Recommendations by situation
Travel cot for grandparents and holidays
A folding cot is safe if it's set up correctly and used only with its own mattress. What to check, what you never add, and four options.
In short
- Use only the mattress supplied by the manufacturer. It looks thin and hard – that's how it should be.
- The sides must be fully locked, in the order shown in the manual, before you put the baby in the cot.
- If you go rarely and only to hotels, ask first whether they have a cot. If you visit the grandparents monthly, buy one and leave it there.
- Weight matters only if you carry it. For a cot that stays at the grandparents', choose by how easy it is to set up.
The safe sleep rules don’t stay at home when you go away for the weekend. The baby sleeps the same way – on their back, on a firm, flat surface, in their own bed – at the grandparents’, in the mountains and at the seaside. A travel cot is how you take that surface with you, instead of improvising one from pillows on a sofa.
Do you actually need one?
- You go to the grandparents’ often, staying overnight: yes. Buy a simple one and leave it there.
- You travel a few times a year, to a hotel or guesthouse: ask first whether they have a cot. Many do. When you arrive, check it as you would a second-hand one: stable, complete, with a firm mattress of the right size.
- You travel a lot, by plane or train: yes, and here weight really matters.
- You live in a very small space: a folding cot can also be your cot at home, with a few compromises. We wrote about this in cots for small rooms.
What a safe travel cot looks like
The original mattress and nothing else. It’s the most important rule and the most often broken. The mattress of a folding cot is thin and hard because the walls are made of fabric: a thicker mattress, or one added on top, leaves a gap at the edges into which the child can slip. If it seems too hard to you, that’s fine – for a baby, hard is good.
Locked sides. The frame usually locks in a particular order: first the top sides, then the centre of the floor. Follow the manual and press on each side before putting the child inside. An unlocked side can fold.
Mesh walls, on at least two sides, so you can see the child and air can circulate.
The declared standard. Travel cots fall under the same European standard as ordinary cots, EN 716. It should appear in the description or on the label.
The raised level
Many folding cots have a second level, higher up, for small babies – so you don’t have to bend down to the floor. It’s convenient, but it has a strict limit, of weight or of stage: you stop using it as soon as the child rolls over, pushes up on their hands or reaches the weight in the manual, whichever comes first. From then on, the mattress goes down to the bottom level.
Accessories that attach on top – a changing table, a toy arch – are taken out of the cot when the child sleeps in it.
What else to look at
- Weight and folded size. Between a 6 kg model and a 12 kg one is the difference between hand luggage and a suitcase.
- Setting up. Some open in one movement; others need patience and a particular way of pulling on the centre. Practise before the first trip, not at midnight, at the guesthouse.
- Mattress height above the floor. On some, the mattress sits directly on the floor: very stable, but cold on a tiled floor in winter.
- Age or weight limit. Usually up to around 3 years or until the child can climb out on their own.
- The carry bag and whether the fabrics can be taken off for washing.
We haven’t tested these cots ourselves; we chose them by type and from the manufacturers’ data.
Four travel cots
Hauck Dream N Play
Budget-friendlyWho it suits: a cot that stays at the grandparents' and is used a few times a month, with no frills.
For grandparents, it’s all you need. The extra money on a sophisticated model isn’t justified for ten nights a year.
Pros
- Simple: a folding frame, a mattress, a bag
- Mesh walls on the long sides
- Standard size, 120×60, with sheets that are easy to find
- One of the most affordable travel cots
Cons
- A single level: you bend down to the floor even with a newborn
- Not easy to carry over long distances
- Setting up needs the exact order from the manual
Joie Kubbie Sleep
Budget-friendlyWho it suits: families who want a single folding cot, used both at home, next to the parents' bed, and on trips.
If you want the same object to be a co-sleeper in the first months and a holiday cot after that, the Kubbie Sleep covers both roles quite well. It’s neither the easiest nor the quickest to fold away.
Pros
- Raised level for small babies
- One side can be lowered to sit next to the parents’ bed, according to the manufacturer
- Folds into a carry bag
- Can then be used as an ordinary travel cot
Cons
- Heavier than models designed only for travel
- More parts and more steps to set up
- Thin mattress, by design – don’t add another on top of it
Maxi-Cosi Iris
Mid-rangeWho it suits: parents who travel by car and want a somewhat lighter cot, with a newborn level.
A middle option: less to carry than a classic cot, without the price of the lightest models.
Pros
- Raised level for the first months
- Lighter than classic folding cots, according to the manufacturer
- Mesh walls on all sides
- Carry bag included
Cons
- More expensive than a simple folding cot, for the same basic function
- Smaller sleeping surface than a 120×60
- Accessories and sheets are specific to it
BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light
PremiumWho it suits: those who travel often, including by plane, and want something that sets up in a few seconds.
If the cot often goes on a plane or in the boot, the low weight and quick setup earn their money. If it sits in the grandparents’ storeroom, they don’t.
Pros
- Very light for a cot, around 6 kg including the bag
- Opens in one movement, no parts to assemble
- The mattress sits directly on the floor: very stable
- Fabrics that come off and can be machine washed
Cons
- Expensive for a cot used occasionally
- No raised level: you bend down to the floor
- On cold floors you need a rug or a blanket underneath – under the cot, not in it
Our recommendation
For the grandparents: the simplest folding cot that meets the standard, left there, with two sheets of the right size. The Hauck Dream N Play is the typical example.
For frequent travel: pay for low weight and quick setup, like the BabyBjörn Travel Cot Light.
For a single cot that does everything in the first year: a model with a raised level and a lowerable side, like the Joie Kubbie Sleep.
In every case, the rule stays the same: its own mattress, a taut sheet and nothing else. For the cot at home, see the guide to the cot.
Frequently asked questions
Is it allowed to add an extra mattress in a folding cot?
No, never. The EN 716 safety standard and paediatric guidelines forbid using a second mattress or a topper over the original base of the cot. The flexible fabric walls can create dangerous gaps at the sides in which the baby's face can get stuck, with a risk of suffocation.
Up to what weight or age is the raised newborn level used?
The intermediate newborn level is used strictly until the child reaches the weight limit in the manual (usually 9 kg) or until they start pushing up on their hands and knees or rolling over. From that moment, the mattress must be lowered to the bottom level.
Can a folding cot permanently replace the wooden cot?
For holidays, weekends at the grandparents' or a temporary period of a few weeks, it's a safe and comfortable option. For long-term use from 0 to 3 years, a wooden cot with a dedicated orthopaedic mattress of 10–12 cm offers better postural support for the spine.
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