Buying Small Cot Beds

When looking for a small cot bed, it's easy to get caught up on the specifications and safety features but consider the design too. A well-designed cot can make a room feel bigger and less clutter-filled.

This model is perfect for bedrooms with small spaces. It's light and stroller-style. It's also the easiest flatpack to put together.

Space-saving

Cot beds are smaller versions of traditional cots but they still have all the comfort and safety features your baby needs. They can be used until your toddler is ready to move on to a junior bed at the age of 2. Some models can be turned into a chic couch bed for older children.

To maximize your space, consider an item that is compatible with the furniture in your bedroom or one that you can easily disassemble and reassemble if you want to make room for other baby items. You might also want to consider a cot that is compact bed with built-in storage or an all-purpose design that incorporates a chest of drawers as well as a changing unit and bench seat into a single piece of furniture.

You can find a wide range of sizes in our cots for small spaces and cribs roundup, so regardless of whether you have a tiny nursery or a huge playroom there's something to fit your space. A lot of the cribs on our list have an adjustable mattress which helps keep your baby's bedding clean and tidy.

When you are choosing a cot it's important to determine the size of your nursery and verify the dimensions to ensure it will fit before purchasing. The gap between the bars should be no greater than 6.5cm. This is for safety reasons.

Silver Cross Nostalgia is a crib that accommodates a 120x60cm standard mattress and comes with stunning sleigh-style frames. It is built to last, with high-quality materials and sturdy construction. It is also easy to adapt to your baby's increasing needs. It is more expensive than the other cribs on our list, and you'll have to buy a mattress separately.

The Mamas & Papas Franklin cot is another fantastic option for a compact nursery, and it's our pick of the best cot newborn value cots. It has a lot of extra features such as teething rails. There are also two height positions that can be adjusted to accommodate the baby's development. It is also super easy to assemble. It comes with a mattress, but you'll need to buy another one for the toddler conversion.

Comfort

Pick a small cot that has a comfortable mattress. This will allow your baby to rest comfortably. These are designed to be a bit firmer than a traditional cot mattress but still soft enough to ensure that your child will get an enjoyable night's sleep.

These mattresses are cushioned to reduce the retention of heat, which can cause discomfort for some babies. The materials used to make the mattress are free of irritants and chemical to ensure they don't cause irritation to your baby's sensitive skin.

These mattresses are a great option for side and back sleepers, as they offer good support for neck, head and body. They can also be used in conjunction with the cot's built-in cradling, which parents have found to be helpful in cases of colic and reflux.

It is essential to determine the mattress's size and make sure that it can fit into the base of the cot prior to buying a cot that is small. You can also find out whether there are any specific rules and regulations you need to follow when purchasing mattresses for cots, such as the minimum thickness.

If you're looking for a cot bed that can grow with your child, then consider this adaptable design from Vox. It starts out as a cot and then converts into an infant cot bed bed, saving you from the expense of buying an entirely new bed once your baby is ready for it.

The simple configuration of this cot was highly praised by our panel. Mum Grace said that it "came from the box and folded like a camping chair". The middle joints snap into place and the cot then collapses into itself. There are no complicated mechanisms required. It's also compact and lightweight and can easily fit into a carry bag that's slightly larger than a camp chair's case and ideal for transporting to the grandparents' homes.

Despite being bulkier than other models in our tried-and tested range, this cot is extremely comfortable. It is designed to feel like a mattress with plenty of padding and a soft bottom that absorbs the weight without making your child feel like they are in a bouncer. It's also a solid, stable option for both back and side sleepers though senior editor Nick Belcaster noted that stomach sleepers might have trouble with it.

Safety

To ensure the safety of your baby it's essential to verify whether the cot bed you choose to use meets the UK standards it claims to meet. Look out for the BS EN 716 code, or BS 8509 if it's converted into an infant bed. Also, make sure it's the right size for your nursery and offers enough space to provide a safe sleep for your little one. It should be 140cm by 70cm, and not have any gaps around the edges or corners.

Make sure the mattress is firm and laid flat in the cot. If it's a bit soft, old or damaged, this can cause suffocation. Examine for any areas of sagging that could pose a danger and test how quickly the mattress springs back after pressing down on it. When you press down on the middle of a quality cot-mattress it should feel firm.

Make sure the cot is free of toys, stickers and other things that could pose a choke danger. It is essential that babies be able to move around freely and rotate during sleep. If your cot has a drop side, inspect it regularly to ensure that the mechanism is locked securely.

It's important to avoid placing a cot close to the sun or a radiator because they may get too hot or awake with sunburn. Make sure the cot is kept away from wall mounted curtains, baby monitor cables, and other accessories with long cords. Babies could be strangled by these cords, and older children may climb up on them or reach out to grab the bars for the cot.

For Scandi style and a high-quality finish the cot is worth the cost over other cheaper options. The instructions are clear, and the wood feels solid. It takes some time to assemble. It's not cheap cots but it'll last your child right into their toddler years and will look great in any nursery.

Design

It's important to consider that you're likely to invest in long-term furniture when shopping for a bed that is small. Unlike cribs which are used only for a brief period of time, cots and cot beds are suitable from the time the time a child is old enough to safely transition to a toddler or a single bed. To ensure that the crib you're buying will last, look out for a model with adjustable base heights. This feature lets you lower the mattress's height as your child grows, ensuring they stay safe and comfortable for longer.

A great design feature is the ability to take out cot bars in sections. This is an excellent way to give your little one a feeling of independence when they begin to walking around, and can help them get in and out of their bed easily. To make it even more flexible, some cribs, like the Leander Luna Baby Cot can be transformed into a cozy sofa by taking off the front of the bed.

The slatted style of many cribs is a good option for small spaces, too, as it helps air circulate and regulate your baby's temperature. This can make a huge difference in the quality of sleep and help ensure that your baby gets an enjoyable sleep.

A cot-sized or small bed is a fantastic investment for your baby's sleep habits and security, and is an attractive design element to any nursery. With so many styles to choose from, it's worth the effort to browse the full selection of cots and cot beds on offer at Cuckooland to find a style that suits you.

There's also an array of accessories, like baby bumpers, soft duvets, and premium bed linen, are available for every crib to make it look more complete. This lets you create a a welcoming and cosy environment for your baby cots online, ensuring they have the best sleep possible.