Cots:Cotbeds:Novelty beds:
Price: £225 (Deluxe) and £325 (Elite); mattresses from Features: Angle-fronted pine cot with one-handed drop Dimensions: Angled to fit across the corner of a room Stockists: tel. 0121 553 6344; mail order tel. 0121 525 Parents’ comments:
Babyworld verdict: The price makes this cot something of Score: |
Manufacturer:
Manufacturer:Price: £95; mattresses from £20.
Features: Slatted cot with scalloped ends in antique white,
plain white, mahogany or natural wood – with drop side and adjustable
two-position mattress base.
Dimensions: Mattress size 117cm x 54cm.
Stockists: You can buy this cot in the
babyworld shop. For other stockists tel. 01952 550022.
Parents’ comments:
Solidly made but fairly light.
Traditional, attractive design looks nice in the nursery.
Two positions for the mattress so newborns can be raised for easy
access and toddlers lowered to prevent them climbing out.
Rails on all sides allow for a light and airy but slightly exposed feel.
Two hands required to drop side rail but simple and smooth to manoeuvre.
Pretty simple to put up although instructions could be clearer.
No teething rails.
Babyworld verdict: A neat and attractive, nicely finished no-frills cot which does the job in a no-nonsense way for a fair price.
Score:
| Brio Bedside Cot |
 Manufacturer:Brio |
Price: £199
Features: Birchwood cot with one-handed drop side which
can be stowed to allow you to place the cot alongside your own
bed. Adjustable base has nine main positions plus three fine-tuning
positions to ensure it can be positioned exactly to your own bed’s
height. Set on four castors.
Dimensions: Overall 126cm x 68cm x 123cm. Mattress
size 120cm x 60cm.
Stockists: tel. 01706 750853.
Parents’ comments:
Good quality, robust and well made cot.
The choice of mattress position allows you to accurately position
baby next to your own bed so it becomes an exact, safe and secure
extension of your bed.
Adjustable cot side allows you easy access to the baby in the
night but easily slides back into place as a traditional cot
whenever baby is left alone.
Casters allow excellent manoeuvrability and lock for safety.
As
a cot, drop side is operated easily by a foot pedal.
Makes night-time feeding or checking baby completely effortless
– is very reassuring.
Expensive, but ideal if you plan to have the baby in your room.
Babyworld verdict: The bedside design is excellent for
anyone who wants the intimacy and ease of having their baby in
their bed without the worries and discomforts that can involve.
Design works well and if you are likely to use this feature a lot
it is well worth the extra cost.
Score:
Manufacturer:Price: £50; mattresses from £20.
Features: White or pine cot with three-position mattress
heights.
Dimensions: 55cm x 112cm x 79cm
Stockists: tel. 0208 2085600; or visit www.ikea.com
Parents’ comments:
Excellent price.
Simple functional design.
Hard wearing.
Three mattress height positions ensure the cot remains safe and
easy to use as the baby grows.
Quite time-consuming to put up but very sturdy once assembled.
Rails on all sides create a light and airy, if somewhat exposed
feel.
No drop sides so you have to lift the baby out over the sides.
No teething rails.
Babyworld verdict: A functional, no frills cot for an
excellent, good value price.
Score
Manufacturer:Price: £179.99; mattress £49.99.
Features: Antique pine cot with two teething rails and
three-position mattress base. Lower bed end included for when
converted into a bed.
Dimensions: Mattress size 140cm x 70cm.
Stockists: 0800 4960 700; or visit www.babiesrus.co.uk
Parents’ comments:
Straight forward to assemble and 10 minute conversion from cot to
bed.
Very very sturdy, no wobbling.
Three mattress positions add flexibility and can be sited low for
safe transition into a bed.
Teething rails protect cot sides.
Makes a good sized bed which looks nice and will last until child is
about seven years old.
Low bed end helps this look like a proper bed when converted.
Fair price for something that works well as both a cot and a bed.
No drop sides.
Babyworld verdict:
Score:
Manufacturer:Price: £185; mattresses from £27.
Features: Antique pine or mahogany cotbed with scroll ends and
two-position mattress base. Sides remove for conversion into a bed or
later use as a sofa.
Dimensions: Mattress size 140cm x 69cm.
Stockists: You can buy this cotbed in the
babyworld shop. For other stockists tel. 01952 550022.
Parents’ comments:
Good
as a cot – roomy and secure.
Top mattress height is very high – ideal for reaching a newborn and with
enough spare foot room to use one end as a changing area.
Good as a bed – low to the floor so no worries about falling.
Simple
to convert.
Solid
ends give a proper bed head feel and look.
Basically straightforward to put up but instructions could be clearer
– no picture of the cot to show you what you were aiming for.
No drop sides.
No teething rails.
Babyworld verdict: A well made, simple but effective design,
nicely finished. Few frills but fully functional as a cot and safe and
solid as a bed.
Score:
| Early Learning Centre Snooze and Cruise Toddler Bed |
 Manufacturer: EarlyLearning Centre |
Price: £150
Features: Moulded plastic car shaped bed with mattress
included.
Dimensions: 165cm x 98cm x 116cm.
Stockists: buy through ELC Direct tel 08705 352 352; or
visit www.elc.co.uk
Parents’ comments:
Very simple to construct.
Chunky,
robust, solid.
Overhead roof – with sunroof – and ‘windows’ add fun and
give something of the safe feel of a cot without being
claustrophobic or restricting.
Car sides ensure it is impossible to fall out.
Makes a great fun zone and den for imaginative play.
For quite a major item it is a relatively compact size.
Quite a basic mattress but covered with PVC to protect against
night-time accidents.
Makes
going to bed quite an exciting adventure – not always something
you want at bed time.
Limited life because it is pretty small.
Babyworld verdict: A very solid, safe little bed which
was a great hit with the child testers – both by day and night.
The car design is appealing to both boys and girls and became the
vocal point of play by day as well as providing a cosy, fun
bedtime environment. This was much more of a hit than we expected
and to a large extent the cost was justified by the huge amount of
fun the children got out of it.
Score:
| Little Tikes Cosy Cottage Toddler Bed |
 Manufacturer:Little Tikes |
Price: £199.99
Features: Moulded plastic bed with cottage-style
head board with opening window shutters. Mattress included.
Dimensions: 170cm x 94cm x 112cm
Stockists: tel. 0800 521 558
Parents’ comments:
Very straightforward to assemble.
Low to the ground and with low sides which add protection and
insure they don’t fall out.
Very robust, solidly constructed and entirely toddler proof.
Shutters
add interest and imaginative fun but items tend to fall off
– there’s no back, so positioning of the bed needs thought.
Very girlie – pink and twee, but very appealing to young ‘Barbie’
girls aged two to about four and half max.
Quite a basic mattress but cotbed fitted sheets fit fine.
Expensive for something with a fairly limited life, although
cottage end will free-stand for use as a toy shop or peek-a-boo
house.
Babyworld verdict: A strong, robust bed, low enough
to easily aid transition to a full sized bed and with a fun
element which did encourage our young tester to stay in the
bed. However it is expensive for something with a relatively
limited life.
Score:
Where to next?
Read babyworld’s feature
on sleeping – what can you do to encourage your baby to sleep
through the night?
Read the current guidelines on how to reduce
the risk of cot death.
Read babyworld’s
product test of baby monitors.
