How to Choose the Best Cot Bed
With so many baby essentials to think about, choosing the ideal cot bed is one of the most important purchases. Therefore, we've created this guide to help you find the perfect bed for your little one.
This top-quality option is perfect it perfectly Scandi style nurseries. This sturdy and durable option will grow with your child, with three mattress positions, and the ability to take the sides off to create a stylish bench-style toddler bed.
Budget
When it comes to cots, there's something to suit every budget and every nursery. There's also a variety of options that offer different amounts of longevity, with some converting into toddler beds to be used into the age of preschool and beyond. The ones that can be converted into beds are more expensive, but they last longer.
The Mamas & Papas Coxley was our overall winner due to its stunning design and easy-to-assemble design, making it an excellent choice for those who want an excellent cot that will stand the test of time. The sleek design and warm-toned finish will look great in the Scandi nursery. This cot bed comes with an adjustable drawer that mom tester Katrina considered to be more suitable than cheaper cots with a drawer built in. It also comes with an anti-bite strip along the top rails of the cot, to prevent your child's teeth from getting stuck. But at PS599 with a mattress sold separately this crib isn't cheap. It requires an Allen key to start it up.
The cot for the Elementary is a less expensive option that will provide your baby a good night's sleep. It's part of the range called Anyday by John Lewis. The easy design and simple assembly were praised by our parent testers. The cot can be folded up and stored easily, since it can fit into a bag the size of that used for a camping chair. It's not ideal for car camping however it's suitable for those living in apartments or who won't be moving their cot a lot.
The SnuzKot is an additional budget-friendly cot that we recommend, especially if you choose to purchase the toddler kit and mattress extender (sold separately). It will expand with your child until approximately four years old and our dad tester liked the fact that it was able to transform into an unassuming toddler bed and gave the feeling of a cocoon with its fabric canopy.
Safety
A good cot is not just required to meet the strict UK safety standards, but it must also be sturdy and feel secure. Find a sturdy design with sides or safety bars and an erect base that your child can't be able to climb out. Some cots come with extra features, such as teething rails or drawers under the bed that will help you stay organized while your baby develops.
The Boori cot is made from sustainable Australian Araucaria wood and New Zealand Radiata, so you can be sure of the purchase. It can be transformed from a cot into a toddler bed by leaving three sides open to ensure security. There is also an extension kit available which can convert it to a full-sized bed once your child is ready.
This stylish but simple cot is an excellent choice for those on a limited budget. It's easy to set up, with clearly labelled parts and clear instructions. It comes with three mattress height settings so you can alter the height as your baby grows. It can be used with standard mattress cots and is a great value buy for the price.
This is a fantastic option If you're looking for an extremely high-end cot. It offers four mattress base positions when in cot mode and will last until your child is three years old. It also folds flat and comes with lockable wheels, making it very portable if you need to move it from room to room.
This cot comes with convenient travel bag and is one of the smallest cots that we tested at 6kg. It's also extremely durable, with a strong frame that can handle the raging toddlers. Our test subjects found it a little challenging to put together, however the instructions were clear and well-written. They were impressed by the fact that the slats are spaced enough apart to prevent fingers from getting caught between them. It's also more expensive than other cots we have reviewed, but the quality and durability make it worth the investment.
best cots to overlook the style when you are buying a cot bed. It's important that you choose a cot bed that is both functional and beautiful.
The icklebubba Snowdon Classic bed is the ideal bed for design-lovers. Its sleek, modern version of the classic sleigh style isn't as bulky that these types can have. It has plenty of space-saving storage such as the drawer that is built into the cot, as well as teething rails on the sides. Our mum tester found it robust and durable and has three positions of base height that allows the bed to grow with your child.
Alternately alternatively, the Modena cot bed from Tutti Bambini offers excellent value for money and has an elegant panel design that is perfect for any nursery. It's made 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 only a handful of cots that we tested with an apex drawer as well as a teething rail and a hanging rail.
Another option with a smart panel design is the Stokke Sleepie Cot Bed, which comes in a variety of colour options to coordinate with your nursery decor. Our mom testers loved its nifty features and the storage drawer being especially useful for storing bedding and clothes. It is also one of the easiest cot bed to assemble. The pieces are clearly labeled, and the directions are easy to follow. It's also a great choice for those with a small space, as it can be folded and then flat-packed. It fits a standard cot mattress (140cm x 70cm) and is suitable from the time of birth until toddlerhood, with an extension kit that allows it to be used up until your child is 10 years old. old.
Convertibility
There are a variety of baby necessities that you should consider as a new parent. But one of the most important is a good quality cot bed. You want something that will last as long as possible and will grow with your child to give them a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
Although most cots can be converted into toddler beds by the purchase of a conversion kit some cots are made to go beyond this. The Boori Eton Cot Bed is our top pick. It can be converted to a toddler (L207cm, W147cm H90cm) and a daybed (L234cm, W145cm and H70cm), and sofa (L234cm, W145cm, H70cm). This makes it our top choice for durability and will last from birth through childhood.
It's a bit more expensive than some of the other cot beds we tested however its superior look and feel will fit in any nursery. The instructions could be more clear, but our parent testers were impressed by how easy it was them to build and put up. This is a minor flaw, though, considering it was a breeze and took less than 30 minutes to complete.
This cot has four different base heights for mattresses. This is an upgrade over the three most popular options. This gives you the ability to adjust it as your child grows, because they might require an upper or lower base level, based on their age and level. It also comes with teething rails as well as a plastic strip along the top to guard it from biting.
The grey finish was the preferred of our dad test-driver. It is not cheap but it offers the best value for money as it will last until they reach toddlerhood and beyond. It's also covered by an assurance of one year so you can be confident that it will last. The only thing you'll need to purchase separately is a mattress that's not included.