Unless you’re happy to share your bed with your baby, travelling with a tiny tot is nearly impossible without a travel cot. But if you buy the wrong one, it can be a nightmare to put up and pack away, as well as feeling flimsy or uncomfortable. From no-frills basics to all-singing, all-dancing models, there's something here to ensure your littlun has a good night’s sleep away from home. 1. Classic Travel Cot: £80, Mothercare Unlike many, this is simple to assemble and collapse and has two wheels on one end so you can reposition it easily. Suit- able from birth to two years, it doubles up as a play pen and we like the easy-clean, padded, star-pattern rails. 2. Joie Secure Click Commuter Change and Snooze: £80, Kiddicare This is more like a portable nursery than a mere travel cot. Accessories include a changing unit, newborn bassinet, toy bar with soft toys, and a bouncer that can also be used on the floor. The mattress is super-soft and it also doubles as a playpen.
3. Graco Countour Electrica: £101, Kiddicare If you’re worried your baby won’t sleep in unfamiliar surroundings, this has a battery-powered mattress that vibrates, as well as an inbuilt nightlight and music player. There’s even a remov- able changing table insert, two mattress levels and toy bar. 4. BabyBjorn Travel Co Light: £175, John Lewis This unusual-looking cot costs a lot, but you’re not just paying for style. It’s got a particularly soft mattress, angled sides so it can tuck into smaller spaces, and is washable – great if your baby ends up being unwell. It’s also very light to carry around. 5. Red Kite Sleep Tight: £29, amazon This is a great price for a sturdy cot that you can put together and collapse in seconds. Available in several different colours, it fits into most car boots and the mattress is included, although you may like to add a padded mattress enhancer on top. 6. Classic Travel Cot: £55, amazon The well-padded frame on this one is great for preventing sore heads and limbs in energetic sleepers and is also sturdy enough to double up as a playpen.
The mattress included is on the thin side, so you might want to buy a foam one to put on top (from £26). 7. Chicco Lullago: £100, John Lewis If the thought of putting your newborn into a standard size travel cot fills you with dread, you’ll love this compact crib that is suitable for babies up to six months. It’s machine washable, weighs just 7kg, and is super-stable, thanks to the anti-slip feet. 8. Littlelife Arc 2: £18, amazon Babies are not always happy campers, but this tent-friendly cot will soon get them used to an outdoorsy lifestyle. It opens at the side with a zip, just like their own mini tent, goes up in no time and packs away into a 2.5kg easy-to-carry rucksack. 9. BabyStart Travel Cot: £30, Argos Most travel cots in this price bracket are rubbish, but this is both practical and robust, folding into a neat carry bag. It’s comfortable enough, although you might want an extra mattress. A brilliant option for grandparents to keep at home.
10. Graco Nimble Nook: £90, amazon This is brand new on the market and stands out for being lightweight and fitting through doorways without the need to unfold it. There are all sorts of handy features including a two- speed vibration and toy bar with soft toys. Well worth the extra dosh, if you have it. The Mothercare Classic Travel Cot is hard to fault when it comes to practicality and value for money. For something more comprehensive, the Joie SecureClick has it all. IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testingBedtime away from homeGetting the right travel cot will certainly aid a good night’s sleep for your baby. It can also cut down on what you’ve got to pack! Before buying a travel cot, you should check a few things like age suitability, weight, size, mattress type, stability, among other things, but we explain everything you need to know about travel cots here...
Little Life Arc 2, £99.99Weighing just 2.5kg, the Little Life Arc 2 travel cot is one of the lightest and most portable cots on the market. It even comes packed in an easy-to-carry rucksack for added convenience. The pop-up construction makes set-up super simple but not as quick as other travel cots, although our MFM reviewer had it assembled in four minutes. The fabric’s built-in, see-through mesh sides give parents good visibility when their child is inside and keep bugs at bay. This travel cot can also double as an outdoor tent or play pen.Read the full Little Life Arc 2 review Click here to buy the Little Life Arc 2 on Amazon, or from John Lewis. Hauck Dream'n Play, £49.99A cheaper option for parents who may not want to spend a lot on a travel cot but still want comfort. The Hauck Dream'n Play is not the lightest cot on the market, but it can be assembled in a matter of seconds with a few simple manoeuvres. The mesh sides make it easy to keep an eye on your baby and the mattress folds for easier portability.
Read our mums' guide to buying travel cots Click here to buy the Hauck Dream'n Play on Amazon, or find it at Tesco and Precious Little One. Koo-di Pop-Up Bubble, £54.99The Koo-di (formerly Samsonite) Pop-Up Bubble Cot weighs a mere 3kg and offers a very quick assembly – we’re talking seconds! The cot takes up very little space once unfolded, yet can accommodate toddlers up to 18 months. Read the full Koo-di (Samsonite) Pop-Up Bubble Cot review. Buy the Koo-di Pop-Up Bubble cot from Kiddicare, Tesco, and Argos. BabyStart Deluxe, £99.99If you are looking for luxury for your baby while travelling, then Babystart Deluxe Travel Cot may be right up your street. At the higher-end of the market, the cot comes with a bassinet level for smaller babies, changing unit and toy bar. The BabyStart Deluxe also comes with two wheels at the front of the crib for added manoeuvrability, which is a good thing because it weighs a hefty 15kg. Check out our buyer's guide to travel cots.
You can buy the BabyStart Deluxe from Argos Baby Dan Travel Cot, £74.99Proving to be a hit among parents with taller babies, the Baby Dan travel cot has been designed to accommodate kids up to 34 inches tall. Aside from being longer than the average cot, the Baby Dan also boasts a few other features, such as two front wheels for portability and a brake for extra control. Thinking about buying a secondhand travel cot? Our guide to buying secondhand cots will help. Click here to buy the Baby Dan Travel Cot on Amazon You can buy the Baby Dan Travel Cot from John Lewis, Argos, Tesco, and on Amazon What you should think about when looking for a travel cot...1. Age suitability – this varies from model to model, and it’s important you follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. 2. Weight – if you’re going to carry your luggage far, you’ll want a travel cot that’s as light as possible. If you’re travelling by car and got a bit of boot space, the added features of a heavier cot option may be worth the extra weight.
3. Size – once folded down, is the cot really travel-friendly? Again, this will depend on your mode of transport. 4. Mattress – do you need to buy one? If one’s included, is it thick enough? Our buyer's guide to baby mattresses is the place to head if you need to purchase one. 5. Stability – once erected, does the travel cot feel like it can cope with the various midnight movements of your baby? 6. Ease of assembly – if you’re a family that’s barely in one place long enough to sit down, a more involved assembly process will drive you mad. This also goes for those of you who tend to arrive at your destination past bedtime, needing a sleeping spot for your baby rapidly. 7. Cost – the more often you travel, the easier it is to get your money’s worth out of an expensive travel cot. If you’re a homebody who ventures out rarely, don’t go spending the earth on a travel cot that’ll see the light of day just once. Click through to see 10 of the best travel cots on the market, and don't miss our essential travel cot buyer's guide and secondhand travel cot buying advice.