Choosing a Large Bedside Cot

Bedside cots (also known as co-sleepers and bassinets) are designed to let parents rest with their baby at night without fear of SIDS. However they are only suitable for use up to 6 months, when your baby is required to move into a cot or a moses basket.

Mehack, a MFM home tester, was impressed by the fact that this model has an adjustable bassinet that can be used throughout the home. It also has an option to rock manually. It was simple to put together, and came with its own travel bag.

Size

Cots and cot beds vary in terms of size in size, with cots smaller than cot beds. Cots can also be converted into toddler beds. However cots are generally used for children up to the age of three. If you're opting for a wooden cot bedside, you'll find two sizes available that are large and standard both of which can be converted into a toddler bed or cot beds. If you wish for your child (or children) to be comfortable sleeping in the larger cot, it's an excellent idea to pick the larger size.

Jasmine, a MFM mother who tested the product at home, said she liked that it was a bit bigger than a Moses basket, but not too big for her baby’s room. It's easy to lift her baby in and out for feeding or soothing and the quality is top-notch in comparison to other cots she's seen that feel flimsy.

Emily, another home tester, is awed by the versatility of the Maxi-Cosi lora - it is a portable, lift-off bassinet. It also rocks. It also has an incline of reflux as well as a machine washable breathable liner. It was also shortlisted in the 2021 Mother&Baby awards for the best Cot Crib, Crib or Moses Basket. The Lora is compatible with a South African cot mattress unlike many international or European brands. This means you don't have to purchase a new mattress every time your baby grows. It will require a specific bedding set (60x120cm). You can find the perfect mattress for your cot here.

Height

When selecting a bedside crib, choose one that can be adjusted to the ideal height for you. It must also be lowered to a level that is not in the way so you can raise your baby to feed them at night or soothe him. This feature is particularly helpful in the event of recovering from a C section. For example, 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.

It is also important to consider how low you'd like the base of your crib to be. Some mothers find it is easier to lift their children from standard Moses baskets if the base is at the lowest point, while some prefer a higher level to give them greater stability. The Joie Roomie Glide is a popular option and one of our mom testers saying that it is easy to use with a collapsible part that you can push down with the click of a button.

Be aware that a bedside or bassinet device should only be used in the event that your baby can hold his head up with no assistance, which is typically around 6 months. This is due to the danger of suffocation. It is also important to remember that if you choose a bedside or bassinet which can be converted into a cot and vice versa, you must begin removing the sides once your child is ready for this to ensure they don't climb out or fall out of bed.

Design

There are many styles of cribs for bedside use, ranging from basic to lavish. Some of the more luxurious options include features like a built-in light and a soothing center which plays music and sounds and has two levels to help soothe your baby back to sleep or a swivelling footrest that makes it easier for you to reach your child in order to feed them. There are also models that can be converted to the form of a toddler bed or cot bed (or both) which is ideal when your child is ready to transition to their own bigger bed.

The Tutti Bambini CoZee Air For instance has won Bronze at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the best bedside cot uk Cot Moses Basket or Crib category. It is a swivelling base that allows you to pick up your baby and transfer them to the other side of the crib without having to get out of bed. This makes it perfect for new mothers who are recovering from Caesarean or require bed for longer durations of time. MFM mom home tester Jasmine loved this feature, stating that it was simple to use and made her baby much more manageable especially after a c-section.

Chicco Next2me Magic is another option. It was awarded Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for the Best Cot, Moses Basket or Crib and has a machine-washable interior, reflux incline, and a rocking feature. It's bigger than other bedside cribs that we've tested, however it folds down into its bag for travel cot bedside crib, making it relatively compact when it's not in use.

MFM mum home tester Leya loved the practicality of this bedside crib she explained how it was created with the needs of parents and children in mind. It is very easy to move and extremely sturdy. She said that the bassinet's pivoting base was brilliant because it let you move it from side to side. One of its sides could be lower to make access easier for mothers who are recovering from C-sections.

Safety

A large bedside cot's main security characteristic is the fact that it can be easily adjusted or moved so that parents can reach their child to feed, comfort or change his or their nappy. This is why it's perfect for mothers who still be recovering from a C-section. It is recommended to choose an option that lets you lower the bed's side with a single button press. This will allow you to easily raise your child without getting out of the bed. This is particularly crucial as your baby grows older and more mobile. It is also important to not add anything to the crib that increases the chance of suffocation, or injury, such as pillows and duvets, which could cause babies to become overheated.

The NPR of the CPSC NPR includes 24 incidents that are attributed to issues with the product that include gaps between a bedside sleeper (adult bed) and the bedside sleeper (12 incidents) as well as enclosed openings made of fabric (11) and consumer assembly errors (6 incidents).

In its NPR the CPSC looked into the possibility of introducing additional requirements to bedside sleepers. For instance the products would need to meet the minimum side height requirements for bassinets or at a minimum, the maximum height requirements for the lowered rail. The CPSC determined, however, that these requirements were not efficient or effective in reducing the number of instances in which infants are entrapped by the bedside rail as well as an adult bed.

A majority of the incidents mentioned in the NPR focused on multi-use bedside sleepers which can be converted to different types of furniture, like bassinets or play yards. Several commenters suggested that the CPSC include in the proposed rule an alternative option for multi-use bedside sleepers that would enable them to meet the minimum side-height requirements for bassinets using a removable attachment that can be connected permanently or disconnected when the product is not being used as the bassinet.

The CPSC is examining the comments and other suggestions received in response to the NPR on sleep at night. The Commission will consider these comments when voting on the final rule that is expected to come out in November 2021.