How to Choose the best baby cots Cot Bed

With so many essentials for babies to consider, a top cot bed is one of the most important purchases. This guide has been created to assist you in choosing the right cot for your baby.

This high-end option works perfectly in Scandi style nursery. It's a sturdy and long-lasting option that will grow with your child. It has three mattress height positions as well as the ability to remove the sides for a stylish bench-style toddler bed.

Budget

There is a cot for sale for every nursery and budget. There are a myriad of options with different lifespans, some of which can be converted into toddler beds to be used in the preschool years or even beyond. The ones that can be turned into beds are more expensive, however they last longer.

The Mamas & Papas Coxley was our overall winner thanks to its luxurious aesthetic and easy-to-assemble design making it a great option for parents who want a top quality crib sets that can stand the test of time. The minimalist design and warm finish is perfect for the Scandi nursery. The cot bed also has a drawer that mum tester Katrina found to be superior to cheaper cots that come with an inbuilt drawer, and an anti-bite strip of plastic across the top of the cot rails to protect your child from getting their teeth stuck in the bars. The cot bed isn't expensive, and requires an Allen key for setup.

The Elementary cot is a cheaper option that will give your baby a good night's rest. It's part of the Anyday collection by John Lewis. The easy design and simple assembly were highly praised by our parent testers. The cot can be folded up and stored easily, since it can fit into bags that are similar to the one used for a camping chair. It's on the lightweight side, meaning it may not be suitable for car camping but it's a good choice for apartment living or for those who don't plan to move their cot around for too long.

We recommend the SnuzKot for an alternative to a cot that is budget-friendly, particularly when it comes with the toddler kit (sold separately) and mattress extender. It will expand with your child until they're around four years old, and our dad testers loved the fact it converted to a minimalist toddler bed and gave a cocoon-like feeling by incorporating a fabric canopy.

Safety

A good cot is not just required to meet the strict UK safety standards, but also be sturdy and feel secure. Find a sturdy design that includes safety bars or sides and a solid base to ensure that your child is unable to easily get out. Some cot beds will also come with extra features, such as teething rails and under-bed drawers that can help you keep things organised as your baby is growing.

The Boori cot is constructed of sustainable Australian Araucaria wood and New Zealand Radiata, so you can be confident in the purchase. It converts from a cot to a toddler bed (leaving three sides open to give you reassurance) and has an option to add an extension kit that can take it all the way to a double bed when your child is ready.

This simple, stylish cot is a great choice if you're on a budget. It's easy to put together with clearly marked components and clear instructions. It has three height settings for the mattress so that you can adjust it as your baby grows. It is compatible with most standard crib mattresses and is a good purchase for the money.

If you're looking for a premium cot, this one is a great option. It can be used as a cot and features four mattress positions. It can keep your baby safe until they are around three years old. It folds flat and comes with locking wheels, making it mobile if you have to move it from room to room.

This cot is light at just 6kg, and comes with a great bag for traveling. It's also extremely robust with strong frame that can withstand boisterous toddlers. Our test subjects found it a little difficult to put together, but the instructions were well-written and clear. They were impressed by the fact that the slats were spaced sufficiently apart to avoid fingers from getting caught between them. It's also more expensive than other cots that we have reviewed, but the quality and durability make it a worthwhile investment.

Design

When purchasing a cot bed it's easy to be engrossed in the specifications and safety features, but don't forget the design. It is essential to choose a cot that is both functional and beautiful.

The icklebubba Snowdon Classic bed is the perfect cot for those who love design. Its sleek, modern version of the classic sleigh design does not have the bulky feel that these types of cots can provide. It's got plenty of storage space, including a drawer that fits underneath the cot and teething rails on the sides. It was strong and sturdy. The three-position height of the base lets it grow with your child.

Alternately, the Modena cot bed from Tutti Bambini offers excellent value for money and has a stylish panel design that is perfect for any nursery. It's designed to last until your child reaches six years old, converting first into a junior bed and then into a stylish sofa bed. It's also among the only a handful of cots that we tested with a drawer, a teething rail, and a hanging rail.

The Stokke Sleepie Cot Bed is another option with a panelled design. It is available in a variety of colours to match the decor of your nursery. Our mom testers loved its unique features and the drawer for storage being particularly useful to store bedding and clothes. It's also the most simple cot beds to put together. The pieces are clearly labeled, and the instructions are simple to follow. It's also a great choice for those with limited space as it can be folded down and 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 permits it to be used until your child is 10 years old. older.

Convertibility

There are a lot of baby essentials you need to think about as you become a new parent. One of the most important items to think about is a top-quality cot bed. You want it to last as long as you can and evolve with your child so that they have a secure bed to sleep in.

While most cots can be converted into toddler beds with the purchase of a conversion kit, some cots are made to go a step further than this. The Boori Eton Cot Bed is our top choice. It can be converted to an infant (L207cm, W147cm, H90cm) as well as it can also be used as a daybed (L234cm, W145cm and H70cm), and sofa (L234cm, W145cm, H70cm). This makes it the longest-lasting choice on our list, because it is designed to last through childhood to.

It's a little more expensive than some of the other cot-beds we tried however its superior look and feel will fit in any nursery. The instructions could have been more clear, but our parent testers were awed by how easy it was for them to build and set up. This isn't a big issue, however, as it was still a breeze and took less than thirty minutes to complete.

Another great feature of this cot is the fact that it has four mattress base heights, which is an upgrade on the three standard options. This gives you the ability to adjust it as your child grows, as they may need a higher or lower base level based on their age and ability. It also comes with useful teething rails as well as a plastic strip that runs along the top to protect it from biting.

The grey finish was the preferred of our dad test-driver. It's not cheap however it offers great value for money as it will take your child through to toddlerhood and beyond. It also comes with one-year warranty, to ensure that it will last. The only thing you'll need to buy separately is the mattress.