Buying Small Cot Beds
When you are looking for a compact cot bed it's easy to get caught up in the spec and safety features, but you should also consider the aesthetic too. A well-designed cot will make your room appear bigger and less cluttered.
Stroller-style, and quite light this model is a good option for bedrooms with smaller spaces. It's also the simplest flatpack to assemble.
Space-saving
Cot beds are a smaller versions of traditional cots to tots, however they still provide all the comfort and safety features your baby deserves. They can be used until your toddler is ready for an adult bed around the age of 2. Some models can be transformed into a stylish couch bed for older kids.
To help you make the most of your space, consider a model that fits in with your existing bedroom furniture or one that you can easily disassemble and reassemble when you want to make room for other baby items. You might also want to think about a compact cot bed with built-in storage, or multi-functional designs that combine an armoire, changing unit and bench seat into a single piece of furniture.
You can find a wide selection of sizes in our cots for small spaces and best infant cribs roundup and, therefore, no matter if you have a small nursery or a spacious playroom there should be something to fit your space. Many of the designs in our roundup have a fitted bed, making it easier to keep your child's bed neat and tidy.
It's important that you determine the size of your nursery prior to buying a crib. You should also look at the gap between the bars as it should not be greater than 6.5cm to ensure safety.
Silver Cross Nostalgia is a cot which takes a 120 x 60cm standard mattress and comes with an elegant sleigh-style frame. It's designed to last, with a solid construction and high-quality materials, and is easy to alter as your baby grows. It's more expensive than the other cots we've reviewed, and you'll need to purchase a separate mattress.
The Mamas & Papas Franklin cot, which we consider to be the most value cot, is another ideal choice for a smaller nursery. It has a lot of extra features such as teething rails. There are also two height positions which can be adjusted to suit the baby's development. It is also super easy to assemble. The mattress is included, however another one will be required to help with the toddler conversion.
Comfort
Select a cot that is small and has an easy mattress. This will help your baby sleep well. These are designed to be firmer than the traditional cot mattress but still soft enough to ensure that your child will get the rest of the night.
The mattresses are cushioned to reduce the retention of heat, which can cause discomfort in some babies. The materials used on the mattress are free of irritants and chemical to ensure that they don't irritate your baby's sensitive skin.
These mattresses are a good option for side and back sleepers, as they offer excellent support for the head, neck and body. They can also be used with the cot's built in cradling system, which parents have found to be helpful in cases of reflux and colic.
If you are considering a mattress cot bed that has cushions it is essential to verify the size of the mattress as well as whether it will fit into the cot's base. It is also possible to determine whether there are specific rules and regulations to follow when purchasing the mattress for a cot like the minimum thickness.
If you're in search of an cot bed that will grow with your child, then consider this adaptable design from Vox. It is initially a cot and then converts into a toddler bed, saving you from having to buy a new bed when your baby is ready for it.
Our panel of test participants enjoyed the cot's simple setup, with mum tester Grace noting that it "came out from the box and was unfolded like a chair for camping". The middle joints snap into place and the cot folds into itself without a complicated mechanism to deal with. It's also compact and lightweight, fitting neatly into a bag that's slightly bigger than a camp chair's case and ideal for taking it to the grandparents' homes.
The cot is extremely comfortable, despite being larger than other models in our tried and tested line-up. It's made to feel like an actual mattress and has plenty of padding and a springy base that absorbs the weight, but not making your baby feel like they're in a bouncer. It's also a sturdy, stable option for both back and side sleepers though the senior editor Nick Belcaster noted that stomach sleepers might have trouble with it.
Safety
To ensure the safety of your baby, it's important to check whether the cot bed you choose to use meets the UK standards it claims to meet. Look for the BS EN code or BS8509 in case you're planning to convert it into a toddler's bed. Also, make sure it's the right size for your nursery and offers enough room for a safe sleep for your baby. It should be 140cm x 70cm and have no gaps around the corners or edges.
Make sure that the mattress is firm and lies flat in the cot. If it's soft, old or damaged, this can cause suffocation. Examine the mattress to determine whether it springs back rapidly after pressing. A high-quality cot mattress should feel firm and flat when you press it down on the middle of it.
Keep the cot free of toys, stickers and other items that could be a danger to choking. It's important that babies can be able to move around freely and rotate as they sleep. If your cot is equipped with drop-sides, make sure you check it often to ensure that the mechanism is secured.
Do not put your cot near an open radiator or a window that is sunny. It is possible that they will become too warm or wake up with sunburn. You should also keep the cot away from wall mounted curtain cords or baby monitor cables, as well as decorative accessories that have long cords. Cords that are strangled by babies and older children might reach out to grab bars for their cot or even pull themselves up.
This cot is well worth the extra money If you're looking for a Scandi-style and a high quality finish. It's not the easiest to assemble, but the instructions are clear and the wood feels solid. It's not cheap but it'll keep your child safe through their toddler years and will look fantastic in any nursery.
Design
When shopping for a small cot bed, it's important to remember that you're likely investing in something that will last for years. In contrast to best rated cribs, which are used only for a short period of time, cots are suitable from the time a child is born until they are able to safely transition to a toddler bed or kids single bed. To ensure that the cot you buy will last, search for a model that has adjustable heights for the base. This feature allows you lower the mattress height to accommodate your child's development, ensuring they are safe and comfortable.
A great design feature is the capability to remove the cot sets bars into sections. This is a great way to give your little one a feeling of independence once they start toddle, and will help them get in and out of their bed easily. For even greater flexibility the cot beds such as the Leander Luna Baby Cot (they said) can also be converted into a comfortable sofa by taking off the front of the bed.
Many cots feature slatted designs that are ideal for smaller spaces, since they allow air to circulate and regulate the temperature of your baby. This is a significant difference in comfort, and could make all the difference in trying to ensure that your baby has an adequate night's rest.
A small cot, or the cot-bed, is an excellent investment in your baby's security and sleep habits. It can also be an excellent addition to any nursery. Cuckooland has a wide range of beds and cots to pick from.
There's also various accessories, like baby bumpers and soft duvets with high-end bed linen are available for each crib to make it look more complete. This allows you to create a welcoming and cosy environment for your baby, ensuring they get the best cots for newborns rest possible.