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| Mothercare Ashton Cot (£59.99) |
When moving your baby from sleeping in a first crib to a cot, check out our Buyer's Guide to Cots to see what you need to consider before making your choice.
First-stage cribs and Moses baskets only last for about six to ten weeks, so if you want to spare yourself the expense of one of these, you can certainly put your new baby in a cot from day one. He will seem tiny in it, but as long as you always practice Safe Sleeping for Babies you will be fine. If in doubt in the first week, ask your visiting midwife.
Don't cut corners
It is not as easy to find a bargain cot as it is to find a bargain buggy. It seems strange, given that a cot is just a few pieces of wood, but there it is.
Don't be tempted to buy secondhand unless you know the cot well already. It is not worth taking risks that it is old and unstable once your child is old enough to move around. That said, many families enjoy years of use from a trusty cot that has lasted for several sons and daughters.
Use your judgement to make sure the body is solid, and that paint is not chipped, that the screws are all still in place and not loose, and that the cot has not been damaged. (Although our cot was still in excellent condition after our first child, we did buy a brand new mattress for our second child. The right mattress is important.)
Cots under £60
Most cots cost between £100 and £200. However, all children's nursery furniture made and/or sold in the UK has to meet strict safety standards now, and you will not be compromising on safety with a cheaper model. To double check, look for assurance that the cot complies with safety standard BS EN 716.
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| John Lewis Winnepeg Cot (£60) |
Even some of the high street chains don't sell a cot under £100, but Mothercare do have a couple of good options. The Ashton Cot has an RRP of £59.99. It's a decent sized cot, 127cm in length, 67cm wide and 89cm in height.
The Hereford Cot is also £59.99 and has a two-handed drop-side to make it easier to get your baby in and out. This model also has three mattress base heights to adjust to as your baby gets bigger and needs to be set lower down to avoid falling out.
OK, so John Lewis's Winnepeg cot is £60 and not 'under', but it's a fabulous model for such a price.
It also has a drop-side mechanism that requires two hands for safety reasons, though it does only have two mattress base heights. Its dimensions are 120cm length, 66cm width, 96cm height, and comes in white or natural wood. (It requires a 120x60cm mattress.)
Argos do a similar model (though perhaps not quite so good-looking). The Carrina Cot has an RRP of £59.99 and again has a drop-side mechanism and two mattress base settings.
Its size is also very similar: 123cm long, 61cm wide and 98cm high.
Mattresses are extra!
You didn't think you were getting away with that easily did you?
Sadly, most cots do not come complete with a mattress (though some more expensive packages for £113-£150 do come with mattress at Argos).
All new mattresses will be safe - as above, there is tight regulation on those made and/or sold in the UK. But make sure you buy one from a trusted retailer. Buy one which is clearly marked with compliance of safety standard BS 1877.
Do not take a gamble and use a second-hand one. Bed wetting, baby sick etc can make a mattress very unhygienic and potentially dangerous to a young baby as the mattress gets older.
Expect to pay between £40 and £100 for a mattress, though most are priced around £60.
All cots are slightly different in size, so make sure you have the dimensions with you when buying a mattress as it needs to fit properly.
The cheapest we have spotted is the Argos hypo allergenic mattress for £24.99.
