Carrycot vs travel cot: which is better?
Short answer: They do different jobs. A carrycot is a lie-flat bassinet that clips onto a pushchair chassis. A travel cot is a folding cot with a rigid frame and base, used for trips, grandparents' houses or small rooms. Choose by your baby's stage, your space and how long you want to use it.
Carrycot
Used from birth until your baby reaches the maker's limit.
- Check it fits your chassis.
- Check whether it is approved for overnight sleep. Only some are.
- Use the mattress supplied, with nothing added.
Travel cot
Used for occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot.
- Use only the mattress made for that travel cot. Never add folded blankets or a quilt underneath.
- Practise putting it up and folding it before you travel.
- Check the weight and height limits.
| Carrycot | Travel cot | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | from birth until your baby reaches the maker's limit | for occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot |
What the guidance says
- Always place your baby on their back to sleep, in the feet-to-foot position (feet at the bottom of the cot, Moses basket or pram).
- Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress in good condition, with no raised or cushioned edges, that fits the cot or Moses basket with no gaps.
- Travel cots need the same safer-sleep set-up as a cot: a rigid frame and base and a firm, flat mattress. Do not add folded blankets or a quilt under the baby.
- If a full cot will not fit, the Lullaby Trust suggests a travel cot, set up with the same safer-sleep advice.
- Moses baskets and carrycots: look for BS EN 1466:2014 or BS EN 1466:2023.
- Cots and travel cots: look for BS EN 716-1:2017.
Related questions
How long can you use a carrycot?
From birth until your baby reaches the maker's limit.
How long can you use a travel cot?
For occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot.
Shop at Baby Kingdom
Check each product page for its exact dimensions, mattress size, age and weight limits and safety standards.
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Sources
- NHS: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (accessed 2026-10-21)
- The Lullaby Trust: Baby mattresses and bedding (accessed 2026-10-21)
General information only, not medical advice. Always follow your product's instructions. If you are worried about your baby, contact your GP, health visitor or 111. In an emergency, call 999.