Top 5 best travel cots & bassinets
Best versatiles travel cots that are also travel bassinets
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Phil and Ted’s Traveller V4 | Check it out |
| 2 |
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BABYBJÖRN Travel Cot Easy Go | Check it out |
| 3 |
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Maxi-Cosi Iris 2-in-1 Compact Travel Cot | Check it out |
| 4 |
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Chicco Zip & GO Travel Cot | Check it out |
Best travel cots for toddlers
| 1 |
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Cuggl Deluxe Superlight Travel Cot | Weight: 6kg | Dimensions: L 112 x W72 x H 66 cm – Unfolded L 50 x W61 x D16 cm – Folded | Check it out |
| 2 |
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Hauck Sleep N Play Centre | Check it out |
Best travel cribs for newborns
| 1 |
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Inovi Cocoon Folding Travel Crib | Weight: 4kg | Dimensions: 86.5 x 54 x 85 cm – Unfolded 71.5 x 55.6 x 16 cm – Folded | Check it out |
| 2 |
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Hauck Dreamer Travel Bassinet | Weight: 7kg | Dimensions: 94 x 57 x 70 cm – Unfolded 85 x 59 x 23 cm – Folded | Check it out |
| 3 |
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MoKee WoolNest Moses Basket | Weight: 1.5kg | Dimensions: L 71 x W 36 x H 28 cm – Unfolded L 71 x W 36 x H 6 cm – Folded | Check it out |
The best portable cots are easy to put up and fold away, don’t weigh the same as a baby elephant and give your baby (and you!) a good night’s sleep.
Happily, there are plenty of well-designed and useful travel cots available to buy and we’re going to help you choose the best one for your family.
The best travel cots that are also travel cribs
As ever, we’re here to take the graft out of finding the best baby cot to travel with and we’ve put together a list of the best compact cots out there. You’re welcome!
Phil and Ted’s Traveller V4
One of the lightest and most practical carry cot. Phil and Ted’s even boast that their product is even lighter than the baby! That’s one light travel cot!
This is the best lightweight travel cot for trips abroad as it is allowed as hand luggage on most airlines.
Full disclaimer, that’s the one I purchased with the bassinet for my son and it’s been so good.
Features
- Suitable from birth to approximately three years.
- This is the lightest travel cot on the market at an incredible 2.8kg. Phil and Ted’s even boast that their product is even lighter than the baby! That’s one light travel cot!
- It is a super foldable carry cot and is ingeniously compact.
- The mattress is soft, light and self-inflating and is included in the weight if this lightweight carrycot.
Extra Accessories
You can purchase an additional bassinet net that uses the same frames and legs. It will give a tiny baby a smaller, snuggly sleeping space and stops Mummy and Daddy from having to lean into a deep cot.
Baby Bjorn Travel Light Travel Cot
Typical Scandi style, simple and unfussy. If you want the simplest, easiest cot to deploy this is the one for you. Once out of the handy bag, this pop-up travel cot unfolds in one easy movement. It can even be done while holding a child on your hip.
Features
- Suitable from birth to approximately three years
- Super easy to deploy, even with a child in your arms
Maxi-Cosi Iris 2-in-1 Compact Travel Cot
The most stylish cot from our selection. It almost looks like a full time cot that you could have in your home.
Features
- Up to 24 months.
- Adjustable height. The highest level can be used up to six months.
Chicco Zip and Go Travel Crib
A neutral, stylish cream travel crib for newborn babies which turns into a travel cot for toddlers. A great baby camping cot as it takes up little room.
Features
- Up to 24 months.
- Adjustable height. The highest level can be used up to six months.
- The baby level can be fixed or put in rocking mode to help soothe a fractious little one.
- Unzipping changes this mini travel cot into a travel cot for toddlers (up to 24 months).
- A small travel cot that is also super easy to fold.
Best travel cots for toddlers
The recommendations above are amazing choices for toddlers. However if you’re looking to save some pennies and don’t need the bassinet function, here are our recommended travel cot that double as playpen for toddlers
Cuggl Deluxe Superlight Travel Cot
This fab product is one of the best budget travel cots on the market. The Cuggl is a travel cot with a bassinet insert so can be used as a crib for newborns.
Pros
- Once removed this large travel cot is suitable for toddlers and for use as a playpen.
- Lockable wheel for ease of movement making it a portable travel cot within the home and outside.
- Also includes a baby changer attachment.
Features
- Age range: Suitable from birth to 24 months up to 15kg.
- Dimensions Unfolded: L 112 x W72 x H 66cm
- Dimensions Folded: L 50 x W61 x D16cm
- Weight: 6kg
Hauck Sleep N Play Centre
The best toddler travel cot if you want longevity and variety of use.
The ‘play’ part if the title refers to the fact you can unzip the sides (from the outside only, no risk of an escapee!) so it can be used as a play space, den or whatever your toddler’s imagination conjures up!
It is also one of the cheapest travel cots when you consider all that is included in the price (changing top, mattress, 2 bags)
Pros
- Zip access on the side for easy access to your new baby.
- Relatively easy to fold up and down.
- Has a changing table integrated
- Affordable price
Features
- Suitable from birth to up to 15kg in weight.
- Accessories: Changing table
Extra Accessories
Extra comfort is available for fussy sleepers if you buy the best travel cot mattress for this product. The ‘Sleeper’ mattress which is made from thick, soft and supportive foam.
Best travel bassinets and cribs
Looking for a bassinet to travel with? Here are a few options that makes travelling with a newborn much easier
Inovi Cocoon Folding Travel Crib
This bassinet comes in grey and cream colour. It’s a really practical bassinet that folds easily. It’s perfect for temporary setups such as grandparents’ house or when travelling.
Pros
- Foldable, it’s really small when packed and comes with a travel bag.
- Easy to fold and unfold
- Breathable sides
- The net will protect your baby from flies and insect if your travelling in tropical countries. Plus it will prevent pets from jumping in at home.
Cons
- The material is not machine washable.
Features
- Age range: Suitable from birth up to approx. 6 months old
- Dimensions Unfolded: L 86.5 x W 54 x H 85 cm
- Folded Dimensions: L 71.5 x W 55.6 x H 16 cm
- Mattress Dimensions: L 77 x W 41 x H 3.5cm
- Weight: 4kg
- Accessories: Travel bag
Hauck Dreamer Travel Bassinet
This bassinet comes in grey and cream colour. It’s a really practical bassinet that folds easily. It’s perfect for temporary setups such as grandparents’ house or when travelling.
Pros
- Foldable
- Swings to sooth your baby
- Easy to fold and unfold
- Larger than our other choice which will allow you to use it a bit longer
- The bed’s cover can be removed and washed
Cons
- A bit bigger when folded and unfolded than our other choices.
- Heavier
Features
- Age range: Suitable from birth up to 9kg
- Dimensions Unfolded: L 94 x W 57 x H 70 cm
- Folded Dimensions: L 85 x W 59 x H 23 cm
- Mattress Dimensions: L 90 x W 50 cm
- Weight: 7kg
MoKee WoolNest Moses Basket
Thinking out of the box. This moses basket is an ideal travel bassinet. It can be folded flat and is hands down the lightest of our selection.
It’s so stylish that it can easily be your full time bassinet at home too. It was mine and looked so good in my bedroom.
Pros
- Ultra light
- Foldable flat
- Cute stylish design
- Since it’s wool it doesn’t make any cracking noise straw moses basket usually do. Norisk of waking up baby when moving it.
Cons
- No breathable sides
Features
- Age range: Suitable from birth up to 9kg
- Dimensions Unfolded: L 71 x W 36 x H 28 cm
- Folded Dimensions: L 71 x W 36 x H 6 cm
- Mattress Dimensions: L 70 x W 35 x D 3.5 cm
- Weight: 1.5kg
Why do I need a travel cot?
You will be visiting family and friends, EVERYONE will want to meet the gorgeous new addition to your family. Sadly, not everyone will be able to travel to you…or maybe that’s a good thing?! Whichever, you will need a travel cot from birth if you have relatives to visit regularly.
Planning a holiday? Yes, I know that a trip away from home feels like an impossible task right now. So much stuff you’d need to take! A potentially disastrous change of routine! Ugh.
Well at some point in the years that your child will need a crib or portable cot to sleep in, you’re going to want to go away. A family wedding, Christmas at the in-laws or a weekend break to the seaside. The brave and adventurous amongst you might even go abroad, if you do, a lightweight travel cot for flying will be needed.
A portable cot can be used as a secure playpen for older babies who can crawl at what feels like 100 miles an hour. When my daughter was tiny, she could go from kicking her little legs happily in the air on the floor to wedged underneath the coffee table in seconds. Don’t judge, she was chasing the cat and I’d had the audacity to take my eyes off her to close a window.
Travel cot accessories you might need
- A compact cot mattress is essential. Most baby travel cots will come with a mattress, but they aren’t often particularly comfy. A luxury travel cot might have a mattress with a softer feel, but many will have a polyester texture that ‘rustles’ as the child moves around. In my experience, that noise, right next to their tiny ears, wakes them up, not good!
- A travel cot with changing table is a great idea, especially if it will be used often. Having somewhere to change your baby and/or store changing bits and pieces is so useful and it will save your back aching from leaning over.
- A travelling cot that comes with a travel cot bassinet is the perfect choice for parents of newborn babies. Imagine leaning deep into a travel cot to lift your precious bundle, it would be awkward and not at all good for your back.
A bassinet travel cot will be slightly less portable (they tend not to ‘fold in’ with the rest of the travelling cot) but it will be worth it for the comfort and convenience for both you and baby.
- Planning on using your travel cot bed as a playpen for an older baby or toddler? Maybe you simply need a safe space to put your baby down while you get some life admin done? Yep, us too! A travel cot mobile is a fun way to entertain your child.
- Bedding. A soft fitted sheet in travel cot size is essential. Most travel cot beds will be too wide even for standard cot bed sheets.
Potential safety issues
- A travel cot, when it is used within its guidelines is safe from birth to the age at which your child becomes able to climb out of the cot or reaches the weight limit of that model of cot.
- A travel cot with adjustable height. Make sure you are following the guidelines and lower the level of the cot as your child grows, becomes able to sit, reaches the standing stage and (horror!) the climbing out and waking the parents at 5am stage.
- A travel carry cot or portable baby cot should NOT be moved with the child in it.
- Follow sleep safety guidelines. Choose bedding of the appropriate size and season.
Can it be used as a playpen too?
- Travel cots make great playpens for older babies and young toddlers. They offer a safe, comfortable space which they can happily play in and you know that they can’t escape from.
- Choose an extra-large travel cot for maximum longevity. The travel cot size you choose will ideally still be large enough for a 2-3-year old to play in.
- A travel cot and playpen combined must be cleared of all toys before being used as a sleeping space.
Hope this article helped you find the perfect travel system for your little one. Talking about travelling, you might be interested in reading more about travel gear:
