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The best portable cribs to keep babies and toddlers safe and cosy away from home
New to the world of parenting? Once your bumper online order of cots, baby changing bags, buggies, pram organisers, nursing bras and the kitchen sink has arrived, surely it must be time to relax? Sorry mamas, there is one more key item you need to add to your arsenal of baby gear.
If you’ve already splashed out on a fancy crib and a Moses basket you might be wondering why you need yet another bed for your little one. But a travel cot is an essential piece of kit and trust us, when you're away from home and wrestling with a tired baby at bedtime, you will come to treasure it. Keep scrolling for the best Amazon Prime Day deals...
A travel cot is essentially a portable crib to use when you’re staying anywhere that isn't your home. Most models are designed with speedy assembly in mind, so you can chuck it in the car boot for a weekend at granny’s house or even take it on a plane. Traditional travel cots also come with high mesh walls, so you can keep an eye on your sleeping tot and they won't get too hot.
While lugging an extra bed around might sound like a faff, if you’re staying in a hotel, visiting friends or camping with a baby in tow and chaos reigns, once you've popped up your travel cot you will breathe a sigh of relief. Babies love routine, especially when it comes to bedtime. The safe confines of a portable crib will provide a comfortable and familiar place to put your tired infant wherever you might be in the world, so everyone can get a better night's kip.
‘There’s no guarantee that your destination will have a safe sleeping space for your baby,’ says Paediatrician and child development expert Dr Harvey Karp. ‘While a plush, pillow-loaded hotel bed may sound like a dream for Mum and Dad, it’s not a safe spot for your little one to rest their head. By bringing your own cot, you can rest easier knowing that your bub will have a safe place to sleep.’
Not sure where to start? Jumaimah Hussain from Kiddies Kingdom has outlined the following key features to look out for when buying a travel cot.
Our list of top travel cots was compiled with the help of our in-house testers, the best reviews online and recommendations from our mum panel to help you choose your ideal portable crib for hassle-free bedtimes on the move.
If you're a frequent flyer with cash to spare, this brilliant travel cot from premium Swedish brand BabyBjörn is one of the best portable beds for bubbas that we've tried. Yes, it's at the pricier end of the spectrum, but it assembles in seconds, is incredibly light to carry and the accompanying mattress is just the right thickness to keep your tot cosy all night long. Best of all we love that it collapses down into a briefcase shape, making it much easier to carry on planes and trains compared to traditional bulkier travel cots.
Dimensions: 82 x 112 x 64 cm Folded size: 49 x 60 x 14 cm Weight: 6kg (including carry bag)
Looking for the perfect baby bed for your summer hols? Your search is over! This clever and remarkably light travel cot works like a pop-up tent, with an integrated roof to keep baby safe from the sun's harmful rays during daytime naps and hungry mosquitos at night. It's really quick to assemble and the handy rucksack is light enough to carry from your hotel to the beach, leaving your hands free to hold your baby/picnic lunch. Plus once your little one has dropped their daytime naps it will still make a great playhouse or sun shade.
Dimensions: 33 x 85 x 72 cm Folded size: 42 x 31 x 20 cm Weight: 2.5 kg
When it comes to shopping for travel cots, thin mattresses are often the biggest bone of contention for parents, as there's not much we won't do for a good night's kip! You'll be pleased to hear that this nifty little travel cot has a considerably better quality mattress than you would expect for the price, boosting everyone's chances of sleep wherever you happen to be. It's also really easy to assemble and super light. Sold.
Dimensions: 85 x 55 x 66cm Folded size: 60 x 15 x 50cm Weight: 6kg
Looking for a spacious and well ventilated crib that doubles up as a playpen for the toddler years? This roomy travel cot comes with two wheels so you can easily move it about the house, plus the push-button fold makes it really simple to pack down when you're ready to hit the road
Dimensions: 100 x 73 x 90 cm Folded size: 24 x 22 x 87 cm Weight: 10kg
It's not often we get overexcited about a blow-up mattress for kids aged 3+ here at WH, but this clever travel bed from Norwegian baby brand Stokke has raised the bar. It inflates easily in 60 seconds using an integrated pump, the cosy mesh cover means it just doesn't feel like a normal camping mattress, and when fully inflated it is genuinely comfortable. We also like the full-length side bumpers for keeping wriggly kids in place. What's more, the double-layered zipper packing cube means it folds up small enough to pop into your hand luggage while you're travelling. Our only complaint is that they don't make this brilliant bed in adult sizes too!
Dimensions: 38 x 28 x 10cm Folded size: 150 x 75cm Weight: 1.4kg
One of the most aesthetically pleasing travel cots on the market, this two-in-one crib comes with a bassinet option for newborns which can then be lowered for growing tots. It's really easy to assemble in just one click, the lining is machine washable and the wooden legs give it extra style points. At 6kg it's light enough to carry about and our panel of mum testers gave the mattress a thumbs up too.
Dimensions: 690 x 670 x 115cm Folded size: 570 x 540 x 150cm Weight: 6 kg
This versatile travel cot ticks all the boxes for kids up to three years old. It assembles/dissembles quickly, comes with a removable bassinet for newborns and doubles up as a playpen for those precious moments when you need a cup of tea in peace. Weighing just 7kg it's really easy to transport, but the lightweight mattress is still comfy enough to convince your little one to nap wherever you might be.
Dimensions: 112 x 80 x 67cm Folded size: 88 x 34 x 17cm Weight: 7kg
At 14.95kg this travel cot from Dutch baby brand Nuna is at the heavier end of the portable scale. But our panel of mum testers were impressed with the handy centralised pulley system that can be assembled in seconds with no tools required, plus it’s raised off the ground to increase airflow and keep your baby cool throughout the night. It also folds up small enough to store away easily in a cupboard and most importantly, the padded mattress was cosy enough to get the little one's vote.
Pop this cute Baby Snuz Cloud in your shopping trolley too and boost everyone's chances of a good night's sleep.
Dimensions: 74.5 x 107 x 73.5cm Folded size: 85.5 x 36.5 x 34 cm Weight: 14.95kg
Weighing just 1.2kg this dinky travel bed is one of the lightest portable cribs on the market and ideal for parents on the move. In the absence of high walls it's best for babies who can't yet sit up, but if you need a foldable bed to put your little one down for a nap almost anywhere, this is a great lightweight option.
Dimensions: 75 x 41cm Folded size: 41 x 26cm Weight: 1.2kg
We bought this to take our three month old baby camping last summer and we've used it religiously ever since. At 9kg it's slightly bulky, but if you're flinging it in the back of the car for a weekend away it does the trick. Admittedly the sleeping base is a bit hard so we have since added this cot mattress, but if you're looking for a sturdy and cost-effective portable crib, I can't recommend this enough.
Dimensions: 74 x 100 x 74cm Folded size: 75 x 21 x 21cm Weight: 9kg
Weighing in at 12.3kg this travel cot sits at the bulkier end of the portable crib spectrum, so it's better suited to family holidays with access to a car boot than public transport. But once you have arrived at your villa/hotel and erected your temporary baby nest, the removable bassinet and vibrating bouncer complete with toy bar will make relaxing on holiday a breeze. Our panel of mum testers were impressed with how simple it was to assemble, plus integrated wheels made it easy to keep baby close by at nap times.
Dimensions: 106 x 70.5 x 80cm Folded size: 79 x w 25 x h 21cm Weight: 12.3kg
We recently upgraded to this brilliant travel bed and haven't looked back since. Complete with a self-inflating mattress, cotton fitted sheet, 15-tog duvet and jersey pillow all rolled into one, this portable bundle takes the stress out of kiddy travel. Designed for that tricky in-between stage when your toddler is too big for a travel cot but not quite ready for a real bed (this age depends on the kid, but usually they will tell you by either refusing to sleep or trying to climb out of the cot!) Add-on bumpers provide peace of mind if you're still worried about your little one rolling over in the night. We particularly love the funky camping inspired duvet print and the nifty roll up design. Our tot is so keen on his Bundle Bed he's convinced us to book another camping trip.
Dimensions: 165 x 50cm Folded size: 50 x 25cm Weight: 5kg
Best known for premium prams, Bugaboo's travel cot offering has the same quality we've come to expect from the brand. (If you're not familiar, we love the Bugaboo Bee pushchair!) Featuring a bassinet for little ones up to 9kg and a portable carry case, this travel cot is sleek, stylish and incredibly easy to assemble.
Dimensions: 64 x 98 x 85 cm Folded size: 65 x 14 x 85 cm Weight: 7.7 kg
This all-in-one day bed with a built-in mat, pillow and blanket is great for sleepovers, camping trips or just to cosy up at home. At 1.1kg it's light enough to throw into your handbag, while the soft animal print fabric make it comfy enough to convince your tired tot they need a daytime nap. My toddler gave it the thumbs up for watching cartoons on the living room floor too.
Dimensions: 50 x 135cm Folded size: 47 x 23 x 21cm Weight: 1.1kg
This isn't a traditional travel cot, but frequent flyers will love this dinky day bed for use on aeroplanes. Designed to keep your baby in a cosy natural sleeping position on your lap, it's small enough to pop into your hand luggage and comes with wrap-around wings to keep wriggly tots secure. We can't promise it will make your little one sleep for an entire long haul flight, but anything that minimises disruption (and side-eye from fellow grumpy passengers) gets our vote.
Dimensions: 29 x 56cm Weight: 300g