Many travel cots are designed for newborn babies to sleep in, often with raised bassinet attachments that can be fitted inside the travel cot. However, for any travel cot you’re considering, it’s important to make sure it’s suitable for your little one. Travel cots will say what age, size/and or weight they’re designed to hold – such as from newborns up to 15kg. Make sure the travel cot you buy matches your baby. Use the bassinet for a new-born in the standalone travel cot or in the co-sleeping setup. For older babies remove the bassinet for a deeper protective side panel.

We commissioned Ruth Lumley to write about and test a variety of toddler and baby travel cots. Ruth is a journalist who has used a number of baby beds with her three young children – from the newborn stage right through to toddlerhood and while holidaying abroad and visiting relatives in the UK. Soft mattresses are known to increase the risk of SIDS as they make it harder for babies to lose body heat, which can cause them to become too hot.

How we tested and why you should trust us

During the research process, she looked at the types of products available, scoured the Mumsnet forums for recommendations and spoke to baby sleep experts from The Lullaby Trust, an organisation that provides advice on safer sleep for babies.Ruth tried out each bed with her youngest child, who was 18 months old at the time of testing. She tested each for at least three nights, both at home and at the grandparents' house, which meant that all the models were subject to the same environmental factors and held a child of the same age and weight. About the author While you may have dedicated a lot of time to finding the best crib, moses basket or cot bed for your child, we tend to give less thought to which travel cot to buy. But getting the best sleep possible is just as important while you're away from home, so we've put some of the best travel cots on the market through their paces. Choking hazards are also something to look out for so make sure that small parts, like zips, are well covered If, however, you tend to travel often or think your little one will have regular sleepovers with the grandparents, then a travel cot is a great solution.

The Lullaby Trust also advise that portable cribs aren’t placed against radiators and remain out of reach of blind cords. How much does a travel cot cost? We tested products with a variety of price tags and compared the more expensive models to those that were cheaperRuth scored each product based on each criteria below, with the highest scoring coming out on top as the overall winner. Honourable mentions were then given to nine other top-performing beds. Safety and stability It’s important to understand too, that whilst travel cots can make brilliant beds for holidays and trips, they’re not for long term use. Your baby should sleep in a suitable bed at home, like a cot, a Moses basket or a bedside crib.

The likes of mud, sand, peanut butter, milk and orange juice were smeared and spilled onto the interior and exterior to see how easy stains were to remove The Babylo Deluxe Drop Side Co-Sleeper Travel Cot has been designed to be easily assembled and folded down. It functions as both a co-sleeper and a standalone cot, gives you with much more flexibility than a standard travel cot. Was it heavy to carry and did it fit comfortably in the boot of an average-sized family car? Could it be taken on public transport easily? Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She's been researching and reviewing baby and child products for 2 years, with a particular focus on baby essentials, toys and books for toddlers and outdoor play equipment. From potties to paddling pools and bunk beds to bedtime stories, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the best products out there.

How much does a travel cot cost?

It’s vital you use this mattress with the cot, as the mattress is designed to fit the cot properly and safely. Travel cot mattresses often serve as a structural support too, and taking the mattress out can make the travel cot less stable and even a risk to your little one. Always use a travel cot with the mattress it comes with. Can you use a travel cot long term? This travel cot can be used as a next to me crib whilst on holiday or visiting friends. The mesh sides allow you to keep an eye on baby as well as allowing for increased air circulation. Ruth looked at how much space the cot took up in a room – did it slot in easily, and was it more suited to indoors or outdoors? When inside, was the little one comfy? Did they like it and was there enough room to sleep and to play?

Travel cots don’t need a separate mattress. All our travel cots come with safe and firm mattresses already included with the cot. Even if the mattress feels thin, don't be tempted to place folded blankets underneath your child. Go for a baby sleeping bag or a well-fitted swaddle instead. We also wanted to see which products might cause difficulty for people with mobility issues and which were the easiest to assemble and take down Each product was tested in rooms with both carpet and laminate flooring, then scored on six key areas: Travel cots make wonderful beds for babies, toddlers and young children to sleep in for trips and short periods. As they’re easily portable, travel cots are ideal beds for holidays and overnight stays, even for taking naps in when visiting friends and family for day trips.Some, like the Arc 2, also come with added extras like built-in mosquito nets for camping. What's the best travel cot to buy? Ruth also considered how easy it would be to access spare parts and whether each cot came with a warranty Portable beds can be expensive and can take up unnecessary space in an otherwise baby-filled home, so if you think you'll only get use out of one for two weeks of the year, then you could probably do without. Some cots have removable side panels, but if they don’t then you can always wipe them clean with warm water. 4. Extra features