Buying Cot Beds - A Comprehensive Guide

Cot beds are one of the first things in your list if you are planning a nursery. A nursery should always be planned with safety and comfort as the utmost priority.  Newborn babies do not need a cot bed immediately as a crib; a carry cot or a Moses basket will be sufficient for them, but a cot bed is opted for by most parents as it can be used for a long period of time, sometimes even till the junior years.

Basic Factors You should look for in Cot Beds

While looking for a cot bed, there are some basic yet facts that you should know.

• Safety features are the first things you have to consider, above looks.
• The convertibility is an important factor to consider for a longer lasting bed
• It should be durable enough to survive a lot of wear and tear
• The base should be adjustable
• The price should match your wallet - parenting isn't about how much you spend but how much thought goes into the buy.

Safety Features in Cot Beds

There are some immediate safety features which you should look for and they are:

1. The cot should be deep enough for keeping the baby safe
2. The distance between the bars should be appropriate, less than one inch to prevent the baby from slipping
3. It should not have steps or cut outs
4. The rails should have a soft plastic coating to prevent the cot from being damaged and also to prevent injury to the baby
5. If you are buying a second hand cot, ensure that the safety features are still all in place.

Types of Cot Beds

There are many sizes and shapes of cot beds that are available in the stores. Some of them are:

• Corner shaped beds that can fit snugly into a corner in the nursery.
• Oval shaped cots that are easily converted to a sofa, chair or even a junior bed.
• Bedside cots that can be fitted to your bed. This is very useful during night feeding.

Dimensions of a Cot Bed

The standard size that is available mostly has a length of 146 cm and depth of 77 cm. The height varies between 90 cm and 105 cm, and most of the cots have a height adjustable system. If you want the cots to last longer, going for the large sized ones will be the preeminent option.

Flexible Dimensions

Here are some of the options that are available with these beds.

• Some cot beds can be adjusted so that the ends become shorter, getting a child prepared for a proper junior bed.
• Base height can be altered according to the age of the baby.
• There are generally three base heights offered. The lowest is safe for the baby and can be used till eight months.
• The second height is safe to be used in bed mode.
• A four height model is also available, but the flexibility is not that much, as the mattress will anyway be lowered during the early stages of the baby’s growth.

Adjustable Sides

Cot beds usually are of two types based on the sides such as:

1. Fixed sides
2. Drop sides

The drop side enables you to lift the baby easily. There are cots that have this mechanism on both the sides. Though a fixed side is sometimes considered a safer option, drop sides in cot beds can also be safe provided the safety standards are met with.