Babymore Air Motion Gliding Crib review

This bedside crib from Babymore is perfect for soothing your baby to sleep with its gentle gliding motion. Suitable from birth up to six months (or 9kg) this crib is lightweight so you can easily move it from room to room, while its simple design suits all interiors. It was awarded Gold in our 2023 Mother&Baby Awards for Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket, find out what our parent testers thought when they tested the Air Motion Gliding Crib.

Awards

Our parent testers awarded this crib from Babymore Gold for Best Cot, Crib, or Moses Basket. It's safe to say they were pretty impressed with it. Many commented on how easy it was to assemble, its weight, and how quickly it helped their baby drift off.

"This cot is an absolute dream to assemble," said mum tester Emma. "I put it together in two minutes, it’s lightweight and easy to move about, but also feels sturdy. The rocking mechanism is amazing, and my tiny baby (6lbs 5oz at birth) is able to move it alone. The sides are low enough that it’s easy to lift baby out when sitting on the edge of the bed, even after a c-section. The mesh sides also make it easy to see baby when lying in bed and this gives additional peace of mind."

Mum tester Claire was also impressed: "Assembly was exceptionally easy and quick, and the quality of the cot exceeded my expectations," she said. "The baby has settled in the cot well and seems to appreciate the mesh sides, as she is able to see everything that is going on around. We took the cot away for a two night stay and were pleased by how easy it is to travel with. The simple assembly, convenient travel bag and small size made it ideal."

It wasn't just Claire who thought her baby settled quickly in this crib, as mum tester Sharon also agreed: "This product is amazing," she said. "As soon as I placed my newborn in this crib, he settled immediately. I love the fact that I can rock him whilst I am in bed. The crib is spacious and feels safe. I have been using this for nearly six weeks now and I will continue to use as my baby sleeps so well. I am very impressed."

When we asked our mum testers how they thought this crib compared to other ones they had tested, they felt the Babymore crib exceeded all others. The main reasons being it was easier to set up, lighter, looked good and its gliding function.

You may be wondering whether this crib received any criticisms. We did ask our parent testers what they would change about this product, however many came back saying "nothing" and that they'd already recommended it to their friends and family. One mum did say a hook for a baby toy would be useful, while another said that it would've been nice for the gliding motion to be able to go forwards and backwards (as well as side to side). However, both mums admitted these were minor points.

The Babymore Air Motion Gliding Crib has been well designed with parents and baby in mind. As well as taking almost no time to set up (a big thumbs up when you have such little time on your hands anyway), it's super light and transportable. Its gliding motion really does help settle and soothe your little one, while the mesh sides and the height of the crib, allow you to easily check up on baby, even from the comfort of your bed. It is a little pricey, but with so many positives and a comfy sleep for your baby, our mum testers think it's a must-have product.

Still not convinced? Scroll down to read mum Rebecca's full review.

Testing the Babymore Air Motion Gliding Crib

I'm a mum of three: a two-year-old toddler and one-year-old twins. I tested the cot initially for a week when my twins were five weeks old. My babies slept in Moses baskets for the first few months of their lives, but from four to six months, we transitioned them into next-to-me cribs and began to use the Babymore cot regularly.

One of the standout features of this cot is its easy assembly. It can be assembled or disassembled in minutes without needing any tools by simply unfolding the bassinet, popping in the mattress and clicking the legs into place. The cot comes in 6 pieces: 4 legs, the main bassinet and a mattress.

The bassinet folds to fit into the included bag, so the first step is to open that out. Once the bassinet is opened, the four legs slot into the bassinet easily and are secured in place with a pop-out latch. Finally, you add the mattress. I found that if the cot had been in the bag for a while, the mattress had a bend horizontally in the middle that was quite hard to flatten. This would be more of a concern for younger babies as they are smaller and lighter; however, it would be less of an issue for bigger or older babies.

In terms of aesthetics, the cot features a sleek and modern design with wooden-effect legs and a selection of bassinet colours to choose from.

A lot of next-to-me cribs on the market appear quite bulky, but the Babymore cot is streamlined and stylish. The bassinet mesh sides provide a cool, breathable sleeping environment, which I found also offered a stimulating visual experience for my babies in the daytime. The mesh panels on the longer two sides mean that it is easy to see your baby at a glance.

The cot legs stand slightly wider than the width of the bassinet, so it wasn’t possible to tuck the cot right alongside my bed and there was a small gap. I also found that the cot height was slightly higher than my bed, which sometimes made it a bit more difficult to reach over for my baby on the fourth or fifth night feed!

The cot includes a rocking function that can be activated or deactivated with a simple latch underneath the bassinet. This feature was particularly helpful for soothing my babies, as their small movements activated the gliding motion. I found using the cot in the daytime for naps was when the rocking motion was particularly helpful, aiding my babies to connect their sleep cycles and continue napping, giving you precious more time to finish a cup of tea or catch up on some sleep! My toddler loved rocking the bassinet, so I would recommend securing the cot as a default if you have older siblings; otherwise, your baby could be in for a bumpy ride! Between three and six months, when babies start moving more deliberately and even rolling, I found the cot would begin to glide more easily, and this is when the locking feature was also beneficial.

The cot has many more features that make it a great choice for parents considering which bed to invest in, such as the reflux wedge. One of my daughters had a persistent cough for the first few months of her life, using the wedge during day time naps helped ease her coughing and allowed her to rest more easily.

As all parents know, nothing stays clean for long when there are children about. Thankfully, the cot has an easily washable crib cover, mattress cover and wedge cover.

For me, the best feature of the Babymore cot has to be how compact and how easy it is to travel with. The cot's compact size and portability make it easy to move around and store, perfect for travelling or small living spaces. We used the cot many times when visiting relatives or going on holiday, it comes with its own bag, making it easy to pack up, carry and store.

The cot is so compact that we found we could pack our car with buggies, bouncy chairs, and sterilisers while our babies napped and squeeze the cot in just before we set off! If you are travelling abroad by plane, it would be worth padding out the bag slightly to protect the cot, as the bag is relatively thin, and the cot could easily become damaged in the hold.

Final thoughts

Considering its features, quality, and portability, the Babymore Cot offers excellent value for money. My babies seemed very comfortable and settled when in it. The gliding feature helps soothe your baby, which gives you precious time to finish a job or, more importantly, keep sleeping! If you're looking for a stylish, practical, and portable cot, this is a great option to consider.

Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby. With a background in both print and digital journalism, she has written extensively on pregnancy, fertility, perinatal mental health, and the best in baby and parenting products. A first-time mum to Theodore, Emily combines her professional expertise with personal experience, offering readers trusted advice and relatable insight. Specialising in product and travel reviews, she stays ahead of the curve on the latest parenting trends and is passionate about showing that life with a little one can still be full of adventure.