Travel cot vs toddler bed: which is better?
Short answer: They do different jobs. A travel cot is a folding cot with a rigid frame and base, used for trips, grandparents' houses or small rooms. A toddler bed is a low bed sized for a cot-bed mattress (often 140 x 70cm), usually with side guards, for children moving out of a cot. Choose by your baby's stage, your space and how long you want to use it.
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.
Toddler bed
Used once your child has outgrown the cot or is climbing out of it. Many UK families switch between about 18 months and 3 years.
- Check the mattress size it takes and buy a mattress that fits snugly.
- Side guards help stop your child rolling out in the early weeks.
- A low height makes it easier to climb in and out on their own.
| Travel cot | Toddler bed | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | for occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot | once your child has outgrown the cot or is climbing out of it. Many UK families switch between about 18 months and 3 years |
What the guidance says
- 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.
- 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.
- Cots and travel cots: look for BS EN 716-1:2017.
- Mattresses: look for BS 7177:2008+A1:2011, and BS EN 16890:2017+A1:2021 for cot, travel cot and crib mattresses.
Related questions
How long can you use a travel cot?
For occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot.
How long can you use a toddler bed?
Once your child has outgrown the cot or is climbing out of it. Many UK families switch between about 18 months and 3 years.
Shop at Baby Kingdom
- Scout 3-in-1 Travel Crib, Cot & Playpen
- CoZee Go 3-in-1 Bassinet, Travel Cot & Playpen
- Fiesta Pop-Up Playpen
- Tutti Bambini Hexa Playpen Ecru
Check each product page for its exact dimensions, mattress size, age and weight limits and safety standards.
More advice
Bedside crib quizMoses basket, crib or bedside crib: which first sleep space?What does feet to foot mean?Can my baby nap in the living room?Moses basket, crib or bedside crib: which first sleep space?Your 8 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)
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.