Jonathon Lawrence

How to Choose the Best Bedside Cot uk

Both the NHS and Lullaby Trust have issued official safe sleeping guidelines that advise that babies sleep in their own Moses basket or cot. A bedside crib is a space-saving and practical option for parents who share a room.

Mumsnetters love the co-sleeper as it is spacious, with plenty of room for baby's to grow and play. It's also larger than a Moses Basket. It's also simple to put together and comes with a travel bag.

What is a bedside cot?

Bedside cribs (also called bassinets, side sleepers or co-sleepers) are an effective and safe method for your baby to sleep near you during their early months. These cribs attach to your bed and allow you to pull your child towards you to feed them at night or for comforting. These cribs are also great for mums who are nursing or recovering from a cesarean section.

They're usually a little smaller than a regular cot or cotbed, yet offer plenty of space for your baby to rest. You can choose from a wide range of designs and features according to what you prefer. A lot of cribs with a bedside feature a drop down or removable side, which makes it easier to reach your baby for evening feeds. They are available in a variety of sizes to fit the dimensions of your bed.

Some amazon bedside cot cribs have an adjustable riser that allows you to build an angle to the sleep area. This can aid in reducing reflux. They also come with an open side to make cleaning easy. Some have manual rocking features which can be a relaxing distraction for your baby. You'll need a mattress that is air-conditioned to match your crib. It must be at least 30cm in depth to give your baby enough headroom.

You can rest assured that your child will be safe and secure in a bedside cot. Kate Hudson, Serena Williams, and Gigi Hadid are all big fans of SNOO's bedside co sleeper crib. It is definitely worth a look as an alternative to the Moses basket.

Safety

The Lullaby Trust, in conjunction with the NHS has issued official guidelines for safe sleep which recommend that babies stay in the same bedroom as their parents for the first six months. However they shouldn't sleep in your bed. This is to decrease the chance of suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome. A crib that is placed near your bed is a great option that allows your baby to remain close enough to you to feed them at night and soothe them back to sleep without having to get out of your bed. It's also ideal if you have limited mobility after an operation or are recovering from an operation such as a C-section.

Our top pick for a bedside cot the Silver Cross Slumber Carbon 3-in-1 travel cot bedside crib is compact and folds down in a matter of seconds to fit into its own bag for travel, so it's perfect for holidays and nights away from home. It's one of the tiniest bedside baby bed cot options and has the most comfortable deep foam mattress with mesh air-flow panels, an optional tilt setting, and it won Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby awards for Best Crib, Cot, or Moses Basket.

Chicco Next2me Magic is another fantastic bedside crib. It won Bronze at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards. It comes with a built-in changing mat and storage solutions, is lightweight at 10kg, and features an adjustable side that slides down to make it easy to access.

Style

For many mothers, particularly those who have had C-sections, a bedside crib can prove to be a blessing in disguise. They are attached to your bed so you can easily reach your baby without needing to get out of bed in order to feed them and soothe them quickly. Being close to the baby can also aid in increasing the amount of milk produced by mothers who are breastfeeding.

As well as being incredibly convenient, these bassinets are elegant and that's why they're so sought-after. Some are more spacious than Moses Baskets, and some have extra features like a gentle reflux incline. They're designed to sit next to your bed and can be moved around the house as your baby grows. Some are portable so they're great for travelling parents.

It is important to choose a cot for your bed that is easy to use drop-sides. They allow you to lower your infant into the bassinet without lifting them into your arms, which is difficult for mothers with mobility issues. One of them is the Chicco Next2Me Magic which has been applauded by Mumsnetters and was shortlisted in our 2021 Mother&Baby Awards' Best Cot Moses, Crib or Basket category.

Another handy feature that some models come with is a translucent side that lets you be able to see your baby at all times. This is especially useful when you are groggy at 3am and need to feed your child. A quick glance can make a huge difference. As noted by Emily our MFM home test participant the Sleepiest BassiNest an excellent choice. It is simple to lower.

Budget

A bedside crib that turns into cot crib is a fantastic option if you are not ready to move to a full-sized crib. The bassinet-style crib can be attached to your bed so that you can easily reach your baby for night feeds or comfort them without causing any disturbance to yourself. It's an excellent choice for those with restricted movement after the C-section. Celeb mums like Binky Felstead and Stacey Solomon have also chosen it.

Our Parent Testers loved this latest version of the popular Chicco crib, which won 2021 Mother&Baby Awards as the Best Cot or Crib. It's spacious and breathable and has six height settings to accommodate growing babies and a gentle reflux setting for the incline. It can also be used as a crib for travel and comes with a handy storage case.

It can be a challenge to move an upholstered bedside cot throughout the house, but our Parent Testers said that the Shnuggle Air beside cot was very easy to move. It's one of the lightest options and is small enough to fit in its own travel bag, so you can take it with you when you travel.

The SnuzPod is another highly-rated bedside cot that is easy to put together and fold away and packed with features that will ensure your child gets an enjoyable night's sleep. It has a bassinet with a lift-off that can fit more beds than any other cot, and its breathable fabric can help your baby to regulate their temperature. It has a gentle rocking feature, as well as an incline to aid in reflux. It's also light enough to use as a crib for travel when you're out and about. It's a bit more expensive than other 4-in-1 bedside crib cribs however, Parent Testers are of the opinion that it is worth the extra cost.