Getting your baby to sleep at night is a task — and we don't say that lightly. There's so much you have to consider in order to assure your baby will get a good night's sleep — from what they sleep in, to how you wrap them up, to all the little lifesavers that help them chill out. But there's one tried-and-true method parents have been using for thousands of years to help their babies calm down, and that's a crib mobile.
The simple hanging visual has been around for millennia, and you know what? Babies are still just as enthralled with crib mobiles today as they were in the time of the ancient Greeks. It’s really simple: Babies love motion and objects that hold visual interest to them. It stimulates their brain and gets their mind off of things, which is great, but it also means that crib mobiles are a tricky proposition. You want them to be graphic enough to hold your child’s attention but not so overwhelming that it keeps them from falling asleep. You need the perfect middle ground.
Don't worry, we've found them. Each of these mobiles is just enough for babies to focus on as their little bodies find that just right place to fall asleep. And don't forget, as soon as your baby can pull themselves up to standing, those mobiles need to be removed. (Trust me, my kid accidentally destroyed and ate his, which is seriously dangerous.)
I love the ethereal quality of this mobile. It's like tiny abstract ballerinas are floating over your child's sleepy form, granting them access to the sandman with their twirling skirts. This mobile proves that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a high-quality, beautiful crib mobile for your baby.
Your little sweetie can gaze at sweet berries as they fall into their zzz's. Each strawberry on this wooden mobile is handmade of soft, safe felt, with hand-stitched seeds and a verdant leaf top. It's just enough color to be bold without being overwhelming because there are so few colors on the mobile.
Look at this little fox. Can you hold in your excitement for how dang adorable he is? I know that I am having difficulty doing so. Woodland themes are popular for nurseries, but so few mobiles really stick the landing. This one absolutely nails it.
Rainbow — but make it sleepy. It's a mobile with the cute design of a rainbow, but without the overwhelming brightness of the traditional rainbow. It also has fun tassels that make it look like it is dancing around in the sky. It's a just-enough approach.
If your baby, like mine, might need just a bit more stimulation to get them to chill the heck out, the addition of a little light music can really make the difference between a good night and a crappy night. Even after my kids grew out of the mobile over their crib, we kept it over their changing table to keep them engaged and chill.
This mobile has the funniest little creatures with the silliest smiles, and the muted colors mean it isn't going to make things too exciting.
My own sweet niece goes all bleary-eyed and restful with this black and white patterned Montessori-style musical mobile. The crib mobile is designed to engage with baby's underdeveloped vision to stimulate them enough to help them calm down, and the music is the natural accompaniment.
We know that you love your baby to the moon and back. This mobile puts that in a visual! Jolly dark blue rockets, fluffy clouds, stars, and the moon all work together to make your child dream of the sky as they undoubtedly eat their fist and fill their diapers. It's sweet if you think about it.
There's so much magic in this mobile. Made of environmentally friendly felt material, these unicorns will have your child gazing upon their majesty and fall asleep with ease in no time. Sadly, there's no money back if their magical powers don't work, but luckily it's only $13.
9
Most Popular
Little Love by NoJo Sherpa Cloud Shaped Crib Mobile
This is one of the most popular mobiles in the land of the internet. Walmart and Amazon sell out of it frequently. Whether it's the metallic, the spinning function that glides through the air like the gentlest cumulonimbus friend, or the light music, this mobile just hits all the baby-sleeping notes.
10
Best Theme
Sorrel + Fern Baby Crib Mobile Scandinavian Elephant
I am obligated to include at least one elephant mobile on this list as it is very much still one of the best nursery themes ever — and that has nothing to do with the fact that my own child had an elephant nursery. I mean, look at this little guy and his stars and moons.
And because elephants are endearingly so very close to their families, you can practically hear his mother just on the other side ...
It is a bit unreasonable for us to expect our newborns to know how to count sheep, but with this crib mobile from Lambs & Ivy, we can plant a very soft seed.
The drum shape of the mobile's top is pretty unique and reminds me of a lampshade — but prettier. It's neutral, to blend in with any color scheme, and could easily become an heirloom piece.
It also plays multiple songs for a long 20 minutes, giving parents a little extra help.
I can already picture parents as they lay their children down for a nap, pointing at each animal, saying “and the cow says ‘MOO’.” This barnyard crib mobile has built-in bonding moments thanks to the little felt animals hanging from the wooden hanger. A great start to a lifelong love of little creatures.
New Zealand wool really holds its color. This crib could be in direct sunlight, and it's going to take a while for it to fade. The rocking horse is wooden, and so is the hanger, making the whole thing a sustainable, gorgeous piece that your child will love to look at.
Arguably, this is one heck of a bougie mobile. But that’s absolutely not the only reason I love it. (Just a major reason.) The weight of the moons means that with the gentlest tap, this one will sway and rock for quite a while.
And, of course, it’s a terrifically stunning work of art that just so happens to entertain and relax your child while making their nursery look downright royal.
Make any mobile musical with the addition of this crib mobile music box. If you so choose, it will also spin your mobile gently, making an inexpensive (or not) non-mobile mobile, quite full of movement and more fun for kids who need just a little bit more than just a gentle movement.
Cat BowenParenting EditorCat Bowen is the parenting editor at BestProducts.com where she researches all of the best products for families from pre-conception through their teen years, focusing on matching scientific evidence with real-life needs.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io