In this article we’re taking a look at the best crib mobile. Baby mobiles are colorful and adorable additions to your baby’s crib, but are they necessary? Well, if you use one right, it can be a useful tool in the development of your child.
One study found that a crib mobile can teach a baby as young as 2 months old cause-and-effect. It can also provide visual and aural stimulation, depending on its features. At the least, it can keep a baby distracted and entertained in their crib.
However, you have to make sure you choose only the best crib mobile for your baby. How do you know which one to buy? Follow this guide and read through our recommendations below.
Best Crib Mobiles: Top 7 Options
Our list is compiled of what we’ve found to be your best options to add to your baby’s nursery. We’ve included some of the best crib mobiles for sleep, play, and decor. For the baby mobiles taking all these factors into consideration, read on to know the best ones in the market today.
1. Fisher-Price Precious Planet 2-in-1 Projection Mobile
This baby mobile by Fisher-Price has a ton of features, but the one that stands out is its projection of light. It features colorful animal plush toys that spin around, and it has a canopy above them.
The canopy makes the projection clearer to the babies. You can remove it later, though, when they’re older so they can enjoy the lights on the ceiling.
Precious Planet Projection Mobile also plays up to 20 minutes of music, which can help soothe the baby or engage their senses. According to Fisher-Price, it also helps them develop their auditory skills. You may choose among the various available music: from Bach to nature sounds to white noise.
This best crib mobile has a remote control, it’s easy to install, and it’s quite sturdy, as well.
2. SHILOH Plush Musical Mobile
If you prefer a baby mobile with more music, you may want to get this model by SHILOH instead. This one has up to 1 hour of music, consisting of 60 popular tunes for your baby; making it one of the best musical mobiles for crib sleepers.
It will play sounds when you turn it on or when your baby interacts with it, further engaging your little one. When they grow a bit older, you can detach the toys and let your child play with them.
The SHILOH has 6 buttons for controlling the music and the mobile. It features spin, music, volume up, volume down, music previous, and music next. These allow you to choose a song and control the volume.
As for the design, this model consists of colorful plush toys with a colorful canopy, too. The strings are rather long, but the height is adjustable.
3. Manhattan Toy Wimmer-Ferguson Infant Stim-Mobile
Manhattan makes unrivaled quality toys and accessories for your baby. This baby mobile has an unassuming design with black and white as the predominant colors. As a result, the images, patterns, and colors make a high contrast against this backdrop.
This design choice is not without good reason – 40 years of research on infant visual development back this up. According to Manhattan Toy, this baby mobile promotes gross motor skill activity, hand-eye coordination, self-awareness, cause-and-effect experiences, and sense of object permanence.
The unit also comes with 10 interchangeable graphics cards. This allows you to switch them up to increase the complexity of the images as your babies age. The cards have an age label to guide you which are more appropriate for your kid.
4. Tiny Meadow Days Love Take Along Mobile
As the name suggests, the key feature of this product is its portability. It’s like a baby walker but bigger and more versatile. If you’re an on-the-go mom, you’ll be able to take this mobile with you.
Using velcro and clips, you can attach it to the infant carrier, stroller, and on the crib. It’s small enough and it has the perfect length, making it appropriate even for infant carriers.
The colorful design also provides visual stimulation, and you can choose between different toys to suit your baby. The toys spin, too, keeping your baby entertained. It contains 5 different tunes, adding up to 30 minutes of uninterrupted music.
You may find that it has a low volume, but it’s great for nap times and when you’re outside. The music won’t be much of a nuisance to other people, but your baby can still hear it as it’s near enough.
5. OMORC Baby Crib Mobile
If you’re the creative type who wants to customize the experience for your child, this mobile may be right for you. It only comes as a bracket so you can hang your toys and decorations of choice. In total, it has 5 hooks where you can attach plush, rubber, or plastic toys.
For easy customization, it’s made with ABS material in pure white. It’s child-safe, and it’s secure enough on standard cribs.
OMORC’s baby crib mobile has a wind-up box that plays soothing music, titled “You are my Sunshine,” at nap times. The music plays for 2 to 3 minutes, and the hooks rotate as the tune plays. You can also pause it and then have it resume where it stopped.
6. Starry Night Baby Soother Night Light
This crib mobile has a focus on creating a soothing environment optimal for a long and restful sleep. To help with that and with putting your baby to sleep, this crib mobile plays 9 tunes for up to 30 minutes.
Its design is in line with its purpose as it features adorable stuffed stars and a half moon. The canopy represents the night sky, but it’s removable, too. It can also project the moon and the stars onto the canopy or onto the ceiling.
It has a universal attachment that can fit almost all cribs today. By removing the canopy, it works like a night light for your baby. It can also work as a table lamp, and it can continue to do so even he/she outgrows a crib mobile. With all of these features it may just be among the best crib mobiles for sleep.
7. Manhattan Toy Wooden Mobile
Another one from Manhattan Toy, this one features colorful geometric toys that can capture and hold a baby’s attention. This model is rather simple compared to the other mobiles on this list but it still qualifies as the best crib mobile in the market.
It doesn’t have extra modern-day features; it doesn’t even have a motor that can move the toys around.
Still, it’s great for the development of your baby and the balance of the toys keep it moving. The gentle swaying motion then encourages your baby to focus and track the figures. The appendages are at different heights, promoting depth perception.
It produces a calming effect, perfect for when you’re trying to put your baby to sleep or when they’re coming to. Although the toys are simple, they come in bright colors that can help enhance your baby’s vision.
It’s minimalistic, too, as it’s only made with sustainable wood. It has a non-toxic water-based finish so you’re sure your baby is safe.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Baby Crib Mobile
A baby mobile, in its simplest form, is a structure that hangs toys and objects above your baby. Its function is to entertain and stimulate the baby, but it becomes a little complex when you take into account some other functions.
When choosing the best one, the goal is to keep your baby satisfied. Here are some considerations for the best experience for you and the baby.
Safety
As a crib mobile hangs above your baby, it’s important that it has a secure attachment to the baby crib. Any toys or decor should also be secure enough not to fall on your baby’s face. To make sure it’s safe, read reviews and install it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
The length of the toys should also not exceed 7 inches; check if your baby can reach it. If it’s too close, it becomes dangerous as a baby can grab it. Having small detachable parts is a choking hazard; check the CPSC website for recalls.
Above all else, we don’t recommend buying secondhand and old crib mobiles. These may not adhere to the current safety guidelines. These may also present a hazard as the structure may not be that durable anymore.
Type
Baby mobiles come in ceiling-mounted and crib-mounted options. For the latter, you then have to consider the shape of your crib.
Some models are more appropriate for cribs with rounded corners, while some may fit better on cribs with square railings. Make sure the mobile is compatible with the crib so it attaches fine, avoiding safety issues.
Features
One of the most common features of a baby mobile is music, which adds sensory stimulation. This can also help your baby stay calm and asleep if you choose one that plays soothing baby music.
You also have to take note of the motion; baby mobiles can swing, spin, or both. Babies might prefer one or the other, but other than that, there’s no advantage one has over the other.
Other extra features that might improve your experience include:
- remote operation
- removable toys
- night light
- portability
- white noise
- organic materials
- Bluetooth compatibility
Toys aren’t simply there for fun — for young babies, these little treats help boost their visual development and motor skills too. You may also want to consider portability in case you expect to move the baby around in the house.