Lawsuit Investigation Looks into HALO BassiNest Flex Following Complaints of Babies Rolling

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are looking into a potential design defect in the HALO BassiNest Flex in light of complaints that the portable bassinet is uneven.

Parents are saying the product – which is advertised as a “flexible safe sleep solution” – is tilted and that their babies kept rolling to one side during the night, many times ending up with their faces pressed against the bassinet’s mesh wall. Some parents have voiced concerns that the BassiNest Flex is a safety hazard and fear their babies are at risk of suffocation.

Safe Sleep Solution?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies under one year of age be placed on their backs to sleep in order to decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and unintentional suffocation and strangulation. Only when a baby is comfortable rolling both ways (back to stomach and stomach to back) can they be left in the position they choose after being put to sleep on their back, experts advise.

Another aspect of a safe sleep environment is a firm, flat sleep surface. Per the AAP, a surface that slopes more than 10 degrees is unsafe for a baby to sleep on. Additionally, the AAP recommends that parents use a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The HALO BassiNest Flex is advertised as a “perfectly safe” sleep solution designed for babies up to five months old or 20 pounds. Moreover, HALO represents that the product “align[s] with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation for the first 6 months” and “meets the highest safety standards,” including CPSC standards for bassinets. The company advises that parents should stop using the BassiNest Flex when a baby “shows signs of rolling or pushing up.”

Parents Report Babies Rolling in BassiNest Flex

Parents are complaining in online reviews that the BassiNest Flex is not stable and tends to become slanted and tilted over time, or even right after it’s assembled.

Many reviewers noted that their babies kept rolling to one side of the bassinet and would wake up with their faces against the mesh. Some even tested the bassinet with a level and found that it was leaning to one side. Parents are questioning whether the BassiNest Flex is safe and whether HALO should issue a recall.

Below is a sampling of online complaints [sic throughout]:

Once I finally got the unit together I noticed instantly that the whole thing slants downward towards the side that goes against the bed likely because it’s not supported by the legs. It seemed fairly gradual at first and I figured it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Once our baby arrived, however, I noticed that she would always end up rolled towards the bed side of the bassinet and now she’s only one month old and weighs less than 10 pounds and the last two nights I’ve found her with her entire face pressed up against the mesh and with her neck turned down towards the mattress. I literally didn’t sleep at all last night panicked that she would end up with her face pressed in between the mattress and mesh.”
— Katie, HaloSleep.com

This bassinet has caused us issues since day 1. The bassinet is slightly slanted and our newborn ends up with his face against the mesh every night. I have switched him facing different directions and he always ends up against the same side. It seems unsafe and we no longer use it at all.”
— Anna F., HaloSleep.com

The bassinet is poorly designed in that it slants with very light pressure. So much so that a 10 lb baby ends up with their face smashed against the mesh side. The support brace holds the bottom of bassinet well but the whole bottom pivots on the joint that allows it fold up. The opposite mesh side isn’t firm enough to support any weight and thus it just sags and slants. This bassinet deserves to be recalled.”
— Shawn, HaloSleep.com

Our baby has not reached the age or weight limit for this bassinet, and it is very visibly sloping on the side without legs. Baby rolls/slides into the mesh at night because the bottom is so slanted. We just started rolling a small blanket or towel next to the mesh by his legs so he is not sleeping ‘in’ the mesh at night. I wanted to love this, and I was excited to finally find a bassinet that was tall enough to fit well next to our bed. However, not too long after using it, baby was already rolling into the side. This bassinet either needs to be taken off the market or have some changes made that offer more structural support on the other side so it doesn’t slope.”
— Chelsea S., HaloSleep.com

We checked the bassinet with a level and it found it was not even close to being level. Halo customer service said our bassinet was defective and immediately sent us a new one. Unfortunately, the same exact thing happened. The replacement bassinet was perfectly level at first and after 2 weeks of use, it was no longer level and baby was waking up crushed up against the outside again. Baby is only 3 months old and 11 lbs, so well within the recommended size and age (20 lbs, 5 months) for this product. The outside wall of the bassinet is right up against our bed and blankets, so this issue could literally cause baby to suffocate. It seems like an inherent design flaw – there’s no support on the outside of the bassinet, so it becomes unlevel over time. I have seen other reviews mentioning the same issue and I am appalled that Halo hasn’t recalled this yet.”
— Layne, Amazon.com

There’s no way this product should legally be able to be sold. If Halo has any sense of decency, they would recall this bassinet. My son, who is barely 10 lbs (manual says 20 max) and not showing any signs of rolling, had his head wedged between the mesh side and the mattress, which has a gap. At first, I thought it was just a newborn curl, but I placed him at the end where it attaches to the base. He ended up back in the same spot. I took a look at the whole thing, and it is lopsided by poor design. I was hoping to transition him to his crib slowly, but now I gotta toss this and put him in his crib and stop room sharing cold turkey. I feel really bad that I had someone spend money on a product I have to stop using prematurely.”
— Lanna, Amazon.com

How Could a Lawsuit Help?

A class action lawsuit could help buyers get back some of the money they spent on the HALO BassiNest Flex. It could also potentially force HALO to recall the product or change how it’s designed or advertised.

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