Choosing a Large bedside cot used Cot
Bedside cots, also referred to as co-sleepers and bassinets, are designed to allow parents to sleep close to their infants at night, without the risk of SIDS. They are only recommended for up to 6 months, after which your baby is old enough to move to the crib.
MFM home tester Mehack loved that this model features a bassinet that can be lifted off to use throughout the house, as well as the ability to rock manually. It was simple to put together and it came with a travel bag.
Size
Cots are smaller than cots. Cots can also be transformed into toddler beds. However cots are generally used for children up to the age of three. If you’re opting for a wooden cot, you’ll find two sizes available – standard and large – both of which can be converted into a cot bed/toddler beds. If you’d like your child (or children) to be comfortable sleeping in a larger cot, it’s an excellent idea to pick the larger one.
Jasmine, an MFM mom who tried the product at home, said she liked that it was slightly larger than the typical Moses’ basket but still not too big for the baby’s room. It’s easy to carry her child in and out for feeding or soothing, and that the quality is great in comparison to other cots she’s encountered that feel cheap and flimsy.
Another home-based test subject, Emily, likes how the Maxi-Cosi is a versatile product it’s a drop-off bassinet that can be moved around the home, and it’s a blast too. It also comes with an incline of reflux as well as a machine washable breathable liner. It was also shortlisted for the 2021 Mother&Baby awards for the best Cot Crib, Crib or Moses Basket. In contrast to International or European cot brands Lora is a cot that Lora can be fitted with South African cot mattresses so you don’t need to purchase a new mattress as your baby grows. However, it does require a special bespoke bedding set (60x120cm). Here is the perfect mattress for your cot.
Height
When selecting a bedside crib make sure it can be adjusted to the ideal height for you. It must also be lowered to a level that is not in the way so that you can pull your baby towards you to feed them at night or to soothe him. This is particularly useful in the event of recovering from a C Section. For instance, the Next2me and Tutti Bambini cots can be adjusted up to a height of 58cm while the Snuzpod 3 goes up to 63cm and the Knuma huddle up to 70cm.
Another thing to think about is how low you want the base of your cot. Some mums find that it is easier to lift their children from their standard Moses baskets when the base is situated at the lowest level, while some prefer a higher elevation to give them greater stability. The Joie Roomie Glide is a popular option and one of our mum testers stating that it is easy to use with a collapsible side that you can use at the push of a button.
Remember that a bassinet/bedside sleeping device is only suitable when your baby is able to hold his head up without assistance, which is usually at around 6 months. This is because of the possibility of inhaling suffocation. It is also important to remember that if you opt for a bassinet/bedside crib travel sleeper that can be converted into a cot and vice versa, you must remove the sides as soon as your child is ready for this, so that they don’t get out of bed or get out of the bed.
Design
There are many styles of cribs for bedside use, ranging from basic to extravagant. The more luxurious options may include features such as a built-in nightlight and a calming centre which plays music and sounds and offers two levels of vibration to help soothe your baby to sleep, or even an adjustable base that makes it easier to get your baby’s food in the right place. You may also find some models that can be transformed into an infant bed or a toddler bed (or both), perfect when your child is ready to transition to a larger bed.
For example the Tutti Bambini CoZee Air which was awarded Bronze in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket category, has an adjustable base that allows you to pick up your baby and transfer them from one side of the crib to the other without having to get up. This is perfect for new mothers recovering from Caesarean sections, or those who need to remain in bed for long periods of time. MFM mum home tester Jasmine loved this feature, saying that it was simple to use and made her baby much more manageable particularly after her c-section.
Chicco Next2me Magic is another alternative. It won Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards to be the Best Cot, Moses Basket, or Crib and has a machine-washable lining, reflux incline, and a rocking feature. It’s slightly larger than the other bedside cribs we tested but it folds flat in its travel bag so it’s relatively compact when not in use.
MFM mom home tester Leya loved the practicality of this bedside crib describing how it was designed with the needs of parents and children in mind. It is lightweight and easy to move. The swivelling base of the bassinet is amazing because it allows you to move the bassinet from side to side and one of its sides can be opened down to make access easier especially for mothers who are recovering from C-sections’, she said.
Safety
A large bedside cot (peatix.com)’s main safety feature is that it can be easily moved up or down so that parents can reach their baby to feed or comfort them, or change his or their nappy. This is why it’s perfect for new mothers who may still recovering from a C section. You should look for a design which allows you to lower the bed’s side with a simple button press. This allows you to lift your child up without getting out of the bed. This is important, especially as your baby grows and becomes more mobile. Avoid adding anything that could increase the chance of injury or suffocation, like duvets and pillows that can cause your baby to overheat.
The CPSC’s NPR included 24 incidents that were attributed to product problems that included gaps between the bedside sleeper and the adult bed (12 incidents); fabric-sided enclosed openings (11 incidents); consumer misassembly or missing components (6 incidents) and other miscellaneous product-related issues (9 incidents).
In its NPR, the CPSC examined the possibility of adding additional requirements for sleepers in bed, such as the requirement that these products satisfy the minimum side height requirement for bassinets or at the very least, meet the maximum height requirement for the lowered side rail. However the CPSC determined that these requirements are not feasible or effective to reduce the number of incidents in which infants were trapped between the small bedside cot sleeper and an adult bed.
The majority of the reported incidents in the NPR included multi-use bedside cot for twins sleepers that can be converted to other modes such as bassinets and play yards. Many commenters suggested that the CPSC add an alternative clause to the proposed rule for multi-use bedside sleepers which would permit them to meet the minimum side height requirements for bassinets by using a removable attachment. Attachments can be permanently fixed or removed when the item is not being used as a bassinet for babies.
The CPSC is examining these comments as well as other submissions received in response to the NPR regarding bedside sleeping. The Commission will consider these comments when deciding on the final rule, which is expected to be published in November 2021.