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Cotbeds Buying Guide
Your newborn baby could potentially spend up to 20 hours a day in their cotbed and so this is not a decision that you can rush into, you have to consider your child's safety as well as ease of use for yourself. A cotbed is also going to last for 5-6 years and be on display in your home for this time, you may therefore consider it important to choose a style and colour that is going to fit with the style of your home. This buying guide will help you to determine the safety features and cotbed options that are going to be most important to you. Different Base Settings 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. Drop or Fixed Sides Fixed sides simply means that access to your baby will only be possible by leaning over and into the cot. 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. Mattress Choice There are 3 main options when choosing your mattress - sprung, fibre or foam. Fibre mattresses provide excellent air flow as well as being environmentally friendly, however, it is not unusual for parents nowadays to avoid these in case of allergies or asthma symptoms. The ventilation of mattress materials is a key safety factor as there needs to be a constant flow of air around the baby's head. Your mattress will require a ventilation system in the head and mid sections for when your baby is placed in the 'feet to foot' position. Other features offered that are useful are removable and reversible covers and a wipe clean surface. It is of vital importance that the mattress fits snugly into the frame. If the mattress is gently pushed to one side there should be no more than a 4cm gap to the rails. Teething Protection When your baby starts teething they are likely going to chew on the edges of their cot. To provide extra protection for your baby's delicate mouth and also for prevention of damage to the cot teething rails are a protective covering on the cotbed edges. Cotbed Slats Spacing Babies can be prone to getting themselves stuck in awkward places and for this reason it is important to ensure that the gaps between the slats on a cotbed are small enough to prevent this from happening. The UK recommendation is that the gap between the slats on the side of a cotbed are between 45-65mm, and that in the mattress base they are less than 60mm. For this same reason you should also not choose a cotbed that could have potentially dangerous cut-outs in either the foot or head boards. Baby Safe Paint or Varnish All paints and finishes used on cotbeds must be non toxic and have a non lead base. Baby Bedding If you purchase a cotbed you will also need to buy cotbed sized bedding as bedding designed for cots will not fit. Once you have purchased your cotbed bedding it can be used for both the cot and the toddler bed. It is advised that you avoid any bedding that includes any trailing ribbons or strings of material as a safety precaution. Overall Build Quality and Design - Choose a cotbed that looks to be sturdy - Any corner posts that are present should not exceed 1.5mm in height - Exposed hardware, sharp edges or splintered wood should be avoided - All required screws and bolts should be in place and tightened securely. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Bex Richards runs CotbedKids.co.uk, an internet store based in the UK providing cotbeds and nursery accessories. |
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