The best cot mobiles to help soothe your baby to sleep

the best cot mobiles

by Hannah Carroll |
Updated on

When decorating your new baby's nursery, you lay out your baby's sleep aids, and then our favourite final touch is the cutest cot mobiles. More than just a statement piece in the room, it can practically help your little one as they make the best baby sleep aids.

Just like sleep toys, there's a wide range of cot mobiles available, from all-singing, all-dancing versions with built-in white noise machines, music and lights to simple, felt characters. Like most baby sleep aids, these mobiles have been specially designed to encourage your little one to drift off to sleep.

As parents, we know how difficult bedtime can be. Babies need the perfect sleeping conditions to drift off. Everything from room temperature to air conditions will affect how well your little one goes off to sleep. But with all the best intentions, a baby humidifier, three books and a song, sometimes it is best to just leave your little one to get themselves to sleep in their cot.

The best cot mobiles at a glance:

Best light projection cot mobile: Fisher Price Butterfly Dreams 3-in-1 Projection Mobile - View offer on Amazon
Best musical cot mobile: Little Goose Wooden Music Mobile - View offer on Kidly

This is when cot mobiles work best as your little one can enjoy watching the mobile until their eyelids finally close and they go to sleep. Although a cot mobile can't guarantee eight hours of shut-eye, it can help soothe your baby with gentle movements and sounds into a happy slumber.

The best cot mobiles 2023

Best animal cot mobile

Description

Animal-themed nurseries are one of the most popular among parents. We cannot get enough of this cot mobile. It features gorgeous 3D wild animals: a zebra, lion, elephant, cheetah and giraffe.

One review said: "Sturdy and entertaining. My six month old grandson absolutely loves this mobile."

Pros

  • Musical feature
  • Handcrafted appearance 
  • Great for a safari or animal-themed room
  • Neutral colours

Cons

  • Must ensure that the mobile is securely fitted to your cot

Best light projection cot mobile

Description

With lovely soft teddy bear characters and up to 30 minutes of lullaby music, white noise or soothing nature sounds, this cute Fisher Price Butterfly Dreams 3-in-1 Projection Mobile also projects a light show on the walls and ceiling. Once your baby outgrows a cot mobile, it can be used as a tabletop projector. You can clip it to your baby's pushchair, too, and there's a remote control function so you can turn it on or off without disturbing your baby.

One review said: "It was really easy to assemble and attach to the cot and is easy to move around. You can also attach different dangling things to it if you don't like the teddies, or wanted to switch it up for variation for baby. The lights are lovely and slowly fade in and out and move and is bright enough that you can use this for night feeding. The whole thing also disassembles so you can use just the lights as a portable nightlight when the child is a bit older, and our baby really loves it, the sounds are also good although not a huge amount of variation..."

Read our Fisher Price Butterfly Dreams 3-in-1 Projection Mobile review here.

Pros

  • Light projection
  • Music
  • White noise
  • Cute design

Cons

  • Batteries do not last very long

Best musical cot mobile

Description

We love the song 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'. There is something very nostalgic about the song, which was made iconic by the children's beloved musical The Wizard of Oz. We cannot get enough of this chic sweet, flying geese design. Your little one will love watching them flying over their head as they fall asleep.

**Mother&Baby Parenting and Lifestyle Product Writer reviewer said: "**This cot mobile is magnificent. It looks absolutely stunning and would look great in almost all nurseries. The tune is soothing and instantly recognisable. The birds are a really sweet addition. It has been made with great quality and care. It was simple to attach to the cot and the instructions were easy to follow."

Pros

  • Unique
  • Easily attaches to cot or playpen
  • Plays 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'
  • Perfect Baby shower gift

Cons

  • Comes in a large long box

Best cot mobile for babies and toddlers

Description

Help your bubba feel safe at night with this three-in-one mobile that plays soft, calming music until your baby drifts to sleep. The Infantino 3 in 1 Projector Musical Mobile has a 20-minute auto-off timer which means that you don't need to worry about getting up to turn off the mobile and waking up your little one in the process. You can display a magical starry night on the walls using the projector function, helping create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere come bedtime. We love this product because, after 18 months, this product can be used as a tabletop light & projector. The star projector illuminates the room, easing your child's fear of the dark while the mobile plays soothing melodies.

One review said: "I cannot praise this item enough!! My baby girl loves it so much. She watches it go round and talks (coos) to it. It really helps keep her occupied and helps her to drift off to sleep. It's so versatile and we know that we are going to use it for years, which makes it incredible value for money. Honestly, one of the best baby items we have purchased and highly recommend."

Pros

  • Can be used beyond six months
  • 20-minute auto shut off
  • Features peek-a-boo mirror
  • Light projector

Cons

  • Battery life is short

Best Winnie the Pooh cot mobile

Description

We're a sucker for Winnie The Pooh, and frankly, why not, as the loveable bear gets more charming the older we get. Your little one will love the familiar characters that you can bring to life with a story from the Hundred Acre Wood at bedtime. The music box plays the soothing Brahms lullaby while the characters rotate. It doesn't have the amount of melodies as other cot mobiles, but it certainly has the charm.

One review said: "Love this Winnie the Pooh Mobile, so cute and the music is lovely, it completes our nursery!"

Pros

  • Neutral and pretty design
  • Soft music and movement
  • Easy to attach

Cons

  • Character colours are not vibrant

Best Snuz cot mobile

Description

The SnüzMobile is the perfect addition to baby's bedtimes. This gorgeous sleep accessory encourages relaxation thanks to its celestial array of plush grey and white stars, puffy white clouds and pom poms, all of which surround a calming crescent moon. The heavenly nighttime scene will dance above your little one's head as they drift into the land of nod. It fit all models of  SnuzPod & SnuzKot, including the SnuzPod4.

One review said: "Baby loves this mobile. As it is fitted onto the side of the crib, she loves that she can kick in the crib and make the mobile jiggle about! Quite pricey but a quality item that will hopefully bring joy to many little ones."

Pros

  • Designed to fit all models of SnuzPod & SnuzKot
  • Modern design
  • Different colourways available

Cons

  • Cannot machine wash soft charms

Best compact mobile

Description

With cute, brightly coloured characters to entertain your baby and five melodies to soothe them, this Tiny Love Take-Along Mobile is great over your baby's cot or attached to the pushchair for naps out and about. It requires three AA batteries. The songs last for about 30 minutes, so plenty of time for your little one to be soothed to sleep. The universal clip makes it easy to attach and set up wherever you might be using it.

One review said: "The Tiny Love mobile is brilliant. It does exactly what it says. Easy to fit together. Fixes safely and securely to side of cot. Fits travel cot too. Also carry cot hood and car chair using the simple attachment. Our granddaughter of 8 weeks fixed her gaze on the sweet little animals and black and white patterns above them straight away. Very pleased!"

Pros

  • Adjustable connector arm fits most cots
  • Can be used on silent mode
  • Colourful design

Cons

  • Requires batteries

Best Peter Rabbit cot mobile

Description

A wonderful Peter Rabbit cot mobile will be a feature in your baby's nursery. The iconic rabbits will circle around to Brahm's lullaby. Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter stories have been a go-to theme for parents. We love this classical, traditional cot mobile.

Mother&Baby Parenting and Lifestyle Product writer, Hannah James said: "When I found out I was expecting my first son this one was of the first purchases I made. I love Beatrix Potter and knew that the nursery would be soon filled with characters from her stories. As my son grew older, we loved listening to the soothing lullaby and watching the rabbits."

Pros

  • Traditional Lullaby
  • Comes in a gift box
  • Gender neutral
  • Based on a beloved children's book character

Cons

  • Can break if overwound

Best colourful cot mobile

Description

Featuring the same characters as the smaller Tiny Love Soothe 'n Groove Mobile featured above, this one is a larger, longer-lasting cot mobile. The melodies last for 40 minutes, and there are 18 different tunes to soothe your baby. When your baby outgrows a cot mobile, you can turn it into a stand-alone music box for your toddler. We like the variety of music – from calming classical tunes to white noise and playful songs that can entertain your baby during playtime too.

One review said: "This is by far the best toy I have ever bought for my baby! It was the first one he connected with from about four weeks old, he would lie and gaze and giggle at it, easily the best 20 minutes of his day, every day! I'm sure if I let him, he'd lie under it all day! He only stopped being so amazingly excited by it by the age of eight months, by which time he had lots of other things to entertain him. Can't recommend this highly enough!"

Pros

  • Plenty of melodies to choose from
  • Cute characters and bright colours will catch baby's interest
  • Converts into a stand-alone music box, growing along from baby to toddler

Cons

  • Some reviews mention the motor is quite loud

Cot mobiles: All you need to know

Things to consider:

Before you choose a cot mobile for your new baby, there are a few factors to consider:

Do you want an integrated night light?

A cot mobile with an integrated night light can be a great way to soothe your little one. Light projectors can strengthen your little one's eye muscles and eye coordination skills.

Do you want a musical mobile?

If you choose a musical cot mobile, listen to the lullaby first. Remember that you'll be listening to these lullabies for several months. Some mobiles have the option of white noise, too, which can be extremely soothing for babies. However, some also feature playful tunes, which can be great for playtime. Be warned, choose the wrong song at bedtime, and you could get your baby excited rather than sleepy.

Where will you use your cot mobile?

Smaller, compact mobiles are great if you travel a lot, visit friends and family, or want the baby to nap in the pushchair. Taking the mobile with you will create a familiar atmosphere that will likely help your baby to sleep soundly in strange surroundings. Check how the arm of the mobile attaches to different products and whether it folds neatly for travelling.

What's your nursery colour scheme?

You might want a mobile that's just for decoration, rather than music and lights. So we've chosen a few cot mobiles that are simply designed without any fancy technology. The benefit of these, as well as looking beautiful, is that there's nothing mechanical to go wrong and no batteries to buy.

Are cot mobiles a good idea?

Cot mobiles can be very comforting to little ones when they wake up or whilst they are trying to fall asleep. Whilst a mobile isn't a magic wand, it can help little ones whilst they learn to self-soothe and well, we are big fans of anything which helps us get a little more shut-eye.

Hannah James is a Parenting, Lifestyle and Home Product writer, specialising in product testing and reviews. With three children, Hannah loves testing the latest industry products on her own family.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us
How we write our articles and reviews
Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.