Chicco Close to You 3-in-1 Review

In an effort to create better solutions for his family and others, Italian inventor Pietro Catelli founded Chicco (pronounced "kee-ko") in 1958. Since then, Chicco has expanded into a globally recognized brand, serving over 120 countries. Style, quality, and innovation are at the core of Chicco's designs, always striving to create baby products that are not only highly functional and comfortable but also stylish.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

This multifunctional bassinet is very easy to use, outscoring most of the competition.

Accessibility

Use it as a bedside bassinet that sits above or next to your mattress or as a freestanding bassinet anywhere in your home. When used as a bedside bassinet, you can pick up your baby from a seated position without having to stand up (a great perk for recovering moms). The only thing that would make this bassinet even better is a dip-down side, so you don't have to reach over the 8-inch high sidewalls to retrieve your baby.

The mattress height is adjustable between 23-33 inches, and you can roll the bassinet closer or farther away from your bed. If you have a low bed, you'll want to make sure the dimensions work for your setup, but if you have a high bed, you'll appreciate the taller-than-average settings. A feature we absolutely love is that the legs tuck neatly under the bed, taking up less precious walking space along your bedside. While the front legs stick out by 11 inches, our tester stated, “I didn't find them a tripping hazard during middle-of-the-night shenanigans.”

Portability/Mobility

The Chicco conveniently rolls from room to room, but traveling with it isn't so easy. Its large, 2-inch wheels glide its rather hefty 33-pound frame around your house. Plus, its 27.5-inch width fits through most standard-size doorframes, and its 33.0-inch length is shorter than most other bassinets. To take it to grandma's, you'll have to disassemble and reassemble it, which isn't so practical.

Additional Features

The Chicco 3-in-1 converts into a changing table. It's rare to find a bassinet with dual changing table functionality, so we appreciate this added bonus. But it does take some effort to convert it, especially when you have a screaming baby in hand. It's also a bit clunky and loud. Still, if you don't have room for a dedicated changing table, the Chicco offers a solution that doesn't risk your baby rolling off your bed or ending up with a mess on your bed. Chicco also offers a diaper caddy that can attach to the bottom to store all the necessities, though you'll have to pay extra.

The bassinet also comes with a battery-powered module with melodies, vibration, and a light. Our tester reported, “I don't think it adds much value. If you need the night light and vibration, it's here, but the melodies are rather high-pitched and unpleasant to my ears.” Many Amazon reviewers also complain about a short lifespan.

Ease of Setup

We had a little more difficulty setting up this bassinet than others in our review, but it's not the worst. The instructions aren't entirely clear, and one of the legs required an abnormally hard shove to snap it into place. It's also a bit of a Tetris game putting the three AA batteries into the electronic module (which, by the way, aren't included in your purchase). Overall, the assembly process took about 15 minutes.

Cleaning

All fabrics, including the mattress cover and mesh lining, are machine washable - a necessity given its dual changing table functionality. However, removing the mesh is quite cumbersome, and the fabrics must drip dry, making it unlikely to be ready by the next nap time.

Breathability

The Chicco has excellent breathability, thanks to the primary use of mesh materials around the sleep surface.

The sidewalls are made with 100% mesh and joined together at the top and bottom with an 8-inch strip of thin, breathable fabric. We experienced no difficulties breathing through the fabric strip with our nose and mouth pressed firmly against it. The oval mattress shape and narrow width also make it unlikely that a baby could even orient itself sideways to get its face near the fabric strips.

Sleep Surface

The Close to You has an about average sleep surface.

The firm, flat mattress fits snugly in the frame with only a minor 0.25-inch gap at the top and bottom. The sidewalls give way under pressure, allowing us to wedge in three fingers alongside the mattress, but only breathable mesh is exposed below. The sleeping surface feels stable, with no apparent wobbling.

Quality

The Chicco has great quality thanks to a stable frame that feels solidly built and soft fabrics that feel nice to the touch.

We were so impressed with the stability we tested if the bassinet could withstand a 50-pound weight hanging off the side without tipping over; it passed with flying colors. The smooth, soft padding along the top rim cushions your arms as you place your baby in. But, the mattress does audibly crackle when pressed on (an artifact of the waterproof materials), and there's quite a bit of visible plastic, which detracts from that high-end feel.

There is also a zipper along one entire side of the mattress pad. It feels a little rough, but not so much that it could harm your baby's skin. You'll want to check the zipper's integrity after every wash to ensure it doesn't fall into your baby's sleeping space.

Eco-Health

Despite the GREENGUARD Gold certification, the Chicco scored about average for eco-health.

We applaud Chicco's attempts to appeal to eco-conscious shoppers, but we do have a few concerns. According to the website, “the Close to You 3-in-1 is produced without the use of intentionally added fire retardant chemical treatments, PFAS, BPA, and phthalates.” However, the “intentionally added” verbiage is vague and does not mean the product is actually free of any of these chemicals.

Additionally, the mattress is made of polyurethane foam and supported by a composite wood board, two materials known to emit VOCs, including formaldehyde. The GREENDUARD Gold certification means you can worry less about chemical emissions from these materials, but they could still be present in small amounts. Additionally, unlike most competitors, there simply isn't an option to have your baby sleep on natural cotton sheets. Instead, you're stuck with 100% polyester.

Should You Buy the Chicco?

If you are tight on space or have a tall bed, the Chicco Close to You is a great choice. This bedside bassinet is easy to use, has great breathability, and duals as a changing table anywhere in your home. However, it's not the most economical option, and the changing table is questionably practical. Still, if you need a bassinet that won't take over your bedroom, the Chicco tucks in neatly under your bed, giving you more freedom to move about.

What Other Bassinets Should You Consider?

For even easier access to your newborn at a lower price, the dip-down sidewall of the HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper 3.0 is hard to beat, but the legs stick out farther and are easy to trip over. The Arm's Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper is another economical choice with a top-scoring sleep surface and a smaller overall footprint, but it doesn't tuck in under the bed to open up more floor space. Lastly, the Baby Bjorn Cradle is one of the most compact bassinets out there, with even smaller dimensions than the Chicco, but the mattress sits rather low, making it difficult to retrieve your baby.

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