Choosing a Large Bedside Cot
Bedside cots (also known as co-sleepers and bassinets) are designed to allow parents to rest with their baby at night without risk of SIDS. However, they are only recommended for use up to 6 months, when your baby will be required to move into a cot or a moses basket.
Mehack Mehack, an MFM home tester, loved the fact that this model features an adjustable bassinet that can be used all around the home. It also comes with an option to rock manually. It was simple to put together 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 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 cot. If you wish for your child (or children) to be capable of sleeping in a bigger cot, it's an excellent idea to pick the larger one.
MFM mother home test Jasmine loved that the bedside cot was a little bigger than a Moses basket but not too large for her baby's room. It's easy to carry her child in and out for feeding or calming and the quality is top-notch, compared with many she's seen that feel flimsy.
Another home-based tester, Emily, likes how versatile the Maxi-Cosi Lora is - it's a lift-off bassinet that you can move around the home, and it's a blast too. It also has an incline of reflux as well as a machine washable liner that breathes. And it was shortlisted in the 2021 Mother&Baby awards for the Best Cot Crib, Crib, or Moses Basket. Unlike some International or European cot brands Lora is a cot that Lora can fit South African cot mattresses so you don't have to buy an entirely new mattress each time your baby grows. It requires a specific bedding set (60x120cm). Here's the ideal mattress for your cot.
Height
When choosing a crib for your bed pick one that can be adjusted to the ideal height for you. It should also be able to be lowered down so that you can lift your baby up towards you for feedings at night or for soothing. This is especially useful when you're recovering from a C-section. The Next2me cot and the Tutti Bambini can be adjusted to the maximum height of 58cm while the Snuzpod 3 can go up to 63cm and the Knuma Hutch to 70cm.
Another thing to think about is the height you would like to set for the base of your cot to be. While some mothers find it easier to lift their children out of traditional Moses baskets at the lowest height, other mums prefer having a higher base that gives them more stability. The Joie Roomie Glide is a popular option and one of our mum testers saying that it comes with a simple collapsible side that you can press down at the touch of one button.
Be aware that a bassinet/bedside sleeping device should only be used until your baby is able to hold their head up unaided, usually at about 6 months. This is due to the risk of suffocation. It's also important to note that if you select a bassinet/bedside sleeper that can be converted into a cot, you will need to start removing the sides when your child is ready for this to ensure they don't climb out or fall out of the bed.
Design
There are a variety of cribs for bedside use with a range of styles from simple to extravagant. The more luxurious options may include features like a built-in nightlight, a soothing centre that plays music and sounds and comes with two levels of vibrating to help soothe baby back to sleep, or even a swivelling base that makes it easier to get your baby's food in the right place. 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 example the Tutti Bambini CoZee Air which was awarded Bronze in the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the Crib, Best Cot or Moses Basket category, has a swivelling base that allows you to pick up your newborn and move them from one side of the crib to the other without needing to get out of bed. This is ideal for new mothers recovering from Caesarean births or those who have to stay in bed for long periods of time. MFM mum home tester Jasmine loved this feature, stating that it was simple to use and made reaching her baby much more manageable - especially after her c-section.
Another option is the Chicco Next2me Magic, which was awarded Gold at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for the Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket and comes with an easy-to-clean liner, reflux incline and rocking function. It's bigger than the other cribs for bed that we've tested, but it folds into its travel bag to make it a small size when not in use.
Leya, MFM mum home tester Also, she praised the bedside crib's functionality. She said it was designed to be used by parents and babies. It is very easy to move and extremely sturdy. She also said that the swivelling bassinet base was fantastic because it allowed you to move it from side to side. One of its sides could be lowered to make access easier for moms who are recovering from C-sections.
Safety
The most important safety characteristic of a bedside cot is that it can be easily raised or lowered to enable parents to reach their child when they need to feed, comfort them, or change their nappies. This makes it perfect for new mothers recovering from the C-section. It is recommended to choose a design which lets you lower the bed's side by pressing a button. This will allow you to lift your child up without having to get out of the bed. This is especially crucial as your baby grows older and becomes more mobile. Beware of items that could increase the risk of suffocation or injury, like duvets and pillows that can cause your baby to become overheated.
travel cot bedside crib released by the CPSC NPR included 24 incidents that were attributed to problems with the product like gaps between the bedside sleeper and the adult bed (12 incidents); fabric-sided enclosed openings (11 incidents) as well as consumer misassembly, or missing components (6 incidents); and miscellaneous other product-related issues (9 incidents).
In its NPR, the CPSC considered the possibility of adding additional requirements for bedside sleepers, such as the requirement that these beds satisfy the minimum side height requirement for bassinets or at least meet the maximum height requirement for the side rail. However, the CPSC determined that these requirements would not be feasible or effective to reduce the number of incidents where infants were trapped between the bedside sleeper and an adult bed.
A majority of the incidents mentioned in the NPR included multi-use bedside beds which can be converted into different types of furniture, like play yards or bassinets. Many commenters suggested that the CPSC include a different provision to the proposed rule for multi-use bedside sleepers that would permit them to meet minimum side height requirements for bassinets using an attachment that can be removed. Attachments can be permanently connected or removed when the product is not being used as a baby bassinet.
The CPSC is examining these comments as well as other submissions received in response to the NPR on sleep at night. The Commission will consider these comments when deciding on the final rule that is expected to come out in November 2021.