Travel cots : overview

The following categories provide detailed information on all of the cots
in our test. Our parent panel gave the Best Buy award to the Graco Contour
Electra but make sure you check each individual category as it could be
that a different cot performed well in an area that’s significant to you.
Don’t forget, if you already use one of these cots and want to have your
say, click on the links below and add a review.

Our parent panel comments on the following:

Ease of use/Construction & fold

When you’re travelling long distances, the last thing you want is a complexed
cot that takes the likes of Einstein to construct. Luckily there are plenty
of modern designs that offer simple erect/fold mechanisms that (with practice)
you’ll be able to put together in record time.

Our parent panel praised the Jeep Travel Centre, Cosatto On the Move
Bassinette and Hauck Dream & Play for their ‘easy to use classic designs’.
The Graco Contour Electra took ‘a bit more time to get to grips with’
but had a ‘very handy click system to erect the sides of the cot’.

Not so high up on the ease of use scale were the LittleLife Twin Arc
Travel Cot – ‘needs at least two people, ideally including one scout master’
and Holi-doze Travel Cot which has ‘several valves so the set up takes
a while – fun the first time, frustrating the 4th or 5th time’.

A cot that packs away easily is a godsend. After happily using it for
a day, week or month, parents are often entirely bemused by the fact that
it once lived in the tiny bag that they’re expected to return it to. Surprisingly
our panel found the majority of the models on test relatively straightforward
to fold away, though they did admit to ‘having a few teething problems
with the Cosatto and Hauck storage bags’. Despite being two of the smallest
cots on test, the LittleLife was described as ‘a tad tricky to pack away’
and the Holi-doze was ‘awkward to deflate and felt heavy to carry – even
without air’.

Portability

If you’re small in stature but like the look of the bigger, more traditional
travel cots, make sure you invest in a model with wheels – at the very
least they’ll enable you to drag the thing to the car, train, air terminal
etc without causing any injuries! The Cosatto, Graco Contour, Jeep Travel
Centre & BabyDan cots all have ‘wheels which can be locked and poke out
of the bottom of the bag for additional portability’ whereas the Hauck
was found to be ‘equally as heavy as the other cots on test’ but no wheels
meant it was ‘difficult to carry and lift into the boot of the car’.

If you’re a back-pack/camping/minimalist kind of parent, you can’t go
wrong with the LittleLife Twin Arc travel cot. Weighing in at just 2.6kg
it can either fit into your suitcase or go as hand luggage. It also comes
with its own handy carry case and is one of the most innovative cots in
terms of weight and portability. Our panel agreed that it’s ‘the perfect
lightweight cot’, ‘the LittleLife comes into its own on portability- extremely
light and easy to travel with, the smallest folding cot we’ve seen’.

Versatility

The Holi-doze was found to be one of the most versatile cots on test
with our panel using it as a playpen, ball pond, fort and bouncy castle!
It also comes with its own storage bag that ‘easily converts to a changing
station or playmat for younger babies’. Another thumbs up on versatility
was the LittleLife which can be used as a beach shelter f you purchase
the additional sunshade, though one tester felt it was best suited to
‘a prop in a Krypton Factor-style intelligence test’.

The Graco Contour, BabyDan, Hauck Dream & Play and Cosatto cots all
double up as playpens for the babies and our panel loved the ‘mesh sides
that enabled the toddlers to play happily whilst keeping an eye on mum
and dad’. A hit on versatility was the Jeep Travel Centre which ‘features
a zippable side flap which the toddlers loved going in and out of – the
perfect role-play den for creative kiddies’.

Comfort

All of the cots on test were found to offer ‘a great deal of comfort
for baby’ and our panel were surprised by how comfortable and cosy the
LittleLife was, ‘despite looking a lot smaller and thinner than the others’.
The Holi-doze also felt ‘very firm when inflated’ and ‘offered a comfy,
well-built bed for baby’ although ‘you need to ensure you’ve sealed all
the valves or it slowly sinks…!’

Of the larger cots on test, the Graco Contour, Jeep & BabyDan cots scored
best on comfort. Our panel noticed the Hauck Dream & Play had a ‘slightly
firmer mattress than the other cots on test’, though the babies ‘slept
happily in it’.

Quality/Value for money

A good quality cot should happily accommodate your baby until they grow
out of it, after which it can be used for various other purposes or stored
for any future babies that come along. Longevity should be a priority
if you travel regularly so think carefully about size, length, width and
fabric quality.

The LittleLife was found to be the smallest cot on test but our panel
found it offered ‘enough flexibility to sleep a toddler’ though ‘the sides
are narrower so it doesn’t offer much space for a child that likes to
move around a lot’. Our panel described the Holi-doze as ‘built to a good
standard’ though one of our testers did notice a small tear in the side
after a few weeks use. Thankfully the cot comes with its very own repair
kit so you can mend tiny tears and punctures on the spot.

The Graco Contour, BabyDan and Jeep were found to be ‘great long-term
buys’ that would ‘probably last your baby until they want to sleep in
a big bed’. Our panel also liked the idea of additional bassinettes -
‘great value for money, much cosier for younger babies and definitely
more reassuring for new parents’.

Additional extras

The Graco Contour Electra won hands down on extras: ‘It’s got wheels,
a changing mat and a bassinette that you can switch to vibrate to calm
your baby. Quite uniquely it also has a nightlight, it plays music and
it comes with a detachable toy bar. This cot goes so far beyond the call
of duty I wanted to give it 6/5′. Similarly, the Jeep Travel Centre scored
points for its ‘handy little bags which attach to the sides for keeping
toys in’. It also has a mosquito net and bassinette for smaller babies.

The BabyDan comes with a toy bag on one side and the Cosatto has ‘a
very handy changing unit and relatively spacious storage compartment’.
The Hauck Dream & Play was found to be the most basic cot on test but
still ‘did the job well’ and was ‘relatively good value for money’.

Results

Got something to say? If you’re a long-term user of one of the travel cots in our test and want to add your opinion, visit our individual parent panel reviews using the links below and share your views with other babyworld mums.

Where to next:

• Back to the Travel cots main test page
• Read the parent panel reviews:
  BabyDan
  Travel Cot
  Cosatto on the Move Bassinette Travel Cot
  Graco Contour Electra
  Hauck Fun for Kids Dream & Play
  Holi-Doze
  
  Jeep
  Babycentre
  LittleLife
  Twin Arc Travel Cot
• Become a parent panel member
• Read the test overview to find the right travel cot for you