Fisher-Price Zen Collection Gliding Bassinet Review

Customer Ratings:

I chose to buy this after doing a lot of research and reading a lot of reviews on various sites. Unfortunately, I found a lot of reviews seem to gloss over the important to know flaws and focus on the not so important stuff. As a mom of three awaiting my fourth, I have been around the baby product block MANY a time. The reviews I've read seem to make light of the noticable functionality flaws and make this product seem like a better buy than it really is, no offense intended to other reviewers, just my opinon.

Positives:

1) Nice looking overall; fabric is not cheap, well put together (see cons as well)

2) Gliding motion works ok and the music is quite nice (see cons as well)

3) A sturdy product, you don't worry about it falling apart with baby in it

4) An ok price for a FULL size, BIG bassinet, especially with free shipping. If it goes on sale for cheaper after you purchase it contact customer service for a price adjustment...Amazon is notorious for doing this! (see cons as well)

5) Large size is great for larger babies (like mine) who tend to outgrow smaller, more portable size bassinets quickly.

Negatives:

1) (As another commenter mentioned) The sounds play only for a pre-set time, then you have to hit the button again, a remote would have been a good idea.

2) The gliding motion while it does glide, is a bit noisy and a little less than smooth for my comfort level.

3) The colors overall are misrepresented in the picture. The legs appear black and some of the fabric appear a yellowish color. In actuality the fabric is a lime-ish green and all metal is brown and wood almost a cherry/ brown.

4) This is a very big and heavy bassinet. Measure your space before buying and compare to the measurements listed. It is not one you will want to bring up and downstairs but rather leave in one place.

5) While it has wheels to roll it around on one side of the legs, they don't work very well and the legs scratched my laminate floor.

6) The mattress was my breaking point...it is stiff, thin and hard. The included sheet is scratchy even after washing. I would most likely have purchased one of those foam inserts that help with flat head syndrome as I don't feel this mattress is at all adequate. Anyone who says the mattress is good, comfortable or adequate...OY!? A serious oversight by Fisher-Price!

7) The fabrics do not come off easily in any respects. You will spend a lot of time unscrewing fabrics from the frame if you get anything on them and aren't happy with just wiping the stains with a cloth (think spit up, poop explosions, pet hair, dustiness etc.)

Overall ok, but just like in the past with other Fisher-Price products (and as I said, this is my fourth baby and have been through MANY a product change), I am certain they will fix these issues and come up with an overall better product.

I sold this bassinet privately to someone who was a little more happy with it than I was, and they got to see it in person/measure it and their space before buying it. I purchased something else; a large cradle by Green Tree Frog designs that came with a real Sealy mattress and gorgeous accessories, that I love for a similar price on sale.

Hope this helps...

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Ok I do agree with others about the color, but I like this somewhat lime looking color better than the yellow bee look in these pictures. I read all of these reviews and was about to not buy this model. I looked at others like this and didn't like them at all. I am really glade I went with my gut and bought this model. I read a review about the storage basket cover was not able to come off without cutting it off to wash, A LIE. there are little brackets on both sides that release and the cover comes right off. The Pad is not very padded if I am going to lay on it, but the doctors tell you to not use a soft padding because of SIDS. the pad is ok. I also read a review about the size was very bulky. I Like big things I really thought by the reviews it was going to be bigger. I love the size and really love the size of the storage basket. If you need extra storage for diapers and other things this model has it. I didn't think it was black I really thought it was all cherry wood and that was what I really wanted. I think the metal legs are better then the wood would have been. The smell you hear a review talk about is not the cemicals in the material it is from being stored with the partical boards that are the top to the glider and the bottom to the storage basket. I have not yet used the bassinet for the child I bought it for because he will not be her untill August, but his big sister loves it. the max weight says 25, she is 21.5 lbs and it does great with her. she is 2 and likes to move alot so when she moves alot it does make a catch noise like the gears are slipping. all in all I would not have any dought about buying this product. I do wish it had 4 wheels instead of just 2, it would make it a little more moveable in small corners. It is not really a bassinet that is for going up and down stairs all the time. you can do it, but it is a little heavy. Box and all materials weighed 48 pounds. I love this product I hope you will too.

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We chose this over a standard furniture bassinet, or the one by Eddie Bauer that is carried by Babies 'R Us and Target. It is better looking than those, and the motion / sounds made it seem like a good buy.

Pros:

Nice looking, not chintzy in appearance, good quality

Built-in sounds are good, our baby actually likes the heartbeat soundnever thought those would really work, but he cries the second it comes off (at one month old, anyway).

Back/forth motion seems to help if he is a little restless, although it's no substitute for holding him

Cons:

the sounds play only for a pre-set time, then you have to hit the button againlike I said, our guy cries instantly, whether he seems asleep or not, the second the sounds stop. And the sounds only play for a few minutes before they turn off. I don't believe there is a way to change this.

the motion is a little noisy in my opinion, not terrible, but certainly not dead quiet.

the color choice is what it is, no way to choose or change it. it doesn't match anything in our house, but that's just the way it is.

a tad bit smaller (actual bassinet part) than some cheaper alternativesour boy may grow out of it fairly soon, because he is long.

Overall, nice, but the next version should be better if they fix these issues.

Honest reviews on Fisher-Price Zen Collection Gliding Bassinet

Size The entire bassinet is bigger than I thought it would be. The handles on the sides really stick out, so make sure you have enough room. When assembled, it is about 40" wide and 36" tall (56" tall inc canopy). However, the actual sleeping area inside of the bassinet seems smaller than others I have seen. I would say that almost all babies will outgrow this before 3 months old.

Mattress Very, very thin. Smells like chemicals (made of vinyl and polyurethane foam). The mattress is oval and measures 17" across and 27" long. Vinyl contains a chemical called phthalates (used to make the plastic pliable) which has been liked to health problems, including possible male reproductive defects. Vinyl & foam also off-gas harmful VOC's. In fact, certain major retailers are no longer carrying vinyl shower curtains for this reason. Definitely let this whole thing air out for as long as you can before putting baby in it. After having this bassinet sitting assembled for over a month before my baby arrived, the inside of the bassinet basket (baby's sleeping area) still smells like chemicals. I think it's a combination of the mattress and the particle board base under it. This is a major negative for me.

Sheet One sheet is included. It is about as stiff and scratchy as you can get, even after washing.

Features The gliding mechanism seems to work ok and doesn't make a huge amount of noise (mine doesn't click at all). There is some noise though it sounds like a rhythmic, grinding motor. The sounds from the speaker seem to be of good quality (nature noise, music, or heartbeat).

Other issues When you are not using the gliding feature, the bassinet basket seems to wobble if you touch it. (feels loose) I find this annoying when trying to pat my baby on the back to settle him and the whole bed is wobbling and making noise. Also, you have to rely on battery power only, with no plug in option.

In hindsight, I wish I would have just purchased a basic co-sleeper unit and kept things simple. Although this bassinet looks great, it takes up too much room and isn't large enough inside to last very long. The chemical smell really bothers me, so I haven't used it very much and plan to sell it soon. I wish I could have seen it in a store before buying.

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We ordered this bassinet on a whim because, after seeting it in person, it was sturdier and so much better made than most of the other bassinets and co-sleepers on the market. We originally ordered a co-sleeper, but it arrived already-broken in the box and was so flimsy with warped plastic. And so many of the other bassinets we've considered were all plastic and completely flimsy in person...our dog could knock them over in a heartbeat! We wanted something that would last, was sturdy, and that we could use again.

So we liked this one because it was heavier weight-wise, and more secure. But we also do not move it from room to room. We also love the neutral color scheme that fits in nicely with our home. The bassinet is very aesthetically pleasing, and the shelf below is perfect for storing diapers, blankets, washable changing pad, and anything else you might need in the middle of the night.

The gliding noise is fine for us and not bothersome. We like that it glides, and the motor also provides gentle "white noise" that newborns can appreciate along with the musical selections. Something that moves is so much more effective for crying newborns who prefer rocking and swinging to stationary sleep.

The big CONS for this product...and what garnished it only 3 stars from us (almost 2!), are the mattress and sheet that come with it. They are both just awful! The mattress is about as thick as a deflated plastic tire-tube and has no padding or support whatsoever (you can actually fold it multiple times). And the sheet covering the mattress is paper thin (literally see-through) and scratchy. Because neither is a standard oval bassinet size (clearly an intentional design by Fisher Price!), we had to custom order a new mattress, waterproof pad, and sheets from Naturepedic, which will cost us an additional $260 on top of the cost of the bassinet!!! We like the bassinet design so much that we will pay it, but it's a terrible thing to have to do, after spending $200+ on the bassinet already.

Because this is a new product from Fisher Price, there are no additional mattresses, pads, or sheets available to order easily if at all, and one sheet is not enough! So you either are stuck with the terrible one or have to spend twice the money to order nicer custom ones. Maybe we are being picky, but for $250 I expected better quality.

Finally, what would make the product nicer is if it had a built in light somewhere, so in the middle of the night you can more easily see your baby and pick him or her up for feedings / changing, without having to light up the entire room. A lot of bassinets have these, and it's a nice functional accessory. I am surprised this bassinette does not.

All in all, this is still a nice produce and much better than a lot of what is out there. But....for the more expensive price, we expected more. Fisher Price needs to improve the mattress (make it at least an inch thick!), the sheet, and provide additional bedding options available for order because one thin sheet isn't enough for a newborn who will undoubtely have diaper leaks and spit up all over it!