Cot mobiles are a lovely addition to a baby's nursery. They can be used as a way to soothe your baby to sleep, distract them or stimulate them to aid their development or simply as a beautiful decoration.

Advertisement

There are many cot mobiles on the market to choose from, some more stimulating than others depending on your intended use. Some have musical features and / or light projection features whilst others take a more gentle approach with soft toys or sensory patterns.

Although cot mobiles can be very beneficial for your baby's development and sleep, it's important that they're used safely and correctly, see our safety advice at the end of this article for guidance.

To help you find the best cot mobile for your baby we've researched the market and asked our trusted parent testers to try out the mobiles in our list so you get honest feedback about the best cot mobiles on the market.

If your baby is struggling to sleep at night, you can also take a look at our best sleep aids and white noise machines and best nightlights to help them drift off. Also, take a look at the best cots and cot beds or travel cots to attach the mobile to.

More like this

Best cot mobiles at a glance

  • Best sensory cot mobile : Pebble The Penguin Nuby Musical Cot Mobile, £25
  • Best cot mobile for multi-functional use: Fisher-Price Butterfly Dreams 3-in-1 Projection Mobile, £38
  • Best cot mobile for portability: Tiny Love Meadow Days Take-Along Mobile, £24.95
  • Best cot mobile for a gift: Rainbow Designs Hundred Acre Wood Winnie The Pooh Cot Mobile, £39.95
  • Best cot mobile for decoration: JoJo Maman Bebe Woodland Mobile, £15
  • Best cot mobile with a built-in cry sensor: Fisher-Price Rainbow Showers 2-in-1 Bassinet to Bedside Mobile, £20.49
  • Best value cot mobile: Nuby Musical Cot Mobile, £19.99
  • Best cot mobile for a variety of melodies: VTech Lullaby Lambs Mobile, £36.99
  • Best cot mobile for neutral tones: Mamas & Papas Musical Cloud Mobile, £35
  • Best premium cot mobile: Scandiborn Little Dutch Wooden Music Mobile, £58.95

What to consider when choosing a cot mobile

Age suitability – As you can see from the list below, all cot mobiles are only suitable until a certain age, therefore, if you want one that can last for years make sure you double-check the age range.

Type of cot mobile – There are a few different types of cot mobiles to choose from, you can get ones that hang from the ceiling (bear in mind if you have very high ceilings that your baby will struggle to see it) Or cot mobiles that attach to the side of the cot. There are also some mobiles that are portable and can be attached to pushchairs, car seats and more.

Does it rotate? – Some cot mobiles are mechanical and rotate whilst others just hang and gently blow in the wind.

Type of crib/cot you have – Not all mobiles are compatible with every cot. It's important to check this before purchasing to make sure it will fit securely onto your baby's cot.

Music feature – The music feature is a lovely addition to cot mobiles. They tend to play soft lullabies to soothe your baby to sleep. However, not all have music so depending on how you want to use the mobile this is something to consider.

Projection feature – Much like the music feature, some offer projection or a light too.

Use of cot mobile – If the intended use of the mobile is to entertain and distract your baby during nappy changes or anything else then you will want a particularly stimulating one. However, if you want it to soothe them to sleep, then you should opt for one that won't keep them up or stimulate them too much.

What to look for in a cot mobile

We asked Dr. Harvey Karp, paediatrician and child development expert, what to look for in a cot mobile and he said, "not all baby mobiles are created equal. It is best to look for mobiles that feature high-contrast colours, like dark blue and white, black and white or a bullseye pattern. Since newborns' eyes are still developing they love watching easy-to-see, high-contrast little objects as they practice their ability to concentrate and follow things as they move through the space. As a paediatrician and sleep expert, I also recommend only mildly stimulating mobiles".

The best cot mobiles for 2023 tried-and-tested by parents

1. Pebbles The Penguin Nuby Musical Cot Mobile, £25

– Best sensory mobile

Nuby Musical Penguin Cot Mobile tested by 3 month old boy

Type of mount: Cot | Sound: Yes | Projection: No | Age suitability: 0-5 months | Batteries: 3 x AA (not included)

This baby cot mobile comes with an arm that adjusts to fit onto lots of different sized cots. With its soft unisex colours it would look great in any modern, muted nursery.

The cute mobile plays soothing melodies to help your baby fall asleep. The music can be turned on and off by pressing the star that hangs from the centre of the mobile. There are 5 gentle calming melodies to choose from.

Not only does it play melodies but the cloud squeaks, the penguin rattles, the star crinkles and the polar bear chimes making it a great sensory toy. The volume and rotation can also be controlled.

MFM home tester Caralyn tested this cot mobile with her 3 month old boy and said, "I loved the look of this mobile, the animals hanging from it are very cute and soft, some have scrunch noises and one has a bell inside. I also really liked the tunes, they were very calming and pleasant not tinny like a lot of mobiles. He became very calm listening to the tunes and sucked on his thumb quite contently whilst listening." She went on to say, "I think for £20 this is actually very good value for money".

Although Caralyn would recommend the cot mobile, she did say it doesn't work the best with the Chicco Next2Me bedside crib: it is worth noting most cot mobiles work better on a more traditional cot with bars.

Pros: Plays melodies, has sensory additions in the animals
Cons: No projection

Available from: Boots, Amazon and Nuby

2. Fisher-Price Butterfly Dreams 3-in-1 Projection Mobile, £38

– Best for multi-functional use

Fisher-Price Butterfly Dreams Mobile being tested by 4 month old girl

Type of mount: Cot and pushchair | Sound: Yes | Projection: Yes | Age suitability: 0-18 months | Batteries: 4 x AA batteries (not included)

The Butterfly Dreams 3-in-1 projection mobile casts a starry light show onto your ceilings and walls. It's motorised with 3 butterfly bear soft toys.

The mobile has 3 sound settings; up to 30 minutes of lullaby music, the sounds of nature or white noise to soothe your baby to sleep. There's also a remote control so you can control it from afar. As your baby grows up, it converts into a table-top projector. Elements of it can also be attached to a pram too.

MFM home tester Jenny used this cot mobile with her 4 month old daughter and said, "I like the fact it can be used as a cot mobile but can also be taken apart to be used as a pushchair mobile and a star light show separately. I also like the options for which sounds to play and the pastel colour palette. It's great how different parts of the mobile can be turned off and on as needed". However, she did point out "the stars from the projector only showed up if the room was really dark so not helpful for daytime napping, and the amount of plastic used to make it is not great for sustainability".

When asked how her daughter responded to the cot mobile Jenny said, "when she was first placed under the mobile she got very excited and started reaching towards the bears and squealing. Once we made the room dark enough she seemed mesmerised by the stars on the ceiling. After a while she seemed to relax under it".

Pros: Has sound and projection, can be used as a pushchair mobile and converts into a table-top projector.
Cons: Projection only shows when very dark so not great for daytime naps

Available from: Amazon and Argos

3. Tiny Love Meadow Days Take-Along Mobile, £24.95

– Best for portability

Tiny Love Meadow Days Take Along Mobile being tested by baby girl

Type of mount: Cot and portable | Sound: Yes | Projection: No | Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: 3 x AA batteries (not included)

This mobile is great for on-the-go. It plays up to 30 minutes of non-repetitive melodies (5 different tunes) and has little characters to visually stimulate your baby.

It easily attaches onto cribs, activity mats, carriers, strollers bassinets and more thanks to its handy universal clip.

The mobile aims to promote your baby's development and stimulate their emotional intelligence, senses, language and communication.

MFM home tester Gabriella used this cot mobile with her baby daughter and said, " I love that you can clip it anywhere, stroller, playmat arch, car seat and it was perfect with the Snuzpod bedside crib. She was obsessed with it, it was really good in the early weeks and months keeping her entertained, most of the time I just turned it on and she fell asleep." However, MFM home tester Milly uses this and said, "on some cots it doesn't come across far enough," but her 18 month old "has it on his toddler bed and turns it on himself to go to sleep and it turns off after a certain time which is perfect."

Pros: Portable and can be used on a pushchair and plays sounds
Cons: No projection and does not fit well on all cots

Available from: Amazon

4. Rainbow Designs Hundred Acre Wood Winnie The Pooh Cot Mobile, £39.95

– Best for a gift

Rainbow Designs Hundred Acre Wood Winnie The Pooh Cot Mobile tested by 5 month old Isabella

Type of mount: Cot | Sound: Yes | Projection: No (nightlight)| Age suitability: 0-6 | Batteries: None required

This adorable cot mobile features characters from Winnie The Pooh, including Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger.

The neutral colour scheme of the mobile makes it perfect for all nurseries and helps soothe your baby to sleep. The music box play soothing Brahms lullaby whilst the characters gently rotate.

This mobile makes for a lovely gift as it's presented in a carry box with a handle.

MFM home tester Hannah tested this cot mobile with her 5 month old daughter and said, "it is a beautiful mobile, it feels well made with good quality materials and was very easy to put together and attach to the cot. I liked the lullaby but for me, it felt it was playing a bit too fast to be soothing, it wasn't until it was coming to the end after being wound up it started to slow down. She likes trying to bat the toys. We haven't used a mobile before, but we use it in the morning whilst I get ready to distract her. The aesthetic is beautiful and really fits the Winnie The Pooh theme, especially if there are other items in the nursery to match".

Hannah definitely did feel that – as the age suitability suggests – the cot mobile may not be entertaining for 6 month olds and is suited better to younger babies.

Pros: Plays melodies and has a beautiful design
Cons: No projection and may not be entertaining enough for older babies

Available from: Amazon

5. JoJo Maman Bebe Woodland Mobile, £15

– Best for decoration

JoJo Maman Bebe Woodland Mobile tested by 4 month old Nancy

Type of mount: Ceiling | Sound: No | Projection: No| Age suitability: Suitable from birth (decoration only)

This cot mobile is for decoration only and should not be placed directly above your baby's cot, but it still makes for a lovely addition to your baby's nursery.

It features adorable wooden woodland animals such as a fox, hedgehog, mouse, badger, bunny, deer and squirrel. The mobile is designed to capture the imagination and stimulate babies through colour and shape.

Shelby tested the mobile with her 4 month old daughter, Nancy and said, "I actually really like how it's a simple, no frills mobile. It doesn't make sounds or projects lights, it's just a nice simple wooden mobile that's quite dainty and looks lovely in Nancy's nursery. Nancy loves the mobile, she watches it when she's having her nappy changed and gets excited kicking her legs when it moves. She noticed it straight away the first time I took her into her room after putting it up and now she looks at it every time". One thing Shelby did also mention was "it was a bit of a fiddle to get out of the package and we got a couple of tangles in the strings but it was easily sorted".

Pros: Made of wood, lovely design
Cons: No projection or sound, just a decorative feature

Available from: JoJo Maman Bebe

6. Fisher-Price Rainbow Showers 2-in-1 Bassinet to Bedside Mobile, £20.49

– Best for a cry sensor

Fisher-Price Rainbow Showers 2-in-1 Bassinet to Bedside Mobile being tested

Type of mount: Bassinet | Sound: Yes | Projection: No (light)| Age suitability: Suitable from birth | Batteries: 3 x AA batteries (not included)

Much like the Fisher-Price Butterfly dreams mobile, this too grows with your child. The cloud and sun toys hang from the mobile and feature a 2- minute playlist to help your baby drift off to sleep. As your baby gets older, the mobile coverts to a table-top soother with nightlight.

The handy cry sensor in the cloud means the music automatically restarts when your baby stirs, which can be great to help soothe your baby. There's also a gentle light built in.

MFM home tester Jodie tested this cot mobile with her 10 week old baby and said, "I love that the cloud feature can be detached and used separately away from the mobile, it became a multi-functional piece of equipment. Usually, I really don't like the inbuilt music in baby equipment, but this one was lovely, the sounds chosen were soothing and the sound quality wasn't horrendous. The light on the cloud was perfect, really soft. My little girl was definitely interested in the mobile and was trying to bat it with her hands even though it was quite high above her. When she was alert, her gaze focused on the mobile, she would get excited, kick her legs and vocalise."

When asked about its value for money, Jodie said, "I wouldn't want to pay much more, but I think the multifunctional cloud feature is the thing that justifies the pricing".

Pros: Plays melodies, has a nightlight and has s cry-sensor, also multifunctional
Cons: No projection

Available from: Amazon, Very and The Entertainer

7. Nuby Musical Cot Mobile, £19.99

– Best for value

Nuby Musical Cot Mobile tested by 14 week old baby

Type of mount: Cot | Sound: Yes | Projection: No| Age suitability: 0-5 months | Batteries: 4 x AA (not included)

With calming sounds and starlight protection, this cot mobile is excellent value and would add some fun, bright colours to the nursery.

It's got over 18 minutes of calming lullabies and classical music with volume adjustment control. The projector creates a colour changing starlight projection for the walls and ceiling whilst the soft glowing light help soothe your baby to sleep.

The spinning clouds and aircraft are brightly coloured to develop your baby's senses.

MFM home tester Amy tested this cot mobile with her 12 week old baby and said, "upon opening the box it was super easy to assemble. I really liked that it's lightweight and colourful which is very eye-catching to babies. I also liked the blue, green and red moon and stars that were projected onto the ceiling. I feel my baby is really happy seeing all the projected shapes in the room, there's been lots of smiles and laughter from him and he's been happier in his cot and I feel he's fallen asleep much faster".

One thing Amy didn't like was that the plastic design felt a little cheap, but given it's half the price of a number of options on this list, that's to be expected.

Pros: Plays melodies, great value and really bright and colourful
Cons: No projection and feels slightly cheaper

Available from: Amazon

8. VTech Lullaby Lambs Mobile, £36.99

– Best for a variety of melodies

VTech Lullaby Lambs Mobile being tested by 2 month old girl

Type of mount: Cot | Sound: Yes | Projection: No (light)| Age suitability: Suitable from birth | Batteries: 3 x AA (not included)

The mobile has a large variety of tunes to with 4 songs and 40 melodies to help your baby fall asleep. It can also play nature sounds or white noise and there is a 5, 15 or 30 minute timer switch to select how long the songs play for.

A remote control is included to adjust the volume or play and pause the music without disturbing your baby. It also has a sound sensor to detect your baby crying and plays songs and sounds to soothe them back to sleep. It has 4 colourful light patterns too.

MFM home tester Laura tested this cot mobile with her 2 month old and said, "I liked the detachable remote to control the sound and how the sheep mobile was detachable so can be used in other places in the house or car seat. It was also great that you can vary what you want from it, whether the lambs are rotating, lights on or sound on. My baby was soothed by the mobile and it definitely distracted her when she was cranky, but it made no difference to her sleep."

However, Laura did say "the motor was quite noisy as it spins around which can block out the nature sounds".

Pros: Plays melodies, has a nightlight and has a remote to control it with
Cons: No projection and motor is slightly noisy

Available from: Argos

9. Mamas & Papas Musical Cloud Mobile, £35

– Best for neutral tones

Mamas & Papas Musical Cloud Mobile tested by 12 week old

Type of mount: Cot | Sound: Yes | Projection: No | Age suitability: 0-5 months | Batteries: None (wind-up operation)

This tranquil musical mobile plays a relaxing lullaby. The mobile has a pop of yellow set against a grey and white pallet with textured embroidery and a variety of fabrics.

The mobile arm is newly designed to fit the neutral soft style of a nursery.

MFM home tester Bella tested this mobile with her 12 week old baby and said, "the cot mobile was very easy to assemble and attach to the cot. The tune was calming and not too loud that it startled or disturbed her which was good when winding down for the night. It calmed her down if she was crying when we placed her in the cot. I think she was more entertained by the mobile. I really liked the look and feel of the mobile, the colours are neutral with cute shapes and it was good quality".

However, Bella did say she "didn't like that the music played for around 3.5 minutes and then you had to keep winding it back up". This does, however, mean no batteries are required.

Pros: Plays melodies and has a neutral design
Cons: No projection

Available from: Mamas & Papas, Very and Amazon

10. Scandiborn Little Dutch Wooden Music Mobile, £58.95

– Best for luxury

Scandiborn Little Dutch Wooden Music Mobile tested with 6 week old

Type of mount: Cot | Sound: Yes | Projection: No | Age suitability: Suitable from birth | Batteries: None (wind-up operation)

This cot mobile is slightly more expensive than the others on the list, but its scandi-inspired look makes it a lovely addition to your baby's nursery. The adorable mobile plays old childhood tune, "Old Mcdonald" and comes with 5 ocean-themed toys.

MFM home tester Charlotte tested this mobile out with her 6 week old baby and said, "the mobile is really well designed, with beautiful soft toys in complementary shades within the same colour palette. My son couldn't take his eyes off of it, it often made him smile, gurgle and coo which was lovely to see."

Charlotte did find this was better for distraction or stimulation, rather than sleep. "Although I used it numerous times it never once sent him to sleep, if anything it excited him, which is fine by me but possibly not what it's intended use is for. I did also like the fact that it became a lovely bonding experience for my 30 month old and her baby bother as she was able to talk to him about the song and name the different seat creatures".

This is another wind-up design, and Charlotte didn't like was that the music didn't play for long, but it does save you money on batteries!

Pros: Plays melodies and really high quality
Cons: No projection and quite expensive

Available from: Mabel and Fox and Natural Baby Shower

How we tested and chose our 10 of the Best

We researched all the cot mobiles on the market and picked some of the most varied and exciting for parents to test. Each item in the list has been tried by one of our trusted parent testers and their child(ren). 

When testing these cot mobiles we considered a number of factors including effectiveness, design and aesthetic appeal, safety, value for money and added featured such as music and light projection.

Our 10 of the Best lists are compiled by qualified and experienced parenting journalists. They rely on a number of sources, including our independent reviews, testing undertaken during the MadeForMums Awards, and feedback from our home testing panel and Top Testers Club. Each year thousands of products are put through their paces by hundreds of parents across the country on behalf of MadeForMums, to ensure we’re bringing you honest and true reviews and recommendations. 

Our list is not an ordered ranking from 1-10, instead it is a carefully selected group of tried-and-tested products, each of which we believe is best for a different situation or requirement. We don’t just tell you what is best, we help you discover what is best for your family.

Safety advice for using a cot mobile

According to Dr. Harvey Karp, paediatrician and child development expert, "cot mobiles are a wonderful addition to any baby's nursery, as long as they are used correctly":

  • Make sure the strings on the mobile are 220mm long or less, any longer is considered an entanglement risk
  • Hang the mobile high enough so they cannot reach it
  • Make sure the mobile works with your baby's cot so it can be securely attached
  • Once your baby begins to perch on their hands and knees or sit up, it's time to move the mobile from their cot or bassinet
Advertisement

About our expert

Dr. Harvey Karp is an American paediatrician and child development expert. He is also the founder and CEO of Happiest Baby and author of 'The Happiest Baby on the Block', 'The Happiest Toddler on the Block' and 'The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep'. For over 20 years Dr. Karp has been a tireless advocate and a national leader in the promotion of children's rights to a healthy and safe environment.

About the author

Chloe is a Digital Reviews Writer and Coordinator for Immediate Media's Parenting team. She researches and writes articles, recommending the best products for parents, ranging from best sleep aids to best playpens. She has a First-Class Honours Psychology degree where she developed a strong interest in child development.

Read more:

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement