also use it as bedside sleeper, a changing table and cradle that rocks. For my purposes, we ended up using the bassinet and the rocking cradle. I never used it a bedside sleeper or a changing table.

I thought it was adorable. We knew we were having a boy so the color green was perfect. We could also use it again when we had another baby. The cost was $89.99 and I hoped that someone would buy it for us as a gift. It turns out that the very next day my in laws did end up purchasing this bassinet for us. I was so happy. We were one step closer to having our son home with us.

It took my husband about an hour to assemble it. He said it wasn't too difficult, but he did it by himself so that is why it took so long. Try to have two people put it together. It looks so pretty when the sheets are on and the mobile is all set up. We started using it right away. We took the bassinet part off and brought it downstairs. What a great feature. We put it on the dining room table and laid my son in there. He fit perfectly. He went down for his first nap at home without any problems. We turned on the mobile and he slept listening to some lullabies. You need to purchase 6 AA batteries for the mobile and 3 AAA batteries for the remote for this bassinet. The mobile has 4 teddy bears that go around and around. There is even a remote for the mobile. This came in very handy when I wasn't near the bassinet to turn the mobile back on. The mobile can also come off if you don't want it on next to the baby. I like that the bassinet has a vibration mode and a night light mode. This also came in handy in the middle of night when my son was crying. I could see what was wrong without turning on the main light in the room. I think he enjoyed the vibration. It would help soothe him when he was crying.

The vinyl mattress for this bassinet could be better. It is a little flat for me. It is only one inch thick. I think that is done on purpose though. I bought matching sheets for this bassinet. The sheets washed very well, they didn't shrink at all. I would keep the extra sheets in the basket underneath the bassinet. I also kept extra diapers, onesies, etc... in the basket. It was helpful that it was there.

Unfortunately, my son only lasted about three weeks in this bassinet. I think he outgrew it too quickly. I was told the baby would sleep 3 - 4 months in a bassinet. My son didn't like the feeling of being closed in. He would fuss every night after the 3rd week. We ended up having to stop using the bassinet and move him into a pack and play. He had much more space in the pack and play than the bassinet. If I knew this was going to happen I probably wouldn't have even bothered registering for any bassinet. It turned out to be a waste of money. Now it is sitting in the basement.

There was nothing wrong with the actually bassinet. Maybe if I could change anything I would make the sleeping area a little bit bigger and maybe even more comfortable. Maybe the mattress was too hard for him and that is why he didn't last very long in it. Maybe there was too much simulation with the music, lights, and vibration. I will never know the answer but I probably will go straight to a crib with my next baby. Once we moved my son into a crib, he started sleeping through the night. I think a lot had to with feeling too crowded. The crib has a lot more open space than the bassinet had.

I recommend buying this bassinet if you are planning to use all four features of it. Maybe then, you will get your money's worth. I definitely didn't and I feel bad that my in laws spend that much money on something my son didn't use for very long. Now I just keep it for the memories of when my son was a newborn. I will never get rid of it.

Amazon.com is selling this bassinet for a little bit more than Babies R Us it is $109.90. Babies R Us is still selling it for $89.99. The bassinet dimensions are 52"H x 18.25"W x 38.5"D. You should definitely measure where you want to put this in your room or the nursery first before you buy it because it is a big bassinet once you attach it to the rocking stand. I barely had enough room for it next to my bed. It has adjustable heights if you want to use it as bedside sleeper. The bassinet also comes with an overhead cloth canopy that you can detach that just shades baby face. You can put it down or keep it up.