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Advice Re:Travel cots

26 replies

shhhh · 04/09/2005 10:19

We are due to go on holiday in Nov and would appreciate any advice on Travel cots.DD will be about 6mths.
Due to us flying we need something that is lightweight and compact....
I have looked at the following:

Samsonite Pop up bubble
&
Graco party girl

The samsonite looks the best due to it being compact and lightweight but it doesn't look to comfy or big..The Graco on the otherhand seems bigger so may not be as compact or light. It does however last until dd will be around 3.

Ideally we want to spend around £40 ish....
Advice is appreciated.

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Suzyfloozypuddingandpie · 04/09/2005 10:22

We have one similar to the Graco party girl- just different colours, and it is fantastic. However, it is not very light, but is fairly compact. Not the easiest thing to carry either.

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jessicaandbumpsmummy · 04/09/2005 10:24

the pop up one is ok actually... Ive ot one and although jess was too big for it when i got it, it will be handy for the new baby... Jess could still lay down in it at 10 months old but because it isnt very sturdy, she would have tipped herself out of it.

Depends how mobile your 6 month old is!

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shhhh · 04/09/2005 10:56

Thanks Suzyfloozypuddingandpie & jessicaandbumpsmummy (what a mouthful!). j&bm, was it the bigger samsonite cot you had..?? There is 2, one until baby is 6mths or can sit unaided or one that until baby is about 18 mths which is the one below..

sfp&p, the party girl is not the best to carry you said, did it count as your handluggage allowance? Airlines are so bothered about baggage allowance and it's a nightmare without a baby let alone with one! We are so looking forward to our holiday & are so eager to get everything right for baby...it's hard to know what to take & what not to take.

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shhhh · 05/09/2005 15:59

Bump.....Anyone else got any advice??!!!

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Mum2girls · 05/09/2005 16:04

Have you checked wherever you're going that a cot can't be provided?


The reason I ask is that we had one and used it probably 3 times for both DDs - seemed such a waste of money.

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QueenOfQuotes · 05/09/2005 16:06

We've got the Graco (in different colours) and it's fantastic

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gingerbear · 05/09/2005 16:10

I have one similar to the graco, never taken it on holiday though as it found a home at Grandmas. We always coped with the cot provided on holiday, she once slept on a mattress on the floor of a caravan.

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RachD · 05/09/2005 16:20

Where are you going shhhh ?
Like mum2girls saya, are you sure they couldn't provide.

I have tried-&-tested lots of travel cots.
We have one up, permanently in our lounge.
And man, it is sooooo heavy.
They all are.

Hire one ?

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compo · 05/09/2005 16:22

definitely the Graco, it will last for as long as you need a travel cot for and you can also use it as a play pen

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jessicaandbumpsmummy · 05/09/2005 16:23

ive got the smaller pop up one.... but just saw the larger one and would deffo reccommend it - for the simple fact it folds away to nothing and has the insect nets etc attatched.

If it is just for hols and space and weight are limited, go with the pop up - i dont like big travel cots anyway for the simple fact im too short and pg to bend over them!

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shhhh · 05/09/2005 16:35

rachd,we are off to the canaries to a 5 hotel so a cot will be provided BUT* not to sound snobby etc (please don't start judging us, this is just our opinion) dh & I are wary about using hotel cots. We are so OTT the top about stuff dd has & we don't like the idea that she could be in a cot that's dirty etc....I know that the bed we sleep in could be the same and we may not aware of it but thats our choice to sleep in that bed iykwim & we feel that dd can't tell whether she wants to sleep there or not... I know it would save us weight etc but we would rather take a cot...
Mmmmm the graco one is ideal as like others have said it can be used as a playpen...Brilliant..but you have given me something to think about j&bm..I'm only 4ft 11in so may struggle with the graco one as it is quite deep/low..also we want more children so this may not be ideal if i'm pregnant & plan to go away..
Thanks to all of your replies.

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jessicaandbumpsmummy · 05/09/2005 16:38

Shhhh.... exaclt my point! I cant reach into a travel cot to pick a baby that doesnt stand up by themselves and im 5'1 and thats when im not pg!

It has to be your decision at the end of the day, but I would imagine your DH would have to do the putting down and getting up again!

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QueenOfQuotes · 05/09/2005 16:40

I'm only 5ft and haven't had any problems with the Graco

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nailpolish · 05/09/2005 16:56

just wanted to add, my baby sleeps in a travel cot when she stays at her grans house, it is ideal apart from the fact that i find the 'mattress' a little hard and uncomfortable (thin hard and slippy)

we went to our local baby shop and bought a better mattress that we put on the top of the one we got with the cot, and its so much better

this info is crap for going on holiday, as it is not practical to take an extra mattress (!) but just for future reference, if you intend to use it at home or whatever.

on holiday i would put some folded sheets/blankets on top of the provided mattress, with another top sheet over them, for a bit of extra comfort

hth

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nailpolish · 05/09/2005 16:56

btw, the extra mattress was only £14

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mumtosomeone · 05/09/2005 16:59

think the graco will last longer my ;ast 2 slept in one like that all the time as we had no room for a cot!

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shhhh · 05/09/2005 17:39

Decisions Decisions!!! Thanks to you all, if the graco one isn't to low that may end up being our choice as looking at the samsonite one it's only till baby is 18mths..tbh think the graco one will get more use as it can be used till 3yrs and can also double up as a playpen . Now then, advice on car seats while abroard .

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LIZS · 05/09/2005 17:58

Provided she can't sit up you could get one with a bassinette - a sort of higher level bed slung onto the frame of the main travel cot - but it adds to the weight and price. Ours has a wheels so you can trundle it rather than carry too, if you pack it right ! Does your pushchair have a carrycot as ds slept in that on a canal boat at 6 months.

btw neither of mine would use a travel cot after age of 20 months - dd could climb out and ds just wouldn't settle - so don't bank on using it until 3.

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bubbaloo · 05/09/2005 19:32

We've got a brilliant travel cot.its a graco but a little dearer than you wanted to spend.we got it in toys r us reduced from £100 down to £80,a few weeks ago.ds is 12 wks old and sleeps in it in our room,as he outgrew the moses basket a while ago.the cot has 2 levels(so there's no need to bend),plays about 20 tunes,has a vibrating mattress(havent used that bit yet!),and a light which is really usefull for checking on him.it also has a hood with 3 dangly toys and a changer which goes onto.we're going away on saturday and we're taking it with us as it all folds down into a fairly small bag.btw...its the graco contour electra and i would definately reccommend it.

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shhhh · 05/09/2005 19:50

bubbaloo i'm just off to google the travel cot you have as it sounds brill!!! Like you said, it's more than we wanted to spend but the more I discuss it on here the better my ideas become!
To answer LIZS yes our pram does have a carrycot and dd sleeps in it in our room now at 16 wks, but she is getting big for this and we don't want to put her into her own room just yet so the cot you use bubbaloo sounds ideal as we could use that everyday as well..plus she would be used to it for hols so wouldn't kick up a fuss about sleeping in it while away!...I have thought about her outgrowing her current cot and tbh thought that was the end of her sleeping with us ...There is light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks again.

BTW LIZS, we don't want to take the cot off the pram abroad as we currently have a 3 in one type pram but the carseat that came with it wouldn't fit securly in our car so we got the pram but another car seat. We want to take the car seat abroad for safety so for ease we are now buying the wheels that originally fit with this car seat so we can attach it to the pram and hey presto.! Confused !!! God it gets expensive having a baby

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LIZS · 05/09/2005 19:58

The one I was trying to describe was also a Grace, a predecessor to the one bubbaloo has but without the electronics and a special buy from Toys r Us about 6 years ago for under £50. More like this one

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mrsmerdle · 05/09/2005 19:59

We have the samsonite pop up bubble. It is great for travelling because it's really light, and I found the fact that you didn't have to lean over it a huge advantage when settling my daughter down. It doesn't last that long though - I think the blurb says 18 months but once my daughter was moving around a lot she could tip it over. We took it to the Caribbean when she was 11 months and it was just about okay then, but not for much longer than that I'd say. I also found that sometimes doing the zip up would wake her up again if she'd just dropped off. The mattress is not that thick but okay if the cot's on a carpet I think.

We've now got the babydan traditional travel cot type, and I would never ever take it on a plane. It weighs a ton. Probably heavier than the graco one you're looking at though.

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galaxy · 05/09/2005 20:01

Look on ebay for a Baby Nomad travel tent as they lasy through until 3 years old. They're around 3kg and fold up into their own bag which easily fits into a suitcase. I just sold one thru mumsnet for £70 so they are a good investment.

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Allycat · 07/09/2005 21:26

Hiya
I have the Littlelife travel cot which is a bit like the Nomad but not so dear! It only weighs 2.5kg and is kind of like a dome tent with lightweight rods pushed though nylon material. The way it is designed means that it can not tip over even with all the baby's weight pushing from the inside - fantastic! It comes with it's own mattress and folds up into a carry bag. I took it to Hawaii with me and it was fine to carry and my 1 yr old ds slept like a dream. It is really safe and should last until your child is 3yrs. I bought mine from John Lewis and it was £70 new, but I have seen them on ebay for less.

Good luck!

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shhhh · 07/09/2005 21:34

AC, Thanks for your advice. I will also check your cot out. I haven't yet bought one as I want to be sure the one i get is the one! iykwim..

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