Source: ezinearticles.com
Cotbeds provide a logical, practical and extremely popular way of lengthening the life of a cot as well as helping to make the transition to a toddler bed as smooth as possible. When researching cotbeds you will find that there is a huge amount of choice and a multitude of function and style options. You need to consider the safety and comfort of your child, your ease of access, space and looks.
Initially your baby is going to be spending the majority of his day in his cotbed, sometimes up to 20 hours and so it is an important decision to make. This item of furniture is also going to be on display in your home for 5-6 years so you will want to ensure that you choose a cotbed in a style and colour that 'fits' with your home decor.
This buying guide will help you to determine the safety features and options of cotbeds that are going to be most important to you.
Adjustable Base Positions
Cotbeds should have 2 or 3 different settings for the mattress height.
You will start with the highest setting as this provides the easiest access to your baby. Once your baby starts to push up onto their hands and knees unaided you will need to move the base down for additional safety.
The sides of the cotbed should be at least 500mm higher than the mattress when it is in its lowest position.
Fixed Sides or Dropsides
Fixed sides simply means that access to your baby will only be possible by leaning over and into the cotbed.
For most people this will not cause any problems but for others this may be impractical or undesirable. If you are petite or have an existing back condition then we would recommend you consider a dropside.
If you opt for a dropside then we recommend you choose one with both a simple mechanism and one handed operation. The latches should be unreachable by children to make them safe.
Choice of Mattress
There are essentially three options - foam, fibre or sprung.
Ventilation is vital as there must be a constant flow of air around the baby's head. This means that you will require a ventilation system in the head and mid section of the mattress for when your baby is placed in the 'feet to foot' position.
It is vitally important that the mattress fits snugly into the frame. When the mattress is gently pushed to one side there should be no more than a 4cm gap to the rails.
Useful features to look for are a wipe clean surface, removable and reversible covers.
Teething Rails
During teething a baby is likely going to want to chomp on the edges of their cot. Teething rails are a protective covering on the cot edges to provide extra protection for a baby's delicate teeth and also for prevention of damage to the cot.
Spacing of Slats
This is an extremely important safety aspect to ensure that your baby's head cannot get stuck between the railings.
The recommendation in the UK is that the spaces between the slats must be 45-65mm, and less than 60mm wide in the mattress base.
Baby Safe Paint or Varnish
Any paints and finishes used must have a non lead base and be non toxic.
Bedding
Please note that you will need to buy cotbed bedding and not bedding designed for cots else it will not fit.
The bedding that you choose should not include any trailing ribbons or strings of material as a safety precaution.
Build and Design
The cotbed that you choose should be sturdyIf there are corner posts they should be no higher than 1.5mmThere should be no sharp edges, exposed hardware or splintered woodScrews and bolts should all be present and tightly secured
Barry Waters is the owner of CotbedKids.co.uk, an online store providing quality cotbeds and cotbed accessories in the UK.
