Halo denies that the BassiNest Flex has a design defect, but CR tests found an unsafe tilt
WASHINGTON, DC—Consumer Reports (CR) called on baby product manufacturer Halo Dream and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall the Halo BassiNest Flex Portable Bassinet. A 2024 CR investigation found that this popular cantilevered bassinet can tilt to the side, creating a dangerous incline that can cause infants to roll into the sides of the bassinets, or onto their stomachs, posing a risk of injury, suffocation, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The CPSC is aware of at least five infant deaths related to cantilevered bassinets since 2019. CR advises that parents who have this product should stop using it.
CR sent a follow-up letter to the CPSC last month urging the agency to investigate this bassinet and push for its recall to protect babies from potentially unsafe sleep spaces. CR first alerted the CPSC to the product’s hazards in a January 2024 letter calling on the agency to investigate and push for a recall of the product after confirming that it can readily tilt to the side. CR is also calling on major retailers and online platforms including Amazon, Target, and Walmart, as well as secondhand marketplaces, to stop selling the bassinet and remove listings offering it for sale. When CR asked the retailers whether they had plans to remove this bassinet from its stores or online platforms, Amazon acknowledged receipt but did not comment by press time. Target and Walmart did not respond.
“For years, consumers have been telling Halo, retailers, and the CPSC that these bassinets tilt to the side,” said Gabe Knight, CR’s senior safety policy analyst. “This isn’t just a customer satisfaction issue; it’s a safety issue that could increase the risk that a baby goes to sleep and doesn’t wake up. Halo should immediately work with the CPSC to recall the bassinets and offer consumers a full refund. Retailers and online marketplaces should stop selling them.”
Parents have submitted numerous safety complaints to the CPSC on SaferProducts.gov and posted online reviews about the Halo BassiNest Flex tilting while their babies sleep. As part of a recently settled class action lawsuit, Halo denied that two versions of the product have a design defect, but CR’s 2024 investigation found that the bassinet we purchased tilted during lab tests simulating real-world use. Halo is settling the case for $1.5 million. If you’ve purchased this product, you have until June 10 to submit a claim form to apply for compensation of up to $30. In a comment to CR, the company said it had no plans to issue a recall and denied the allegations in the lawsuit that it settled, and said it stands by the safety of the BassiNest Flex.
Federal safety standards for bassinets do allow for a slight head-to-toe incline in the sleeping surface (up to 10 degrees), which is different from the unsafe side-to-side slope associated with this product. CR supports proposed revisions to the standard that would establish new limits on how much a bassinet can tilt to the side.
“Expert medical guidance states that babies should sleep on a firm, flat, non-inclined surface to reduce the risk of injury or death, including from SIDS,” said Knight. “According to CR’s testing, these bassinets don’t stay flat, making them unsafe for infant sleep.”
CR safety experts strongly advise parents against buying and using the Halo BassiNest Flex portable bassinet and urge parents to report any issues they’ve experienced with this product to the CPSC’s SaferProducts database. For parents shopping for a new bassinet, CR has tested various bassinets and recommends those that meet or exceed existing safety standards and perform well in our evaluations.
Media Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org