How to Choose the Best Cot Bed

The best cot bed is a must-have for any baby cot online. We've put together this guide to help you locate the ideal bed for your baby.

A top-quality option that is perfect for Scandi-style nursery rooms. This sturdy and durable option can expand with your baby, with three mattress positions and the ability to take the sides off to create a stylish bench-style toddler bed.

Budget

There is a cot for every nursery and budget. There's also a variety of options that offer various levels of longevity and some convert into toddler beds to be used into the preschool years and beyond. The ones that can be transformed into beds are more expensive, however they last longer.

The Mamas & Papas Coxley won our overall prize. Its stunning design and easy to assemble make it a great option for parents looking for an upscale cot that can last for a lifetime. The sleek design and warm-toned finish will look fantastic in a Scandi nursery. The cot bed has an adjustable drawer that mom tester Katrina thought was an excellent alternative to cheaper cots with an integrated drawer. It also has an anti-bite strip that runs along the top rails of the cot, to prevent your child's teeth from getting stuck. However, at over PS599 with a mattress that is sold separately, this crib isn't cheap. It requires an Allen key to make it functional.

The Elementary cot is a cheaper option that will provide your baby a peaceful night's sleep. It's part of the Anyday collection by John Lewis. Our parents were impressed by the simplicity of the design and simple assembly. The cot is foldable into a compact size and stored since it can fit into a bag the size of that used for a camping chair. It's not the best choice for camping in the car but it's perfect for people living in apartments or who don't need to move their cot around too often.

The SnuzKot is an additional budget-friendly cot we recommend particularly if you decide to opt for the toddler kit and mattress extender (sold separately). It will grow with your child until about four years old, and our dad testers loved the fact that it can be converted into a minimalist toddler bed, and also created an ambiance of cocoons by incorporating a fabric canopy.

Safety

A good cot should not only meet the strict UK safety standards, but it should also be sturdy and feel secure. Look for a robust design with sides or safety bars and an erect base that your child can't be able to climb out. Some cot beds include extra features such as teething rails and drawers under the bed that can help you organize your life while your little one is growing.

Parent test participant Becki says her Boori cot "has endured through 3 kids and still looks amazing." Its traditional design is suitable for all homes and it's made from sustainable sources of Australian Araucaria and New Zealand Radiata wood, so you can feel good about your purchase. It can be transformed from a cot into a toddler bed by leaving three sides open for safety. There's also an extension kit that can transform it to ahree times, which allows the bed to expand with your child.

The Modena cot-bed by Tutti Bambini is a great value and comes with a panelled design that can be suitable for any nursery. It's designed to last until your child reaches six years old, and then it transforms first into a junior bed, and later into a chic sofa bed. It's also one of the cot cribs beds that we tested to have a draw, a hanging rail and teething rails, while its solid pine construction makes it a great choice for parents who want their cot to last for a long time.

Another option with a sleek panel design is the Stokke Sleepie Cot Bed, which is available in several color options to fit your nursery decor. The storage drawer is useful for bedding and clothing. Our mum testers were impressed with its features. It's also the easiest cot bed to put together. The components are clearly labeled, and the directions are easy to follow. It's also a great choice for those who have limited space because it can be flat-packed and rolled down. It is made of a standard cot-mattress (140cm by 70cm) and is suitable for children from birth through toddlerhood. An extension kit permits it to be used up to 10 years old.

Convertibility

There are a lot of baby essentials you need to think about as you become a new parent. One of the most important items to think about is a top-quality cot bed. You want it to last for as long as possible and grow with your child so that they have a safe place to sleep.

While most cots can be made into toddler beds by the purchase of a conversion kit some cots are made to go a step further than this. The Boori Eton Cot Bed is our top choice. It can be converted to an infant (L207cm, W147cm H90cm), a daybed (L234cm, W145cm and H70cm), and a sofa (L234cm, W145cm, and H70cm). This makes it the longest-lasting selection on our list, since it is designed to last through the years from birth until childhood.

It's expensive when compared to other cot beds we've test, but it comes with a premium design and feel that will fit in with any nursery. Our parent testers were really impressed by how simple it was to build and set up however they did mention that the instructions could be more clear. This isn't a major issue, though, considering it was a breeze and took less than 30 minutes to complete.

Another unique characteristic of this cot is the fact that it has four mattress heights for the base which is an upgrade on the three standard options. This gives you the ability to adjust it as your child grows, because they might require a lower or higher base level based on their age and abilities. It also comes with useful teething rails and a strip that runs along the top to guard it from biting.

The grey finish was the most popular of our dad test-driver. It is not Cheap baby cots but it offers great value since it will last until they reach the age of toddler and beyond. Plus, it's covered by a one-year warranty which gives you peace of mind that it's sturdy and long-lasting. The only thing you'll need to purchase separately is the mattress.