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Ickle Bubba Bubba&Me Luxe Beside Crib review: "Love this crib, our baby settled straight away"

Undeniably stylish and attractive with its wood-effect finish and plush, cotton-blend fabrics, the Ickle Bubba Bubba&Me Luxe bedside crib offers new parents a luxurious-feeling option for their baby's first bed. But is it as practical as it is stylish? New mum Sarah put it to the test with her newborn.

By Jenny Wonnacott | Last updated Jan 28, 2026

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Mumsnet Badge Ickle Bubba Bubba & Me Luxe crib review image showing crib in testing with baby and as standalone

Price on writing: £169 £149

Overall rating:
What we like
  • Easy to assemble with clear instructions

  • Stylish and blends well in the bedroom

  • Sturdy and solid once built

  • Comfortable, supportive mattress

  • Rocking function helps settle baby

  • Seven height and incline settings

  • Compact enough to sit beside the bed

  • Excellent value for a bedside crib

What we don't like
  • On the smaller side for bigger babies

  • Not really portable enough for holidays

Key specs

Price on writing: From £149 (was £169) | Size: 95.5W x 61D x 69.5-81cm   | What's included: Crib, mattress, carry bag | Height settings: 7

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Our verdict

Our tester Sarah really loved this crib, finding it a big step up from her baby's Moses basket. Her newborn settled in it straight away (always the most important test!) with the mattress offering a comfortable, supportive base. The crib's design felt safe and secure and Sarah said she had full confidence in the Bubba&Me's safety.

The design of the Bubba&Me was a standout feature for Sarah, who said it matched their bedroom aesthetic really well. Its size means it's compact enough to sit neatly beside the bed, but still feels roomy for a newborn baby.

Practical details of the Bubba&Me Luxe crib have clearly been thought through. Assembly took around 15 minutes and didn’t require any head-scratching, and the height and incline adjustments are simple to use. Although Sarah didn’t attach it to the bed, she liked having the option and found it easy enough to move around when needed.

The only real limitation Sarah found with this crib was its size. If you’ve got a larger baby or one who likes to fling their arms out, they may start to feel restricted sooner than expected. For Sarah, whose baby is larger than average, this meant she didn't think they'd be able to continue using it after four or five months (official guidelines say the crib should last until your baby reaches six months, 9 kg or can sit up unaided).

Bottom line: A well-designed, well-priced bedside crib that does exactly what you want it to do in those early months.

I love this crib for the first couple of months for a newborn and would definitely recommend it to other parents.

-Parent-tester Sarah

What we tested
Performance
5
Quality and durability
5
Ease of use
5
Value for money
5
Safety and stability
5
Assembly
5
Comfort
5
Adjustability and portability
4

How we tested the Bubba&Me Luxe crib

Sarah used the crib at home with her baby from five weeks old onwards, after transitioning from a Moses basket. It was used daily for sleep beside the bed. Assembly, adjustments and general day-to-day use were all tested as part of normal family life, with Sarah providing detailed notes and scores (above) for important factors such as safety, comfort and adjustability.

Ease of use and assembly

The crib arrived “well packaged” with instructions included in the box. Assembly was required, but Sarah said it was “very easy to assemble”, adding that the instructions were “easy to follow” and the whole thing took “about 15 minutes to put together”.

In daily use, the crib feels straightforward and intuitive. Sarah rated ease of use a full 15 out of 15, and nothing about the setup or adjustments felt fiddly or frustrating.

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Comfort and sleep quality

Comfort was a strong point. Sarah said the mattress “feels comfortable” and her baby settled in it immediately. “The first time we used it he settled,” she told us, which speaks volumes to tired parents.

Compared with their previous Moses basket, Sarah felt “this crib is a lot better”, particularly in terms of comfort and overall sleep quality. The rocking mechanism was another helpful feature for settling during those early weeks.

Adjustability, portability and bedside fit

The crib fits neatly beside the bed and doesn’t dominate the space. Sarah described it as “not too big” and said it “fits nicely beside our bed”.

There are seven different incline and height settings, which Sarah found easy to adjust. While the crib can be secured to the bed, she chose not to, explaining that they wanted to be able to move it around instead.

In terms of portability, Sarah said it was “portable enough to move to a different room but not suitable to take on holiday”. She scored adjustability and portability slightly lower than other areas, reflecting that it’s more of a stay-at-home crib than a travel option.

Read next: The best cot mattresses and toddler beds

Design and build quality

Sarah was confident in the crib’s safety and build. She said it “feels sturdy and safe” and rated safety and stability a full 10 out of 10.

Looks were another highlight. She described the crib as “very stylish” and said it fitted in well with their home, which is no small thing when baby gear tends to take over. Quality and durability also scored top marks, with Sarah giving it full marks.

My favourite things about this crib are the style, comfort and how easy it was to assemble.

-Parent-tester Sarah

Value for money

Looking at the RRP, Sarah felt the Bubba&Me “definitely” represented good value for money. Compared with a basic Moses basket, it offers better comfort, more features and a longer usable window, though, of course, at a more premium price point (for comparison, the Clair de Lune Dimple Palm Moses Basket costs £45).

Against other mid-range bedside cribs, it stands up well on quality, ease of use and design as well as being competitively priced (for comparison, the current price of the Chicco Next2Me Magic is £199, Silver Cross Lunar is £145 and the Maxi-Cosi Iora Air costs £184). While premium bedside cribs may offer more longevity or travel-friendly features, Sarah felt this one delivers exactly what most parents need in the newborn stage, without paying extra for things they won’t use.

About the author

Jenny Wonnacott has been working as a Content Editor for Mumsnet since 2022 and, as part of the core baby and child editorial team, has been responsible for the bedtime category of articles, buyers' guides and review content for most of this time. She has extensive experience of researching, testing and reviewing a wide range of baby and toddler sleep items from travel cots to swaddles, baby monitors to toddler beds.

A mum of three, Jenny has done her fair share of late-night Googling in search of the best baby sleep aids - and now puts that experience to good use by ensuring Mumsnet’s reviews and buyers' guides are practical, trustworthy and based on genuine insight. She works closely with medical and industry experts and Mumsnet’s community of parent testers to make sure every product recommendation truly lives up to Mumsnet's goal of making parents’ lives easier.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet baby and child product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing - this includes recommendations from the Mumsnet Talk boards. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

All prices correct at time of publication