Best cot to buy from newborn

[reren]

Am wondering if anyone has any thoughts/ advice about the best cot to buy?

We're still a long way off the birth of our first so there's no rush - but starting to think about trying to budget for some of the big items like cots and prams... I'm thinking I'll use Moses basket at the very early stages - but wondering if its worth investing in an expensive cot that grows with the baby - in the long run is this a good investment?

I like the look of the oval one that Stokke does - but it is pricey and I wondered if anyone has experience with that and whether its a pain to get sheets that fit and that kind of thing? If it really works until the child is 3-4 then might be worth the money? Or should we go for a cheap and cheerful from Ikea that'll work just as well? I assume they are all health and safety tested pretty rigorously and so you don't need to worry about one being safer than another?

[Pickle]

We invested in cotbeds from the Mamas and Papas "Ocean" range for our two kids (born just under 17 months apart, so both needed cots). They were quite expensive but have been excellent - our son is now 3.25 and is very happy in his little bed now that we've taken the sides off, and our nearly 2 year old is still in the cot version. Very sturdy, plenty of room for them to grow and they look nice :)

But similarly I know of lots of people who managed perfectly well with cheap and cheerful cots from Ikea and the likes. It's really down to personal preference.

P

[trinity]

I bought a very ordinary cot from Mothercare in the sale for ?80. It lasted my 4 kids up til they were each 2 1/2 yo (when they went into single beds), was borrowed by a friend and has done another 2 years with her child and is about to start again with her newest baby. I think that that works out at about ?6 per year!

You can spend as much or as little as you want but the more expensive ones are not always the best.

[buggie]

I'm really liking the look of the stokke one - it's beautiful and doesn't look so big it'll take over the room (some of the cots i've looked at seem as big as a bed!)and love the way it grows.

There seem to be bargins on ebay - and easy to get new mattresses on ebay too.

[Bumpkin]

One of the best bits of advice I was given before having baby B was not to bother with a cot as they don't last long and to get a cot bed instead. I did have a particularly large boy who is now on the 98th percentile for height, but I'm so pleased I got a cot bed as it's great to be able to keep the sides up as long as you want as I've heard various horror stories of happily sleeping babies not sleeping at all when in a big bed for quite some time.

[hpsaucey]

I bought a cotbed with adjustable height that you can put up against your own bed - for easier night-time feeding! When they're older the sides can come off completely and you can lower the height and use it as a normal bed. It's gone through two kids and I guess my two year old will be using it for another 4 -5 years or so so. I agree that you can spend as little or as much as you want. I do think that, unless you're REALLY pressed for space, a cotbed is a better investment that cot size as they will quite quickly outgrow a cot-sized one.

H

[apenn]

I also used a cot that can be put next to the bed with the side down for night time feeding - but mine doesn't convert to a bed. Had I seen that one, I would have opted for it.

Anyway, I've enjoyed being able to put the cot next to my bed.

Regarding the Stokke one - it looks small but be careful. My friend moved house and assembled it in her daughter's bedroom thinking that they could easily move it between their room and her room. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit through the doorframe so they would have to disassemble it to move it!

-A

[Polly D]

I would spend your money on the mattress. Our boy slept terribly in his moses basket - which had a really flimsy 'mattress'. The minute we put him in his cot - at 10 weeks - with lovely firm mattress (from M&P) he slept through!

Another vote for cot bed.

[akc74]

I had been planning on going for a John Lewis cot - I wsa thinking that if I get a cotbed and then am lucky enough to have number 2 soonish afterwards - I'd end up needing another cot anyway as no.1 would still be in the cotbed? Does that make sense? But it does sound like cotbeds are getting the vote here - so I may need to rethink. Like Pickle, maybe I will just need 2 cotbeds.

I think the issue might be fitting a cotbed beside our bed if we end up wanting to keep the baby next to us for a few weeks but I'll get measuring!

[apenn]

You can always get a moses basket to keep in your room for the beginning, and there are also co-sleepers that are designed to attach to the side of your bed.

-A

[Goodliz]

With regards to the original question, I found both boys slept better out of the moses basket and in the cot bed. I did swaddle them when they were tiny babies so space was not an issue then but when they got strong enough to fight their way out of the swaddle they definately needed more space.

If you are on a tight budget or don't want too much stuff round the house I'd recommend just going straight for the cot bed as it will last you years. Our 5 yr old is tall hence he is now needing a proper single size.

Sorry to jump onto this thread but just incase anyone is looking for a bargain - from the end of may we will be selling:

John Lewis Ellen cot bed which also has the ends you need to convert it to a Junior bed

and

John Lewis Ellen Junior Bed

Both kids used the cot bed and it is now being used as a Junior bed as we've taken the sides off by our 3 yr old.

Our 5 yr old is in the other Junior Bed.

Bunk beds being delivered end May so that is why they will be available then.

Thanks,Liz

07976 778413

[Indiana]

Hello

We bought a Moses basket for our little lady and she slept in that in our bedroom for the first 10 weeks.

We then moved her to her own room and into her cotbed (think it is the John Lewis Ella one) and we have had no problems. I like the fact the cot will grow with her. I bought a nearly new one from the forum and then invested in a new mattress from John Lewis.

However they are quite big so the only caveat is that we were glad we felt she was ready to sleep in her own room at 10 weeks as she was too big for the Moses basket and we did not want to put the big cotbed in our bedroom.

The Ikea cots I think are just fine too....my friend swears by hers.

Also - re akc74 comment...surely if you had no 2 in quick succession you would still have to buy a junior bed for no 1, then also then a junior bed for no 2 when ready? So buying 2 cotbeds rather than 1 cot then 2 junior beds is not much different?

Good luck!

[akc74]

Yes quite right - my pregnancy brain is making me sound a little dippy and confused.

I am thinking moses basket in with us for however many weeks it turns out to be - then cotbed in the nursery. And we'll cross the next bridge if and when no. 2 arrives.

So now I just have to decide which cotbed to go with. Most of the John Lewis ones don't seem to have drop sides, which I imagine to be quite useful - so may go for one that does both (e.g. the Elizabeth). They seem to either have fixed sides and 3 base positions - or 2 positions and a drop side. So many decisions....!

[littleEDfamily]

I just found out the govt plans to give me ?195 for popping out another sprog. I am getting this ingenious contraption with my windfall. Love it - http://www.bednest.co.uk/ There must be cheaper versions of this, but it sure is good looking!

[Moos]

Another vote for a JL cotbed here - our son has been in his since he was tiny, for the first few weeks in a Moses basket. Now converted into a proud big-boy bed.

Not sure whether drop sides would have been good but we haven't missed them. The cotbeds do allow 2 or 3 levels at which you can place the mattress. A good quality mattress is a good investment.

We've also had good value from an IKEA chest of drawers with folding changing table top. Came in a horrid colour which we incompetently painted white.

[hpsaucey]

Boy - I'm a killjoy! That nest thing DOES look stunning and I'm sure would be brilliant but I wonder how long before your baby grew out of it - a few months max? Lot of money but I guess if you've got the readies then why not?

[littleEDfamily]

Given how long my last baby was (and new one seems destined to be) not very long at all (3 months max!). I had written it off as unjustifiable luxury, but the govt seems determined I have it. I have fingers crossed, resale value would be good. It just seems so well designed and I am a sucker for that sort of thing.

[snowboarder]

I think the baby nest looks lovely!! Much better than a moses basket and might last longer too. We had a funny moment when babysnowboarder got too big for the moses basket (yep - 3 months!) but was too little and me not ready for him to go into the cot bed in his own room (cot bed too big for ours). We ended up stupidly buying a fancy 'travel' cot (v heavy not travel at all!) with bassinet to tide us over - disaster - I think that's when all our sleep problems began actually!!

Anyway - this all made me think that next time it would be good to have a crib that is bigger than a moses basket that will last until 4/5 months and then transfer to cot bed.

[littleEDfamily]

My daughter slept for the first 5 months (except for the first few weeks when we just used the Bugaboo carrycot placed in our room) in an 'antique' crib that my great uncle made and my sister and I slept in (I took the decision about which cot bed to buy very seriously and it took me some time - we settled on a Boori sleigh bed, which I highly recommend, esp as has a very easy to use drop side, and good resale value)! But my husband never appreciated its historic value or aesthetics, and I got nervous about the safety aspects this time (it has two huge star cut outs on either side, and some bits are chipping away), hence the move to something slick and modern. So, yes, Snowboarder, I agree that the crib size (bigger than a moses basket/ smaller than a cot) option is worth considering. Our plan is now to move 3 year old to a single bed when new baby outgrows Bednest and covert Boori back to a cot for bubs, which will mean we get 6 years' use out of the cot bed and we can still use as a daybed/ sofa thereafter. I do like the Stokke as well. And the Leander. But that's just me being a bit of design junkie and there ain't nought wrong with the IKEA ones either.

Is it sad to spend so much time thinking about these sorts of things?

[hpsaucey]

Not sad at all - important to get it right. We have a tiny flat and I made my partner put up with a massive old Silver Cross pram in the front room for nearly a year because I wanted to use one. Drove him nuts LOL, but made me and my little'un very happy.

Sure you're right about resale value of that bed too!

[littleEDfamily]

Love the Silvercross. Well done you for showing him what is important. For some women, it's shoes and handbags, for others....carefully chosen baby paraphenalia.....

[hpsaucey]

HHm - suspect I like ALL those things. Just don't have the budget to indulge ...

Keep seeing lots of 'teccie' dad-type baby stuff around too at the minute. Check out all the dads with newborns at Peckham Rye park cafe. Even saw one with a pram with what looked like a car-type metal bumper round it. Defo aimed at dads lol.

[helena handbasket]

Just to throw a cat in amongst the pigeons......... cots with side rails that adjust up and down have now been banned in Canada (and I think the US?) due to safety issues. I think that they can become a bit loose, leaving just enough room between the rail and the mattress for awful things to happen. They're not illegal here yet and they are incredibly handy to have, but as always it's good to have the information for your decision.

Sooooooo the expensive one we bought for our first (to last through two babies) is now useless to me. Oh well, probably couldn't find the screws anyway.

[Belle]

we have just a normal cot from JL with drop side and we've just had it replaced (after just over a year) because the drop side broke. To be honest I stopped using it when little one was quite small as though it saved my back I always found it a fiddle to do and esp if I did it AFTER I'd p ut him down, the noise would undo all our 'winding down' work pre sleep! Different when getting up of course. So I'd say if the cotbeds you like don't have it, you'll prob never miss it. must say i assumed cotbeds werent' worth it as would take up too much space and we'd need a single bed for him eventually but have changed my mind on reading this.

[littleEDfamily]

The Boori one has this great mechanism that you sort of do with your leg, so you can do one handed and no fiddly bits at the sides. There is a small clunk when you get it to the top, but with practise you can do it quite quietly. I'm amazed they are banning that function, as for those of us shorties with tall children (that you have to put on the lower settings as soon as they can stand to avoid escapes), it's hard to get them out without a dropside.