Choosing a Large Bedside Cot
Bedside cots, also referred to as co-sleepers and bassinets, are designed to allow parents to rest close to their children at night, without the risk of SIDS. They are recommended for up to 6 months, after which your baby is ready to transition to a bed.
MFM home tester Mehack was impressed that this model comes with a bassinet that can be lifted off to use in the home and a manual rocking function. It was easy to assemble, and it came with a travel bag.
Size
Cots are smaller than cots. They are less than. They can also be converted into toddler beds, while the cot beds are typically used until three years old. older. There are two sizes of wooden cots - big and standard - which can be transformed into a toddler bed or a cot. Selecting the larger one is a good choice when you want your child to sleep in it until they are at least three years old.
MFM mother home tester Jasmine liked that this bedside cot was slightly bigger than a Moses basket, but not too large for her baby's room. It's easy to carry her child into and out of the cot for nighttime feeding or soothing and that the quality is excellent, compared with many she's encountered that feel cheap and flimsy.
Another home-based test subject, Emily, likes how the Maxi-Cosi is a versatile product - it's a lift-off bassinet that can be moved around the home, and it's a blast too. It also comes with a reflux incline and a machine washable liner that breathes. bedside cots was also shortlisted for the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards in the Best Cot or Moses Basket category. In contrast to International or European cot brands The Lora can fit South African cot mattresses so you don't have to buy another mattress as your baby grows. However, it requires a specific bedding set (60x120cm). Here is the perfect mattress for your cot.
Height
When selecting a bedside crib pick one that can be adjusted to the ideal height for you. It should also be able of being dropped to the ground to allow you to lift your baby towards you for feedings at night or for soothing. This feature is particularly useful in the event of recovering from an operation such as 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 can be adjusted to 70cm.
You should also consider how low you would like the base of your crib to be. Some mothers find it is easier to lift their babies from their standard Moses baskets when the base is situated at the lowest level, while some prefer a higher elevation to give them more stability. The Joie Roomie Glide is a popular option with one of our mom testers saying that it is easy to use with a collapsible part that you can push down with the click of one button.
Keep in best bedside cot that a bassinet or bedside sleeping device is only suitable when your baby is able to hold his head up with no assistance, which is usually at around 6 months. This is due to the danger of being suffocated. Be aware that when your child is old enough to convert the bedside sleeper into a cot you must take the sides off as soon as they are able to do so. This will stop them from falling out or climbing out of the bed.
Design
There are a variety of styles of bedside crib with a range of styles from simple to lavish. Some of the more luxurious options include features like an integrated light and a soothing center that plays music and sound and comes with two levels to help soothe your baby back to sleep, or the swivelling footrest, which allows you to reach your child in order to feed them. Certain models can be converted into the toddler bed or cot (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 in the Crib, Best Cot or Moses Basket category, has a swivelling base that allows you to pick up your baby and move them from one side of the crib to the other without needing to get up. This makes it ideal for mothers who are recovering from Caesarean or require bed for longer periods of time. MFM mum home tester Jasmine loved this feature, saying it was simple to use and made her baby easier particularly after her c-section.
Another alternative is the Chicco Next2me Magic, which was awarded Gold at the 2021 Mother&Baby Awards for the category of Best Cot, Crib or Moses Basket. It also is equipped with an easy-to-clean liner, reflux incline and rocking feature. It's bigger than the other cribs for bed that we've tested, but it folds up into its travel bag, making it compact when not in use.
MFM mum home test Leya loved the practicality of this crib for bed, explaining how it was designed with the needs of parents and children in mind. It is a fantastic design that is extremely maneuverable and is super-sturdy. The swivelling base of the bassinet is amazing because it lets you move the bassinet from side to side and one of its sides can be lowered down to ease access especially for mothers who are recovering from their C-sections,' she added.
Safety
A bedside cot that is large and spacious's most important security feature is that it can easily be adjusted or moved so that parents can reach their baby to feed, comfort or change his or her nappy. This is ideal for mothers who are recovering from a C-section. Look for a design that lets you lower one side with the push of a button. This way, you can easily lift your baby up without needing to get out of the bed. This is essential, especially as your baby grows and becomes more mobile. You should also not add anything to the cot that increases the risk of suffocation or injury, like duvets and pillows, which could cause babies to become overheated.
The CPSC's NPR includes 24 incidents that are attributed to product-related issues, such as gaps between a bedside sleeper (adult bed) and the bedside sleeper (12 incidents) and enclosed openings with fabric sides (11) and consumer disassembly (6 incidents).
In its NPR the CPSC examined the possibility of adding additional requirements to bedside sleepers. For instance, these products would have to meet the minimum side height requirements for bassinets, or at a minimum, the maximum height requirements for the rails that are lowered. However, the CPSC determined that these requirements are not feasible or effective to reduce the number of incidents where infants were trapped between a bedside sleeper and an adult bed.
A majority of the incidents mentioned in the NPR focused on multi-use bedside sleepers which can be converted into other types of equipment, like bassinets or play yards. Many commenters suggested that the CPSC add an alternative provision to the proposed rule for bedside sleepers that are multi-use that would allow them to meet minimum side height requirements for bassinets by using an attachment that is removable. The attachment can be permanently fixed or disconnected when the product's not being used as a bassinet for babies.
The CPSC is reviewing these comments as well as other submissions received in response to the NPR on bedside sleeping. The Commission will take into consideration these comments when it decides on the final rule which is expected to be published in November of 2021.