Choosing a Large Bedside Cot

Bedside cots (also known as co sleeper bedside cot-sleepers or bassinets) are designed to allow parents to rest with their baby at night without fear of SIDS. They are only recommended up to 6 months, when your baby is old enough to move to the crib.

Mehack, a MFM home tester, was awed by the feature that this model comes with an integrated bassinet that can be used throughout the home. It also has the ability to rock manually. It was easy to set up and it came with a travel bag.

Size

Cots and cots differ in size, with cots being smaller than beds for cots. Cots can also convert into toddler beds. However they are typically used for 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. If you want your child (or children) to be capable of sleeping in a bigger cot, it's a great option to select the larger one.

MFM mum home test Jasmine liked that this bedside crib and cot cot was slightly larger than a Moses basket, but not too big for her baby's room. She claims that it is easy to get the baby into and out of the cot for evening feedings or to soothe and that the quality is better than other cots she has seen that are less sturdy.

Emily is another home-based tester, is thrilled by the versatility of the Maxi-Cosi lora which is a portable, lift-off bassinet. It also is a rock. It also comes with an incline of reflux as well as a machine washable breathable liner. It was also shortlisted for the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the Best Cot or Moses Basket category. Contrary to some International or European cot brands The Lora can fit South African cot mattresses so you don't need to purchase another mattress as your baby grows. It requires a specific bedding set (60x120cm). Here is the perfect mattress for your cot.

Height

When you are choosing a cot for your bed be sure to choose one that can be raised to a level that is comfortable for you when feeding the baby. It should also be able of being dropped down out of the way so that you can lift your baby towards you for feedings at night or soothing. This feature is especially useful if you are recovering from a C-section. The Next2me Cot and Tutti Bambini can be adjusted to the maximum height of 58cm, while the Snuzpod 3 can go up to 63cm and the Knuma Hutch up to 70cm.

Another thing to think about is the height you would like to set for the cot's base to be. Some mums find that it is easier to lift their infants from standard Moses baskets if the base is at the lowest point and Large Bedside Cot others prefer a higher elevation to provide them with more stability. One of our testers for mums said that the Joie Roomie Glide was a popular option. It comes with an easy-to-fold side that you can press at the press of a button.

Be aware that a bedside or bassinet device should only be used in the event that your baby can hold his head without assistance, which is typically around 6 months. This is due to the danger of inhaling suffocation. You should also be aware that if your child is old enough to be able to convert the bedside sleeper into a cot you must remove the sides when they are ready to do so. This will prevent them from climbing out or falling out of bed.

Design

There are many styles of cribs that are bedside, ranging from basic to extravagant. Some of the more extravagant options include features like an inbuilt light and a soothing center that plays music and sound and has two levels that help to soothe your baby back to sleep or an adjustable footrest that allows you to reach your child when you need to feed them. Certain models can be converted into the toddler bed or cot bed (or both) when your child is ready for their own bed.

For instance the Tutti Bambini CoZee Air that won Bronze in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket category, has an adjustable base that allows you to pick up your baby and move them from one side of the crib to the other without having to get up. This makes it ideal for mothers who are recovering from Caesarean or require a bed for longer durations of time. Jasmine is an MFM mother who tested the product at home, said it was easy to operate and made it easier for her to reach her baby, 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 lining, reflux incline, and rocking feature. It's bigger than the other cribs for bed that we tested, but it folds into its bag for travel, making it compact when not in use.

Leya, large bedside cot MFM mum home tester also appreciated the bedside crib's function. She claimed that it was designed for parents and babies. It is very easy to move and extremely sturdy. Its swivelling base is fantastic because it allows you to move the bassinet side to side, and one of its sides can be lowered down to ease access - particularly for new mums who are recovering from c-sections,' she said.

Safety

A large bedside cot's main safety feature is that it is able to be moved up or down so that parents can reach their child to feed, comfort or change his or his or her nappies. This is ideal for mothers who are recovering from a C-section. Look for a design that lets you lower one side with the press of a button, so you can easily lift your baby up without having to get out of bed. This is particularly important as your baby gets older and becomes more mobile. Beware of items that could increase the chance of injury or suffocation like duvets and pillows, which can cause your baby to overheat.

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

In its NPR, the CPSC considered the possibility of additional requirements for sleepers in bed, such as the requirement that they meet the minimum side height requirement for bassinets, or at least meet the maximum height requirement for the lowered side rail. However the CPSC determined that these requirements would not be feasible or effective to reduce the number of incidents where infants were entrapped between the bedside sleeper and the adult bed.

The majority of the incidents covered in the NPR concerned multi-use bedside baby bed sleepers which can be converted into other types of equipment, like play yards or bassinets. Many commenters suggested that CPSC include in the proposed rule a different provision for multi-use bedside beds to enable them to meet the minimum side-height requirements for bassinets by using an attachment that is removable and can be permanently connected or disconnected when the item is not being used as the bassinet.

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