A cot is absolutely essential for any nursery. Although from birth a moses basket may be all that’s needed, as your baby grows you’ll need to move him to a cot at some point. What should you be looking for when deciding which cotbed to buy?

A Drop Side

A drop-sided cot has a hinged side that you can open when putting your child to bed or getting him up. This lets you carry your baby in a more natural posture than having to lean over a fixed side, reducing the strain on your back. Make sure that the locking mechanism is well made and in good condition (especially if buying second hand).

Adjustable Height

When your child is young, it makes sense to have the mattress raised up near the top of the frame to make picking your baby up easier. However, as your child grows and becomes more mobile, it’s safer to lower the mattress towards the ground - especially important once your child starts to stand. Having a cot with an adjustable mattress height makes this easy.

Teething Rails

Teething babies have an urge to bite down on solid objects, and the cot sides are common victims of this. To prevent injury to your baby and damage to the cot, some cotbeds come with teething rails attached which can be safely bitten down on. You can also buy these rails seperately.

Wheels

Some cots come with attached wheels so that you can move them from room to room easily. For most people, this won’t be necessary, but if you plan to start off with the cot in your own bedroom before moving it to the nursery, then this might be something to bear in mind.

Side Rails Gap Width

For safety reasons, the gaps between the side rails should be no wider than 7-8cm, to prevent your baby’s head getting trapped.

Cost

You can easily pay several hundred pounds for a top of the range, antique-style cot. Remember though that you’re probably only going to be using it for the first two years or so of your child’s life, and so paying this amount might not be really worth it. There are cheaper models available, but as always, you get what you pay for and the cheapest cots available might well be flimsy and of poor quality. Paying somewhere in the region of £70-100 should get you a high quality cotbed which will last, without paying over the odds