How to Choose the Best Cot Bed
With so many essentials for babies to consider, a top crib bed is among the most important purchases. So we've put together this guide to help you find the perfect bed for your baby.
This high-end option works perfectly in Scandi style nurseries. This sturdy and durable option can grow with your baby with three mattress positions, and the ability to remove the sides to create a chic bench style toddler bed.
Budget
There is a cot for every nursery and budget. There are a myriad of options that provide different levels of durability and even convert into toddler beds that can be used throughout the age of preschool and beyond. The ones that can be transformed into beds are more expensive, however they last longer.
The Mamas & Papas Coxley was our overall winner, with its elegant design and simple design making it a great choice for parents looking for an extremely high-quality crib that can stand the years. Our parent testers liked the minimalist design and warm oak finish of this model, which looks amazing in a modern-style Scandi nursery. The cot bed also comes with a handy drawer that mum tester Katrina felt was superior to cheaper cots that come with an inbuilt drawer, and an anti-bite strip of plastic across the top of the rails of the cot to prevent your child from getting their teeth stuck in the bars. However, at over PS599 with a mattress that is sold separately the crib isn't cheap. It does require an Allen key to start it up.
The Elementary cot is a less expensive option that will give your baby a good night's rest. It's part of the Anyday range by John Lewis. Our parent testers loved the simple design and simple assembly. The cot is small when folded and can be tucked and easily tucked away into a bag that's the size of a camp chair's carry case. It's a little on the lightweight side, meaning it may not be ideal for car camping however it's suitable for apartment living or for those who don't want to move their cot around for too long.
The SnuzKot is a good budget-friendly cot we recommend particularly if you decide to purchase the toddler kit and mattress extender (sold separately). It will expand with your child until they reach around four years old. Our father tester liked that it could be transformed into a minimalist-looking toddler bed and create a cocoon like feeling with its fabric canopy.
Safety
A cot that is of good quality should not only meet the strict UK safety standards, but it should also be sturdy and comfortable to the touch. Look for a sturdy design with bars of safety or sides, and a solid base so that your baby cannot easily climb out. Some cots come with extra features like teething rails or under-bed storage drawers that can aid in keeping your baby organized as your baby develops.
The Boori cot is made of sustainable Australian Araucaria wood and New Zealand Radiata, so you can be confident in the purchase. cot for sale can be converted from a cot into a toddler bed by leaving three sides open for safety. There's an extension kit available that can transform it to a full-sized bed once your child is ready.
This stylish but simple cot is a great choice for those on a limited budget. It's simple to assemble with clearly marked parts and clear instructions. It comes with three mattress height settings so you can adjust it as your baby grows. It can be used with standard crib mattresses and is a great buy for the money.
If you're looking for a premium cot, this is a great choice. It comes with four mattress base positions in cot mode, and will last until your baby is three years old. It folds up and has wheels that lock, making it easy to move it from room to.
The cot comes with a handy travel bag and is among the lightest cots we tested at 6kg. It's also extremely durable, with an extremely sturdy frame that can stand up to the demands of boisterous toddlers. The instructions were well-written and clear, but our testers found the assembly a bit difficult. They were impressed by the fact that the slats are far enough apart to prevent fingers from getting caught between them. It's also more expensive than other cots that we have reviewed, however the quality and durability are worth the cost.
Design
When you are buying a cot bed, it's easy to be engrossed in the specifications and safety features, but don't neglect the design. The cot you choose for your baby will be in use for a long time so it's essential to find one that you enjoy and is also practical and useful.
The classic ickle bubba Bed is the perfect bed for those who love design, with its sleek modern version of the traditional sleigh design that does not have the bulky look that these types of beds usually feature. It's got plenty of space-saving storage, including a drawer that fits underneath the cot as well as rails for teething on the side. Our mum tester found it robust and durable, with the ability to adjust the height of the base three times, which allows the bed to grow with your child.
Alternatively alternatively, the Modena cot bed from Tutti Bambini offers excellent value for money and comes with a stylish panel design that is perfect for any nursery. It's designed to last until your child reaches six years old, before transforming first into a junior bed and later into a chic sofa bed. It's also one of the only cot beds we've tested with draw as well as a hanging rail and teething rails. Its solid pine construction makes it an excellent option for parents who want their cot bed to endure the test of time.
Another option with a sleek panelled design is the Stokke Sleepie Cot Bed, which is available in several colors to match your nursery decor. The storage drawer is useful for clothing and bedding. Our mum testers were impressed with its features. It's also among the easiest cot beds to build, with all pieces being clearly labelled and easy to follow instructions. It's also a great choice for those with a small space as it can be folded down and then flat-packed. It's a standard cot mattress (140cm by 70cm), and is suitable for children from birth through toddlerhood. An extension kit allows it to be used up to 10 years of age.
Convertibility
There are a lot of baby essentials that you should consider as a new parent. One of the most important items to consider is a high-quality crib bed. You want it to last as long as you can and evolve with your child, so that they have a safe bed to sleep in.
Some cots are designed to be more than just a bed for toddlers. The Boori Eton Cot Bed is our top pick. It converts into a toddler (L207cm, W147cm, H90cm) as well as a daybed (L234cm, W145cm and H70cm) and a sofa (L234cm, W145cm, H70cm). This makes it the longest-lasting selection on our list, because it is designed to last through from birth to childhood.
It's not cheap compared to some of the other cot beds that we evaluated, but it offers an attractive look and feel that will suit any nursery. The instructions could be more clear, but our parent testers were awed by how easy it was to construct and set up. This is not a major issue, however, as it was still a breeze and took less than 30 minutes to complete.
Another impressive feature of this cot is that it comes with four mattress heights for the base that are an improvement on the three most common options. This allows you to adjust it as your child grows, since they may require an upper or lower base level depending on their age and abilities. It comes with teething rails which are helpful as well as a plastic strip on the top to prevent it from becoming a bit.
The grey finish was the most popular of our dad's testers. It's not cheap but it's excellent value for money since it will last your child through the age of toddler and beyond. It also comes with a 1-year warranty so you can be sure it will last. The only thing you'll need to buy separately is the mattress.