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At first, baby mobiles might seem like just another piece of decor for your nursery, but they actually have some benefits for your little one. “One of the first things babies do is become interested in visual pieces that spark their curiosity and senses,” says Mona Amin, M.D., a pediatrician and founder of Peds Doc Talk. Mobiles, she says, are a great way to stimulate early visual and cognitive senses, especially when newborns can’t yet see clearly.
That said, you don’t want a crib mobile to be overly stimulating. Loud music or flashy lights can be distracting and make sleep harder for your little one, warns Dr. Amin, especially babies who are sensitive to sounds or lights. But many parents, including those in the What to Expect community, find that most mobiles help their babies fall asleep with gentle sounds and soothing lights.How we chose the best baby mobiles
The best baby mobiles are interactive but not overly stimulating, versatile and easy to safely mount. But each mobile is slightly different. To help narrow down your choices, we utilized guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and experts, as well as feedback from What to Expect community members, to determine what features make for a good mobile. Based on this information, we ensured that each pick met the following criteria:Safe hanging options: Patti Read, certified pediatric sleep consultant and owner of Goldilocks Sleep Solutions, says mobiles need to be placed high enough that any hanging items, such as toys or strings, are far out of reach from your baby. This means the way you mount it — be it on the crib, wall or ceiling — should leave enough room between the actual mobile and your baby. It should be noted that once your baby starts sitting up, crib-mounted mobiles have to be removed because they’re too low; you may be able to leave wall- or ceiling-mounted mobiles if they’re far enough out of reach.Free from choking hazards: Even if hanging items are out of reach, they could still become loose and fall into the crib, posing a risk to your child. Because of this, we did not include any mobiles with small parts, and prioritized mobiles with more secure attachment methods.Interactiveness: Classic baby mobiles are pretty basic, featuring hanging stuffed animals or toys that rotate above a baby’s head. Newer models of baby mobiles have other features, like light projectors or built-in sound machines. Additionally, some mobiles have contrasting colors and bold patterns to help newborn babies develop their vision.Versatility: According to the AAP, baby mobiles should only be used until a baby can sit up on their own. To extend the lifespan of this device, you may want to look for baby mobiles that convert into projectors, sound machines or stroller toys once baby has outgrown it.
Each of the baby mobiles on this list has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from What to Expect staff and community members for this criteria.
What to Expect is the world’s most trusted pregnancy and parenting brand for a reason. Our product recommendations are based on expert parent insight, advice from medical professionals and feedback from the millions of parents and parents-to-be in our community. Our editors adhere to the highest research and reporting standards and our team of vetted OB/GYNs, pediatricians and other health professionals ensure our recommended products are safe and effective for you and your baby.
Dimensions: 4.75 x 16 x 13.5 inches
Power: 3 C/LR14 batteries
Type of mount: Crib-mount
If music is a must-have feature then Tiny Love’s Soothe ‘n Groove mobile is your best option. This one offers a wide variety of musical choices, with 18 melodies in six different musical categories. It can also play up to 40 minutes of continuous music, which is great for babies who need extra help falling asleep.
This mobile also has volume adjustability and comes with a white noise option. Once you’re done using it as a mobile, you can remove the mobile arm and use it as a standalone baby sound machine.
Lisafe Carreon, Senior Product Manager with What to Expect, says her daughter loves this mobile, both for sleeping and as a music box. “I could turn off the light and just have the music playing, and I could also adjust the volume,” she says, noting that her daughter had no problem falling asleep because of these customizable settings.
Grace Pan, Product Designer, also used the Soothe ‘n Groove for her daughter saying it really grabbed her interest as a newborn. “It helps engage her when we have to wake her up from the nap,” she says.
While reviews are overwhelmingly positive for this mobile, there are some things to note. A lot of people have said that the motor is quite loud, and at times can overpower the music or white noise. Reviewers have also said that the spinning animals make a clicking sound that may be irritating to some. That said, caregivers are particularly fond of the versatility of this option, especially when it comes to the variety of music and versatility in using it as a sound machine as baby grows.
“ I love love love my tiny love mobile. We used with all 3 of children and it's a life saver!”
Dimensions: 12.6 x 4.7 x 18.3 inches
This VTech Soothing Ocean Slumbers mobile projects images that are so soothing, even parents will want to watch. The ocean-themed images are projected as the sound of crashing waves plays, creating a relaxing environment for sleep. If ocean sounds aren’t your baby’s things, the VTech mobile plays music, melodies and phrases, too. There is also a button on the side that allows parents to control the lights and the volume, and there is a timer that can be set for 20, 40 or 60 minutes. Once your baby is too old to use it as a mobile, the arm can be removed and it can be used as a standalone projector or toy, with a button that is easy for your little one to press.
This is quite a large item, and a lot of parents have noted that it feels pretty bulky. Some reviews point out that it was hard to attach and a few caregivers noted they weren’t able to use it on a pack and play.
Dimensions: 9.84 x 12.6 x 8.66 inches
With more than 10,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, it’s safe to say that this Tiny Love Take Along Mobile is a parent favorite. A universal attachment makes it easy to mount it to a crib, bassinet or pack and play. It can also be removed from the arm and has a clip so it can be hung from a stroller or used as a travel toy. Leah Rocketto, What to Expect’s Associate Commerce Director, hung it from her daughter’s play gym to provide additional entertainment and help with tummy time.
“My daughter was hypnotized by the spinning creatures,” says Leah. “I personally liked that the hanging toys were basic colors — black, white and gray — to help with her visual development.”
I personally own this mobile and love how easy it is to use. From the moment I took it out of the box I was able to figure it out in minutes, and I found that it was easy to attach to my pack and play. I love the stroller clip for walks, which is the primary way that I’ve used it.
Like other parents, however, I found it to be a little heavy and it tipped easily when used on fabric or soft material. But attaching it to a more solid part of the crib, pack and play or bassinet usually fixed the problem. The battery life is also fairly short, and it lacks volume control.
Dimensions: 30 x 9 x 9 inches
Type of mount: Ceiling-mount
The Sorrel + Fern mobile is an attractive mobile with a more classic look featuring soft felt figures that won’t be overstimulating to baby. It hangs from the ceiling, so it ends up looking more like a piece of decor rather than a mobile. Plus, it’s super lightweight and easy to install since you just need to hang it from a ceiling hook — although one major con is that it’s not included.
With no music or lights, this mobile can’t be used as anything else once baby has outgrown it. Still, reviewers note that they love the overall look and find that their little ones are happy to watch the 3D figures twirl in the air above them. It’s a great non-distracting alternative to mobiles that play music and light up because you won’t risk interrupting baby’s sleep. And, you can likely keep it hanging longer than a crib-mounted mobile because it’ll be higher and away from baby’s reach even after they learn how to sit up.
We spoke with two experts: Mona Amin, M.D., a pediatrician and founder of Peds Doc Talk.Patti Read, certified pediatric sleep consultant and owner of Goldilocks Sleep Solutions.
We referenced baby mobiles safety guidelines from the AAP.
We also spoke to the following What to Expect staff members: Lisafe Carreon, Senior Product Manager, parent of 8-month-oldGrace Pan, Product Designer, parent of 3-month-oldLeah Rocketto, Associate Commerce Director, parent of a 1-year-old
As a parent of two, I’ve also included my own experience with crib mobiles.
Finally, we canvassed What to Expect’s community boards and retailer reviews to learn which mobiles caregivers liked best and what features they most appreciated.
“Baby mobiles, as a whole, are safe as long as the baby cannot reach the mobile,” Read says. The AAP echoes this, noting that mobiles are okay as long as they are hung high enough so that there is no risk of entanglement or suffocation. Once baby is able to sit up on their own, make sure that their mobile is far out of reach. If not, it’s time to remove it.
“Mobiles are best for babies two weeks to five months, or when [they start] sitting up,” Dr. Amin says. “They are useful in those early stages of visual and cognitive development.” Versatile baby mobiles that convert into something else, like a hanging stroller toy, can be used beyond that age as long as they are not positioned above the crib.
There are three types of baby mobiles: crib-mounted, wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted. Crib-mounted mobiles will attach to the side of a crib in some way, and are often portable.Wall-mounted crib mobiles are attached to the wall next to the crib, and ceiling-mounted mobiles are attached to the ceiling above the crib. Both wall-mounts and ceiling-mounts are not portable and can require a little bit more of a detailed installation than a crib-mount.
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