When should I buy a travel cot?
Short answer: Buy in time for when you will first use it: for occasional or regular sleep, set up exactly like a cot. For newborn essentials, many parents order in the second trimester to allow for delivery and assembly.
- 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.
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.
- Keep the cot clear: no pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets, soft toys, pods, nests, wedges or anything to keep your baby in place.
Related questions
What is a travel cot?
A folding cot with a rigid frame and base, used for trips, grandparents' houses or small rooms.
Shop at Baby Kingdom
- Tutti Bambini Hexa Playpen Ecru
- CoZee Go 3-in-1 Bassinet, Travel Cot & Playpen
- Scout 2-in-1 Travel Cot & Playpen
- Fiesta Pop-Up Playpen
Check each product page for its exact dimensions, mattress size, age and weight limits and safety standards.
More advice
Can a 5 month old sleep on their side?Can an 11 month old have a cot bumper?Can an 11 month old sleep in a cot bed?Can a 4 month old sleep on their side?Your 6 week's sleep space: a safe-sleep guideTravel cot quizAll 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.