Travel cots

[Julie84]

Are they okay okay to use instead of a traditional wooden cot?

For some reason, I just feel travel cots should be for 'occasional use only' (like they say for sofa beds etc) but I can't find anything to that effect anywhere...

Could a travel cots be used all the time in place of a normal cot (I'm guessing they couldn't be used for as long as they would probably be less sturdy once baby can pull himself up to standing etc)?

Travel cots, even nice ones with nice thick mattresses and different base positions etc, come out cheaper than a cheap wooden cot and cheapest foam mattress (I don't mind a cheaper cot but am not so keen on cheapest mattress but things are going to be rather tight so trying to weigh up alternatives!)

If we need a 'proper' cot and mattress we will, but if a travel cot could be just as good then it seems sensible to try and save some money...

 

[charlie84]

We have been using a travel cot since Calleigh was a few weeks old, this is due to space issues in our bedroom and the fact she hated her moses basket. She will be moving to a cot bed in her own room soon.

I am not sure if there are any recomendations as to how long term they can be though sorry.
How much are you willing to spend on a wooden cot hun ikea have some not so expensive ones
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categ ... kea/10421/

 

[Sandi4Paul]

i think you would have to consider your back. lowering a baby down like that all the time could cause problems.

Sandi

 

[LisaJ1986]

We have both. I was given a wooden cot which is in her nursery. But i didn't want to dismantle that one and drag it into my room so i bought a travel cot. She is fine in it for now and when she goes into her own room i will bring it downstairs as a playpen. It's fine for me, we have no problems with her in it. She was in the basinette bit til she was 4 months, now she's been lowered to the bottom.
I bought mine off ebay, brand new, with the basinette and the changing top, for £27.99, £10 Postage.

 

[Julie84]

I am not sure if there are any recomendations as to how long term they can be though sorry.
How much are you willing to spend on a wooden cot hun ikea have some not so expensive ones
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categ ... kea/10421/

We had a look in Ikea - the cheapest one (£30) is in my opinion shockingly flimsy and the others are similar prices to other shops (like Argos which have much cheaper delivery charges). We had kind of decided on this cot: link and were going to ask family for Argos vouchers for Christmas.

But then I saw travel cots with bassinets and changing attachments etc coming in cheaper and just wondered if they were suitable...

I just don't want to compromise baby in any way (I'm rather funny about mattresses so we have a really cheap metal bed frame with an expensive orthopaedic mattress for us!) If baby needed an expensive anything we would find the money, but if a travel cot can do the same job for less, life will be just that bit more comfortable financially.

It sounds very much though that travel cots are fine. How long can you use them for? Is it until baby becomes more mobile? Could I move a toddler straight in a first bed once a travel cot became unsuitable (with sides etc to make sure they didn't fall out)?

I blame baby brain as I have got myself in a right tizz about this! We have a moses basket for when newborn and my mum has offered me her rocking crib which could potentially be used up to about 6 months I think. Unfortunately my baby brother is only 6 months so I can't have their cot!

 

[Jelly_Fly]

We bought a travel cot for my god daughter to use up our house but her parents took it down to their house to use until the bought a cot after she grew too big for their swing crib. They only moved her into a proper cot when we had to have the travel cot but when our dd was 3 months old. My god daughter was still sleeping in it every night until she was 2.

 

[hennaly]

You can get a decent cot on Ebay for next to nothing then use the money to buy a new good quality mattress

 

[charlie84]

Right didnt realise that they would be flimsy, i must admit i have never seen them myself.

Well TBH if you are going to invest in a decent mattress to go in the travel cot then i dont really see it being an issue using it long term. I mean as long as the baby has a supportive mattress then i am sure it will be fine

The travel cot i have has the usual mesh sides to it but is rather sturdy so i dont think you would have to worry about it being flimsy.
Plus once you move from using the bassinet to the main cot it will be quite deep so baby shouldnt find it easy to climb out at all. But beware it can be a buggar on your back, sometimes as i am short i find it a little bit of a strain to lift madam out now she is alot heavier.

 

[Bee]

I got a white wooden cot form Ikea for £45 and its not flimsy at all - its great.

This one but it was cheaper when I got it, select white from the colour options - cheaper than the wooden one : http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00118815

It would be better than a travel cot IMO. U wouldn't have to bend so far to reach your LO

 

[Fly]

my son kicked the side out of his wooden cot so was in a travel cot from about 18 months old and was absolutley fine with it. i'd have no hesitation using a travel cot permanently in all honesty