10 Quality Dock A Tot Knock Off Options Your Wallet Will Appreciate

The DockATot is a widely-touted newborn must-have. Women swear their babies wouldn’t sleep on their own or through the night until the very day they got a DockATot. But those things are expensive! Which begs the question – is there a decent Dock A Tot knock off?

As it turns out, there are a TON of DockATot alternatives available. Some are just a cheaper version of almost the exact same thing, while others are far from being comparable in function and quality.

Of course, you could always make your own Dock A Tot, but if you’re not good with a sewing machine that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Fortunately, you’ll be able to get a really cheap Dock A Tot alternative that suits your standards once you’ve read about these highly rated baby loungers.

Every lounger on this list:

• Has at least 150 Amazon reviews and a 4.7+ rating
• Can be used from birth
• Is made of breathable material
• Is machine washable (or uses a washable cover)

The review list below is ordered with the highest overall Amazon rating first. However, in the table below we have a quick-reference list of winners by certain categories (such as the most affordable) so you can hone in on the ones that best suit your personal needs.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

The Best Budget DockATot Alternatives

In addition to a thorough review, we’ve given each infant lounger a Bright Color Mom rating out of 10 based on these factors:

• Affordability
• Size and weight
• How long your baby can use it
• Material, comfort, and washability
• Usefulness

All of these products are cheaper than the DockATot, but they still vary wildly in price. Our price range key is as follows:

• $ = under $40
• $$ = $40-$70
• $$$ = $70-$100
• $$$$ = over $100

So what products are similar to Dock A Tot? Let’s explore the many alternatives below!

Boppy Lounger Review

Price: $
Estimated Age Range: 0-4 months
Review: At about 25 inches across, the Boppy Lounger definitely isn’t a long-term lounging solution. Then again, not much baby gear gets more than a few months’ use!

On the other hand, whereas the other loungers on this list are more like tiny cribs with padded sides, this one is more like a donut that your baby’s butt slides into. Your baby is a lot less likely to actually roll over into the sides of the Boppy Lounger until they are pretty strong.

The material feels smooth and washes easily. The lounger itself is super-fluffy and comfortable, but since baby’s head will always lie in the same spot, you may start to notice a dip in the padding there.

It’s lightweight and has a carrying handle at the top, making it great for carrying around the house to pop your baby in it for quick errands (like going to the bathroom or making yourself a meal).

Bright Color Mom Score: 8/10

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MamiBaby Baby Nest Review

Price: $$
Estimated Age Range: 0-9 months
Review: The MamiBaby has travel handles, making it extremely handy on the go. It doesn’t use a buckle system, but it does have two sets of thinner ribbons that can be adjusted to sit wider (or left untied altogether). This makes it one of the best adjustable baby loungers on the market.

Like the similar-looking beds above, the MamiBaby uses a cover made of breathable cotton that is removable and machine washable. The padding on the bottom of this one has a higher density, though, giving your baby more spinal support when they sleep.

Bright Color Mom Score: 8/10

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Is DockATot worth it?

Since there are so many cheap baby loungers out there that look nearly identical to the DockATot, that begs the question: is the Dock A Tot worth the price?

Plenty of parents who have had bad experiences with these alternatives (rips, stains upon arrival, broken zippers) will swear you should just spend the money on the real thing from the get-go. But when you can get three or four generics for the price of the name brand… the odds are in your favor that you’ll still get a quality product at a lower price.

Babies sleep a LOT as newborns, and they will often only nap in spaces where they feel completely secure.  A baby lounger could end up being your most-used baby accessory, and if your baby likes sleeping in a DockATot, then any new parent will tell you that alone is worth the cost.

Why is DockATot so expensive?

The old “you get what you pay for” saying often rings true, and the DockATot is made of higher-quality materials. That doesn’t mean the cheaper ones are made of bad materials, just cheaper materials. So you have to decide if that matters to you.

While DockATot also uses the general stamp of “natural cotton” for their covers, their materials are also put through a gamut of safety tests including toxins, flammability safety, seam strength, fabric burst strength, and color-fastness.

How long can baby loungers be used?

Through what age can baby loungers be used? Some babies grow fast and get too wiggly for loungers as soon as four months. Others don’t mind sleeping with their legs hanging over the bumper edge and will happily keep sleeping on them for up to a year.

It really depends on your baby’s size and sleeping habits (as well as the size of your chosen lounger).

Can baby loungers be used all night?

No baby lounger has been approved by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) for sleep of ANY kind, so they certainly haven’t been approved for overnight use. This is an American regulatory committee. Then again, the American Academy of Pediatrics also says cosleeping isn’t safe at all, but I can name a dozen people I know personally that have coslept since day one!

Other countries feel differently about loungers. In Europe, these beds are often touted as “safe for cosleeping” right on their packaging.

If your baby is strong and starts rolling to the side early, or seems to have a habit of pressing their face into the bumper, you’ll probably want to avoid using a baby lounger overnight (and maybe not at all). You have to do what’s best for you and your child.

What are baby loungers most used for?

If you can’t use them for putting your baby to sleep overnight, what is the point of baby loungers? Well, babies have to be put down a lot so you can, you know, get stuff done. And you don’t exactly want to put them straight down on the floor, and it’s dangerous to put them on a bed or high surface either.

Baby loungers are great for keeping your newborn in a safe space that they can’t easily scoot out of while you tend to other chores or take a shower. And most experts agree they are perfectly safe for supervised naps (meaning you’re in the same room and awake the whole time).

DockATot Deaths

Has a baby died in a Dock A Tot? You’ve probably seen one-star reviews making this claim, saying the product kills babies, is completely unsafe, and should never ever be used.

The truth is, Consumer Reports did publish their findings of two infant deaths being linked to the use of a DockATot. But the whole picture needs to be seen to make an educated assessment of this fact. Here are more details about the report:

• This data spanned  over six years, from 2013 to 2019
• DockATot has likely sold tens of thousands of units
• These deaths are ruled as SIDS and cannot be quantifiably ruled as caused by the DockATot

Why is Dock A Tot unsafe?

Can a baby suffocate in a DockATot? Well, babies have a chance of suffocating any time their airways are blocked, including having their faces pressed against the fabric. Since the DockATot’s bumper is a raised edge, if your baby managed to completely turn their body into the bumper, they could be at risk.

Keep in mind that most babies aren’t able to roll to their sides at all until 2-4 months. And if they are strong enough to do so, they are usually strong enough to move their faces toward fresh air if their breathing becomes uncomfortable. In addition to that, the DockATot is made of breathable cotton fabric and polyester fill.

For me, the statistics above aren’t enough to scare me off of baby loungers altogether. Parents have to do what’s best for their baby while trying to make life with a newborn manageable. While I didn’t have a DockATot, I did allow both of my babies to take almost all of their naps on a Boppy pillow (not even the actual lounger!) and never felt that they were in danger of suffocation.

You are the parent, and you know your baby. Go with your gut! And follow the Dock A Tot safety guidelines from their website, no matter which lounger from this list you decide to get:

• Don’t use loose pillows or blankets in or on the lounger
• Always put your baby to sleep on their back
• Supervise all of their time spent in the lounger
• Only put the lounger on a firm, flat, stable surface
• Don’t carry the lounger with your baby inside
• Only use the lounger when fully assembled
• Closely supervise when using the lounger during tummy time

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I hope you’ve found these product reviews and comparisons helpful and have chosen the perfect Dock A Tot knock-off for your little one! I don’t know what I would’ve done without a baby lounger when my kids were newborns.

Which one did you decide to go with? Let me know in the comments!