Crib vs travel cot: which is better?
Short answer: They do different jobs. A crib is a small free-standing baby bed, sometimes with a rocking or gliding action, sized between a Moses basket and a cot. 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.
Crib
Used for the early months of room sharing, until your baby reaches the maker's limit.
- Use a mattress made to fit that crib exactly.
- If it rocks or glides, check there is a lock and use it for sleep where the instructions say to.
- Check the weight and stage limits.
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.
| Crib | Travel cot | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | for the early months of room sharing, until your baby reaches the maker's limit | for occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot |
What the guidance says
- The NHS advises placing your baby in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for every sleep, day and night, for at least the first 6 months.
- 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.
- Bedside cribs: look for BS EN 1130:2019.
- Cots and travel cots: look for BS EN 716-1:2017.
Related questions
How long can you use a crib?
For the early months of room sharing, 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
- Bedside Crib Starter Pack
- CoZee Sense Bedside Crib
- Tutti Bambini CoZee Mini Me Play Crib - Oak/Charcoal
- CoZee Air 2 Bedside Crib
Check each product page for its exact dimensions, mattress size, age and weight limits and safety standards.
More advice
What safety standard should a travel cot have?Your 4 month's sleep space: a safe-sleep guideWhere should I put a Moses basket in the nursery?Do I need a Moses basket?Cribs buying guide for UK parentsBed-sharing risks quizAll safe sleep and sleep spaces advice →
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.