Ok, so what exactly are Travel cots then ? Well, they are like little mobile cots for your little one, that you can fold up and put away into a neat bag to take away with you. Most fit in the boot of a car and can be transported around. Although you probably don't want to walk too far with one. Most travel cots have a plastic or metal frame, and a firm base with a folding, lightly padded mattress.
OK So Do I 'really' need a travel cot then?
Ask yourself if if you will be planning on making regular overnight trips to cot-free homes such as friends, parents or grandparents. Even if they do have a travel cot, sometimes its worth getting one anyway so baby has a familiar environment. Usually they are cheap enough to buy one to have at a parents house and keep it there....an idea anyway.
Some hotels even have them available to save you packing one if you are planning on travelling light.
Travel cot pro
'Freedom...................freedom.....'
Freedom to travel pretty much anywhere. Some of the Samsonite travel cots we have, even have mosi nets on them !
Travel Cots cons
Travel cots generally do take up a fair bit of space, can be heavy and probably not going to be used loads.
The Fine Art of Folding and storaging a Travel cot
When looking for travel cots, check out the folding mechanics and ensure you know how to do it easily. Make sure its smooth to do, easy and no nasty trappy bits for fingers. Usually a handle or hoop you pull on will open it up or push it out. Stick to well know makes like Samsonite so you know its made well.
Travel cots for young babies
Some Moses baskets come with a bassinet for newborns, but generally they’re not designed for very young babies as they don’t have drop-down sides or adjustable mattress heights.
A soft carrycot or Moses basket can be just as portable but more suitable for newborns, and you can also buy lightweight fold-up travel carrycots from a range of baby catalogues.
It maybe worth in some cases buying an economical cot to store at your parents house.
Moses baskets
Moses baskets are designed to provide your new baby with a secure and comfy sleeping place. Moses baskets are mostly made from natural palm leaf, Moses baskets are light and have carry handles so you can move your sleeping baby if necessary.
See our HISTORY OF MOSES BASKETS article for some fun, if you really are that interested :-))
It’s generally better to not carrying your baby around in the moses basket if possible, particularly if the handles don’t meet in the middle. ...it may break !
The basket also provides no protection if you slip or trip on the stairs.
You can place the Moses basket on the floor, or you can buy a fold-away stand to place the basket on next to your bed, enabling you to reach your baby easily for night-time feeds. Check this has a safety catch to prevent accidental closing.
A PVC-covered foam mattress will normally be included with the basket, and often a canopy of hood, lining and quilt.
Heard of a Carrycot ?
Well let me tell you more then......A carrycot is a stronger version of a Moses basket. If you have a carrycot option on your pushchair, you could use this as your baby’s main sleeping place for the first few early weeks.
However, you may end up spending a lot of time removing and refitting the carrycot to the base, and you may need to buy a mattress suitable for night-time sleeping.
You can buy separate carrycots although they’re not as widely available as Moses baskets. Choose one that’s fairly lightweight as you may need to move your baby in it while he or she is sleeping.
See Samsonite Travel Cots here
See Moses baskets here
4little1s.com is an online nursery retailer based in the South East of the UK. Providing a wide range of baby bedding, nursery items, baby gifts and of course, Samsonite Travel cots from Samsonite.
