Venture Hush Bedside Baby Crib review

The Venture Hush Bedside Crib is one of the best value products in this quickly expanding market, and it offers a safe, secure and comfy sleep environment, all for under £100. It scooped joint Gold in the Bedside Crib category of the 2020 MFM Awards and judges were wowed by its breathable mattress, portability and great value price tag.

Extra little details like an adjustable height, spring-loaded feet, the ability to incline and a sleeping area that’s so roomy it surpasses a fair few premium models, make it a competitive option as a bedside crib. Its lightweight frame (it weighs just 8.15kg) also mean it’s really easy to move around the house for naps, or to take away with you.

Tested by:

Karen tested the crib with her baby for a couple of months, from when he was 4 months old

How does the Venture Hush Bedside Crib look?

It’s very stylish and it fits into our bedroom well. The plush, attractive look of the crib is one of the recurring comments from online reviewers and was also noted by home testers of the MFM Awards 2020 who said it looked much more aesthetically pleasing than its cheaper price tag would suggest.

How does it compare to other bedside cribs?

Other products at the cheaper end of the bedside crib spectrum are thin on the ground, with most starting at upwards of £180. That said, there are a couple to give the Venture Hush Bedside Crib a run for its money – the Red Kite Baby Nebula, £125, has similar features (it’s height adjustable and has an incline), and in addition, it transforms into a playpen when your baby is older, but it doesn’t have the premium finish of the Venture Hush Bedside Crib and it has a smaller sleeping area.

The Nania Bedside Co Sleeping Crib, £74.81, and the Babylo Bedside Cozi Sleeper, £119.99, are also direct competitors, but again, offer a more no-frills look with less features for your money.

The Venture Hush Bedside Crib stacks up against more premium models in the category; we used the SnuzPod 3 (£189.99 on Amazon) when Milo was first born, which looked and felt great, but was small, with a mattress size of 44x80cm. The Venture Hush Bedside Crib is a lot wider and more spacious at 51x85cm, plus is was lighter to move around (it weighs 8.15kg to the SnuzPod 3’s 11kg).

What’s the age range for the Venture Hush Bedside Crib?

It’s suitable for babies from birth to 6 months.

Is it possible to see your baby at all times?

Yes – even when the sides are up, you can see your baby clearly through the mesh panels.

Are the drop-down sides easy to use?

They’re ok – you have to take a bar out of the top to take it down. We had it zipped up most of the time, but I imagine for newborn babies it would be down more often, with the co-sleeping set up. It may be tricky if you were hoping to zip it up and down multiple times in a night.

Is it simple to pick up your baby from the Venture Hush Bedside Crib?

Yes, really easy – if you are using it as a co-sleeper, with the sides zipped down, your baby is right next to you. If it’s set up as a crib with the sides up, you can simply unzip the side or reach over – both are really simple.

How lightweight and portable is the crib?

At 8.15kg it’s so lightweight – the Red Kite Baby Nebula and Babylo Bedside Cozi Sleeper, as well as many more premium models, are heavier and less portable. We have taken it to visit family and are planning on taking it on an upcoming holiday, so its weight and portability really do set it apart.

Does the Venture Hush Bedside Crib feel roomy?

Very. You really get a lot of crib for your cash here ­– the size was perfect for Milo to move around in while he slept and great to play in when awake. He particularly loves scratching the mesh on the side of the crib at all hours!

The mattress size at 51x85cm is noticeably bigger than the SnuzPod 3 (44x80cm) and it’s also roomier than many other, pricier, market leaders, including the Chicco Next2Me Magic (50x80cm; £239) and Tutti Bambini Cozee Air Bedside Crib (80.5x50cm; £185) to name just two.

Is the mattress comfy?

Yes, Milo slept really soundly in it and the mattress feels not too soft, or too firm. The crib is rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon and a number of reviewers comment on the high quality, breathability of the mattress and how good their baby sleeps while in the crib.

Can the Venture Hush Bedside Crib be used as a standalone crib as well as for co-sleeping?

Yes – it can be used as both, making it versatile and adding another point for its value for money.

Does the Venture Hush Bedside Crib convert easily into a cot?

It does – you simply remove the straps from the bed that make it a co-sleeper, zip up the side panel and you’ve got a cot. It feels safe and the design is well thought out.

Is there a shelf?

One minor negative is the lack of shelf – the SnuzPod we used did have one, which was great for holding muslins, bottles and soothers. But considering the price tag of both cribs, it wasn’t a deal breaker for me.

Can you rock the Venture Hush Bedside Crib?

Sadly no – for me, this is the main downside. Sometimes, my baby was nearly asleep while lying in the crib and to be able to rock it would have been amazing. Instead, we often had to get our little one out for him to fall properly asleep on us before transferring him back into the crib.

What other features does it have?

The Venture Hush Bedside Crib has a number of other great features – an adjustable height frame and a tilt element to help with colicky and refluxy babies. Both functions are big hit with online reviewers, who note how well it fits to all sizes of bed and just how useful the tilt is for settling newborns.

The crib also has extendable spring feet, which we found a little confusing – it would be great if these were lockable. Many online shoppers however report the feet as a big positive as it enabled them to get the crib closer to their bed.

Is the Venture Hush Bedside Crib easy to clean?

Yes – the fabric is good for cleaning and most things wipe off easily. The mattress too is really simple to wash and wipe down.

How easy is it to put together?

My husband assembled the cot in about 15 minutes ­– the instructions were easy to follow and its lightness really helps when putting it together. This opinion is shared by one of the MFM 2020 Awards home testers who said: ‘I would happily use the Venture Hush Bedside Crib instead of a travel cot as it’s so light and easy to put up.’

What would you have wanted to know before buying the crib?

It would have been useful to know that it didn’t rock, and also about the spring-loaded feed and how they don’t stay static.

Are there any design elements that are particularly useful?

Yes – the wideness of the crib is fantastic as Milo has a lot of room to move around.

Is the Venture Hush Bedside Crib good value for money?

Yes – for its price point it’s definitely a good option as your baby’s first bed – the fact it can see you from the newborn stage right up to 6 months and arguably longer is great, and its stylish finish was a hit in our house.

Where can I buy it?

It’s available to buy from Venture, Amazon and babaloo.

MadeForMums Verdict:

A stylish bedside cot that defies its cheaper-than-average price tag with its exceptionally roomy sleep space, attractive finish and handful of useful functions. It's great for parents who want a portable cot that can be moved into different rooms thanks to its lightweight design.

And while it the overall finish could do with slight refinement, this crib offers longevity and most importantly, a safe and comfy sleeping environment that stands up against pricier competitors.

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