Choosing a Large Bedside Cot

bedside co sleeper cots (also known as co-sleepers and bassinets) are designed to allow parents to rest with their baby at night without the risk of SIDS. They are only recommended for up to 6 months old, at which point your baby will be ready to transition to an actual crib.

MFM home tester Mehack loved that this model has an adjustable bassinet that you can use around the house and a manual rocking function. It was easy to set up and it came with a travel bag.

Size

Cots and cot beds vary in size and size, with cots being a bit smaller than cot beds. Cots can also be converted into toddler beds. However cots are generally intended for children who are the age of three. There are two sizes of wooden bedside cot cots - big and standard - which can be transformed into a toddler bed or a cot. If you'd like your child (or children) to be capable of sleeping in a larger cot, it's a good option to select the larger one.

MFM mom home tester Jasmine liked that this bedside cot was slightly larger than a Moses basket, but not too large for her baby's room. She says that it is easy to lift the baby in and out of the cot during night feeds or for soothing and that the quality is better than other cots she has seen that are cheap and flimsy.

Another home tester, Emily, likes how the Maxi-Cosi Lora can be used in a variety of ways it's a drop-off bassinet that you can move around the house, and it rocks too. It also comes with an option for inclining the reflux and a machine-washable liner that breathes. It was also shortlisted for the 2021 Mother&Baby awards for Best Cot Crib, Crib or Moses Basket. In contrast to International or European cot brands The Lora can fit South African cot mattresses so you don't have to buy a new mattress as your baby grows. However, it requires a specific bedding set (60x120cm). You can find the perfect mattress for your cot here.

Height

When you are choosing a crib that is bedside sleeper cot pick one that can be adjusted to a comfortable height for you. It must also be lowered away from the way, so you can lift up your baby to feed them at night or comfort him. This feature is especially useful when you are recovering from a C-section. The Next2me Cot and Tutti Bambini can be adjusted to a maximum height of 58cm, while the Snuzpod 3 can go up to 63cm and the Knuma Hutch can be adjusted to 70cm.

Another thing to consider is how low you want the cot's base to be. Some mothers find it is easier to lift their children from their standard Moses baskets when the base is situated at the lowest level and others prefer a higher level to provide them with more stability. One of our mom testers mentioned that the Joie Roomie Glide was a popular choice. It comes with an easy-to-fold side that you can press at the press of one button.

Be aware that a bedside or bassinet device is only suitable when your baby can hold his head up without assistance, which is usually around 6 months. This is due to the possibility of suffocation. It's also important to note that if you opt for a bedside sleeper or Large Bedside Cot bassinet that you can be converted into a cot, you will need to remove the sides as soon as your child is ready for this, so that they don't climb out or get out of bed.

Design

There are many different styles of cribs for beds with a range of styles from simple to lavish. The most luxurious models could include features like an integrated night light and a calming centre that plays music and sounds and comes with two levels of vibrations to help soothe your baby back to sleep, or even the swivelling base which allows you to easily get your baby's food in the right place. You can also find models which can be made into an infant bed or a toddler bed (or both) which is ideal when your child is ready to transition to a bigger bed.

For example the Tutti Bambini CoZee Air which was awarded Bronze in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket category, has a swivelling base that allows you to take your baby and transfer them from one side of the crib to the other without having to get up. This makes it ideal for new mums who are recovering from Caesarean or require a bed for longer periods of time. MFM mum home tester Jasmine was awed by this feature, saying that it was easy to use and made her baby much easier especially after a c-section.

Another option is the Chicco Next2me Magic, which was awarded Gold at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the category of Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket. It also includes an easy-to-clean liner, reflux incline, and rocking feature. It's a bit bigger than some of the other cribs that we've looked at, but it folds flat in its bag for travel, so it's relatively compact when not in use.

Leya, MFM mum home tester, also praised the bedside crib's functionality. She claimed that it was designed for parents and infants. It is very easy to move and extremely sturdy. She also said that the bassinet's swivelling base was fantastic because it allowed you to move it from side to side. One of its sides could be lower to make access easier, especially for new mums recovering from C-sections.

Safety

A large bedside baby bed cot's main safety feature is that it can be easily moved up or down so that parents can reach their child to feed, comfort or change his or his or her diaper. This is why it's perfect for large bedside cot mothers who still be recovering from a C-section. You should look for the design that allows you to lower the side of the bed by pressing a button. This allows you to lift your child without getting out of bed. This is important, especially as your baby grows and becomes more mobile. Avoid adding anything that could increase the risk of injury or suffocation such as pillowcases and duvets, which can cause your baby to overheat.

The CPSC's NPR included 24 incidents that were attributed to product problems like gaps between the bedside sleeper and the adult bed (12 incidents); fabric-sided enclosed openings (11 incidents); consumer misassembly or missing components (6 incidents) and miscellaneous other product-related issues (9 incidents).

In its NPR the CPSC looked into the possibility of adding more requirements to bedside sleepers. For example, these products would have to meet the minimum height requirements for bassinets or at a minimum, the maximum height requirements for the lowered rail. However, the CPSC found that these requirements are not practical or effective in reducing the amount of instances in which infants were trapped between a bedside sleeper and an adult bed.

A majority of the incidents reported in the NPR included bedside sleepers with multiple uses that could be converted into different modes like play yards and bassinets. Several commenters suggested that the CPSC include in the proposed rule a different provision for multi-use bedside sleepers that would allow them to meet the minimum side-height requirement of bassinets by using an attachment that is removable and can be permanently connected or disconnected when the item is not being used as an actual bassinet.

The CPSC is currently examining these and other comments received in response to its NPR regarding bedside sleepers. The Commission will be examining these comments when deciding on the final rule, which is expected to be published in November of 2021.