Cot vs travel cot: which is better?
Short answer: They do different jobs. A cot is a framed baby bed with fixed sides, usually taking a 120 x 60cm mattress. 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.
Cot
Used from birth, once you are ready to move on from a Moses basket or bedside crib, until your child is ready for a bed.
- Check the internal size and buy a mattress that fits with no gaps.
- Adjustable base heights let you lower the mattress as your baby learns to sit and stand.
- Teething rails protect the top rails from little teeth.
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.
| Cot | Travel cot | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | from birth, once you are ready to move on from a Moses basket or bedside crib, until your child is ready for a bed | for occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot |
What the guidance says
- 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.
- Keep the cot clear: no pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets, soft toys, pods, nests, wedges or anything to keep your baby in place.
- 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.
- Cots and travel cots: look for BS EN 716-1:2017.
Related questions
How long can you use a cot?
From birth, once you are ready to move on from a Moses basket or bedside crib, until your child is ready for a bed.
How long can you use a travel cot?
For occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot.
Shop at Baby Kingdom
- Stamford Space Saver Sleigh Cot - White
- Bantam Cot - White
- Bantam Space Saver Cot - Warm Grey
- Bantam Space Saver Cot - White
Check each product page for its exact dimensions, mattress size, age and weight limits and safety standards.
More advice
Co-sleeping and sofa safety quizIs it safe to put a cot in a loft or bay window?Will a Moses basket fit in a small nursery?Can my baby sleep in a sling?Cot bedding myths quizYour 7 month's sleep space: a safe-sleep guideAll safe sleep and sleep spaces advice →
Sources
- The Lullaby Trust: Baby mattresses and bedding (accessed 2026-10-21)
- NHS: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (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.