Choosing a Large Bedside Cot

Bedside cots, also known as co-sleepers and bassinets, large bedside cot are designed to let parents sleep close to their children at night without the risk of SIDS. However they are not suggested for use until 6 months when your baby will need to move into a cot, large bedside cot or a moses basket.

MFM home tester Mehack loved the fact that this model comes with a lift-off bassinet you can use around the house and a manual rocking function. It was easy to set up and came with its own travel cot bedside crib bag.

Size

Cots and cot beds vary in size, with cots being smaller than beds for cots. Cots can also be transformed into toddler beds. However, cots are usually only used by children up to the age of three. There are two sizes of wooden cots - large and standard that can be converted into a toddler bed or a cot. Selecting the larger of the two is a good idea when you want your child to sleep in it until they reach +/- three.

Jasmine, an MFM mother who tested the product at home, liked that it was a bit bigger than the typical Moses' basket but still not too large for the room of her baby. She says that it is easy to lift the baby in and out of the cot during night feedings or soothing and that the quality is superior to others she has seen that are cheap and flimsy.

Emily who is a home-based tester, is thrilled by the versatility of the Maxi-Cosi lora that is a lift-off, portable bassinet. It also is a rock. It also comes with a reflux incline and a machine washable liner that is breathable. It was also shortlisted in the 2021 Mother&Baby awards for the Best Cot Crib, Crib or Moses Basket. The Lora fits South African cot mattress unlike many international or European brands. This means you don't need to buy a new mattress every time your baby grows. However, it will require a special bespoke bedding set (60x120cm). Find the ideal mattress for your cot here.

Height

When selecting a cot for the bed choose one that can be raised to a level that is comfortable for you to feed your baby. It also needs to be able to be dropped down out of the way to allow you to lift your baby closer to you during night feedings or to soothe. This feature is particularly helpful when you are recovering from a C-section. The Next2me cot and the 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.

It is also important to consider how low you would like the bottom of your crib to be. Some mothers find it is easier to lift their babies from standard Moses baskets if the base is at the lowest point, while some prefer a higher elevation to give them more stability. The Joie Roomie Glide is a popular choice with one of our mum test subjects saying that it comes with a simple collapsible side that you can push down with the click of a button.

Be aware that a bassinet/bedside sleeper is only suitable until your baby is able to hold their head without assistance typically around 6 months. This is due to the danger of suffocation. It is also important to be aware that if your child is old enough to convert an existing bedside or bassinet into a cot, they will have to remove the sides when they are ready to do this. This will prevent them from climbing out or falling out of bed.

Design

There are many different styles of cribs that are bedside, ranging from simple to luxurious. The more luxurious options may include features like a built-in night light or a soothing center that plays sounds and music and offers two levels of vibration to help soothe baby back to sleep, or even the swivelling base which makes it easier to reach your child for feedings. Certain models can be converted into the toddler bed or cot bed (or both) when your child is ready to go to their own bed.

For instance the Tutti Bambini CoZee Air that won Bronze in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for the Best Crib, Cot or Moses Basket category, has a swivelling base that lets you pick up your newborn and transfer them from one side of the crib to the other without needing to get out of bed. This is perfect for mothers who are recovering from Caesareans, or those who need to stay in bed for prolonged periods of time. MFM mom home tester Jasmine was awed by this feature, saying that it was simple to use and made her baby easier especially after a c-section.

Chicco Next2me Magic is another option. It won Gold in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for the best Cot, Moses Basket, or Crib. It has a machine-washable interior, reflux incline, and a rocking feature. It's bigger than the other bedside cribs that we tested, but it folds down into its travel bag to make it a small bedside cot size when not in use.

MFM mum home tester Leya also liked the functionality of this crib for bed, explaining how it was designed with babies and parents in mind. It is very easy to move and extremely sturdy. She said that the swivelling bassinet base was brilliant since it allowed you to move it from side to side. One of its sides could be lowered to facilitate access for mothers who are recovering from c-sections.

Safety

A large bedside cot's main safety characteristic is that it can be easily adjusted or moved so that parents can reach their baby to feed or comfort them, or change his or his or her nappy. This is ideal for mothers who are recovering from a c-section. It is recommended to choose an option that lets you lower the bed's side with a single button press. This allows you to lift your child without getting out of bed. This is crucial, particularly as your baby grows and becomes more mobile. It is also important to be careful not to add anything to the crib that could increase the chance of suffocation, or injury, including pillows and duvets, which can cause babies to overheat.

The CPSC's NPR includes 24 incidents that are attributed to issues with the product like gaps between a bedside travel cot sleeper (adult bed) and the bedside sleeper (12 incidents) as well as enclosed openings made of fabric (11) and consumer misassembly (6 incidents).

In its NPR the CPSC looked into the possibility of introducing additional requirements to bedside sleepers. For example the products would need to meet the minimum height requirements for bassinets or at the very least, the maximum height requirements for the lowered rail. The CPSC decided, however, that these requirements weren't efficient or effective in reducing the number of instances in which infants are entrapped by the bedside rail as well as an adult bed.

Many of the reported incidents in the NPR included multi-use bedside sleepers which can be converted to other modes such as bassinets and play yards. Many commenters suggested that CPSC include in the proposed rule an alternative provision for multiuse bedside sleepers to enable them to meet the minimum side-height requirements for bassinets through the use of a removable attachment that can be connected permanently or disconnected when the item is not being used as the bassinet.

The CPSC is reviewing these comments and others received in response to the NPR on bedside co sleeper sleeping. The Commission will be examining these comments when deciding on the final rule, which is expected to be issued in November of 2021.